Compositions – Organic luminescent material containing compositions
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-12
2004-09-07
Kopec, Mark (Department: 1751)
Compositions
Organic luminescent material containing compositions
C252S500000, C252S510000, C106S169120, C106S311000, C427S066000, C313S504000, C313S505000, C347S001000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06787063
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a composition (a discharge composition) that can be used for the formation of thin films of functional materials, especially for the formation of patterned films of functional materials using discharge devices, and that can stably be discharged. The invention also relates to a method for producing a uniform film (a functional film) using the composition, to a functional element, to a method for producing the functional element, to a method for producing an electro-optical device and to a method for producing electronic apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Thin films can be produced from liquid phases by a wide variety of processes, such as by a spin coating process, a sol-gel process and a blade process. According to these processes, a composition containing a material, as a solute that is dissolved or dispersed in a solvent, is applied to a substrate, and the solvent is removed, for example, by heating, to thereby yield a functional thin film.
Such functional materials have conventionally been patterned by a photolithography process in many cases. However, the photolithography process is subject to disadvantages, such as high cost, complicated steps and large amounts of materials consumed. Accordingly, fine patterning techniques of functional materials using discharge devices, especially using ink-jet printing devices, have been examined, since such discharge devices entail low costs and simple steps. Examples of products of fine patterning of functional materials using ink-jet printing devices include: color filters (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications No. 9-329706 and No. 11-202114) and organic EL display devices (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications No. 7-235378, No. 10-12377 and No. 10-153967). As such discharge compositions, a composition for organic EL elements for easily patterning a thin film in a short time with high precision and for easily optimizing a film design and light-emitting characteristics is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-40358, and a discharge composition for easy and precise pattering in a short time without curving of the discharged composition or clogging is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-54270.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a composition including a solvent and a functional material. The solvent includes at least one heterocyclic compound having one or more substituents and containing an oxygen atom as a constituent atom. The functional material is selected from the group including organic EL materials, conductive materials, insulative materials and semiconductive materials.
The present invention also provides a method for producing a film. This method includes the step of applying the composition as a pattern to thereby form a thin film.
The present invention also provides a method for producing a functional element. This method includes the step of forming the functional thin film.
The present invention further provides a functional element that is made from the composition.
The present invention provides a method for producing an electro-optical device. This method includes the step of forming a functional thin film according to the aforementioned method.
In addition, the present invention provides a method for producing electronic apparatus. This method includes the step of forming a functional thin film according to the aforementioned method.
The patterning process using discharge devices, especially using ink-jet printing devices, does not require any plate making, can save resources, can save labor and has very satisfactory characteristics, but is subject to the disadvantage that materials for use in discharge compositions are limited, as mentioned below.
First, some of nonpolar or less polar functional materials or polymeric materials are insoluble or slightly soluble in solvents, such as water or alcohols, used in the ink-jet process, and solvents, such as water or alcohols, cannot be used in functional materials that are reactive with, or decomposed by, these solvents.
Second, when a material having low solubility in the solvent is used, a solution having an optimal concentration for film formation induces an ingredient to be precipitated after the preparation of the composition or causes clogging upon discharge. In contrast, when a solution having a low concentration is used to avoid clogging upon discharge, the number of discharge procedures of the composition must be increased to thereby increase the number of steps in order to prepare a functional film having a sufficient film thickness so as to exhibit the characteristics of the functional material.
Third, when an organic solvent having a high vapor pressure is used as the solvent in the functional material, evaporation of the solvent deprives the discharge composition of vaporization heat to thereby accelerate deposition of the functional material upon discharge or during film formation after discharge. Thus, the solvent is evaporable, and thereby induces deposition and clogging of the functional material. When the functional material is a multicomponent system, the resulting film induces phase separation, becomes heterogeneous and thereby loses its functions as the functional film.
Fourth, the resulting thin film formed by the ink-jet process may exhibit an irregular film thickness, such as a thin center and thick periphery, during drying procedure after application of the composition, and the film thickness cannot significantly be controlled.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a composition that can use nonpolar or less polar functional materials, functional materials reactive with solvents, such as water or alcohols, or polymeric materials in the formation of thin films of such functional materials, especially in the formation of patterned films of the functional materials using discharge devices. The present invention also provides a composition that can stably be discharged without clogging upon discharge or curving of the discharged composition in the application of the composition by the ink-jet process. The present invention also provides a method for producing a film, which method can produce a uniform and homogenous thin film using the composition, a functional element, especially an organic EL element, and a method for producing the same, as well as to provide methods for producing an electro-optical device and electronic apparatus that each have the functional element, and specifically to provide an organic EL display device having the functional element.
The composition (especially a liquid composition) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a solvent and a functional material. The solvent includes at least one heterocyclic compound having one or more substituents and containing an oxygen atom as a constituent atom, and the functional material is selected from the group including organic EL materials, conductive materials, insulative materials and semiconductive materials.
The composition has the following advantages. Specifically, functional materials for use in the composition are not specifically limited, and nonpolar or less polar materials or reactive materials that are susceptible to reactions with water can be used without deteriorating their functions. In addition, the resulting composition can prevent or reduce, due to high solubility of constitutive materials, deposition of ingredients after the preparation of the composition or clogging upon discharge in the ink-jet process.
The heterocyclic compound in the composition preferably has a furan skeleton. By this configuration, the resulting composition can prevent or reduce, due to high solubility of constitutive materials, deposition of ingredients after the preparation of the composition or clogging upon discharge and can stably be discharged in the ink-jet process.
The heterocyclic compound in the composition preferably has a boiling point of equal to or
Endo Ayae
Morii Katsuyuki
Seki Shun-ichi
Kopec Mark
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Seiko Epson Corporation
Vijayakumar Kallambella
LandOfFree
Compositions, methods for producing films, functional... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Compositions, methods for producing films, functional..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Compositions, methods for producing films, functional... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3194578