# US 2017/0256754 A1 · Photolithographic patterning of organic electronic devices

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- Number: US 2017/0256754 A1
- Document ID: US20170256754A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/501,092
- Filed: 2015-07-31
- Published: 2017-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2014-08-01
- Assignees: Orthogonal, Inc.
- Applicants: Orthogonal, Inc.
- Inventors: John Andrew DEFRANCO; Terrence Robert O'TOOLE; Frank Xavier BYRNE; Diane Carol FREEMAN
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170256754A1

## CPC

- H10K 59/353: {characterised by the geometrical arrangement of the RGB subpixels}
- H10K 50/11: characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers
- H10K 50/15: Hole transporting layers
- H10K 50/16: Electron transporting layers
- H10K 50/171: {Electron injection layers}
- H10K 50/30: Organic light-emitting transistors
- H10K 59/125: including organic TFTs [OTFT]
- H10K 59/35: comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
- H10K 71/221: {by lift-off techniques}
- H10K 71/233: {by photolithographic etching}
- H10K 85/00: Organic materials used in the body or electrodes of devices covered by this subclass
- H10K 2101/10: Triplet emission
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A method of making an OLED device includes providing a first undercut lift-off structure over the device substrate having a first array of bottom electrodes. Next, one or more first organic EL medium layers including at least a first light-emitting layer are deposited over the first undercut lift-off structure and over the first array of bottom electrodes. The first undercut lift-off structure and overlying first organic EL medium layer(s) are removed by treatment with a first lift-off agent comprising a fluorinated solvent to form a first intermediate structure. The process is repeated using a second undercut lift-off structure to deposit one or more second organic EL medium layers over a second array of bottom electrodes. After removal of the second undercut lift-off structure, a common top electrode is provided in electrical contact with the first and second organic EL medium layers.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of making an OLED device comprising:
a) providing a device substrate having a first array of bottom electrodes and a second array of bottom electrodes;
b) providing a first undercut lift-off structure over the device substrate having a first pattern of openings corresponding to the first array of bottom electrodes;
c) depositing one or more first organic EL medium layers including at least a first light-emitting layer over the first undercut lift-off structure and over the first array of bottom electrodes;
d) removing the first undercut lift-offstructure and overlying first organic EL medium layer(s) by treatment with a first lift-off agent comprising a fluorinated solvent to form a first intermediate structure;
e) providing a second undercut lift-off structure over the first intermediate structure having a second pattern of openings corresponding to the second array of bottom electrodes;
f) depositing one or more second organic EL medium layers including at least a second light-emitting layer over the second undercut lift-off structure and over the second array of bottom electrodes;
g) removing the second undercut lift-off structure and overlying second organic EL medium layer(s) by treatment with a second lift-off agent comprising a fluorinated solvent to form a second intermediate structure; and
h) providing a common top electrode in electrical contact with the first and second organic EL medium layers.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein at least one lift-off structure includes at least two patterned layers including a fluorinated material base layer and an overlying photoresist layer wherein the fluorinated material base layer is undercut relative to the photoresist layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein at least one lift-off structure includes a patterned fluorinated photoresist developed using a fluorinated solvent and having an undercut profile.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further including a dry-etch cleaning step between steps (b) and (c) or between steps (e) and (f) or both.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein at least one lift-off structure absorbs or blocks underlying layers from at least 80% of imaging radiation used in the formation of the at least one lift-off structure.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the effective density of at least one lift-off structure with its corresponding overlying organic EL medium layers is less than the density of the corresponding lift-off agent used to remove the lift-off structure.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the lift-off agent comprises a hydrofluoroether.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the bottom electrodes act as cathodes and the common top electrode acts as a respective anode.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein at least one organic EL medium layer is deposited so that it covers the sidewalls of one or more underlying organic EL medium layers.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further including vapor depositing a fluorinated material over the organic EL medium layers between steps (c) and (d), or between steps (f) and (g), or both.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein one or more lift-off structures curls during its removal in the lift-off agent.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising depositing a common organic EL layer prior to depositing the common top electrode.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 further comprising, prior to depositing the common organic EL layer, cleaning the intermediate structure of residual fluorinated material by contact with a cleaning agent having a chemical composition different from the lift-off agent, the cleaning agent comprising a fluorinated solvent.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to depositing the common top electrode, cleaning the intermediate structure of residual fluorinated material by contact with a cleaning agent having a chemical composition different from the lift-off agent, the cleaning agent comprising a fluorinated solvent.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein at least one lift-off structure includes at least two patterned layers including a fluorinated material base layer and an overlying photoresist layer, the overlying photoresist layer provided from a photoresist composition comprising a fluorinated coating solvent.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 wherein the photoresist layer comprises a fluorinated photoresist.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 wherein the fluorinated material base layer includes a cyclic perfluorinated polymer and the fluorinated coating solvent is a hydrofluoroether.

### Claim 18

A full color OLED display comprising:
a substrate having a display region, the display region including an array of first, second and third organic EL elements, each array having individually patterned light-emitting layers for emission of differently colored light,
wherein each of the first organic EL elements is spaced 4 μm or less from a second or third organic EL element and a combined emissive area of all of the first, second and third organic EL elements is at least 60% of a total area occupied by the display region.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The OLED display according to claim 18 wherein material corresponding to the patterned light-emitting layer of the third organic EL element is also formed in interstitial non-emissive areas between the second and third organic EL elements.