Surface treatment method for electrodes, electrode, and process for producing organic electroluminescent element

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a method for increasing a work function of an electrode by a simple operation and an organic EL element which has an anode of a high work function, exhibits excellent light emission properties (luminous efficiency, lifetime), has a good luminescent surface with small unevenness of luminance and few defects and has low leakage current. [Solution to Problem] A surface treatment method for electrodes, including a contact step of bringing an electrode made from a metal oxide into contact with a solution including a silane compound represented by the following formula (1) and/or a partially hydrolyzed condensate thereof and water, and an organic EL element having a luminescent layer and a cathode laminated in this order on a surface-treated surface of an anode made from a metal oxide, said anode having been surface-treated by the method. Si(OR)p(X)q(OH)4-p-q  (1) wherein in the formula (1), each OR is independently an alkoxy group or an aryloxy group, each X is independently a hydrolyzable group other than the above OR, p is an integer of 1 to 4, q is an integer of 0 to 3, and p+q≦4.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.