WO2010131171A2 - Prévention de courts-circuits dans des dispositifs électroluminescents - Google Patents

Prévention de courts-circuits dans des dispositifs électroluminescents Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2010131171A2
WO2010131171A2 PCT/IB2010/052016 IB2010052016W WO2010131171A2 WO 2010131171 A2 WO2010131171 A2 WO 2010131171A2 IB 2010052016 W IB2010052016 W IB 2010052016W WO 2010131171 A2 WO2010131171 A2 WO 2010131171A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
electroluminescent
layer
electrode
electrode layer
electroluminescent device
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2010/052016
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2010131171A3 (fr
Inventor
Soeren Hartmann
Herbert F. Boerner
Edward W. A. Young
Original Assignee
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh filed Critical Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Publication of WO2010131171A2 publication Critical patent/WO2010131171A2/fr
Publication of WO2010131171A3 publication Critical patent/WO2010131171A3/fr

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Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10KORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
    • H10K50/00Organic light-emitting devices
    • H10K50/80Constructional details
    • H10K50/84Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
    • H10K50/844Encapsulations
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10KORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
    • H10K50/00Organic light-emitting devices
    • H10K50/10OLEDs or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED]
    • H10K50/11OLEDs or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED] characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers
    • H10K50/125OLEDs or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED] characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light
    • H10K50/13OLEDs or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED] characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light comprising stacked EL layers within one EL unit
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H10SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10KORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
    • H10K71/00Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
    • H10K71/861Repairing

Definitions

  • Electroluminescent (EL) devices are usually produced by deposition of the electrodes and the required electroluminescent layer(s) on a transparent substrate such as glass or a polymer foil through which the light is emitted.
  • a transparent substrate such as glass or a polymer foil
  • imperfections are generated which are caused by impurities, imperfections during substrate fabrication, cleaning steps prior to the deposition of the subsequent layers and/or the deposition steps.
  • edges of such imperfections in the electrode layer - also called pin- holes - and imperfections in the coating of the organic layers resulting in a thinner organic layer stack lead to an increased electrical field strength. This, in turn, leads to a short circuit and/or higher current flow in the affected regions and consequently an increased wear, i.e. degradation, of the electroluminescent and electrode layers resulting in a short circuit.
  • conventional EL devices exhibit a drastically decreased life span in comparison to what would theoretically be possible.
  • a method for short circuit prevention in electroluminescent devices comprising the steps of: Providing an electrolumines- cent device comprising a substrate and stacked thereon in the order of mention: a first electrode layer, an electroluminescent stack and a second electrode layer; applying a liquid film onto the second electrode layer to fill the pinholes present in said layer; and drying and/or curing the liquid film to form a solid layer, whereby the existing defects are passivated.
  • the term "pinhole” is meant to comprise defects present in the electroluminescent device.
  • defects or "defect area” includes all imperfections in the electrode layers and/or the organic layers - for example a thinner or discontinuous organic layer stack - that may be present and result in an increased electrical field strength.
  • the term "pinhole” describes an opening in the electrode layer, more preferably with a size from a few nanometers to several mil- limeters.
  • the present invention is based on the unexpected finding that by application of certain liquids - that may later on be dried and/or cured into a solid and/or hardened layer - to the electrode of the EL device the defect areas can be filled and thus passivated.
  • This filling of the pinholes leads to an improvement in durability and reliabili- ty of the EL device.
  • application of liquid materials to the back electrode of an OLED leads to a destruction of the device by chemical or physical attack of the organic layers at the pinholes and the edges of the back electrode.
  • An exemplary basic EL device comprises two electrodes, i.e. an anode and a cathode, wherein the anode is usually disposed on a substrate such as glass or flex- ible polyethylene terephtalate (PET) foil.
  • a substrate such as glass or flex- ible polyethylene terephtalate (PET) foil.
  • PET polyethylene terephtalate
  • the EL stack On top of the anode, i.e. the substrate electrode, the EL stack is disposed comprising at least one emitter layer comprising at least one type of EL molecules.
  • a second electrode i.e. the cathode acting as the counter electrode, is disposed on top of said electroluminescent stack, followed by the sealing heat conductive layer and the heat sink.
  • a hole transport layer that may contact the anode
  • an electron transport layer that may contact the cathode
  • a hole injection layer that may be p-doped - disposed between the anode and the hole transport layer and/or a electron injection layer - preferably a very thin layer made from lithium fluoride, or cesium fluoride or alternatively a n-doped electron transport layer - disposed between the electron transport layer and the cathode.
  • EL devices may comprise an EL stack wherein more than one - pure or doped - light emitting layer is present, e.g. in white OLEDs. Furthermore in so-called stacked EL devices adjacent OLED device like structures can be separated by transparent or semi-transparent doped connecting layers
  • EL devices comprise bottom emission/top emission devices, wherein a transparent or semi-transparent bottom and top electrode, respectively is utilized; transparent LED devices, such as TOLEDS that use a proprietary transparent contact to create displays that can be made to be top-only emitting, bottom-only emitting, or both top and bottom emitting (transparent); inverted EL devices such as inverted OLEDs, in which the anode is placed on the substrate, and further more.
  • transparent LED devices such as TOLEDS that use a proprietary transparent contact to create displays that can be made to be top-only emitting, bottom-only emitting, or both top and bottom emitting (transparent)
  • inverted EL devices such as inverted OLEDs, in which the anode is placed on the substrate, and further more.
  • the EL device is an OLED device, i.e. the electroluminescent emission layer(s) comprise organic molecules.
  • the organic molecules comprise polymers (PLEDs) or small molecules (SMO- LEDs).
  • the EL device is a phosphorescent organic light-emitting diode (PHOLED) device.
  • the EL device comprises a combination of phosphorescent and fluorescent emitters (Hybrid OLED).
  • the OLED is a fluorescent light emitting di- ode.
  • the present invention is not restricted to specific organic molecules provided such are suitable for the use as electroluminescent molecules in EL devices.
  • electroluminescent and/or organic electroluminescent molecules are known to the skilled person, all of which are meant to be encompassed by the present invention.
  • electroluminescent molecules preferably mean “organic electrolumi- nescent molecules”.
  • the polymers of a PLED are conjugated polymers such as derivates of poly(p-phenylen-vinylene) (PPV), or polyfluorenes and the small molecules of an SMOLED are organo -metallic chelates, such as for example Alq3, Alq2p (BAIq), Ir(ppy)3, Ir(MDQ)2acac, and/or conjugated dendrimers such as a-NPD, TCTA, TBPI, n-MTDATA.
  • conjugated polymers such as derivates of poly(p-phenylen-vinylene) (PPV), or polyfluorenes
  • the small molecules of an SMOLED are organo -metallic chelates, such as for example Alq3, Alq2p (BAIq), Ir(ppy)3, Ir(MDQ)2acac, and/or conjugated dendrimers such as a-NPD, TCTA, TBPI, n-MTDATA.
  • BAIq Al
  • the substrate is transparent or semi-transparent.
  • transparent is meant to refer to a transmission of light in the visible range of > 50 %. The remaining light is thus either reflected and/or absorbed.
  • semi- transparent refers to a transmission of light in the visible range of between > 10 % and ⁇ 50 %. Preferably light in the visible range has a wavelength of between > 450 nm and ⁇ 700 nm.
  • the substrate is made from glass, ceramics, and/or comprises at least one of gold and silver.
  • Further preferred materials for the substrate comprise polymer sheets or foils, more preferably with a suitable moisture and oxygen barrier to essentially prevent moisture and/or oxygen entering the EL device.
  • the substrate may further comprise additional layers, e.g. for optical purposes such as light out-coupling enhancement and the like.
  • At least one of the electrodes i.e. the anode and/or the cathode and/or a connecting layer, if present, is transparent or semi- transparent.
  • the electrode may also be reflective, preferably in case of the counter electrode.
  • the electrodes are made from a metal, diamond like carbon, or comprise at least one of the following materials: indium tin oxide (ITO), aluminum, silver, ZnO, doped ZnO or an oxide layer. More preferably, the electrodes are made from a transparent conductive oxide such as ITO, or ZnO.
  • the electrodes are undercoated with Si ⁇ 2 and/or SiO to suppress diffusion of mobile atoms or ions from the substrate into the electrode.
  • thin Ag or Au layers about 8-15 nm thick - may be used alone or in combination with the electrode layers.
  • a metal and/or metal foil is used as the electrode it preferably may take the role of the substrate and/or substrate electrode, i.e. either anode and/or cathode.
  • the electrodes are connected to a voltage/current source through electrical conductors.
  • the electrodes can be deposited by any suitable means.
  • the electrodes are deposited using a vacuum processing system for vapor deposition.
  • the EL stack can be any EL stack known to the skilled person and/or suitable for an EL device.
  • an EL stack comprises at least one EL emitter layer comprising EL molecules.
  • Preferred EL stacks comprise more than one EL layer, each comprising at least one type of EL molecule.
  • the EL layers emit light of different colors. This is especially advantageous if color tuneable EL devices are required.
  • the EL stack comprises at least two EL emission layers having different emission colors. This means that if the EL device of the present invention is induced to emit light by application of electric voltage/current each of the at least two emission layers will emit light at a different wavelength.
  • n > 2 emission layers are present between 2 and n-1 emission layers preferably have a different emission color than the other emission layer(s).
  • Different emission colors are usually achieved by use of different EL molecules that are comprised by the EL emission layers.
  • Each EL emission layer can comprise a single or, preferably more than one type of EL molecules.
  • the EL stack comprises three EL emission layers emitting red, green and blue light, respectively.
  • the EL emission layers emit complementary or nearly complementary colors, for example yellow and blue, red and green, or red and cyan. More preferably, the emitted colors of the at least two emission layers cover most of the spectrum of the visible light. Even more preferably, three EL emission layers are present that cover most of the spectrum of the visible light, for example red, green and blue. This has the advantage that a wide range of colors and white light emission can be achieved.
  • electroluminescent layers based on small molecules are disposed by vacuum evaporation.
  • electroluminescent layers based on polymers, i.e. molecules of greater length are first solubilized in suitable solvents and a subsequently deposited by printing or spin-coating methods.
  • a liquid film is applied to the second electrode, preferably the cathode.
  • liquid film is meant that the material applied to the electrode is in a state that enables a distribution of the material on the electrode, preferably leading to a filling of the pinholes.
  • liquid film also encompasses semi- liquid films or films in gel form, provided the applied material is movable enough to be distributed over the electrode surface and to fill at least some of the pinholes.
  • the liquid film fills > 10 % and ⁇ 50 %, > 20 % and ⁇ 50 %, > 40 % and ⁇ 50 %, > 50 % and ⁇ 100 %, > 60 % and ⁇ 100 %, > 70 % and ⁇ 100 %, > 80 % and ⁇ 100 %, or > 90 % and ⁇ 100 % of the pin- holes present in the electrode. Most preferably, all of the pinholes in the electrode are filled by the liquid film.
  • liquid film can take place by any suitable means known to the skilled person.
  • the liquid film is poured, sprayed, deposited, pasted and/or printed onto the electrode.
  • the material to be ap- plied to the electrode as liquid film may be present as an aerosol comprising a solvent and sprayed onto the electrode and the solvent may be evaporated afterwards during the drying/curing of the film.
  • the liquid film can comprise any material that is suitable to fill the pinholes and thus passivate the defects, without destroying the organic layers, so the ma- terial does not interfere with and/or harm or damage the EL device.
  • the material can preferably be dried and/or cured, i.e. it can be transformed into a solid and/or hardened substance and/or layer.
  • the liquid film comprises an electrical insulator and/or a dielectric.
  • the insulator and/or dielectric has a resistivity of > 1 ⁇ m, > 50 ⁇ m, > 100 ⁇ m, > 10 5 ⁇ m, > 10 8 ⁇ m, or > 10 10 ⁇ m.
  • the liquid film will comprise a material that is transparent or semi-transparent in the liquid and/or hardened, dried or cured state.
  • the liquid film will comprise a material selected from the group consisting of an adhesive, a polymer, a silicone, and/or a resin, preferably an artificial resin.
  • the adhesive is a drying adhesive, a contact adhesive, a hot adhesive, a UV and/or light curing adhesive, a two-component adhesive and/or a pressure sensitive adhesive. Drying adhesives, such as rubber cements, are a mixture of compounds, typically polymers, dissolved in a solvent. As the solvent evaporates, the adhesive hardens. Contact adhesives are applied to both surfaces of the items to be glued together and allowed some time to dry before the two surfaces are pushed together.
  • Ultraviolet and/or light curing adhesives are advantageous due to their rapid curing time and strong bond strength. Such adhesives can cure in as little as a second and many formulations can bond dissimilar substrates and withstand harsh temperatures.
  • Two-component adhesives usually comprise a binder and a hardener that are mixing shortly before application of the adhesive. The curing of a two-component adhesive can be carried out at room temperature, but preferably it is carried out at elevated temperatures to speed up the hardening and to improve the mechanical properties of the adhesive.
  • the polymer is Teflon, most preferably Teflon AF in solution obtainable from DuPont, USA.
  • the silicone material comprised by the film is selected from the group consisting of: Sylgard 3-6636 Silicone dielectric Gel Kit, Fluorogel Q3-6679 Dielectric Gel Kit and/or photo curable gel X3-6211 ; all three obtainable from Dow Corning. While the skilled person knows further suitable silicones the before mentioned silicones were tested with excellent results.
  • the liquid film applied to the electrode is dried and/or cured.
  • the term "film” refers to a layer of material that is applied to the electrode.
  • the film is an at least partially coherent layer, preferably in the regions of the pinholes in the electrode. More preferably, the electrode is complete covered by the material.
  • drying and/or cured basically means that the film applied to the electrode changes its state from the liquid or semi-liquid from to a solid form, i.e. the film hardens and turns into a solid layer. Obviously, this drying and/or curing can be achieved by a variety of methods known to the skilled person and depends on the type of material used.
  • drying and/or curing is effected by radiation with light and/or UV light, for example, if an light and/or UV-curable adhesive, polymer or resin is used. This may be achieved using any suitable light source, e.g. a UV lamp.
  • curing is achieved by the reaction of the two components of the two-component glue.
  • the drying and/or curing is carried out at room temperature and even more preferably at an elevated temperature.
  • the solid layer after drying/curing has a thickness of about > 10 nm and ⁇ 15 mm, preferably of about > 10 nm and ⁇ 1 mm. The thickness is measured from the surface of the second electrode and does not include the protrusions of the solid layer reaching into the pinholes of the electrode.
  • at least one additional step of application of a liquid film onto the dried and/or cured solid layer and subsequent drying and/or curing is carried out.
  • a single liquid film is applied to the electrode followed by drying and/or curing as it was found out that it is sufficient to fill the pinholes of the EL device only once and that this may be achieved by a single application of the inventive liquid film. This has the advantage that the time for and the costs of the EL device production are decreased.
  • the encapsulation is carried out by application of a sealing substrate, a so-called back substrate, on top of the electrode treated with the layer filling the pinholes and opposing the first substrate of the EL device.
  • the back substrate can comprise any suitable material.
  • the back sub- strate comprises the same material as the first substrate of the EL device.
  • the back substrate acts as a barrier for moisture and/or gas, such as oxygen.
  • the material of the back substrate has a DIN 4108-4 Sd value of > 0.5 m, more preferably of > 1500 m.
  • the back substrate used to encapsulate the EL device is a cavity lid known to the skilled person.
  • the present invention is directed to an EL device produced by the method of the present invention.
  • the EL device comprises a substrate and stacked thereon in the order of mention: a first electrode layer, an electroluminescent stack, a second electrode layer and a solid layer, wherein the solid layer fills at least a part of the pinholes present in the second electrode layer.
  • filling at least part of the pinholes it is meant that the solid layer does not need to fill and/or passivated all pinholes present in the electrode.
  • the solid layer fills and/or passivates > 10 % and ⁇ 50 %, > 20 % and ⁇ 50 %, > 40 % and ⁇ 50 %, > 50 % and ⁇ 100 %, > 60 % and ⁇ 100 %, > 70 % and ⁇ 100 %, > 80 % and ⁇ 100 %, or > 90 % and ⁇ 100 % of the pinholes present in the second electrode.
  • the solid layer on top of the second electrode has a thickness of about > 10 nm and ⁇ 15mm, preferably of about > 10 nm and ⁇ 1 mm.
  • the EL device further comprises a power and/or voltage source.
  • a power and/or voltage source is connected to the electrodes, i.e. anode and cathode, of the EL device.
  • the power and/or vol- tage source provides DC or AC voltage between anode and cathode.
  • the power and/or voltage source is adapted to provide pulse width modulation.
  • Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of an OLED device according to the present invention.
  • an electric potential is applied to the electrodes of the EL device, for example 3-6 V, a potential difference in the area of the pinhole, i.e. between the edges of the cathode and the anode will be generated that is in the range of 30-100 kV/mm, which may lead to short circuits (symbolized by the arrows).
  • the short circuits generated at the pinholes due to high electric field and the open path between the electrodes lead to a rapid degradation of the EL device.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Electroluminescent Light Sources (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention porte sur un procédé de prévention de courts-circuits dans des dispositifs électroluminescents (EL) comprenant les étapes consistant à : utiliser un dispositif EL comprenant un substrat (1) et, empilés sur lui dans l'ordre mentionné : une première couche d'électrode (2), un empilement EL (3) et une seconde couche d'électrode (4) ; appliquer un film liquide sur la seconde couche d'électrode pour reboucher les piqûres (5) présentes dans ladite couche ; et sécher et/ou durcir le film liquide pour former une couche solide (6). L'invention porte en outre sur un dispositif électroluminescent produit par le procédé de la présente invention.
PCT/IB2010/052016 2009-05-14 2010-05-07 Prévention de courts-circuits dans des dispositifs électroluminescents WO2010131171A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP09160296.1 2009-05-14
EP09160296 2009-05-14

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2010131171A2 true WO2010131171A2 (fr) 2010-11-18
WO2010131171A3 WO2010131171A3 (fr) 2011-05-26

Family

ID=43027622

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/IB2010/052016 WO2010131171A2 (fr) 2009-05-14 2010-05-07 Prévention de courts-circuits dans des dispositifs électroluminescents

Country Status (2)

Country Link
TW (1) TW201108456A (fr)
WO (1) WO2010131171A2 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9642212B1 (en) 2015-06-11 2017-05-02 Darkside Scientific, Llc Electroluminescent system and process
US11533793B2 (en) 2016-07-28 2022-12-20 Darkside Scientific, Inc. Electroluminescent system and process

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3724725B2 (ja) * 2001-11-01 2005-12-07 ソニー株式会社 表示装置の製造方法
TW575967B (en) * 2002-06-03 2004-02-11 Ritdisplay Corp Method of repairing organic light emitting element pixels
US20080237872A1 (en) * 2004-01-21 2008-10-02 Kenichi Nagayama Semiconductor Device and Method For Manufacturing Same
JP2006004770A (ja) * 2004-06-17 2006-01-05 Toyota Industries Corp 有機el装置の製造方法及び有機el装置
WO2006027736A1 (fr) * 2004-09-10 2006-03-16 Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh Systeme electroluminescent
US7560862B2 (en) * 2004-10-22 2009-07-14 Eastman Kodak Company White OLEDs with a color-compensated electroluminescent unit
JP2008097828A (ja) * 2005-01-21 2008-04-24 Pioneer Electronic Corp 有機el素子の製造方法およびこれにより得られた有機el素子
US7990055B2 (en) * 2006-03-03 2011-08-02 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Electroluminescent arrangement having detached electrode and method of fabricating the same

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
None

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9642212B1 (en) 2015-06-11 2017-05-02 Darkside Scientific, Llc Electroluminescent system and process
US11533793B2 (en) 2016-07-28 2022-12-20 Darkside Scientific, Inc. Electroluminescent system and process

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2010131171A3 (fr) 2011-05-26
TW201108456A (en) 2011-03-01

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