WO2017057241A1

WO2017057241A1 - Organic el element and organic el element manufacturing method

Info

Publication number: WO2017057241A1
Application number: PCT/JP2016/078200
Authority: WO
Inventors: 匡哉下河原; 進一森島; 真人赤對
Original assignee: 住友化学株式会社
Priority date: 2015-09-30
Filing date: 2016-09-26
Publication date: 2017-04-06
Also published as: JP2017069031A

Abstract

This organic EL element 1 comprises a sealing member 19, which comprises an adhesive portion 13 that has adhesion properties and that covers an organic EL portion 17 and a moisture absorption portion 11, and a sealing substrate 15 that is arranged over the adhesive portion 13. Seen from the direction of lamination of the organic EL portion 17, the moisture absorption portion 11 is arranged to the outside of the organic EL portion 17 and at a prescribed gap from the organic EL portion 17 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of lamination. The adhesive portion 13 is provided at least between the moisture absorption portion 11 and the organic EL portion 17, between the moisture absorption portion 11 and the sealing substrate 15, and between the moisture absorption portion 11 and the ends 13a, 13b of the adhesive portion 13 in the aforementioned perpendicular direction.

Description

ORGANIC EL ELEMENT AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING ORGANIC EL ELEMENT

The present invention relates to an organic EL element and a method for manufacturing the organic EL element.

As conventional organic EL elements, for example, those described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are known. In the organic EL element described in Patent Document 1, a first electrode layer, an organic functional layer, a second electrode layer, and a protective layer are laminated in this order on a substrate. In the organic EL element described in Patent Document 1, a sealing layer containing a hygroscopic material is provided so as to cover the protective layer.

The organic EL element described in Patent Document 2 includes a step of obtaining a sealing member in which an insulating layer and an adhesive layer are formed on a sealing substrate, a step of forming an insulating layer removing portion in the insulating layer and the adhesive layer, and an insulation The step of filling the resin removal part with a resin containing a hygroscopic agent, the step of bonding the sealing member to the electronic element, and the state in which the sealing substrate and the electronic element are bonded together are irradiated with ultraviolet rays to give the resin. And a step of curing.

JP-A-8-236271 JP 2011-222333 A

In the organic EL element described in Patent Document 1, the protective layer is provided in order to suppress the chemical component of the sealing layer from entering the organic functional layer and reacting the chemical component with the organic functional layer. The protective layer is formed by, for example, CVD (chemical vapor deposition). As described above, the organic EL element described in Patent Document 1 has a poor productivity because a protective layer forming step is required in the manufacturing process.

In the manufacturing process of the organic EL element described in Patent Document 2, when the sealing substrate and the electronic element are bonded together, it is necessary to perform positioning so that the resin filled in the insulating removal portion surrounds the electronic element. is there. For this reason, the organic EL element described in Patent Document 2 requires a high degree of alignment in the process of bonding the sealing substrate and the electronic element, so that the process takes time and the productivity is not good.

An object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide an organic EL element capable of improving productivity and a method for manufacturing the organic EL element in a configuration including a hygroscopic portion.

An organic EL device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a support substrate, an organic EL portion that is disposed on the support substrate, and is formed by stacking a first electrode layer, an organic functional layer, and a second electrode layer, An organic EL element comprising a sealing member that seals an EL portion and a hygroscopic portion having hygroscopicity, wherein the sealing member has adhesive properties and has a viscosity that covers the organic EL portion and the hygroscopic portion. An adhesive portion and a sealing substrate disposed on the adhesive portion, and the moisture absorption portion is outside the organic EL portion and orthogonal to the lamination direction when viewed from the lamination direction of the organic EL portion. It is arranged at a predetermined interval from the organic EL part in the direction, and the adhesive part is at least between the moisture absorbing part and the organic EL part, between the moisture absorbing part and the sealing substrate, and the moisture absorbing part. And the end portion in the orthogonal direction of the adhesive portion.

In the organic EL element according to one aspect of the present invention, the moisture absorbing portion is spaced apart from the organic EL portion at a predetermined interval in a direction outside the organic EL portion and perpendicular to the stacking direction when viewed from the stacking direction of the organic EL portion. Has been placed. The adhesive part is at least between the hygroscopic part and the organic EL part, between the hygroscopic part and the sealing substrate, and between the hygroscopic part and the end of the adhesive part in the orthogonal direction. Is provided. Thus, in the organic EL element, since the hygroscopic portion is entirely covered with the adhesive portion, the adhesive component can suppress the chemical component of the hygroscopic portion from entering the organic functional layer. Therefore, in the organic EL element, since it is not necessary to provide a protective layer between the moisture absorption part and the organic functional layer, a process for forming the protective layer is not required in the manufacturing process. Further, since the hygroscopic portion is covered, the sealing member can be bonded after the hygroscopic portion is formed on the support substrate side. Therefore, highly accurate positioning is not required when the sealing member and the organic EL part are bonded together. Therefore, this organic EL element can improve productivity in the structure provided with a moisture absorption part.

In one embodiment, the support substrate may have flexibility.

In one embodiment, the distance between the inner surface of the moisture absorption part and the organic EL part may be 0.5 mm or more and 10 mm or less. Thereby, the moisture absorption function of the moisture in a moisture absorption part can be effectively exhibited with respect to an organic EL part.

In one embodiment, the thickness of the hygroscopic part may be 1/2 or less of the thickness of the adhesive part. If the thickness of the hygroscopic part is too thick relative to the thickness of the adhesive part, the hygroscopic part cannot be properly covered with the adhesive part. By setting the thickness of the hygroscopic part to ½ or less of the thickness of the adhesive part, the hygroscopic part can be appropriately covered with the adhesive part.

The organic EL element manufacturing method according to one aspect of the present invention includes an organic EL part forming step of forming an organic EL part by laminating a first electrode layer, an organic functional layer, and a second electrode layer on a support substrate; A hygroscopic part forming step for forming a hygroscopic part having a hygroscopic property at a predetermined distance from the organic EL part in a direction perpendicular to the laminating direction outside the organic EL part as viewed from the laminating direction of the organic EL part; A sealing step of sticking a sealing member having an adhesive base having a stopping base material and adhesive properties to the organic EL portion, and covering the exposed portions of the organic EL portion and the moisture absorbing portion with the adhesive portion And including.

In the method of manufacturing an organic EL element according to one aspect of the present invention, moisture absorption is performed at a predetermined interval from the organic EL unit in the direction outside the organic EL unit and perpendicular to the stacking direction when viewed from the stacking direction of the organic EL unit. Forming a hygroscopic part having the property. And a sealing member is bonded together to an organic EL part, and the part exposed in the organic EL part and a moisture absorption part is coat | covered with an adhesive part. In this manufacturing method, since it is not necessary to provide a protective layer between the moisture absorption part and the organic EL part, a process for forming the protective layer is not required. Further, since the hygroscopic portion is not formed on the sealing member, it is not necessary to perform highly accurate alignment when the sealing member is bonded to the organic EL portion. Therefore, in this manufacturing method, productivity can be improved in the configuration including the hygroscopic portion.

In one embodiment, the support substrate has flexibility, and the organic EL portion forming step, the moisture absorption portion forming step, and the sealing step are continuously supported from the support substrate wound on the unwinding roll. This is performed during the process of winding the substrate on a winding roll. In this case, each process is implemented by what is called a roll-to-roll system. Therefore, each process can be performed efficiently and productivity can be improved.

In one embodiment, the moisture absorption part may be formed by a printing method. Thereby, a moisture absorption part can be accurately formed in a predetermined position.

In one embodiment, the sealing member and the organic EL part may be bonded together by applying pressure in a heated state. Thereby, since the adhesion part of the sealing member which contacts an organic EL part hardens | cures, an adhesion part and an organic EL part can be stuck.

In one embodiment, the sealing substrate may be a thermoplastic resin. Thereby, a sealing base material can be made to follow the shape of an organic EL part by applying heat to a sealing base material.

According to one aspect of the present invention, productivity can be improved in a configuration including a moisture absorption part.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an organic EL element according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a method for manufacturing an organic EL element by a roll-to-roll method. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a manufacturing process of the sealing member. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a sealing process. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a sealing process by a roll-to-roll method. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an organic EL element according to another embodiment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or equivalent elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. In the following, “X direction”, “Y direction”, and “Z direction” are defined in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, and each direction is used for the description.

As shown in FIG. 1, the organic EL element 1 includes a support substrate 3, an anode layer (first electrode layer) 5, a light emitting layer (organic functional layer) 7, a cathode layer (second electrode layer) 9, The hygroscopic part 11, the adhesive part 13, and the sealing substrate 15 are provided. The anode layer 5, the light emitting layer 7, and the cathode layer 9 constitute an organic EL unit 17. The adhesive portion 13 and the sealing substrate 15 constitute a sealing member 19.

[Support substrate]
The support substrate 3 is made of a resin that is transparent to visible light (light having a wavelength of 400 nm to 800 nm). The support substrate 3 is a film-like substrate (flexible substrate, flexible substrate). The thickness of the support substrate 3 is, for example, not less than 30 μm and not more than 500 μm.

The support substrate 3 is, for example, a plastic film. The material of the support substrate 3 is, for example, polyethersulfone (PES); polyester resin such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN); polyolefin resin such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or cyclic polyolefin; Polyamide resin; Polycarbonate resin; Polystyrene resin; Polyvinyl alcohol resin; Saponified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer; Polyacrylonitrile resin; Acetal resin; Polyimide resin;

The material of the support substrate 3 is preferably a polyester resin or a polyolefin resin, and particularly preferably polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene naphthalate because of its high heat resistance, low coefficient of linear expansion and low manufacturing cost among the above resins. Moreover, these resin may be used individually by 1 type, and may be used in combination of 2 or more type.

A moisture barrier layer (barrier layer) may be disposed on one main surface 3 a of the support substrate 3. The other main surface 3b of the support substrate 3 is a light emitting surface. The support substrate 3 may be a thin film glass.

[Anode layer]
The anode layer 5 is disposed on one main surface 3 a of the support substrate 3. For the anode layer 5, an electrode layer showing optical transparency is used. As the electrode exhibiting light transmittance, a thin film of metal oxide, metal sulfide, metal or the like having high electrical conductivity can be used, and a thin film having high light transmittance is preferably used. For example, a thin film made of indium oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, indium tin oxide (abbreviated as ITO), indium zinc oxide (abbreviated as IZO), gold, platinum, silver, copper, or the like is used. Among these, a thin film made of ITO, IZO, or tin oxide is preferably used.

As the anode layer 5, an organic transparent conductive film such as polyaniline and derivatives thereof, polythiophene and derivatives thereof may be used.

The thickness of the anode layer 5 can be determined in consideration of light transmittance, electrical conductivity, and the like. The thickness of the anode layer 5 is usually 10 nm to 10 μm, preferably 20 nm to 1 μm, and more preferably 50 nm to 500 nm.

Examples of the method for forming the anode layer 5 include a vacuum deposition method, a sputtering method, an ion plating method, a plating method, and a coating method.

[Light emitting layer]
The light emitting layer 7 is disposed on one main surface 3 a of the anode layer 5 and the support substrate 3. The light emitting layer 7 is usually formed of an organic substance that mainly emits fluorescence and / or phosphorescence or the organic substance and a dopant that assists the organic substance. The dopant is added, for example, in order to improve the luminous efficiency or change the emission wavelength. The organic substance contained in the light emitting layer 7 may be a low molecular compound or a high molecular compound. Examples of the light emitting material constituting the light emitting layer 7 include known dye materials, metal complex materials, polymer materials, and dopant materials.

(Dye material)
Examples of the dye material include cyclopentamine and derivatives thereof, tetraphenylbutadiene and derivatives thereof, triphenylamine and derivatives thereof, oxadiazole and derivatives thereof, pyrazoloquinoline and derivatives thereof, distyrylbenzene and derivatives thereof, and distyryl. Arylene and derivatives thereof, pyrrole and derivatives thereof, thiophene compounds, pyridine compounds, perinone and derivatives thereof, perylene and derivatives thereof, oligothiophene and derivatives thereof, oxadiazole dimer, pyrazoline dimer, quinacridone and derivatives thereof, coumarin and derivatives thereof Etc.

(Metal complex materials)
Examples of metal complex materials include rare earth metals such as Tb, Eu, and Dy, or Al, Zn, Be, Pt, Ir, and the like as a central metal, and an oxadiazole, thiadiazole, phenylpyridine, phenylbenzimidazole, and quinoline structure. And the like. Examples of metal complexes include metal complexes having light emission from triplet excited states such as iridium complexes and platinum complexes, aluminum quinolinol complexes, benzoquinolinol beryllium complexes, benzoxazolyl zinc complexes, benzothiazole zinc complexes, azomethyl zinc complexes, A porphyrin zinc complex, a phenanthroline europium complex, etc. can be mentioned.

(Polymer material)
Examples of the polymer material include polyparaphenylene vinylene and derivatives thereof, polythiophene and derivatives thereof, polyparaphenylene and derivatives thereof, polysilane and derivatives thereof, polyacetylene and derivatives thereof, polyfluorene and derivatives thereof, polyvinylcarbazole and derivatives thereof, Examples thereof include materials obtained by polymerizing dye materials and metal complex materials.

(Dopant material for light emitting layer)
Examples of the dopant material for the light emitting layer include perylene and derivatives thereof, coumarin and derivatives thereof, rubrene and derivatives thereof, quinacridone and derivatives thereof, squalium and derivatives thereof, porphyrin and derivatives thereof, styryl dyes, tetracene and derivatives thereof, pyrazolone and derivatives thereof. Derivatives, decacyclene and its derivatives, phenoxazone and its derivatives, and the like.

The thickness of the light emitting layer 7 is usually about 2 nm to 200 nm. The light emitting layer 7 is formed, for example, by a coating method using a coating liquid (for example, ink) containing the above light emitting material. The solvent of the coating solution containing the light emitting material is not limited as long as it dissolves the light emitting material.

[Cathode layer]
The cathode layer 9 is disposed on one main surface 3 a of the light emitting layer 7 and the support substrate 3. The cathode layer 9 is electrically connected to the extraction electrode 9a. The extraction electrode 9 a is disposed on one main surface 3 a of the support substrate 3. The extraction electrode 9a is arranged at a predetermined interval from the anode layer 5 in the X direction. The thickness of the extraction electrode 9 a is equal to the thickness of the anode layer 5. Examples of the material of the extraction electrode 9a include the same material as that of the anode layer 5.

As a material of the cathode layer 9, for example, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a transition metal, a Group 13 metal of the periodic table, or the like can be used. Examples of the material of the cathode layer 9 include lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, aluminum, scandium, vanadium, zinc, yttrium, indium, cerium, samarium, europium, terbium, ytterbium. 1 type or more of gold, silver, platinum, copper, manganese, titanium, cobalt, nickel, tungsten, tin, etc. Or an alloy thereof, graphite, or a graphite intercalation compound. Examples of alloys include magnesium-silver alloys, magnesium-indium alloys, magnesium-aluminum alloys, indium-silver alloys, lithium-aluminum alloys, lithium-magnesium alloys, lithium-indium alloys, calcium-aluminum alloys, and the like. it can.

Moreover, as the cathode layer 9, for example, a transparent conductive electrode made of a conductive metal oxide, a conductive organic substance, or the like can be used.

Specifically, examples of the conductive metal oxide include indium oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, ITO, and IZO, and examples of the conductive organic substance include polyaniline and derivatives thereof, polythiophene and derivatives thereof, and the like. Moreover, the cathode layer 9 may be formed with nanostructures, such as silver nanoparticle or silver nanostructures, such as silver nanowire. In addition, the cathode layer 9 may be comprised by the laminated body which laminated | stacked two or more layers. An electron injection layer may be used as the cathode layer 9 in some cases.

The thickness of the cathode layer 9 is set in consideration of electric conductivity and durability. The thickness of the cathode layer 9 is usually 10 nm to 10 μm, preferably 20 nm to 1 μm, and more preferably 50 nm to 500 nm.

Examples of the method for forming the cathode layer 9 include a vacuum deposition method, a sputtering method, and a laminating method and a coating method in which a metal thin film is thermocompression bonded.

[Hygroscopic part]
The moisture absorption part 11 is a desiccant that captures moisture. The moisture absorption part 11 may capture oxygen or the like in addition to moisture. The hygroscopic portion 11 is disposed on the extraction electrode 9 a of the anode layer 5 and the cathode layer 9. As shown in FIG. 2, the hygroscopic portion 11 has a frame as viewed from the Z direction (see FIG. 1) (the stacking direction in which the anode layer 5, the light emitting layer 7 and the cathode layer 9 are stacked in the organic EL portion 17). It has a shape. That is, the hygroscopic part 11 is disposed so as to surround the organic EL part 17. The hygroscopic part 11 is located outside the organic EL part 17 in the XY direction which is a direction orthogonal to the stacking direction. In addition, in FIG. 2, illustration of the adhesion part 13 is abbreviate | omitted.

The moisture absorption part 11 is arranged at a predetermined distance from the organic EL part 17. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the distance D between the inner surface 11a of the hygroscopic part 11 and the organic EL part 17 is 0.5 mm or more and 10 mm or less, preferably 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less. .

The hygroscopic part 11 is covered with an adhesive part 13. The hygroscopic part 11 is covered with an adhesive part 13 other than the surface in contact with the anode layer 5 or the extraction electrode 9a (cathode layer 9). For example, as shown in FIG. 1, when the cross section of the hygroscopic portion 11 has a rectangular shape, the inner side surface 11 a, the outer side surface 11 b, and the upper surface 11 c are covered with the adhesive portion 13. Thereby, when the organic EL element 1 is viewed along the X direction from the end portion 13a of the support substrate 3 toward the end portion 13b at a predetermined height position in the Z direction, as shown in FIG. , Adhesive part 13, moisture absorbing part 11, adhesive part 13 and organic EL part 17 (light emitting layer 7, cathode layer 9), adhesive part 13, moisture absorbing part 11 and adhesive part 13 are arranged in this order. Has been. That is, in the organic EL element 1, the adhesive portion 13 is disposed between the moisture absorbing portion 11 and the organic EL portion 17.

The thickness T1 of the hygroscopic portion 11 is thinner than the thickness T2 of the adhesive portion 13. The thickness T1 of the hygroscopic part 11 is ½ or less of the thickness T2 of the adhesive part 13, preferably 1/10 or less of the thickness T2 of the adhesive part 13.

The moisture absorbing part 11 is formed by curing a liquid getter material that is a precursor of the moisture absorbing part 11. The liquid getter material contains a crosslinkable compound (curing component) having a photoreactive group. The moisture absorption part 11 is formed by applying a liquid getter material to the adhesive bonding part 13, performing an ultraviolet ray (UV) irradiation process after application formation, and curing the liquid getter material. Examples of the method for forming the hygroscopic portion 11 include printing methods such as an inkjet printing method and a dispenser method. Further, the liquid getter material may contain a crosslinkable compound having a thermally reactive group. In this case, the liquid getter material is cured by heat treatment.

The hygroscopic part 11 preferably contains at least one kind of a porous substance such as an organometallic compound, a metal oxide, or zeolite as a liquid getter material. Furthermore, the metal constituting the organometallic compound and the metal oxide preferably contains at least one of aluminum, calcium, and barium. In particular, organoaluminum compounds, calcium oxide, and the like are more preferable because the water rehydration rate is high.

Further, the hygroscopic part 11 may contain a binder, and in particular, may contain at least one of acrylic resin, epoxy resin, styrene resin, olefin resin, and amide resin.

Further, the hygroscopic part 11 is made of a light transmissive material such as a getter material or a binder as described above, and the total light transmittance of visible light of the hygroscopic part 11 may be 50% or more. Further, the difference between the light refractive index of the moisture absorbing portion 11 and the light refractive index of the support substrate 3 may be 0.2 or less.

The shape of the moisture absorption part 11 may be a sheet. The sheet getter material is affixed to the adhesive portion 13. The sheet getter material may be a hygroscopic cured product, or may be cured by being subjected to heat treatment or UV irradiation treatment after being attached to the adhesive portion 13.

The moisture absorption speed of the moisture absorption part 11 is preferably 1 wt% / h or more in an environment of a humidity of 24 ° C. and a humidity of 55% RH.

[Adhesive part]
The adhesive portion 13 is used for adhering the sealing substrate 15 to the organic EL portion 17 and the hygroscopic portion 11. The adhesive portion 13 is disposed so as to cover the organic EL portion 17.

Specifically, the adhesive portion 13 is made of a photocurable or thermosetting acrylate resin, or a photocurable or thermosetting epoxy resin. Other commonly used resin films that can be fused with an impulse sealer, such as ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), polypropylene (PP) film, polyethylene (PE) film, polybutadiene (PB) film, etc. You can also A thermoplastic resin can also be used.

As an adhesive used for the adhesive portion 13, the adhesion between the organic EL portion 17 and the adhesive portion 13 is high, and the organic EL portion 17 is caused by significant heat shrinkage of the adhesive and stress on the organic EL portion 17. Adhesives that are highly effective in exfoliating, generating components that adversely affect the organic EL portion 17 from the adhesive portion 13, and having high barrier properties and suppressing generation / growth of dark spots are preferable.

The thickness of the adhesive portion 13 is preferably 1 μm to 200 μm, more preferably 10 μm to 100 μm, and even more preferably 30 μm to 60 μm. If this thickness is extremely thin, the unevenness on the surface of the organic EL portion 17 or the mixed dust cannot be embedded sufficiently, and they tend to cause mechanical stress on the organic EL material and cause dark spots. On the other hand, when this thickness is remarkably thick, it is easily affected by moisture entering from the end face of the adhesive portion 13. However, when the amount of adhesive applied is too large, tunneling, seepage, crimping, etc. may occur. The moisture content of the adhesive portion 13 is preferably 300 ppm or less (weight basis).

Examples of the method for forming the adhesive portion 13 include a hot melt lamination method. The hot melt lamination method is a method in which a hot melt adhesive is melted and an adhesive layer is coated on a support, and the thickness of the adhesive layer can be generally set in a wide range of 1 μm to 50 μm. EVA, ethylene ethyl acrylate copolymer (EEA), polyethylene, butyl rubber, etc. are used as the base resin of the adhesive generally used in the hot melt lamination method, and rosin, xylene resin, terpene resin, styrene resin, etc. As a tackifier, wax or the like is added as a plasticizer.

Further, as a method of forming the adhesive portion 13, for example, an extrusion laminating method can be mentioned. The extrusion laminating method is a method in which a resin melted at a high temperature is coated on a support with a die, and the thickness of the adhesive layer can generally be set in a wide range of 10 to 50 μm. Generally, low density polyethylene (LDPE), EVA, PP or the like is used as a resin used in the extrusion laminating method.

[Sealing member]
The sealing substrate 15 is disposed on the uppermost portion (on the adhesive bonding portion 13) in the organic EL element 1. The sealing substrate 15 may be a metal foil, a barrier film in which a barrier functional layer is formed on the front surface or back surface of a transparent plastic film, or both surfaces thereof, a thin film glass having flexibility, or a metal layer having barrier properties laminated on a plastic film. It has a gas barrier function, particularly a moisture barrier function. The sealing substrate 15 is preferably a thermoplastic resin. As the metal foil, copper, aluminum, and stainless steel are preferable from the viewpoint of barrier properties. The thickness of the metal foil is preferably as thick as possible from the viewpoint of suppressing pinholes, but is preferably 15 μm to 50 μm from the viewpoint of flexibility.

[Method of manufacturing organic EL element]
Then, the manufacturing method of the organic EL element 1 which has the said structure is demonstrated.

When manufacturing the organic EL element 1, first, the support substrate 3 is heated and dried (substrate drying step S01). Then, the organic EL part 17 is formed on the dried support substrate 3 (organic EL part formation process). The organic EL unit 17 includes a step of forming the anode layer 5 on the dried support substrate 3 (anode layer forming step S02), a step of forming the light emitting layer 7 on the anode layer 5 (light emitting layer forming step S03), and light emission. The step of forming the cathode layer 9 on the layer 7 (cathode layer forming step S04) is performed in this order. When forming the organic EL part 17, each layer can be formed with the formation method illustrated in the description of each layer.

After forming the organic EL portion 17, the moisture absorbing portion 11 is formed (moisture absorbing portion forming step S05). The moisture absorption part 11 can be formed by the formation method illustrated in the description of the moisture absorption part 11. And after forming the moisture absorption part 11, the organic EL part 17 and the sealing member 19 are bonded together, and the process (sealing process S06) which coat | covers the organic EL part 17 with the sealing member 19 is implemented.

In a form in which the support substrate 3 is a flexible substrate, a roll-to-roll method can be adopted as conceptually shown in FIG. When the organic EL element 1 is manufactured by the roll-to-roll method, the long flexible support substrate 3 stretched between the unwinding roll 30A and the winding roll 30B is continuously transported by the transport roller 31. However, you may dry the support substrate 3, formation of each layer which comprises the organic EL part 17, and formation of the moisture absorption part 11. FIG. In addition, you may perform only the process after moisture absorption part formation process S05 by a roll-to-roll system.

A method for forming the sealing member 19 to be bonded to the organic EL portion 17 in the sealing step S06 will be described. In the form in which the sealing base material 15 is a flexible base material, a roll-to-roll method can be adopted for forming the sealing member 19. When the sealing member 19 is manufactured by the roll-to-roll method, the long flexible sealing substrate 15 stretched between the unwinding roll and the winding roll is continuously conveyed by the conveying roller. However, the adhesive portion 13 may be formed on the sealing substrate 15.

In the manufacturing process of the sealing member 19, as shown in FIG. 4B, the adhesive portion 13 is formed on one surface of the sealing substrate 15 shown in FIG. The adhesive portion 13 can be formed by the formation method exemplified in the description of the adhesive portion 13. Thus, the sealing member 19 is formed.

The sealing member 19 formed as described above is subjected to a dehydration process before being bonded to the organic EL portion 17 formed on the support substrate 3. In the dehydration process, the sealing substrate 15 of the sealing member 19 is heated. As an apparatus for heating the sealing substrate 15, an apparatus that irradiates the sealing substrate 15 with infrared rays, an apparatus that supplies hot air, a heating roller that contacts the sealing substrate 15, an oven, and the like can be used. The dehydration treatment of the sealing substrate 15 is preferably performed in a nitrogen atmosphere.

In the sealing step S06, the organic EL portion 17 and the sealing member 19 are bonded together as shown in FIG. As a result, the exposed moisture absorbing portion 11 (inner side surface 11 a, outer side surface 11 b, upper surface 11 c) is covered with the adhesive portion 13 of the sealing member 19. In the roll-to-roll method, the organic EL portion 17 and the sealing member 19 formed on the support substrate 3 are bonded together as shown in FIG. Thereby, the support substrate 3 and the sealing member 19 pass between the

heating rollers

32a and 32b. As a result, pressure is applied to the support substrate 3 and the sealing member 19 while being heated by the

heating rollers

32a and 32b. As a result, the adhesive portion 13 is thermally cured, and the adhesive portion 13 and the organic EL portion 17 are in close contact with each other. In the case of the sealing base material 15 having thermoplasticity, it is plastically deformed by being heated, and the sealing base material 15 follows the shape of the organic EL portion 17.

When the organic EL portion 17 and the sealing member 19 are bonded together, the adhesive portion 13 is formed between the moisture absorbing portion 11 (inner side surface 11a) and the organic EL portion 17, as shown in FIG. 11 (upper surface 11 c) and the sealing substrate 15, and between the hygroscopic portion 11 and the

end portions

13 a and 13 b in the X direction of the adhesive portion 13. As a result, the adhesive portion 13 covers the entire hygroscopic portion 11. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, the organic EL element 1 is manufactured.

As described above, in the organic EL element 1 according to the present embodiment, the moisture absorption unit 11 is outside the organic EL unit 17 and orthogonal to the stacking direction when viewed from the stacking direction (Z direction) of the organic EL unit 17. In a direction (XY direction), the organic EL unit 17 is disposed at a predetermined interval. The adhesive portion 13 includes the moisture absorbing portion 11 and the organic EL portion 17, the moisture absorbing portion 11 and the sealing substrate 15, and the moisture absorbing portion 11 and the

end portions

13 a and 13 b of the adhesive portion 13. It is provided between. Thus, in the organic EL element 1, since the hygroscopic part 11 is entirely covered with the adhesive part 13, the adhesive part 13 prevents the chemical component of the hygroscopic part 11 from entering the light emitting layer 7. it can. Therefore, in the organic EL element 1, since it is not necessary to provide a protective layer between the moisture absorption part 11 and the light emitting layer 7, in the manufacturing process, the process of forming a protective layer is not required. Moreover, since the moisture absorption part 11 is covered, the sealing member 19 can be bonded after the moisture absorption part 11 is formed on the support substrate 3 side. Therefore, when the sealing member 19 and the organic EL portion 17 are bonded together, high-precision positioning is not required. Therefore, the organic EL element 1 can improve productivity in the configuration including the hygroscopic portion 11.

In this embodiment, the distance between the inner surface 11a of the moisture absorption part 11 and the organic EL part 17 is 0.5 mm or more and 10 mm or less. Thereby, the moisture absorption function of the moisture in the moisture absorption part 11 can be exhibited with respect to the organic EL part 17 effectively.

In this embodiment, the thickness T1 of the hygroscopic portion 11 is ½ or less of the thickness T2 of the adhesive portion 13. If the thickness T1 of the hygroscopic part 11 is too thick relative to the thickness T2 of the adhesive part, the hygroscopic part 11 cannot be properly covered by the adhesive part 13. By setting the thickness T1 of the hygroscopic part 11 to be equal to or less than ½ of the thickness T2 of the adhesive part 13, the hygroscopic part 11 can be appropriately covered by the adhesive part 13.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the said embodiment, the organic EL element 1 with which the light emitting layer 7 was arrange | positioned between the anode layer 5 and the cathode layer 9 was illustrated. However, the configuration of the organic functional layer is not limited to this. The organic functional layer may have the following configuration.

(A) Anode layer / light emitting layer / cathode layer (b) Anode layer / hole injection layer / light emitting layer / cathode layer (c) Anode layer / hole injection layer / light emitting layer / electron injection layer / cathode layer (d) Anode layer / hole injection layer / light emitting layer / electron transport layer / electron injection layer / cathode layer (e) Anode layer / hole injection layer / hole transport layer / light emitting layer / cathode layer (f) anode layer / hole Injection layer / hole transport layer / light emitting layer / electron injection layer / cathode layer (g) anode layer / hole injection layer / hole transport layer / light emitting layer / electron transport layer / electron injection layer / cathode layer (h) anode Layer / light emitting layer / electron injection layer / cathode layer (i) anode layer / light emitting layer / electron transport layer / electron injection layer / cathode layer Here, the symbol “/” is adjacent to each layer sandwiching the symbol “/”. Indicates that they are stacked. The configuration shown in (a) above shows the configuration of the organic EL element 1 in the above embodiment.

As the materials for the hole injection layer, the hole transport layer, the electron transport layer, and the electron injection layer, known materials can be used. Each of the hole injection layer, the hole transport layer, the electron transport layer, and the electron injection layer can be formed by, for example, a coating method in the same manner as the light emitting layer 7.

The organic EL element 1 may have a single light emitting layer 7 or may have two or more light emitting layers 7. In any one of the above layer configurations (a) to (i), when the laminated structure disposed between the anode layer 5 and the cathode layer 9 is “structural unit A”, two light emitting layers As a structure of the organic EL element which has 7, the layer structure shown to the following (j) can be mentioned, for example. The two (structural unit A) layer structures may be the same or different.
(J) Anode layer / (structural unit A) / charge generation layer / (structural unit A) / cathode layer

Here, the charge generation layer is a layer that generates holes and electrons by applying an electric field. Examples of the charge generation layer include a thin film made of vanadium oxide, ITO, molybdenum oxide, or the like.

When “(structural unit A) / charge generation layer” is “structural unit B”, examples of the configuration of the organic EL element having three or more light emitting layers include the layer configuration shown in the following (k). Can do.
(K) Anode layer / (structural unit B) x / (structural unit A) / cathode layer

Symbol “x” represents an integer of 2 or more, and “(Structural unit B) x” represents a stacked body in which (Structural unit B) is stacked in x stages. A plurality of (structural units B) may have the same or different layer structure.

The organic EL element may be configured by directly laminating a plurality of light emitting layers 7 without providing a charge generation layer.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the anode layer 5 is formed on the support substrate 3 by the roll-to-roll method has been described as an example. However, the anode layer 5 is formed in advance on the support substrate 3, and the support substrate 3 on which the long anode layer 5 stretched between the unwinding roll 30A and the winding roll 30B is continuously conveyed. Each process related to the manufacture of the organic EL element 1 may be performed while being conveyed by the roller 31.

In the above-described embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2, an example in which the moisture absorbing portion 11 has a rectangular frame shape has been described. However, as shown in FIG. 7, the hygroscopic portion 11 </ b> A may be provided intermittently. As shown in FIG. 7, the distance D between the inner surface 11Aa of the hygroscopic part 11A and the organic EL part 17 is 0.5 mm or more and 10 mm or less, preferably 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less. Moreover, the shape of the moisture absorption part is not limited to a rectangular shape.

The various embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the various embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Organic EL element, 3 ... Support substrate, 5 ... Anode layer (1st electrode layer), 7 ... Light emitting layer (organic functional layer), 9 ... Cathode layer (2nd electrode layer), 11 ... Hygroscopic part, 13 ... Adhesive part, 15 ... sealing substrate, 17 ... organic EL part, 19 ... sealing member.

Claims

A support substrate, an organic EL part disposed on the support substrate and formed by laminating the first electrode layer, the organic functional layer, and the second electrode layer; a sealing member for sealing the organic EL part; An organic EL element comprising a hygroscopic portion having hygroscopicity,
The sealing member has adhesive properties that have adhesive properties and covers the organic EL portion and the moisture absorbing portion, and a sealing substrate disposed on the adhesive properties portion,
The moisture absorption part is disposed at a predetermined interval from the organic EL part in a direction perpendicular to the lamination direction outside the organic EL part as seen from the lamination direction of the organic EL part,
The adhesive portion is at least between the moisture absorbing portion and the organic EL portion, between the moisture absorbing portion and the sealing substrate, and in the orthogonal direction in the moisture absorbing portion and the adhesive portion. Organic EL element provided between the end of
The organic EL element according to claim 1, wherein the support substrate is flexible.
The organic EL element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a distance between an inner surface of the hygroscopic part and the organic EL part is 0.5 mm or more and 10 mm or less.
The organic EL element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a thickness of the hygroscopic portion is 1/2 or less of a thickness of the adhesive portion.
An organic EL part forming step of forming an organic EL part by laminating a first electrode layer, an organic functional layer and a second electrode layer on a support substrate;
Forming a hygroscopic part that forms a hygroscopic part having a hygroscopic property at a predetermined interval from the organic EL part in a direction perpendicular to the laminating direction outside the organic EL part as viewed from the laminating direction of the organic EL part Process,
A sealing member provided with a sealing substrate and an adhesive part having adhesiveness is bonded to the organic EL part, and the exposed part in the organic EL part and the moisture absorbing part is bonded to the adhesive part. A method for producing an organic EL element, comprising: a sealing step for covering.
The support substrate has flexibility,
The organic EL portion forming step, the moisture absorbing portion forming step, and the sealing step are in the process of winding the support substrate continuously fed from the support substrate wound on the unwinding roll onto the winding roll. The manufacturing method of the organic EL element of Claim 5 performed by this.
The said moisture absorption part is a manufacturing method of the organic EL element of Claim 5 or 6 formed by the printing method.
The method for producing an organic EL element according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the sealing member and the organic EL part are bonded together by applying pressure in a heated state.
The method for manufacturing an organic EL element according to claim 8, wherein the sealing substrate is a thermoplastic resin.