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US 7,221,093 B2Granted
Patterning of electrodes in OLED devices
AssigneesInstitute of Materials Research and Engineering, OSRAM Opto Semiconductor GmbH
InventorsMark Auch, Ewald Guenther, Soo Jin Chua
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Abstract
An OLED device having pillars, wherein the pillars serve to pattern a conductive layer during deposition. The profile of the pillars covers the edges of at least one functional layer to protect it from exposure to potentially deleterious substances.
Claims32
A device comprising:
- a substrate having a plurality of OLED cells, the OLED cells comprising at least one organic layer formed between first and second conductive layers, wherein the first conductive layer is adjacent to the substrate;
- and
- pillars on the substrate for patterning the second conductive layer, wherein at least one of the pillars includes first and second photosensitive layers with the first photosensitive layer disposed below and in contact with the second photosensitive layer, the first photosensitive layer forms a base of the pillar and the second photosensitive layer forms a cap of the pillar such that the cap overhangs the base, the base has a profile with a substantially sloped section and a lower portion of the base is wider than an upper portion;
- wherein side edges of the organic layer and side edges of the second conductive layer are in contact with only the sloped section of the base;
- and
- wherein the first photosensitive layer has a different composition from the second photosensitive layer.
3 more elements
A device comprising:
- a substrate having a plurality of OLED cells, the OLED cells comprising at least one organic layer formed between a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, wherein the first conductive layer is adjacent to the substrate;
- and
- pillars on the substrate for patterning the second conductive layer to establish a first region and a second region of the second conductive layer,
- wherein at least one of the pillars includes first and second photosensitive layers with the first photosensitive layer disposed below and in contact with the second photosensitive layer, the first photosensitive layer forms a base of the pillar and the second photosensitive layer forms a cap of the pillar, the cap overhangs the base, the base has a profile with a substantially smooth tapered sidewall and a lower portion of the base is wider than an upper portion, side edges of the organic layer and side edges of the first region of the second conductive layer are in contact with the substantially smooth tapered sidewall of the base, the first photosensitive layer includes a positive photosensitive material and the second photosensitive layer includes a negative photosensitive material, and
- wherein the second region of the second conductive layer is in contact with the second photosensitive layer.
2 more elements
An OLED device comprising:
- a substrate having a plurality of OLED cells, the OLED cells comprising at least one organic layer formed between a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, wherein the first conductive layer is adjacent to the substrate;
- and
- pillars on the substrate for patterning the second conductive layer to establish a first region and a second region of the second conductive layer,
- wherein at least one of the pillars includes first and second layers with the first layer disposed below and in contact with the second layer, the first layer includes a first material that is photosensitive and forms a base of the pillar and the second layer is a different material than the first layer and forms a cap of the pillar, the cap overhangs the base, the base has a profile with a substantially smooth tapered sidewall and a lower portion of the base is wider than an upper portion, side edges of the organic layer and side edges of the first region of the second conductive layer are in contact with the substantially smooth tapered sidewall of the base, and
- wherein the second region of the second conductive layer is in contact with the second layer.
2 more elements
A device comprising:
- a substrate having a plurality of OLED cells, the OLED cells comprising at least one organic layer formed between a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer;
- and
- pillars on the substrate for patterning the second conductive layer to establish a first region and a second region of the second conductive layer,
- wherein at least one of the pillars includes first and second photosensitive layers with the first photosensitive layer in contact with the second photosensitive layer, the first photosensitive layer forms a base of the pillar and the second photosensitive layer forms a cap of the pillar such that the cap overhangs the base, the cap extending in a direction parallel with a main surface of the substrate and beyond at least part of a sidewall of the base, wherein the sidewall is not parallel to the main surface of the substrate and a lower portion of the base is wider than an upper portion and the lower portion of the base is wider than the cap of the pillar;
- wherein side edges of the organic layer and side edges of the first region of the second conductive layer are in contact with the base;
- the first photosensitive layer has a different property from the second photosensitive layer;
- and
- the second region of the second conductive layer is in contact with the second photosensitive layer.
5 more elements
A device comprising:
- a substrate having a plurality of OLED cells, the OLED cells comprising at least one organic layer formed between a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer;
- and
- pillars on the substrate for patterning the second conductive layer to establish a first region and a second region of the second conductive layer,
- wherein at least one of the pillars consists of first and second photosensitive layers, the first photosensitive layer forms a base of the pillar and the second photosensitive layer forms a cap of the pillar such that the cap overhangs the base, the cap extending in a direction parallel with a main surface of the substrate and beyond at least part of a sidewall of the base, wherein the sidewall is not parallel to the main surface of the substrate and a lower portion of the base is wider than an upper portion and the lower portion of the base is wider than the cap of the pillar;
- wherein side edges of the organic layer and side edges of the first region of the second conductive layer are in contact with the base,
- the first photosensitive layer has a different property from the second photosensitive layer, and
- the second region of the second conductive layer is in contact with the second photosensitive layer.
4 more elements
A device comprising:
- a substrate having a plurality of OLED cells, the OLED cells comprising at least one organic layer formed between a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, wherein the first conductive layer is adjacent to the substrate;
- and
- pillars on the substrate for patterning the second conductive layer to establish a first region and a second region of the second conductive layer,
- wherein at least one of the pillars includes first and second photosensitive layers with the first photosensitive layer disposed below and in contact with the second photosensitive layer, the first photosensitive layer forms a base of the pillar and the second photosensitive layer forms a cap of the pillar such that the cap overhangs the base, the base has a profile with a substantially smooth tapered sidewall and a lower portion of the base is wider than an upper portion;
- wherein side edges of the organic layer and side edges of the second conductive layer are in contact with the substantially smooth tapered sidewall of the base,
- the first photosensitive layer has a different composition from the second photosensitive and there is a defined boundary between the first and second photosensitive layers, and
- the second region of the second conductive layer is in contact with the second photosensitive layer.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.