Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Koninklike Philips N.v.

Holger Schwab

Sören Hartmann

Herbert Lifka

Herbert Friedrich Boerner

Jeroen Henri Antoine Maria Van Buul

Detlef Raasch

Volker Lambert Van Elsbergen

Edward Willem Albert Young

Dietrich Bertram

Norbert Pirch

Andres Gasser

Konrad Wissenbach

Christoph Rickers

Manfred Stephan Ruske

Johannes Krijne

Herbert Friedrich Friedrich Boerner

Reinhold Antonius Fleige

Jochen Hugo Stollenwerk

Christian Vedder

The invention describes an OLED device () comprising an organic layer () which emits light (L) in operation and which is positioned between an essentially transparent anode layer () and an essentially opaque cathode layer (). The cathode layer () is deliberately structured along a main extension plane (EP) of the OLED device to comprise at least one cathode region () in which the cathode layer () is 10 present and a plurality of cathode-free regions () and/or at least one cathode-free region () of a larger extension, through which cathode-free regions and/or region () visible light (L) can pass in the direction of a cross extension (CE) of the OLED device. The invention also describes a production method of such OLED device ().

OLED device and method of producing an OLED device

The present invention relates to a light emitting device with at least two active areas and a more robust method of manufacturing such a device, wherein a first electrode layer () is deposited through a mask overcoating an active material (). A second active material () is deposited through another mask in such a way that an area which covers and extends beyond the first electrode layer () is overcoated with the organic material. Then, a second electrode layer () is coated through a mask such that it overcoats the whole second active material ().

Masking for light emitting device patterns

The invention describes a method of manufacturing an OLED device (). This method comprises the steps of providing an electrically conductive carrier substrate () with a first carrier surface () and a second carrier surface (), assembling at least the first carrier surface () a patterned layer of insulating material () over an integral area, the layer of insulating material () being patterned by a plurality of holes () such that an electric access to the first carrier surface () is possible from an upper surface () of the layer of insulating material () facing away from the first carrier surface (), assembling a patterned conductive coating () on the insulating material () at its upper surface () such that the conductive coating () enters the holes () and covers the insulating material () over an integral area, whereby the conductive coating () is patterned such that a number of discrete first electrode areas () are formed in the conductive coating (), applying an organic light-emitting layer () above at least one first electrode area (), applying a second electrode layer () above the organic light emitting layer (). The invention also describes a semi-finished product () in such process and an OLED device () manufactured in such process.

OLED device and manufacture thereof

A method of manufacturing an OLED device, a semi-finished product, and a OLED are described herein. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing an electrically conductive carrier substrate with a first carrier surface and a second carrier surface, assembling at least the first carrier surface a patterned layer of insulating material over an integral area, the layer of insulating material being patterned by a plurality of holes such that an electric access to the first carrier surface is possible, assembling a patterned conductive coating on the insulating material such that the conductive coating enters the holes and covers the insulating material, whereby the conductive coating is patterned such that a number of discrete first electrode areas are formed in the conductive coating, applying an organic light-emitting layer above at least one first electrode area, applying a second electrode layer above the organic light emitting layer.

The invention describes a method of forming spatially isolated light- emitting areas (R, R, R) on a common substrate () of an OLED device () comprising a plurality of device layers (), which device layers () comprise an active layer () enclosed between a first electrode () and a second electrode (), which method comprises the steps of applying an insulating bridge () between a contact pad () and the isolated region (R, R, R) of the second electrode (); and subsequently applying a conductor () from a contact pad () to the isolated region (R, R, R) of the second electrode () to form an electrical connection between the contact pad () and the isolated region (R, R, R). The invention further describes an OLED device () comprising a number of spatially isolated light-emitting areas (R, R, R) on a common substrate (), wherein a plurality of device layers () of the OLED device initially comprises an active layer () enclosed between a first electrode () and a second electrode (), and wherein the OLED device () comprises at least one spatially and electrically isolated region (R, R, R) of the second electrode (); an insulating bridge () applied between a contact pad () and the isolated region (R, R, R) of the second electrode (); and a conductor () applied onto the insulating bridge () for electrically connecting the contact pad () and the isolated region (R, R, R) of the second electrode ().

OLED device with spatially isolated light-emitting areas

Disclosed is a method for contacting a device with a conductor, the devicecomprising a substratewith at least one cell, a contact regionand an encapsulation, wherein the encapsulationencapsulates at least the contact region, the method comprising the steps of arranging the conductoron the encapsulation, and interconnecting the conductorwith the contact regionwithout removing the encapsulationbetween the conductorand the contact regionbeforehand. This invention is advantageous as the encapsulationbetween the conductorand the contact regiondoes not need to be removed beforehand anymore.

OLED device in contact with a conductor

The invention describes a multi-device OLED () comprising a device layer stack () comprising a bottom electrode (), a top electrode (), at least one inter electrode () and plurality of active layers (), wherein the bottom electrode () is applied to a substrate (), and each active layer () is enclosed between two electrodes (); a current distribution means () comprising a current distribution layer () for each electrode () of the device layer stack (); a plurality of openings () extending from the top electrode () into the device layer stack (), wherein each opening () exposes a contact region () of an electrode (); and a plurality of electrical connectors (), wherein an electrical connector () extends into an opening () to electrically connect the electrode () exposed by that opening () to the current distribution layer () for that electrode (). The invention also describes a method of manufacturing such a multi-device OLED. The invention further describes a method of driving such a multi-device OLED, which method comprises applying a voltage across at least one pair () of current distribution layers () of the current distribution means () to stimulate the corresponding active layer () of a device of the multi-device OLED ().

Multi-device OLED

The invention relates to an organic electronic device, particularly an OLED device (), and to a method for its manufacturing. The device () comprises at least one functional unit (LU, LU, LU) with an organic layer (). On top of this functional unit (LU, LU, LU), at least one inorganic encapsulation layer () and at least one organic encapsulation layer () are disposed in which at least one conductive line () is embedded. In this way an OLED with a thin film encapsulation can be provided that can electrically be contacted at contact points (CL) on its back side.

Organic electronic device with encapsulation

The invention relates to a method enabling to apply cheap manufacturing techniques for producing reliable and robust organic thin film device (EL) comprising the steps of providing (P) a transparent substrate () at least partly covered with a first layer stack comprising at least one transparent layer (), preferably an electrically conductive layer, and a pattern of first and second opaque conductive areas () deposited on top of the transparent layer (), depositing (D) a photoresist layer () made of an electrically insulating photoresist resist material on top of the first layer stack at least fully covering the second opaque conductive areas (), illuminating (IL) the photoresist layer () through the transparent substrate () with light () of a suitable wavelength to make the photoresist material soluble in the areas () of the photoresist layer () having no opaque conductive areas () underneath, removing (R) the soluble areas () of the photoresist layer (), heating (B) the areas () of the photoresist layer () remaining on top of at least the second opaque conductive areas () to re-flow the photoresist layer () to cover the edges (E) of the second opaque conductive areas () in contact to the transparent layer (), and hardening (H) the remaining areas () of the photoresist layer (). The invention further relates to a conductive component (CC) for use in these organic thin film devices (EL) and to the organic thin film devices (EL) itself.

Self-aligned coverage of opaque conductive areas

The invention describes a method of manufacturing an OLED device (), which method comprises applying a number of conductive strips () onto a substrate (); depositing an organic layer () onto the substrate () within a region bounded by the conductive strips (); applying a sealant onto the conductive strips () to encapsulate the OLED device (); and depositing a conductive protective layer () at least partially onto each conductive strip () such that a surface of a conductive strip () external to the sealant is protected by the conductive protective layer (). The invention also describes an OLED device () comprising a number of conductive strips () applied onto a substrate (); an organic layer () deposited on the substrate () within a region bounded by the conductive strips (); a conductive protective layer () deposited at least partially onto the conductive strips (); and a sealant for encapsulating the OLED device (), which sealant is applied to the conductive strips () such that a surface of the conductive strips () external to the sealant is protected by the conductive protective layer ().

Method of manufacturing an OLED

By the invention it is proposed a method of preparing a serial connection of OLED-devices, comprising the steps of providing a carrier substrate; depositing a first electrode material layer on said carrier substrate; depositing a layer of an organic optoelectronic active material on said first electrode material layer; depositing a second electrode material layer on said organic optoelectronic active material layer; ablating at least the second electrode material layer and the organic optoelectronic active material layer at least in selected areas to build a trench forming separated OLED-devices on the carrier surface; electrically interconnecting neighboring OLED-devices by connecting the anode of a first OLED-device to the cathode of a neighboring second OLED-device, wherein in the steps of depositing the organic optoelectronic active material layer and the cathode layer, the carrier substrate surface is covered over its entire functional area with said layers, and wherein the electrical interconnection of the neighboring OLED-devices is performed by at least partially filling the trenches built in the ablating step with an electrical conductive material. Furthermore, an illuminant is provided comprising serial connected OLED-devices.

Method for creating serially-connected OLED devices

A method for deposition of at least one electrically conducting film on a substrate, wherein the method includes the steps of: selecting a layer of a film material, wherein the layer includes a mask on a front side, and wherein the layer and the mask are one piece; positioning the front side of the layer upon the substrate; applying at least one laser pulse onto a back side of the layer, so as to melt and to vaporize at least parts of the layer such that melt droplets are propelled toward and deposited upon the substrate; and forming the film, wherein at least one slot of the mask limits the distribution of the melt droplets.

Method for deposition of at least one electrically conducting film on a substrate

The invention relates to OLED devices () operational at high voltages providing a good life time performance, which can be manufactured with reduced effort and costs. The organic electroluminescent device () comprising a substrate () carrying multiple electroluminescent layer stacks () connected in series each comprising a first and a second electrode () and an organic light emitting layer stack () arranged between the first and second electrode (), a cover lid () sealed to the substrate () to encapsulate the electroluminescent layer stacks () providing a gap () between the electroluminescent layer stacks () and an inner side () of the cover lid (), where the connection in series is established by connecting the first electrode () of at least one of the electroluminescent layer stacks () involved in the serial connection via a conductive bridge () to the second electrode () of another electroluminescent layer stack () involved in the serial connection, preferably the adjacent electroluminescent layer stack (), where the conductive bridge () comprises an conductive path () arranged on the inner side () of the cover lid (), a first electrical connection () connecting the first electrode () to the conductive path () and a second electrical connection () connecting the conductive path () with the second electrode () of the other electroluminescent layer stack (), preferably the adjacent electroluminescent layer stack (). The invention further relates to a method providing the organic electroluminescent device () with process steps leading to a reduced effort and costs.

Organic electroluminescent device

The invention relates to a method for contacting a device with a conductor, the devicecomprising a substratewith at least one cell, a contact regionand an encapsulation, wherein the encapsulationencapsulates at least the contact region, the method comprising the steps of arranging the conductoron the encapsulation, and interconnecting the conductorwith the contact regionwithout removing the encapsulationbetween the conductorand the contact regionbeforehand. This invention is advantageous as the encapsulationbetween the conductorand the contact regiondoes not need to be removed beforehand anymore.

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Aachen, Germany

Holger Schwab