Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Processes and products – Coating – forming or etching by sputtering
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-06
2003-06-17
VerSteeg, Steven H. (Department: 1753)
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Processes and products
Coating, forming or etching by sputtering
C204S192120, C204S298030, C204S298110, C204S298240, C204S298260, C118S665000, C118S712000, C118S718000, C118S719000, C427S008000, C427S066000, C427S064000, C427S069000, C427S109000, C427S255500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06579422
ABSTRACT:
This application claims priority to PCT Application No. PCT/JP00/04551, filed Jul. 7, 2000, which claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 11-192928, filed Jul. 7, 1999. Both PCT Application No. PCT/JP00/04551 and Japanese Application No. 11-192928 are incorporated herein by reference to the extent permitted by law.
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for fabricating an organic EL (electroluminescence) display utilized as a panel light source, a display panel or the like, and particularly to a method and apparatus which enables continuous and efficient fabrication of a flexible organic EL display having a cathode, a luminescent layer made of an organic substance and an anode on an optically flexible substrate.
2. Background Art
An organic EL element is an element of a thin film type having a first electrode (anode or cathode) formed on a substrate, an organic layer (single layer portion or organic multilayer portion), that is, a luminescent layer, containing an organic luminescent substance stacked thereon, and a second electrode (cathod or anode) stacked on the luminescent layer. In this organic EL element, the organic luminescent substance is caused to emit light by applying a predetermined voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode.
Since the organic EL element is an element of a thin film type as described above, when an organic EL panel having a single or a plurality of organic EL elements formed on the substrate is used as a panel light source of black light or the like, an apparatus having the panel light source can be easily thinned. Moreover, when a display device is constituted by using, as a display panel, an organic EL panel having a predetermined number of organic EL elements as pixels formed on a substrate, advantages that cannot be provided by a liquid crystal display device are realized such as high visibility and absence of field angle dependency.
However, in the case of fabricating an organic EL element, there remain many technical problems and it is generally difficult to finely pattern the cathode or the luminescent layer (organic EL medium layer) of the organic EL element because of the poor heat resistance (in general, 100° C. or lower), low solvent resistance and poor moisture resistance of the organic substance (organic EL medium) used for a charge injection layer and a luminescent layer. For example, it is very difficult to use a photolithography method, which is normally used for patterning of a thin film, for the organic EL element because there is a problem of deteriorating characteristics of the organic EL element due to the entry of a solvent in a photoresist into the element, the high-temperature atmosphere in a resist baking step, the entry of a resist developer solution or an etching solution into the element, the damage by plasma in dry etching and the like.
As a technique for solving the foregoing problems, an organic EL panel having little deterioration in an organic EL element and having high reliability and a fabrication method therefor are disclosed in the Japanese Publication of Unexamined Patent Application No. H9-102393.
As a technique for inexpensive and efficient mass production of organic EL displays as described in the above-mentioned publication, a method and apparatus of a so-called roll-to-roll system may be considered. However, this technique has not been sufficiently studied yet, and considerably complicated steps and device structure are required for fabricating a flexible organic EL display by the roll-to-roll system. For example, in the current state, it is quite difficult to pattern a cathode or a luminescent layer for the organic EL element at a low cost on a substrate of a large area made of a plastic film or the like.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for fabricating an organic EL display by the roll-to-roll system, which enables continuous and efficient mass production of flexible organic EL displays.
In order to achieve the above-described object, a method for fabricating a flexible organic EL display according to a first aspect of the present invention is adapted for fabricating an organic EL display having a cathode, a single or a plurality of luminescent layers made of an organic substance, and an anode provided on an optically transparent substrate, wherein a strip-like flexible substrate made of a plastic film or the like is used as the optically transparent substrate, and a step of patterning the luminescent layer and a step of patterning the cathode are carried out in a vacuum by a roll-to-roll system while making the flexible substrate travel continuously.
As the luminescent layer patterning step according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferred to pattern the luminescent layer on the surface of the flexible substrate on which the anode is patterned in advance and to clean the surface of the flexible substrate by ion bombardment immediately before the luminescent layer patterning step.
Also, according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferred that at least one of the luminescent layer patterning step and the cathode patterning step is carried out by vacuum vapor deposition or sputtering using a mask having an opening portion of a predetermined shape formed therein, and is adapted for forming a stripe pattern having a width equal to the width of the opening portion on the flexible substrate.
Moreover, according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferred that as the mask, a strip-like mask having opening portions intermittently formed therein is caused to intermittently travel by the roll-to-roll system at every predetermined travelling length of the flexible substrate in accordance with the roll-to-roll system, and that the opening portions which are reeled out are caused to face a generation source of a patterning substance in the luminescent layer patterning step and the cathode patterning step.
Furthermore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferred that a tracking signal is provided on one lateral end portion of the flexible substrate, the position in the longitudinal direction and the direction of the width of the flexible substrate is detected by detecting the tracking signal, and the position of the opening portion formed in the mask and the opening and closing timing of a shutter for starting and stopping the supply of the patterning substance to the flexible substrate are controlled on the basis of the result of detection.
In addition, according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferred that the flexible substrate processed in the luminescent layer patterning step and the cathode patterning step is wound in a roll shape and that the roll is housed in a container filled with an inert gas and is carried to the next step.
In order to achieve the above-described object, a method for fabricating a flexible organic EL display according to a second aspect of the present invention is adapted for fabricating an organic EL display having a cathode, a single or a plurality of luminescent layers made of an organic substance, and an anode provided on an optically transparent substrate, wherein a strip-like flexible substrate made of a plastic film or the like is used as the optically transparent substrate, and a step of patterning the luminescent layer and a step of patterning the cathode are carried out in a vacuum by a roll-to-roll system while making the flexible substrate travel intermittently.
In order to achieve the above-described object, an apparatus for fabricating a flexible organic EL display according to a third aspect of the present invention is adapted for fabricating an organic EL display having a cathode, a single or a plurality of luminescent layers made of an organic substance, and an anode provided on an optically transparent flexible substrate made of a plastic film or the like, wherein a step of patterning the luminescent layer and a step of patterning the
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
Sony Corporation
VerSteeg Steven H.
LandOfFree
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