JP2004111321A - Organic el device suitable for carrying out assembling in parallel arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To construct a large-sized display device by arranging an organic EL element in parallel and satisfy requirement for high resolution. <P>SOLUTION: A first electrode, a luminous layer, a second electrode, and a sealing cap are sequentially formed on the surface of a substrate. At least one passage is provided at one side of the sealing cap, and a corresponding connection wiring is threaded. The end part of the connection wiring is connected to a part of the surface of the first electrode or the second electrode. Since the contact point of the first electrode and the second electrode with the connection wiring is positioned inside the sealing cap, the side ends of the first electrode or the second electrode need not be installed protruded from the sealing cap. Thereby, the area of the substrate protruding from the sealing cap, the first electrode, and the second electrode is reduced and the spacing between the organic EL elements which adjoin each other when arranged in parallel becomes very narrow. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an organic EL element, and more particularly, to an organic EL element which is applied to construct a display device and can not only produce a large-sized display device but also satisfy a demand for resolution.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art An organic electroluminescent device (OELD) display device has a wide viewing angle, a high response speed, a low profile, a low power consumption, a simple manufacturing process, a high impact resistance, and a need for a backlight. In addition, among the advantages of next-generation display devices, they have attracted attention from various fields and have been widely used because of their advantages such as full-color display.
[0003]
1 and 2 are a cross-sectional view and a plan view, respectively, of an organic EL device according to the related art. This is mainly because the first electrode 13 is formed on a part of the surface of the substrate 11, and at least an organic light emitting layer (organic emitting layer) is formed by performing vapor deposition plating or sputtering on an appropriate portion of the first electrode 13. After the light emitting layer 15 and the second electrode 17 are sequentially formed, a sealing cap 19 that covers and protects the light emitting layer 15 is erected vertically above a part of the surface of the substrate 11 by the sealing packing 16. It is. Further, the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 17 are connected to controllers 30 and 33 including a common driver, a column driver, or a central controller having a power supply control function via the first connection wiring 14 and the second connection wiring 18, respectively. It is determined which electron or hole is to be injected into which first electrode 13 or which second electrode 17 by power control of the controllers 30 and 33, and the electrons and holes are recombined in the light emitting layer 17. By doing so, the composition in the light emitting layer 17 is excited to emit light. With such a configuration, the purpose of light emission is achieved.
[0004]
In order to bring the first connection wiring 14 and the second connection wiring 18 into contact with the corresponding first electrode 13 and the second electrode 17, respectively, a part of the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 17 is illustrated. 1, that is, about 1.5 mm in width, it is necessary to protrude from the outside of the sealing cap 19. A part of the substrate 11 also protrudes from the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 17 to the extent indicated by a2, that is, about 0.5 mm in width.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When a display device having a relatively large size is to be constructed using such a conventional organic EL element, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of organic EL elements are mainly arranged adjacently and in parallel, that is, The two organic EL element substrates 11 and 21 are joined together. Between the second electrodes 17 and 27 which are closest to the joint between the two organic EL element substrates 11 and 21, the sealing cap 19 and the substrate are used. It is necessary to have a width sufficient to protrude the first and second electrodes 11 and 21 and the first electrodes 13 and 23. In addition, the width of the gap (gap) a3 formed by the distance a from the first electrode to the sealing cap 19 due to joining of the substrates is smaller than 2 × (a1 + a2 + a). Therefore, when the assembled organic EL element display device is visually observed, the pitch a4 between the two scanning lines or between the two data lines (that is, between the adjacent first electrodes or between the adjacent second electrodes). The distance a) and the pitch a4 are designed to have the same width so that the distances are equal. However, such a design method wastes space when the organic EL element is configured as a display device, affects the display size, and cannot satisfy the demand for high resolution of the organic EL element.
[0006]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to effectively solve the above-mentioned structural drawbacks of the conventional organic EL element, to be applicable to assembling a display device having a relatively large size, and to satisfy a demand for high resolution. An object of the present invention is to provide an organic EL device that can be used.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A first electrode, a light emitting layer, a second electrode, and a sealing cap are sequentially formed on the surface of the substrate. At least one passage is provided through one side of the sealing cap, and a corresponding connection wiring is inserted therethrough. An end of the connection wiring is connected to a part of the surface of the first electrode or the second electrode in the sealing cap. Since the contact point between the first electrode or the second electrode and the connection wiring is located inside the sealing cap, the side end of the first electrode or the second electrode protrudes from the sealing cap cap and is installed. As a result, the area of the substrate, the first electrode, and the second electrode that protrude from the sealing cap is reduced, and the space between adjacent organic EL elements when arranged in parallel is greatly reduced.
[0008]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
4 and 5 are a cross-sectional view and a top view, respectively, of an organic EL device for illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the present invention mainly comprises forming a first electrode 43 on a part of the surface of a substrate 41, and then depositing the first electrode 43 in a proper place on the first electrode 43 by vapor deposition, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition or spray pyrolysis. By applying the method, the light emitting layer 45 including at least the organic light emitting layer and the second electrode 47 are formed, and then the sealing cap 49 (or sealing protective film) for covering and protecting the light emitting layer 45 is formed. Then, it is erected on a part of the surface of the substrate 41 via a sealing gasket 46 in a direction extending vertically. Then, at least one first passage 495 or at least one second passage is provided at a side portion of the sealing cap 49 corresponding to the first electrode 43 or the second electrode 47, for example, at a side end of the first electrode 43 or the second electrode 47. 497.
[0009]
The first passage 495 allows the first connection wiring 44 having conductivity to pass therethrough. Both ends of the first connection wiring 44 are electrically connected to a part of the surface of the first electrode 43 and a controller 60 including a common driver, a column driver or a central controller having a power on / off function. This allows the controller 60 to control and determine to which position the first electrode 43 is to be supplied with power. Similarly, the second passage 497 allows the second connection wiring 48 having conductivity to pass therethrough, and both ends of the second connection wiring 48 are electrically connected to a part of the surface of the second electrode 47 and the controller 63, respectively. By being connected, the controller 63 can control and determine to which position the second electrode 47 is to be supplied with power.
[0010]
Of course, the upper part of the first passage 495 and the first connection wiring 44, and the upper part of the second passage 497 and the second connection wiring 48 are sealed with the sealing resins 445 and 485, respectively. It is needless to say that the light emitting layer 45 in the sealing cap 49 is shielded so as not to be affected by the outside air or moisture while keeping a clean environment.
[0011]
In the structure of the organic EL device according to the present embodiment, the first electrode 43 and the second electrode 47 are both entirely covered by the sealing cap 49, and only a part of the area of the substrate 41 is sealed by the sealing cap 49. The width of the protruding portion is much smaller than 1.0 mm, for example, about 0.5 mm as indicated by a5 in the drawing. As described above, according to the present invention, the width a1 of the protruding portion of the first electrode in the conventional organic EL element structure can be omitted, and even if there is a protruding portion, the protruding width of the substrate in the conventional structure can be reduced. A2, which is equivalent to
[0012]
Next, FIG. 6 is a top view when the organic EL elements of the present invention are joined to form a relatively large display size. As shown in the figure, in the structure according to the present invention, since the width a5 of the portion of the substrate 41 protruding from the sealing cap 49 is only about 0.5 mm, the organic EL element substrates 41 and 51 are joined together. The gap (gap) a6 formed between the joint and the nearest second electrode 47, 57 is 2 × (a + a5), which is much smaller than the gap a3 in the conventional structure. Therefore, the pitch a7 between the scanning lines or the data lines in the organic EL element is approximately equal to a6, that is, about 1.0 mm is sufficient, and is remarkably larger than about 4.0 mm in the conventional organic EL device structure. Has become smaller. Accordingly, it is possible to satisfy the demand for high resolution of the organic EL device, and it is suitable for arranging the display devices in parallel.
[0013]
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view for explaining another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the organic material of the light emitting layer 45 is placed on the inner wall of the sealing cap 49 in order to avoid the deterioration of the light emission quality or the service life due to the external influence such as moisture, moisture or air. A moisture absorbing layer 75 for absorbing moisture and moisture is fixedly provided.
[0014]
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, a second sealing cap 81 is mainly provided on the sealing cap 49 so as to overlap with the sealing cap 49, and the moisture absorbing layer 85 is provided on the inner wall of the second sealing cap 81. The sealing cap 49 is provided with a plurality of ventilation holes 83 for allowing moisture, moisture, or air to pass therethrough to be absorbed by the moisture absorbing layer 85. With this configuration, even if the moisture absorbing layer 85 falls off, the risk of the light emitting layer 45 being damaged is avoided. Needless to say, at least one third passage 895 is provided on the second sealing cap 81, and the first connection wiring 44 is made to penetrate the third passage 895 and the first passage 495 to form the first electrode 43. Part of the surface may be brought into contact. A sealing resin 845 is provided at a position above the first connection wiring 44 where the third passage 895 is provided. Further, by penetrating at least one fourth passage 897 in the second sealing cap 81, the second connection wiring 48 is allowed to pass through the fourth passage 897 and the second passage 497, and the surface of the second electrode 47 is formed. The sealing resin 885 may be provided at a position above the second connection wiring 48 where the fourth passage 897 is provided.
[0015]
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view according to another alternative embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, at least one first substrate passage 915 is mainly provided in the substrate 91 so as to penetrate the first connection wiring 94 and contact a part of the surface of the first electrode 43. As described above, a sealing resin 945 is provided below the first connection wiring 94 at a position where the first substrate passage 915 is provided. Naturally, at least one second substrate passage 917 may be provided on the other side of the substrate 91 to allow the second connection wiring 98 to pass therethrough so as to contact a part of the surface of the second electrode 47. The sealing resin 985 may be provided at a position below the second connection wiring 98 where the second substrate passage 917 is provided. With such a configuration, the light emitting layer 45 can emit light in the direction of the sealing cap 49, so that light rays are not blocked by the connection wiring or the sealing resin.
[0016]
Finally, FIG. 10 is a structural cross-sectional view according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, in this embodiment, a first electrode 103 is mainly formed on a part of the surface of a substrate 101, and a light emitting layer 105 including at least an organic light emitting layer is provided at an appropriate position on the first electrode 103. After the second electrode 107 is sequentially formed, a sealing cap 109 (or a sealing protective film) for covering and protecting the light emitting layer 105 is set up in a direction extending perpendicular to a part of the surface of the substrate 101. Set up. In this embodiment, one of the bottom ends of the sealing cap 109 is directly adhered to the surface of the substrate 101 using the sealing packing 106, and the other is positioned at a position extending vertically from the side end of the first electrode 103. The conductive passage 1095 is formed together with the first electrode 103. A conductive path for connecting the first electrode 103 and the controller 60 by forming the surface adhesive line 104 on the corresponding side of the conductive path 1095 or the barrier sealing cap 109 by oblique deposition or flat deposition. And Similarly, a conductive path and a surface adhesive line are also provided at the side end of the second electrode 107 and the corresponding bottom end of the sealing cap 109 to connect the second electrode 107 to the controller 63. A passage.
[0017]
In this embodiment, the constituent members exposed from the sealing cap 109 are only a part of the substrate 101 and only a part of the area, and the width thereof is approximately the same as a8 and a5 in the previous embodiment. 0 mm or less. Accordingly, similarly, it is possible to easily satisfy the demand for high resolution of the organic EL element, and it is suitable for assembling a large-sized panel by arranging the elements in parallel.
[0018]
The above is only an example of the embodiment for describing the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. Further, equivalent changes and modifications based on the shape, structure, feature and gist of the present invention must be made within the scope of the claims.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the organic EL element according to the present invention, which is suitable for parallel arrangement and assembly, has the first electrode and the second electrode completely covered with the sealing cap, and the sealing cap for the substrate. By greatly reducing the area of the protruding portion, the gap is reduced when the organic EL elements are joined to each other, and accordingly, between the adjacent first electrodes or between the second electrodes in the organic EL element. Since the interval can be reduced, the demand for high resolution can be satisfied, and when assembling as a display device, the size can be set without wasting space, and it is advantageous for a flexible design of a product standard.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a structural sectional view of a conventional organic EL element.
FIG. 2 is a top view of a conventional organic EL element.
FIG. 3 is a top view when conventional organic EL elements are arranged in parallel.
FIG. 4 is a structural sectional view of an organic EL device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a top view of the organic EL element of FIG.
FIG. 6 is a structural sectional view of an organic EL device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a structural sectional view of an organic EL device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a structural sectional view of an organic EL device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a structural sectional view of an organic EL device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a structural sectional view of an organic EL device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
41, 51, 91, 101 Substrate 43, 53, 103 First electrode 44, 94 First connection wiring 445 First sealing resin 45 Light emitting layer 46 Sealing packing 47, 57, 107 Second electrode 48, 98 Second Connection wiring 485 Second sealing material 49, 109 Sealing cap 495 First passage 497 Second passage 60, 63 Controller 65, 75, 85, 105 Moisture-proof layer 81 Second sealing cap 83 Vent hole 845 Third sealing Resin 885 Fourth sealing resin 895 Third passage 897 Fourth passage 915 First substrate passage 917 Second substrate passage 945 First substrate sealing and sealing resin 947 Fixing point 985 Second substrate sealing and sealing resin 104 Surface adhesive line 106 Side seal 1095 Conductive passage

Claims (21)

An organic EL element suitable for assembling by arranging in parallel, mainly
Board and
At least one first electrode formed on the substrate surface, wherein at least one light emitting layer and a second electrode are sequentially formed on a part of the surface;
At least one sealing cap disposed on the surface of the substrate to cover and protect the light emitting layer, and having at least one first passage on one side thereof;
An organic EL element comprising: at least one first connection wiring passing through the first passage and contacting a part of the surface of the first electrode. The organic EL device according to claim 1, wherein a sealing resin for shielding is provided in a portion where the upper part of the first passage and the first connection wiring are in contact with each other. The organic EL device according to claim 1, wherein the entire first electrode is covered with the first electrode. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one sealing gasket is provided at a bottom end of the sealing cap, and the sealing cap is provided upright on a part of the surface of the substrate, and the light emitting layer is covered and protected. Organic EL device. The organic EL device further comprises:
A second passage installed on the other side of the sealing cap,
At least one second connection wiring passing through the second passage and contacting a part of the surface of the second electrode;
The organic EL device according to claim 1, wherein a sealing resin for shielding is provided at a portion where the upper part of the second passage and the second connection wiring are in contact with each other. The organic EL device according to claim 5, wherein the first connection wiring and the second connection wiring are respectively connected to corresponding controllers. The organic EL device according to claim 1, wherein a width of the substrate at a portion of the sealing cap that is not covered at a position extending vertically is about 1.0 mm or less. The organic EL device according to claim 1, wherein at least one moisture absorbing layer is provided on an inner wall of the sealing cap. The organic EL element further includes a second sealing cap fixedly provided on the sealing cap, and a third passage provided on one side of the second sealing cap, thereby forming the first connection wiring. Is made to contact a part of the first electrode surface after passing through the third passage and the first passage of the sealing cap, and the inner wall of the second sealing cap has at least one The organic EL device according to claim 1, wherein two moisture absorbing layers are provided. The organic EL device according to claim 9, wherein at least one vent hole through which a substance passes through the sealing cap is provided. 10. The organic EL device according to claim 9, wherein a sealing resin for shielding is provided at a portion where the upper part of the third passage and the first connection wiring are in contact with each other. At least one fourth passage is provided on the other side of the second sealing cap, and the second connection wiring passes through the fourth passage and the second passage of the sealing cap. And a fourth sealing resin for shielding is provided at a portion where the upper part of the fourth passage and the second connection wiring are in contact with each other and a part of the surface of the second electrode. Item 10. An organic EL device according to Item 9. An organic EL element suitable for assembling by arranging in parallel, mainly
A substrate having at least one first substrate passage formed therethrough;
At least one first electrode formed on the surface of the substrate, wherein at least a light emitting layer and a second electrode are sequentially formed on a part of the surface;
At least one sealing cap disposed on a substrate surface to cover and protect the light emitting layer;
An organic EL element comprising at least one first connection wiring passing through the first substrate passage and contacting a part of the surface of the first electrode. 14. The organic EL device according to claim 13, wherein a first substrate sealing resin for shielding is provided at a portion where the lower part of the first substrate passage and the first connection wiring contact each other. Providing at least one second substrate passage on the other side of the substrate allows the second connection wiring to pass therethrough to contact a part of the second electrode surface, and further to be provided below the second substrate passage. 14. The organic EL device according to claim 13, wherein a resin for sealing a second substrate is provided for shielding at a portion where the second connection wiring and the second connection wiring are in contact with each other. 14. The organic EL device according to claim 13, wherein one end of the first connection wiring is fixed to a part of the surface of the first electrode by a fixing point. 14. The organic EL device according to claim 13, wherein at least one moisture absorbing layer is provided on an inner wall of the sealing cap. An organic EL device suitable for assembling by arranging in parallel, mainly
Board and
At least one first electrode formed on the substrate surface, wherein at least one light emitting layer and a second electrode are sequentially formed on a part of the surface;
The light emitting layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate to cover and protect the light emitting layer, and a bottom end of one side thereof is provided at a position extending in a vertical direction from one side end of the first electrode. At least one sealing cap for forming a conductive path between the ends;
An organic EL element comprising: at least one surface adhesive line that fills the conductive path and contacts a side end of the first electrode. 19. The organic EL device according to claim 18, wherein the surface bonding line is provided on a side of the sealing cap. The other side bottom end of the sealing cap is provided at a position extending vertically from one side end of the second electrode to form a conductive path between the side end of the second electrode, 19. The organic EL device according to claim 18, wherein at least one surface-adhered line filled in the conductive passage contacts a side end of the second electrode. 19. The organic EL device according to claim 18, wherein the width of the substrate at a portion not covered by the vertically extending position of the sealing cap is 1.0 mm or less.

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