Light emitting apparatus, image forming apparatus, display apparatus, photoelectric conversion apparatus, electronic equipment, lighting apparatus, moving object, and wearable device

Abstract

A light emitting apparatus, an image forming apparatus, a display apparatus, a photoelectric conversion apparatus, an electronic apparatus, a lighting apparatus, a moving object, and a wearable device. Provided is a light emitting device in which pixels are arranged on a substrate. Each pixel includes a first electrode, a second electrode disposed between the first electrode and the substrate, and an organic layer including a light emitting material disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. A reflective electrode disposed between the second electrode and the substrate; and a contact electrode connecting the second electrode and the reflective electrode. A first insulating portion is disposed between the reflective electrodes and the second electrode, and a second insulating portion is disposed between the reflective electrodes, and the contact electrode includes a first portion disposed on the second insulating portion and a second portion extending from the first portion and contacting the reflective electrodes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a light-emitting device, an image forming device, a display device, a photoelectric conversion device, electronic equipment, a lighting device, a mobile body and a wearable device. Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-122612 describes an electro-optical device including a light-emitting element using an organic electroluminescent (EL) element. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-122612 also describes that when a reflective electrode using Al and copper is directly connected to a pixel electrode using indium tin oxide (ITO), the contact resistance increases, so a contact electrode using titanium nitride is arranged between the reflective electrode and the pixel electrode. Summary of the invention

[0003] If the entire contact electrode is arranged in the region of the reflective electrode, the reflective region of the reflective electrode for reflecting light can be reduced. A structure that can ensure the reflective region while the contact electrode is in contact with the reflective electrode is desired.

[0004] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a technique that facilitates securing a reflective area.

[0005] According to some embodiments, a light-emitting device is provided, in which a plurality of pixels are arranged on a main surface of a substrate, wherein each pixel includes a first electrode, a second electrode arranged between the first electrode and the main surface, an organic functional layer containing a light-emitting material arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode, a reflective electrode arranged between the second electrode and the main surface, and the reflective electrode and a contact electrode connecting the second electrode and the reflective electrode, in a cross section perpendicular to the main surface, a first insulating portion is arranged between the reflective electrode and the second electrode, and a second insulating portion is arranged between the reflective electrodes of pixels adjacent to each other among the plurality of pixels, and, in the cross section perpendicular to the main surface, the contact electrode includes a first portion arranged on the second insulating portion and a second portion extending continuously from the first portion and in contact with the reflective electrode.

[0006] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a light emitting device according to an embodiment;

[0008] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a configuration example of a light emitting device shown in;

[0009] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3E It shows Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of an example of a manufacturing process of a light emitting device shown in FIG.

[0010] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a light emitting device of a comparative example;

[0011] Figure 5 It shows Figure 1 A sectional view of a configuration example of a modification of the light emitting device shown in FIG.

[0012] FIG. 6A to FIG. 6E It shows Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of an example of a manufacturing process of a light emitting device shown in FIG.

[0013] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B It shows Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a configuration example of a pixel of a light-emitting device shown in FIG.

[0014] FIG. 8A to FIG. 8C is a view showing an example of an image forming apparatus using the light emitting apparatus according to the embodiment;

[0015] Fig. 9 is a view showing an example of a display device using a light emitting device according to an embodiment;

[0016] Fig.10 is a view showing an example of a photoelectric conversion device using the light emitting device according to the embodiment;

[0017] Fig.11 is a view showing an example of electronic equipment using the light emitting device according to the embodiment;

[0018] Fig. 12A and Fig. 12B are views each showing an example of a display device using a light emitting device according to an embodiment;

[0019] Fig.13 is a view showing an example of a lighting device using the light emitting device according to the embodiment;

[0020] Fig.14 is a view showing an example of a moving object using the light emitting device according to the embodiment; and

[0021] Fig.15A and Fig. 15B 2 are views each showing an example of a wearable device using a light emitting device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. A plurality of features are described in the embodiments, but the invention is not limited to requiring all of these features, and a plurality of such features may be combined as appropriate. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar configurations, and redundant descriptions of the same or similar configurations are omitted.

[0023] Reference Figures 1 to 6E , a light emitting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The following embodiments are merely examples of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention according to the appended claims. Figure 1 1 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the light emitting device 100 according to the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the light emitting device 100 .

[0024] Figure 1 The plan view of FIG. 1 shows an example of a configuration of a reflective electrode 110, a contact electrode 112, an electrode 113 (also referred to as a lower electrode), and a light emitting region 119 of a pixel 201 configured in the light emitting device 100. The shape of the pixel 201 in the plan view may be, for example, Figure 1 Alternatively, for example, the shape of the pixel 201 in a plan view may be as follows: Figure 1 The contact electrode 112 partially contacts the reflective electrode 110 and extends from the portion in contact with the reflective electrode 110 to the outside of the region where the reflective electrode 110 is disposed.

[0025] Next, we will use Figure 2 The cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 illustrates the configuration of the pixel 201 in detail. Figure 2 A plurality of pixels 201r, 201g and 201b are shown disposed above the main surface 151 of the substrate 101. Each pixel 201 includes an electrode 116, an electrode 113 disposed between the electrode 116 and the main surface 151 of the substrate 101, and an organic functional layer 115 containing a light-emitting material disposed between the electrode 116 and the electrode 113. Each pixel 201 further includes a reflective electrode 110 disposed between the electrode 113 and the main surface 151 of the substrate 101, an insulating layer 111 disposed between the electrode 113 and the reflective electrode 110, and a contact electrode 112 connecting the electrode 113 and the reflective electrode 110.

[0026] In the substrate 101, for example, an element isolation region 102 (which may be, for example, an STI structure) for forming a transistor for driving the pixel 201, a gate insulating film, a gate electrode 103, and a source / drain region 104 are configured. The substrate 101 may be a semiconductor substrate using, for example, silicon (Si). However, the substrate 101 is not limited thereto, and may be an insulating substrate of glass, plastic, or the like. In this case, a semiconductor layer made of silicon or the like may be formed on the insulating substrate, and elements such as transistors may be formed in the semiconductor layer.

[0027] An interlayer insulating film 105 is formed between the main surface 151 of the substrate 101 and the reflective electrode 110. In addition, a wiring layer 107 is arranged between the interlayer insulating film 105 and the reflective electrode 110. The source / drain region 104 is electrically connected to the wiring pattern arranged in the wiring layer 107 via a conductive plug 106. The gate electrode 103 and the wiring pattern arranged in the wiring layer 107 are similarly electrically connected via a conductive plug. For the interlayer insulating film 105, for example, borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) deposited using a terminal CVD method, silicon oxide deposited using a plasma CVD method (which is not limited to SiO, and may be SiON, SiN, etc.), etc., can be used. For the wiring pattern arranged in the wiring layer 107, aluminum (Al), an alloy of Al and copper (Cu) (for example, Al doped with 0.5 (atm%) Cu (referred to as AlCu)), etc. can be used. A barrier metal such as titanium (Ti) / titanium nitride (TiN) may be arranged in the interface between the wiring pattern formed of AlCu or the like and the interlayer insulating film 105 or 108. Tungsten (W) or the like may be used for the conductive plug 106. A barrier metal such as Ti / TiN may be arranged in the interface between the conductive plug 106 using W and the interlayer insulating film 105.

[0028] The interlayer insulating film 108 is configured to cover the interlayer insulating film 105 and the wiring layer 107. It can also be said that the interlayer insulating film 108 is configured between the interlayer insulating film 105 (and the wiring layer 107) and the reflective electrode 110. The reflective electrode 110 is electrically connected to the wiring pattern configured in the wiring layer 107 via the conductive plug 109. For the interlayer insulating film 108, for example, silicon oxide deposited using a plasma CVD method can be used. For the reflective electrode 110, AlCu can be used. For the conductive plug 109, W can be used. A barrier metal such as Ti / TiN can be configured in the interface between the conductive plug 109 using W and the interlayer insulating film 108. The reflective electrode 110 can be used as a wiring pattern for transmitting an electrical signal or the like.

[0029] The insulating layer 111 is configured to cover the reflective electrode 110. The insulating layer 111 may be a layer that is transparent to light emitted from the light-emitting material configured in the organic functional layer 115. For the insulating layer 111, for example, silicon oxide or the like deposited using a plasma CVD method may be used. In a cross section perpendicular to the main surface 151 of the substrate 101, the insulating layer 111 includes an insulating portion configured between the reflective electrode 110 and the electrode 113. The insulating layer 111 also includes an insulating portion 111c configured between the reflective electrodes 110 of the pixels 201 adjacent to each other among the plurality of pixels 201. It can also be said that the insulating portion 111c is configured to electrically isolate the reflective electrodes 110 respectively configured in the pixels 201.

[0030] The electrode 113 is disposed on the reflective electrode 110. The electrode 113 may function as, for example, an anode electrode. A transparent conductive material is used for the electrode 113. For example, the electrode 113 may be formed using indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO).

[0031] The electrode 113 and the reflective electrode 110 are electrically connected by the contact electrode 112. For example, Ti, molybdenum (Mo), chromium (Cr), etc. can be used for the contact electrode 112. For example, TiN can be used for the contact electrode 112. The contact electrode 112 includes a portion 112a disposed on the insulating portion 111c and a portion 112b continuously extending from the portion 112a and contacting the reflective electrode 110. Figure 2 As shown in , the electrode 113 is in contact with the portion 112a of the contact electrode 112. Figure 2 As shown in , the electrode 113 may not be in contact with the portion 112b of the contact electrode 112. The length of the portion of the portion 112b in contact with the reflective electrode 110 may be less than twice the length of the portion of the electrode 113 in contact with the contact electrode 112. The length of the portion of the portion 112b in contact with the reflective electrode 110 may be less than the length of the portion of the electrode 113 in contact with the contact electrode 112. In the case of this configuration, the area of ​​the contact electrode 112 disposed on the reflective electrode 110 can be reduced and the reflective region can be increased.

[0032] The insulating layer 114 covering the outer edge of the electrode 113 and defining the light emitting region 119 of each pixel 201 is disposed on the electrode 113 and between the organic functional layer 115 and the electrode 113. For the insulating layer 114, for example, silicon oxide deposited using a plasma CVD method can be used. The insulating layer 114 electrically isolates the electrodes 113 of the corresponding pixels 201.

[0033] The organic functional layer 115 includes at least a light-emitting layer containing an organic light-emitting material. As a functional layer other than the light-emitting layer, the organic functional layer 115 may include, for example, a charge transport layer, a charge blocking layer, etc. The organic functional layer 115 may be composed of Figure 2 The plurality of pixels 201 shown in FIG.

[0034] The electrode 116 is configured to cover the organic functional layer 115. The electrode 116 may also be referred to as an upper electrode. The electrode 116 may function as a cathode electrode. In order to emit light emitted from the organic functional layer 115 to the upper surface without obstruction, the electrode 116 may be a thin film of a transparent material. For the electrode 116, gold (Au), platinum (Pt), silver (Ag), Al, Cr, magnesium (Mg) and alloys thereof, etc. may be used. The electrode 116 may be made of Figure 2 The plurality of pixels 201 shown in FIG.

[0035] The sealing layer 117 is configured to cover the electrode 116. The sealing layer 117 is configured to prevent water or the like from penetrating into the layers between the electrode 116 and the substrate 101. For the sealing layer 117, for example, silicon nitride (SiN) or the like deposited using a plasma CVD method can be used.

[0036] The color filter 118 is configured to cover the sealing layer 117. Figure 2 In the configuration shown in , color filters 118r, 118g, and 118b that transmit colors having different peak wavelengths are configured. The color filter 118r transmits red light, the color filter 118g transmits green light, and the color filter 118b transmits blue light.

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown in , the pixel 201 may have an optical resonance structure, the thickness of the insulating layer 111 between the reflective electrode 110 and the electrode 113 of the optical resonance structure varies according to the wavelength of the light transmitted by the color filter 118. More specifically, the peak wavelength of the transmitted color is different between the color filter 118r of the pixel 201r and the color filter 118g of the pixel 201g (between the color filter 118r of the pixel 201r and the color filter 118b of the pixel 201b or between the color filter 118g of the pixel 201g and the color filter 118b of the pixel 201b). In this case, the thickness of the portion of the insulating layer 111 overlapping with the light emitting region 119 may be different between the pixel 201r and the pixel 201g (between the pixel 201r and the pixel 201b or between the pixel 201g and the pixel 201b).

[0038] Next, refer to FIG. 3A to FIG. 3E , a method of manufacturing the light emitting device 100 will be described. Figure 3A The state after the step of forming the reflective electrode 110 is completed is shown. In order to form the reflective electrode 110, for example, AlCu is deposited by sputtering. Then, the reflective electrode 110 is formed by a photolithography step, an etching step (for example, dry etching), and the like.

[0039] After forming the reflective electrode 110, the insulating portion 111c of the insulating layer 111 is formed. For example, a material layer (eg, SiO) of the insulating portion 111c is deposited using a high-density plasma CVD method to cover the reflective electrode 110. Then, planarization is performed using a CMP method, thereby forming a Figure 3B The insulating portion 111 c of the insulating layer 111 is shown in FIG.

[0040] Then, the contact electrode 112 is formed. To form the contact electrode 112, for example, TiN is deposited using a sputtering method. Then, the contact electrode 112 is formed by a photolithography step, an etching (for example, dry etching) step, and the like. Figure 3C As shown in . A portion (portion 112b) of the contact electrode 112 is formed to contact and electrically connect to a portion of the reflective electrode 110. Since planarization is performed using the CMP method when forming the insulating portion 111c, the portions 112a and 112b of the contact electrode 112 are connected evenly.

[0041] After forming the contact electrode 112, the insulating layer 111b of the insulating layer 111 is deposited. For example, a material layer (e.g., SiO) of the insulating layer 111b is deposited using a high-density plasma method or the like. Then, the unevenness of the upper surface of the material layer generated due to the unevenness of the lower layer such as the contact electrode 112 is flattened using a CMP method or the like. When the upper surface of the material layer of the insulating layer 111b is flattened, the formation of the insulating layer 111b can be completed. In addition, as Figure 3D As shown in FIG. 1 , the insulating layer 111 b may be adjusted to have different thicknesses corresponding to the pixels 201 r , 201 g , and 201 b to realize an optical resonance structure.

[0042] Then, if Figure 3E As shown in , the electrode 113 is formed. First, an opening for connecting to the contact electrode 112 is formed in the insulating layer 111 using a photolithography step, an etching (e.g., dry etching) step, etc. Then, for example, an ITO film or an IZO film is deposited using a sputtering method, etc., and patterning is performed using a photolithography step, an etching (e.g., dry etching) method, etc. to form the electrode 113. Figure 3E As shown in , an opening portion may be formed in the flattened portion of the upper surface of the material layer of the insulating layer 111b. The contact electrode 112 may be arranged at the same height in the pixel 201. Therefore, the height difference between the portion of the electrode 113 farthest from the main surface 151 and the portion of the contact electrode 112 in contact with the electrode 113 may be the same in a plurality of pixels 201.

[0043] Steps before forming the reflective electrode 110 and steps after forming the electrode 113 may be similar to those in a known manufacturing process of a light emitting device using an organic light emitting material, and therefore, description thereof will be omitted here.

[0044] Next, the effects of the present disclosure are described in comparison with a light emitting device of a comparative example. Figure 4 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a light emitting device 199 of a comparative example. Figure 2 . On the other hand, as in the electro-optical device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-122612, in the light emitting device 199 of the comparative example, the entire contact electrode 112 is arranged on the reflective electrode 110. Therefore, the reflective area of ​​the reflective electrode 110 for reflecting light is small. The reduction of the reflective area may have a negative impact on improving the aperture ratio of the pixel 201 and the high resolution of the pixel 201.

[0045] In comparison, Figure 2 In the light emitting device 100 of the present embodiment shown in , the contact electrode 112 includes a portion 112a disposed on the insulating portion and a portion 112b in contact with the reflective electrode 110. The portion 112b of the contact electrode 112 can exist in a minimum range as long as it can be electrically connected to the reflective electrode 110. Therefore, the structure of the light emitting device 100 can more easily ensure the reflective area of ​​the reflective electrode 110 for reflecting light. As a result, it can be seen that Figure 2 The light emitting area 119 of the light emitting device 100 shown in FIG. Figure 4 1. The light emitting region 119 of the light emitting device 199 of the comparative example shown in . Therefore, for example, the viewing angle is improved and the degree of freedom of layout is increased, so that miniaturization (high resolution) can be achieved.

[0046] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , in an orthogonal projection of the main surface 151 of the substrate 101, the portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 may be larger than the portion 112b. As described above, the portion 112b of the contact electrode 112 may exist within a minimum range as long as it can be electrically connected to the reflective electrode 110. On the other hand, Figure 3E As shown in FIG. 1 , an opening is formed in the insulating layer 111 (111b) to expose a portion of the contact electrode 112 that contacts the electrode 113. Therefore, considering a process margin, etc., the portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 may have a larger area than the portion 112b. The portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 has little influence on the reflective region of the reflective electrode 110.

[0047] Figure 5 As Figure 2 1 is a cross-sectional view of a light emitting device 100' which is a variation of the light emitting device 100 shown in FIG. The light emitting device 100' is different from the light emitting device 100 in the shape of the insulating portion 111c. The rest of the configuration may be the same as Figure 2The configuration of the light emitting device 100 shown in FIG. 1 is similar, so that the different points of the light emitting device 100 ′ will be mainly described.

[0048] exist Figure 2 In the light emitting device 100 shown in FIG. 1 , the upper surface of the insulating portion 111 c is arranged at the same height as the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110. This is because a planarization step is included when forming the insulating portion 111 c. Figure 3B Therefore, the upper surface of the insulating portion 111c may be at the same height as the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110. Depending on the conditions of the planarization step, the upper surface of the insulating portion 111c may be arranged at a position lower than the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110 (close to the main surface 151 of the substrate 101).

[0049] On the other hand, in the light emitting device 100', as Figure 5 As shown in , in a cross section perpendicular to the main surface 151 of the substrate 101, the upper surface of the insulating portion 111c is farther from the main surface 151 than the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110 in the direction perpendicular to the main surface 151 of the substrate 101. The contact electrode 112 includes a portion 112a disposed on the insulating portion 111c protruding from the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110 and a portion 112b extending continuously from the portion 112a and contacting the reflective electrode 110. Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , the electrode 113 is in contact with a portion of the contact electrode 112 disposed on the upper surface of the insulating portion 111 c . Thus, the reflective electrode 110 and the electrode 113 are electrically connected via the contact electrode 112 .

[0050] like Figure 5 As shown in , the insulating portion 111 c may have a tapered shape that decreases as it is separated from the main surface 151 of the substrate 101. Figure 5 In the configuration shown in , the insulating portion 111c does not cover the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110, but the insulating portion 111c may cover the outer edge portion of the reflective electrode 110. In this case, in the orthogonal projection of the main surface 151 of the substrate 101, the portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 is arranged so as not to overlap with the light emitting region 119 of the adjacent pixel 201 that does not contact the reflective electrode 110 and the electrode 113. Note that the portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 may be arranged up to a position overlapping with the reflective electrode 110 of the adjacent pixel 201 as long as it does not overlap with the light emitting region 119. Even in this case, the portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 does not contact the reflective electrode 110 and the electrode 113 of the adjacent pixel 201.

[0051] As described above, the electrode 113 contacts the portion of the contact electrode 112 disposed on the upper surface of the insulating portion 111c. In this case, the height difference between the upper surface of the insulating portion 111c and the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110 may be equal to or greater than the distance between the reflective electrodes 110 of the pixels 201 adjacent to each other among the plurality of pixels 201. That is, the height of the insulating portion 111c from the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110 may be equal to or greater than the width of the insulating portion 111c between the reflective electrodes 110. The width of the insulating portion 111c between the reflective electrodes 110 is set so as not to allow leakage current to flow between the reflective electrodes 110 adjacent to each other. In addition, the portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 and the electrode 113 are disposed at a height equal to or greater than the width between the reflective electrodes 110. Thus, leakage current between the contact electrode 112 (electrode 113) and the reflective electrodes 110 of the adjacent pixels 201 is suppressed.

[0052] exist Figure 2 In the light emitting device 100 shown in , the contact electrode 112 is arranged on the insulating portion 111c at the same height as the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110. Therefore, considering the leakage current between the contact electrode 112 and the reflective electrode 110 of the adjacent pixel 201, the interval between the adjacent pixels 201 (reflective electrodes 110) needs to be large. Figure 5 In the light emitting device 100' shown in , since the insulating portion 111c protrudes from the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110, leakage current between the contact electrode 112 and the reflective electrode 110 of the adjacent pixel 201 can be suppressed in the height direction. As a result, in the light emitting device 100', the contact electrode 112 can be arranged close to the reflective electrode 110 of the adjacent pixel 201 in the orthogonal projection of the main surface 151 of the substrate 101. Therefore, the distance between the pixels 201 (reflective electrodes 110) adjacent to each other can be shortened and miniaturization (high resolution) of the light emitting device 100' can be achieved.

[0053] The portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 is arranged on the side surface of the insulating portion 111c in the height direction. Therefore, light leakage between the pixels 201 adjacent to each other can be suppressed. That is, the image quality of the light emitting device 100' can be improved.

[0054] Next, refer to FIG. 6A to FIG. 6E , a method of manufacturing the light emitting device 100 ′ will be described. Fig. 6A The state after the step of forming the reflective electrode 110 is completed is shown. In order to form the reflective electrode 110, for example, AlCu is deposited by sputtering. Then, the reflective electrode 110 is formed by a photolithography step, an etching step (for example, dry etching), and the like.

[0055] Then, if Figure 6BAs shown in FIG. 1 , an insulating portion 111c of the insulating layer 111 is formed. For example, a material layer (e.g., SiO) of the insulating portion 111c is deposited using a high-density plasma CVD method to cover the reflective electrode 110. After the material layer of the insulating portion 111c is formed, planarization is performed using a CMP method. Then, a photolithography step, an etching (e.g., dry etching) step, etc. are performed on the planarized material layer to form a Figure 6B By setting appropriate conditions for the etching step, the insulating portion 111c is achieved. Figure 6B The tapered shape of the side surface of the insulating portion 111 c is shown in FIG.

[0056] After forming the insulating portion 111c, the contact electrode 112 is formed. To form the contact electrode 112, for example, TiN is deposited using a sputtering method. Then, as shown in FIG. Figure 6C As shown in , the contact electrode 112 is formed by a photolithography step, an etching (e.g., dry etching) step, etc. A portion (portion 112b) of the contact electrode 112 formed is in contact with a portion of the reflective electrode 110 and is electrically connected thereto. The portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 is in contact with the side surface and the upper surface of the insulating portion 111c from the portion connected to the portion 112b. By making the side surface of the insulating portion 111c into a tapered shape, the disconnection between the portion 112a and the portion 112b of the contact electrode 112 and the disconnection between the upper surface and the side surface of the insulating portion 111c in the portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 can be suppressed.

[0057] After forming the contact electrode 112, the insulating layer 111b of the insulating layer 111 is deposited. For example, a material layer (e.g., SiO) of the insulating layer 111b is deposited using a high-density plasma method or the like. Then, unevenness of the upper surface of the material layer generated due to unevenness of the lower layer such as the contact electrode 112 is flattened using a CMP method or the like. When the upper surface of the material layer of the insulating layer 111b is flattened, the formation of the insulating layer 111b can be completed. In addition, as Fig.6D As shown in FIG. 1 , the insulating layer 111 b may be adjusted to have different thicknesses corresponding to the pixels 201 r , 201 g , and 201 b to realize an optical resonance structure.

[0058] Then, if Fig. 6E As shown in , the electrode 113 is formed. First, an opening portion for connection with the contact electrode 112 is formed in the insulating layer 111 using a photolithography step, an etching (e.g., dry etching) step, etc. Then, for example, an ITO film or an IZO film is deposited using a sputtering method, etc., and patterning is performed using a photolithography step, an etching (e.g., dry etching) method, etc. to form the electrode 113. The reflective electrode 110 is electrically connected to the electrode 113 via the contact electrode 112.

[0059] The electrode 113 may be in contact with the contact electrode 112 in a portion of the portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 disposed on the upper surface of the insulating portion 111c. Figure 5 and Fig. 6E In the configuration shown in Figure 2 As in the configuration shown in , the electrode 113 is in contact with the portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 but is not in contact with the portion 112b.

[0060] Steps before forming the reflective electrode 110 and steps after forming the electrode 113 may be similar to those in a known manufacturing process of a light emitting device using an organic light emitting material, and therefore, description thereof will be omitted here.

[0061] Here, we will refer to 7A to 15B Application examples of applying the light-emitting device 100 or 100' according to the present embodiment to an image forming device, a display device, a photoelectric conversion device, an electronic device, a lighting device, a mobile body, and a wearable device will be described. The description will be given assuming that, for example, an organic light-emitting element such as an organic EL element using an organic light-emitting material is configured in the pixel 201 of the above-mentioned light-emitting device 100. First, the details of each component configured in the pixel 201 of the above-mentioned light-emitting device 100 or 100' will be described, and then the application examples will be described.

[0062] Configuration of organic light-emitting elements

[0063] The organic light emitting element is provided by forming an insulating layer, a first electrode, an organic compound layer, and a second electrode on a substrate. A protective layer, a color filter, a microlens, etc. may be provided on the cathode. If a color filter is provided, a planarization layer may be provided between the protective layer and the color filter. The planarization layer may be formed using acrylic resin, etc. The same applies to the case where a planarization layer is provided between the color filter and the microlens.

[0064] substrate

[0065] Quartz, glass, silicon wafer, resin, metal, etc. can be used as the substrate. In addition, switching elements such as transistors, wiring patterns, etc. can be set on the substrate, and an insulating layer can be set thereon. The insulating layer can be made of any material as long as a contact hole can be formed so that a wiring pattern can be formed between the first electrode and the substrate, and insulation from unconnected wiring patterns can be ensured. For example, resins such as polyimide, silicon oxide, and silicon nitride can be used for the insulating layer.

[0066] electrode

[0067] A pair of electrodes may be used as electrodes. The pair of electrodes may be an anode and a cathode. If an electric field is applied in the direction in which the organic light-emitting element emits light, the electrode with a high potential is the anode and the other electrode is the cathode. It can also be said that the electrode that supplies holes to the light-emitting layer is the anode and the electrode that supplies electrons is the cathode.

[0068] As the constituent material of the anode, a material having a large work function can be selected. For example, a metal such as gold, platinum, silver, copper, nickel, palladium, cobalt, selenium, vanadium or tungsten, a mixture containing some of them, an alloy obtained by combining some of them, or a metal oxide such as tin oxide, zinc oxide, indium oxide, indium tin oxide (ITO) or zinc indium oxide can be used. In addition, a conductive polymer such as polyaniline, polypyrrole or polythiophene can also be used as a constituent material of the anode.

[0069] One of these electrode materials may be used alone, or two or more of them may be used in combination. The anode may be formed of a single layer or a plurality of layers.

[0070] If the electrode is used as a reflective electrode, for example, chromium, aluminum, silver, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum and alloys thereof, stacked layers thereof, etc. can be used. The above materials can play the role of a reflective film without an electrode function. If a transparent electrode is used as an electrode, an oxide transparent conductive layer made of indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide, etc. can be used, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The electrode can be formed using photolithography technology.

[0071] On the other hand, as the constituent material of the cathode, a material with a small work function can be selected. Examples of materials include alkali metals such as lithium, alkaline earth metals such as calcium, metals such as aluminum, titanium, manganese, silver, lead or chromium, and mixtures containing some of them. Alternatively, alloys obtained by combining these metals can also be used. For example, magnesium-silver alloys, aluminum-lithium alloys, aluminum-magnesium alloys, silver-copper alloys, zinc-silver alloys, etc. can be used. Metal oxides such as indium tin oxide (ITO) can also be used. One of these electrode materials can be used alone, or two or more of them can be used in combination. The cathode can have a single layer structure or a plurality of layer structures. Silver can be used as a cathode. In order to suppress the aggregation of silver, a silver alloy can be used. As long as the aggregation of silver can be suppressed, the ratio of the alloy is not limited. For example, the ratio between silver and another metal can be 1:1, 3:1, etc.

[0072] The cathode may be a top emission element using an oxide conductive layer made of ITO or the like, or may be a bottom emission element using a reflective electrode made of aluminum (Al) or the like, and there is no particular limitation. The method of forming the cathode is not particularly limited, but if DC sputtering or AC sputtering is used, good coverage of the film to be formed can be achieved, and the resistance of the cathode can be reduced.

[0073] Pixel isolation layer

[0074] The pixel isolation layer may be formed of so-called silicon oxide such as silicon nitride (SiN), silicon oxynitride (SiON), or silicon oxide (SiO) formed using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. In order to increase the resistance of the organic compound layer in the in-plane direction, the organic compound layer, especially the hole transport layer, may be thinly deposited on the side wall of the pixel isolation layer. More specifically, the vignetting during vapor deposition may be increased by increasing the taper angle of the side wall of the pixel isolation layer or the film thickness of the pixel isolation layer, so that the organic compound layer is deposited in a manner having a thin film thickness on the side wall.

[0075] On the other hand, the taper angle of the side wall of the pixel isolation layer or the film thickness of the pixel isolation layer can be adjusted to the extent that no space is formed in the protective layer formed on the pixel isolation layer. Since no space is formed in the protective layer, the generation of defects in the protective layer can be reduced. Since the generation of defects in the protective layer is reduced, the reliability degradation caused by the generation of black spots or the occurrence of the second electrode conduction failure can be reduced.

[0076] According to this embodiment, even if the taper angle of the side wall of the pixel isolation layer is not sharp, the leakage of charge to adjacent pixels can be effectively suppressed. As a result of this consideration, it is found that a taper angle of 60° (inclusive) to 90° (inclusive) can sufficiently reduce the occurrence of defects. The film thickness of the pixel isolation layer can be 10nm (inclusive) to 150nm (inclusive). A similar effect can be obtained in a configuration that includes only a pixel electrode but not a pixel isolation layer. However, in this case, the film thickness of the pixel electrode is set to be equal to or less than half the film thickness of the organic layer, or the end of the pixel electrode is formed to have a front cone of less than 60°. Thus, the short circuit of the organic light-emitting element can be reduced.

[0077] Furthermore, in the case where the first electrode is a cathode and the second electrode is an anode, a high color gamut and low voltage driving can be achieved by forming an electron transport material and a charge transport layer, and forming a light emitting layer on the charge transport layer.

[0078] Organic compound layer

[0079] The organic compound layer may be formed of a single layer or a plurality of layers. If the organic compound layer includes a plurality of layers, the layers may be referred to as hole injection layers, hole transport layers, electron blocking layers, light-emitting layers, hole blocking layers, electron transport layers, and electron injection layers according to their functions. The organic compound layer is mainly formed of organic compounds, but may also contain inorganic atoms and inorganic compounds. For example, the organic compound layer may contain copper, lithium, magnesium, aluminum, iridium, platinum, molybdenum, zinc, and the like. The organic compound layer may be disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and may be configured to contact the first electrode and the second electrode.

[0080] Protective layer

[0081] A protective layer may be provided on the cathode. For example, by adhering a glass provided with a moisture absorbent on the cathode, water or the like may be inhibited from penetrating into the organic compound layer, and the occurrence of display defects may be inhibited. In addition, as another embodiment, a passivation layer made of silicon nitride or the like may be provided on the cathode to inhibit water or the like from penetrating into the organic compound layer. For example, a protective layer may be formed by forming a cathode, transferring it to another chamber without breaking the vacuum, and forming silicon nitride with a thickness of 2 μm by a CVD method. After depositing the protective layer using the CVD method, the protective layer may be provided using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. The material of the protective layer by the ALD method is not limited, but may be silicon nitride, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, or the like. On the protective layer formed by the ALD method, silicon nitride may be further formed by the CVD method. The film thickness of the protective layer formed by the ALD method may be less than the film thickness of the protective layer formed by the CVD method. More specifically, the film thickness of the protective layer formed by the ALD method may be 50% or less, or 10% or less, of the film thickness of the protective layer formed by the CVD method.

[0082] Color Filters

[0083] A color filter may be provided on the protective layer. For example, a color filter considering the size of the organic light emitting element may be provided on another substrate, and the substrate having the color filter formed thereon may be bonded to the substrate on which the organic light emitting element is provided. Alternatively, for example, a color filter may be patterned on the above-mentioned protective layer using a photolithography technique. The color filter may be formed of a polymer material.

[0084] Planarization layer

[0085] A planarization layer may be configured between the color filter and the protective layer. The planarization layer is configured to reduce the unevenness of the layer below the planarization layer. Without limiting the purpose of the layer, the planarization layer may be referred to as a material resin layer. The planarization layer may be formed of an organic compound and may be made of a low molecular weight material or a polymer material. In view of the reduction of unevenness, a polymer organic compound may be used for the planarization layer.

[0086] A planarization layer may be provided above and below the color filter. In this case, the same or different constituent materials may be used for these planarization layers. More specifically, examples of materials for the planarization layer include polyvinyl carbazole resin, polycarbonate resin, polyester resin, ABS resin, acrylic resin, polyimide resin, phenolic resin, epoxy resin, silicone resin, and urea resin.

[0087] Microlens

[0088] The organic light-emitting device may include an optical component such as a microlens on the light-emitting side. The microlens may be made of acrylic resin, epoxy resin, etc. The purpose of the microlens may be to increase the amount of light extracted from the organic light-emitting device and to control the direction of the light to be extracted. The microlens may be hemispherical. If the microlens is hemispherical, among the tangents in contact with the hemisphere, there is a tangent parallel to the insulating layer, and the contact point of the tangent with the hemisphere is the vertex of the microlens. Even in any cross-sectional view, the vertex of the microlens can be determined in the same way. That is, among the tangents in contact with the semicircle of the microlens in the cross-sectional view, there is a tangent parallel to the insulating layer, and the contact point of the tangent with the semicircle is the vertex of the microlens.

[0089] In addition, the midpoint of the microlens can also be defined. In the cross section of the microlens, a line segment from a point where an arc shape ends to a point where another arc shape ends is assumed, and the midpoint of the line segment can be called the midpoint of the microlens. The cross section for determining the vertex and the midpoint can be a cross section perpendicular to the insulating layer.

[0090] The microlens includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the first surface includes a convex portion. The second surface can be configured on the functional layer (light-emitting layer) side of the first surface. For this configuration, the microlens needs to be formed on a light-emitting device. If the functional layer is an organic layer, high-temperature processing can be avoided in the manufacturing step of the microlens. In addition, if it is configured so that the second surface is configured on the functional layer side of the first surface, the glass transition temperature of all organic compounds forming the organic layer can be 100°C or higher. For example, 130°C or higher is suitable.

[0091] Opposite substrate

[0092] A counter substrate may be arranged on the planarization layer. The counter substrate is called a counter substrate because it is arranged at a position corresponding to the above-mentioned substrate. The constituent material of the counter substrate may be the same as the constituent material of the above-mentioned substrate. If the above-mentioned substrate is the first substrate, the counter substrate may be the second substrate.

[0093] Organic layer

[0094] The organic compound layers (hole injection layer, hole transport layer, electron blocking layer, light emitting layer, hole blocking layer, electron transport layer, electron injection layer, etc.) forming the organic light emitting element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be formed by the following method.

[0095] The organic compound layer forming the organic light-emitting element according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be formed by dry processing using vacuum deposition, ionization deposition, sputtering, plasma, etc. Instead of dry processing, a wet process can be used, which forms a layer by dissolving a solute in an appropriate solvent and using a known coating method (e.g., spin coating, dipping, casting, LB method, inkjet method, etc.).

[0096] Here, when the layer is formed by a vacuum deposition method, a solution coating method, etc., crystallization or the like hardly occurs, and excellent temporal stability is obtained. In addition, when the layer is formed using a coating method, a film can be formed in combination with an appropriate binder resin.

[0097] Examples of the binder resin include polyvinyl carbazole resin, polycarbonate resin, polyester resin, ABS resin, acrylic resin, polyimide resin, phenol resin, epoxy resin, silicone resin, and urea resin. However, the binder resin is not limited thereto.

[0098] One of these binder resins may be used alone as a homopolymer or a copolymer, or two or more thereof may be used in combination. In addition, additives such as known plasticizers, antioxidants, and ultraviolet absorbers may be used as needed.

[0099] Pixel Circuit

[0100] The light emitting device may include a pixel circuit connected to the light emitting element. The pixel circuit may be an active matrix circuit that independently controls the light emission of the first and second light emitting elements. The active matrix circuit may be a voltage or current programming circuit. The drive circuit includes a pixel circuit for each pixel. The pixel circuit may include a light emitting element, a transistor for controlling the light emission brightness of the light emitting element, a transistor for controlling the light emission timing, a capacitor for maintaining the gate voltage of the transistor for controlling the light emission brightness, and a transistor for connecting to GND without interfering with the light emitting element.

[0101] The light emitting device includes a display area and a peripheral area configured around the display area. The light emitting device includes a pixel circuit in the display area and a display control circuit in the peripheral area. The mobility of the transistor forming the pixel circuit may be smaller than the mobility of the transistor forming the display control circuit.

[0102] The slope of the current-voltage characteristic of the transistor forming the pixel circuit may be smaller than the slope of the current-voltage characteristic of the transistor forming the display control circuit. The slope of the current-voltage characteristic may be measured by the so-called Vg-Ig characteristic.

[0103] The transistor forming the pixel circuit is a transistor connected to a light emitting element such as the first light emitting element.

[0104] Pixel

[0105] The organic light emitting device includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes sub-pixels that emit light components of different colors. The sub-pixels may include, for example, R, G, and B emission colors, respectively.

[0106] In each pixel, an area also referred to as a pixel opening emits light. The size of the pixel opening may be 5 μm (inclusive) to 15 μm (inclusive). More specifically, the size of the pixel opening may be 11 μm, 9.5 μm, 7.4 μm, 6.4 μm, etc.

[0107] The distance between sub-pixels may be 10 μm or less, and more specifically, may be 8 μm, 7.4 μm, or 6.4 μm.

[0108] The pixel may have a known configuration in a plan view. For example, the pixel may have a stripe configuration, a delta configuration, a pentile configuration, or a Bayer configuration. The shape of each sub-pixel in a plan view may be any known shape. For example, it may be a quadrilateral such as a rectangle or a rhombus, a hexagon, etc. Of course, shapes that are not exact shapes but are close to rectangles are also included in rectangles. The shape of the sub-pixel and the pixel configuration may be used in combination.

[0109] Application of the organic light emitting element according to the embodiment of the present disclosure

[0110] The organic light-emitting element according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be used as a component of a display device or a lighting device. In addition, the organic light-emitting element is suitable for an exposure light source of an electrophotographic image forming device, a backlight of a liquid crystal display device, a light-emitting device including a color filter in a white light source, etc.

[0111] The display device may be an image information processing device, which includes an image input unit for inputting image information from an area array CCD, a linear array CCD, a memory card, etc. and an information processing unit for processing the input information, and displays the input image on the display unit.

[0112] In addition, the display unit included in the image capture device or inkjet printer may have a touch panel function. The driving type of the touch panel function may be infrared type, capacitance type, resistance film type or electromagnetic induction type, and there is no particular limitation. The display device may be used for a display unit of a multifunction printer.

[0113] More details will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 7AAn example of a pixel 201 configured in a light-emitting device 100 or 100' is shown. The pixel includes a sub-pixel 810 (pixel 201). The sub-pixel is divided into sub-pixels 810R, 810G, and 810B according to the emitted light component. The luminous color can be distinguished by the wavelength of the light component emitted from the light-emitting layer, or the light emitted from each sub-pixel can be selectively transmitted or color-converted by a color filter or the like. Each sub-pixel includes a reflective electrode 802 as a first electrode on an interlayer insulating layer 801, an insulating layer 803 covering the end of the reflective electrode 802, an organic compound layer 804 covering the first electrode and the insulating layer, a transparent electrode 805 as a second electrode, a protective layer 806, and a color filter 807.

[0114] The interlayer insulating layer 801 may include a transistor and a capacitor provided in or under the interlayer insulating layer 801. The transistor and the first electrode may be electrically connected via a contact hole (not shown) or the like.

[0115] The insulating layer 803 may also be referred to as a bank or a pixel isolation film. The insulating layer 803 covers the end of the first electrode and is configured to surround the first electrode. The portion of the first electrode not provided with the insulating layer 803 contacts the organic compound layer 804 to form a light emitting region.

[0116] The organic compound layer 804 includes a hole injection layer 841 , a hole transport layer 842 , a first light-emitting layer 843 , a second light-emitting layer 844 , and an electron transport layer 845 .

[0117] The second electrode may be a transparent electrode, a reflective electrode, or a semi-transmissive electrode.

[0118] The protective layer 806 inhibits water from penetrating into the organic compound layer. The protective layer is shown as a single layer, but may include a plurality of layers. Each layer may be an inorganic compound layer or an organic compound layer.

[0119] The color filter 807 is divided into color filters 807R, 807G and 807B by color. The color filter can be formed on a planarization film (not shown). A resin protective layer (not shown) can be configured on the color filter. The color filter can be formed on the protective layer 806. Alternatively, the color filter can be set on a counter substrate such as a glass substrate, and then the substrate can be bonded.

[0120] Figure 7BThe display device 800 shown in FIG. 8 (corresponding to the above-mentioned light-emitting device 100 or 100 ') is provided with an organic light-emitting element 826 and a TFT 818 as an example of a transistor. A substrate 811 of glass, silicon, or the like is provided, and an insulating layer 812 is provided on the substrate 811. Active elements such as TFT 818 are arranged on the insulating layer, and a gate electrode 813, a gate insulating film 814, and a semiconductor layer 815 of the active element are arranged. TFT 818 also includes a semiconductor layer 815, a drain electrode 816, and a source electrode 817. An insulating film 819 is provided on TFT 818. The source electrode 817 and an anode 821 forming the organic light-emitting element 826 are connected via a contact hole 820 formed in the insulating film.

[0121] The method of electrically connecting the electrodes (anode and cathode) included in the organic light emitting element 826 and the electrodes (source and drain) included in the TFT is not limited to Figure 7B That is, one of the anode and the cathode is electrically connected to one of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the TFT. TFT stands for thin film transistor.

[0122] exist Figure 7B In the display device 800 shown in FIG. 8 , the organic compound layer is shown as one layer. However, the organic compound layer 822 may include a plurality of layers. A first protective layer 824 and a second protective layer 825 are provided on the cathode 823 to suppress degradation of the organic light emitting element.

[0123] exist Figure 7B In the display device 800 shown in FIG. 8 , a transistor is used as a switching element, but another switching element may be used.

[0124] Figure 7B The transistor used in the display device 800 shown in the figure is not limited to a transistor using a single crystal silicon wafer, and may be a thin film transistor including an active layer on an insulating surface of a substrate. Examples of the active layer include single crystal silicon, amorphous silicon, non-single crystal silicon such as microcrystalline silicon, and non-single crystal oxide semiconductors such as indium zinc oxide and indium gallium zinc oxide. Note that a thin film transistor is also referred to as a TFT element.

[0125] Figure 7B The transistor included in the display device 800 shown in FIG. 8 may be formed in a substrate such as a silicon substrate. Forming a transistor in a substrate means forming the transistor by processing a substrate such as a silicon substrate. That is, when the transistor is included in the substrate, it can be considered that the substrate and the transistor are formed integrally.

[0126] The luminous brightness of the organic light-emitting element according to the present embodiment can be controlled by a TFT as an example of a switching element, and a plurality of organic light-emitting elements can be arranged in a plane to display an image with the luminous brightness of each element. Here, the switching element according to the present embodiment is not limited to a TFT, and may be a transistor formed of low-temperature polycrystalline silicon or an active matrix driver formed on a substrate such as a silicon substrate. The term "on a substrate" may mean "in a substrate". Whether to set a transistor in a substrate or to use a TFT is selected based on the size of the display unit. For example, if the size is about 0.5 inches, an organic light-emitting element can be arranged on a silicon substrate.

[0127] FIG. 8A to FIG. 8C 1 is a schematic view showing an example of an image forming apparatus using the light emitting apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 8A The image forming apparatus 926 shown in FIG. 1 includes a photosensitive member 927, an exposure light source 928, a developing unit 931, a charging unit 930, a transfer device 932, a conveying unit 933 ( Fig. 8A The transport rollers in the configuration shown in FIG. 9 and the fixing device 935 .

[0128] Light 929 is emitted from the exposure light source 928, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive member 927. The light emitting device 100 or 100' can be applied to the exposure light source 928. The developing unit 931 can function as a developing device, which includes a toner as a developer, etc., and applies the developer to the exposed photosensitive member 927. The charging unit 930 charges the photosensitive member 927. The transfer device 932 transfers the developed image to the printing medium 934. The conveying unit 933 conveys the printing medium 934. The printing medium 934 can be, for example, paper, a film, etc. The fixing device 935 fixes the image formed on the printing medium.

[0129] Figure 8B and Figure 8C Each of them is a schematic view showing a form in which a plurality of light emitting units 936 are arranged in the exposure light source 928 along the longitudinal direction of the long substrate. The light emitting device 100 or 100' can be applied to each light emitting unit 936. That is, a plurality of pixels 201 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate. Direction 937 is a direction parallel to the axis of the photosensitive member 927. The column direction is consistent with the axis direction when the photosensitive member 927 is rotated. This direction 937 can also be referred to as the long axis direction of the photosensitive member 927.

[0130] Figure 8B A form in which the light emitting unit 936 is arranged along the long axis direction of the photosensitive member 927 is shown. Figure 8C Shown as Figure 8B, wherein the light emitting units 936 are alternately arranged in the column direction between the first column and the second column. The light emitting units 936 are arranged at different positions in the row direction between the first column and the second column. In the first column, a plurality of light emitting units 936 are arranged separately from each other. In the second column, the light emitting units 936 are arranged at positions corresponding to the spaces between the light emitting units 936 in the first column. In addition, in the row direction, a plurality of light emitting units 936 are arranged separately from each other. Figure 8C The configuration of the light emitting units 936 shown in FIG. 9 may be referred to as, for example, a grid pattern configuration, a staggered pattern configuration, or a checkerboard pattern configuration.

[0131] Fig. 9 1 is a schematic view showing an example of a display device using the light-emitting device 100 or 100' according to the present embodiment. The display device 1000 may include a touch panel 1003, a display panel 1005, a frame 1006, a circuit board 1007, and a battery 1008 between an upper cover 1001 and a lower cover 1009. Flexible printed circuits (FPCs) 1002 and 1004 are connected to the touch panel 1003 and the display panel 1005, respectively. Active elements such as transistors are configured on the circuit board 1007. If the display device 1000 is not a portable device, the battery 1008 is not necessary. Even when the display device 1000 is a portable device, it is not necessary to provide the battery 1008 at this position. The light-emitting device 100 or 100' can be applied to the display panel 1005. The pixel 201 configured in the light-emitting device 100 or 100' that plays the role of the display panel 1005 operates in a state where it is connected to active elements such as transistors configured on the circuit board 1007.

[0132] Fig. 9 The display device 1000 shown in the figure can be used for the display unit of the photoelectric conversion device (also called the image capturing device), and the photoelectric conversion device includes an optical unit having a plurality of lenses and an image sensor for receiving the light passing through the optical unit and photoelectrically converting the light into an electrical signal. The photoelectric conversion device may include a display unit for displaying the information acquired by the image sensor. In addition, the display unit may be a display unit exposed to the outside of the photoelectric conversion device, or a display unit configured in a viewfinder. The photoelectric conversion device may be a digital camera or a digital video camera.

[0133] Fig.101 is a schematic view showing an example of a photoelectric conversion device using the light-emitting device 100 or 100' according to the present embodiment. The photoelectric conversion device 1100 may include a viewfinder 1101, a rear display 1102, an operation unit 1103, and a housing 1104. The photoelectric conversion device 1100 may also be referred to as an image capturing device. The light-emitting device 100 or 100' according to the present embodiment may be applied to the viewfinder 1101 or the rear display 1102 as a display unit. In this case, the light-emitting device 100 or 100' may display not only an image to be captured, but also environmental information, image capturing instructions, and the like. Examples of environmental information are the intensity and direction of external light, the moving speed of a subject, and the possibility that a subject is covered by an obstacle.

[0134] In many cases, the time suitable for image capture is very short, so information should be displayed as quickly as possible. Therefore, the light-emitting device 100 or 100' configured with the pixel 201 including the light-emitting element using the organic light-emitting material such as the organic EL element can be used for the viewfinder 1101 or the rear display 1102. This is because the organic light-emitting material has a high response speed. The light-emitting device 100 or 100' using the organic light-emitting material can be more suitable for use in a device requiring a high display speed than a liquid crystal display device.

[0135] The photoelectric conversion device 1100 includes an optical unit (not shown). The optical unit has a plurality of lenses and forms an image on a photoelectric conversion element (not shown), which receives light passing through the optical unit and is accommodated in a housing 1104. The focus of the plurality of lenses can be adjusted by adjusting the relative positions. This operation can also be performed automatically.

[0136] The light emitting device 100 or 100' can be applied to a display unit of electronic equipment. At this time, the display unit can have both a display function and an operation function. Examples of portable terminals are portable phones such as smartphones, tablet computers, and head-mounted displays.

[0137] Fig.11 1 is a schematic view showing an example of electronic equipment using the light-emitting device 100 or 100' according to the present embodiment. The electronic equipment 1200 includes a display unit 1201, an operation unit 1202, and a housing 1203. The housing 1203 can accommodate a circuit, a printed board having the circuit, a battery, and a communication unit. The operation unit 1202 can be a button or a touch panel type reaction unit. The operation unit 1202 can also be a biometric verification unit that performs unlocking, etc. by verifying a fingerprint. Portable equipment including a communication unit can also be regarded as communication equipment. The light-emitting device 100 or 100' according to the present embodiment can be applied to the display unit 1201.

[0138] Fig. 12A and Fig. 12B 1 is a schematic view showing an example of a display device using the light emitting device 100 or 100 ′ according to the present embodiment. Fig. 12A 1300 includes a frame 1301 and a display unit 1302. The light emitting device 100 or 100' according to the present embodiment can be applied to the display unit 1302. The display device 1300 may include a base 1303 supporting the frame 1301 and the display unit 1302. The base 1303 is not limited to Fig. 12A For example, the lower side of the frame 1301 can also serve as the base 1303. In addition, the frame 1301 and the display unit 1302 can be bent. The radius of curvature in this case can be 5000 mm (inclusive) to 6000 mm (inclusive).

[0139] Fig. 12B 1 is a schematic view showing another example of a display device using the light emitting device 100 or 100 ′ according to the present embodiment. Fig. 12B The display device 1310 shown in the figure can be folded and is a so-called foldable display device. The display device 1310 includes a first display unit 1311, a second display unit 1312, a housing 1313 and a bending point 1314. The light-emitting device 100 or 100' according to the present embodiment can be applied to each of the first display unit 1311 and the second display unit 1312. The first display unit 1311 and the second display unit 1312 can also be a seamless display device. The first display unit 1311 and the second display unit 1312 can be separated by a bending point. The first display unit 1311 and the second display unit 1312 can display different images or display one image together.

[0140] Fig.13 14 is a schematic view showing an example of a lighting device using the light-emitting device 100 or 100' according to the present embodiment. The lighting device 1400 may include a housing 1401, a light source 1402, a circuit board 1403, an optical film 1404, and a light diffusion unit 1405. The light-emitting device 100 or 100' according to the present embodiment may be applied to the light source 1402. The optical film 1404 may be a filter that improves the color rendering of the light source. When performing lighting, etc., the light diffusion unit 1405 may project the light of the light source to a wide range by effectively diffusing the light. As needed, the lighting device may also include a cover at the outermost portion. The lighting device 1400 may include both or one of the optical film 1404 and the light diffusion unit 1405.

[0141] The lighting device 1400 is, for example, a device for lighting a room. The lighting device 1400 can emit white light, daylight white light, or light of any color from blue to red. The lighting device 1400 can also include a light control circuit for controlling these light components. The lighting device 1400 can also include a power supply circuit connected to the light emitting device 100 or 100' that acts as a light source 1402. The power supply circuit is a circuit for converting an AC voltage into a DC voltage. The color temperature of white is 4200K, and the color temperature of daylight white is 5000K. The lighting device 1400 can also include a color filter. In addition, the lighting device 1400 can include a heat radiation unit. The heat radiation unit radiates the internal heat of the device to the outside of the device, and examples are metals and liquid silicon with high specific heat.

[0142] Fig.14 1 is a schematic view of a car having a taillight as an example of a vehicle lighting device using the light emitting device 100 or 100' according to the present embodiment. The car 1500 has a taillight 1501, and may have a form in which the taillight 1501 is turned on when a braking operation or the like is performed. The light emitting device 100 or 100' according to the present embodiment may be used as a headlight as a vehicle lighting device. The car is an example of a mobile body, and the mobile body may be a ship, a drone, an airplane, a rail vehicle, an industrial robot, etc. The mobile body may include a main body and a lighting device provided in the main body. The lighting device may be used to notify the current position of the main body.

[0143] The light emitting device 100 or 100' according to the present embodiment can be applied to a tail lamp 1501. The tail lamp 1501 may include a protective member for protecting the light emitting device 100 or 100' that functions as the tail lamp 1501. The material of the protective member is not limited as long as the material is a transparent material having a high strength to a certain extent, and an example is polycarbonate. The material of the protective member may be made of a material obtained by mixing a furan dicarboxylic acid derivative, an acrylonitrile derivative, etc. in polycarbonate.

[0144] The car 1500 may include a car body 1503 and a window 1502 attached to the car body 1503. The window may be a window for checking the front and rear of the car, or a transparent display such as a head-up display. For such a transparent display, the light emitting device 100 or 100' according to the present embodiment may be used. In this case, the constituent material of the electrode and the like of the light emitting device 100 or 100' is formed of a transparent member.

[0145] Will refer to Fig.15A and Fig. 15BAnother application example of the light emitting device 100 or 100' according to the present embodiment is described. The light emitting device 100 or 100' can be applied to a system that can be worn as a wearable device such as smart glasses, a head mounted display (HMD), or a smart contact lens. The image capture display device used for such an application example includes an image capture device capable of photoelectrically converting visible light and a light emitting device capable of emitting visible light.

[0146] Will refer to Fig.15A Glasses 1600 (smart glasses) according to an application example are described. An image capture device 1602 such as a CMOS sensor or SPAD is provided on the front side of a lens 1601 of the glasses 1600. Also, a light emitting device 100 or 100' according to this embodiment is provided on the back side of the lens 1601.

[0147] The glasses 1600 further include a control device 1603. The control device 1603 functions as a power source for supplying power to the image capture device 1602 and the light emitting device 100 or 100' according to each embodiment. In addition, the control device 1603 controls the operation of the image capture device 1602 and the light emitting device 100 or 100'. An optical system configured to collect light to the image capture device 1602 is formed on the lens 1601.

[0148] Will refer to Fig. 15B Glasses 1610 (smart glasses) according to an application example are described. Glasses 1610 include a control device 1612, and an image capturing device and a light emitting device 100 or 100' corresponding to the image capturing device 1602 are mounted on the control device 1612. The image capturing device in the control device 1612 and an optical system configured to project light emitted from the light emitting device 100 or 100' are formed in a lens 1611, and an image is projected to the lens 1611. The control device 1612 functions as a power source for powering the image capturing device and the light emitting device 100 or 100', and controls the operation of the image capturing device and the light emitting device 100 or 100'. The control device 1612 may include a line of sight detection unit for detecting the line of sight of the wearer. The line of sight detection may be performed using infrared rays. The infrared emitting unit emits infrared rays to the eyeball of the user who is staring at the displayed image. The image capturing unit including a light receiving element detects reflected light of the emitted infrared rays from the eyeball, thereby obtaining a captured eyeball image. A reducing unit for reducing light from the infrared ray emitting unit to the display unit in a plan view is provided, thereby alleviating degradation of image quality.

[0149] The user's line of sight to the displayed image is detected based on the captured eyeball image obtained by capturing infrared rays. Any known method can be applied to the line of sight detection using the captured eyeball image. As an example, a line of sight detection method based on a Purkinje image can be used, which is obtained by reflecting irradiated light from the cornea.

[0150] More specifically, a line of sight detection process based on pupil center corneal reflection is performed. Using pupil center corneal reflection, a line of sight vector representing the eyeball direction (rotation angle) is calculated based on the pupil image and Purkinje image included in the captured eyeball image, thereby detecting the user's line of sight.

[0151] The light emitting device 100 or 100 ′ according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include an image capturing device having a light receiving element, and control a displayed image based on line of sight information of a user from the image capturing device.

[0152] More specifically, the light emitting device 100 or 100' determines a first field of view area at which the user is gazing and a second field of view area other than the first field of view area based on the line of sight information. The first field of view area and the second field of view area may be determined by a control device of the light emitting device 100 or 100', or may receive an area determined by an external control device. In the display area of ​​the light emitting device 100 or 100', the display resolution of the first field of view area may be controlled to be higher than the display resolution of the second field of view area. That is, the resolution of the second field of view area may be lower than the resolution of the first field of view area.

[0153] In addition, the display area includes a first display area and a second display area different from the first display area, and a higher priority area is determined from the first display area and the second display area based on the line of sight information. The first display area and the second display area can be determined by the control device of the light emitting device 100 or 100', or can receive an area determined by an external control device. The resolution of the higher priority area can be controlled to be higher than the resolution of the area other than the higher priority area. That is, the resolution of the relatively low priority area can be low.

[0154] Note that AI can be used to determine the first field of view area or a higher priority area. AI can be a model constructed to use the eyeball image and the actual viewing direction of the eyeball in the image as supervision data to estimate the sight angle and the distance to the target in front of the sight from the eyeball image. The AI ​​program can be retained by the light-emitting device 100 or 100', the image capture device or an external device. If the external device retains the AI ​​program, it is transmitted to the light-emitting device 100 or 100' via communication.

[0155] When the display control based on the line of sight detection is performed, the smart glasses further including the image capturing device configured to capture the outside can be applied. The smart glasses can display the captured external information in real time.

[0156] While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. A light emitting device, wherein a plurality of pixels are arranged on a main surface of a substrate, wherein: Each pixel includes a first electrode, a second electrode disposed between the first electrode and the main surface, an organic functional layer containing a light-emitting material disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, a reflective electrode disposed between the second electrode and the main surface, and a contact electrode connecting the second electrode and the reflective electrode. In a cross section perpendicular to the main surface, a first insulating portion is arranged between the reflective electrode and the second electrode, and a second insulating portion is arranged between the reflective electrodes of mutually adjacent pixels among the plurality of pixels, and, In the cross section perpendicular to the main surface, the contact electrode includes a first portion arranged on the second insulating portion and a second portion continuously extending from the first portion and in contact with the reflective electrode.

2. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein The second electrode contacts the first portion.

3. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein: The second electrode is not in contact with the second portion.

4. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein: In an orthogonal projection of the major surface, the first portion is larger than the second portion.

5. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein In a cross section perpendicular to the main surface and passing through the reflective electrode, the second insulating portion, the contact electrode, and the second electrode, a length of a portion of the second portion in contact with the reflective electrode is less than twice a length of a portion of the second electrode in contact with the contact electrode.

6. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein: In a cross section perpendicular to the main surface and passing through the reflective electrode, the second insulating portion, the contact electrode, and the second electrode, a length of a portion of the second portion in contact with the reflective electrode is shorter than a length of a portion of the second electrode in contact with the contact electrode.

7. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein: Each pixel further includes an insulating layer between the organic functional layer and the second electrode, covering an outer edge portion of the second electrode and defining a light emitting region of each pixel. The plurality of pixels include a first pixel and a second pixel, and, The first pixel and the second pixel are different in thickness of portions of the first insulating portion and the second insulating portion that overlap the light emitting region.

8. The light emitting device according to claim 7, wherein: Each pixel also includes a color filter, and A peak wavelength of a transmitted color of the color filter of the first pixel is different from a peak wavelength of a transmitted color of the color filter of the second pixel.

9. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein: A height difference between a portion of the second electrode farthest from the major surface and a portion of the contact electrode in contact with the second electrode is the same in the plurality of pixels.

10. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein: The first portion and the second portion are connected in a flat manner.

11. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein: In the cross section, in a direction perpendicular to the main surface, an upper surface of the second insulating portion is farther from the main surface than an upper surface of the reflective electrode.

12. The light emitting device according to claim 11, wherein The second electrode is in contact with a portion of the contact electrode that is arranged on the upper surface of the second insulating portion.

13. The light emitting device according to claim 11, wherein: A height difference between an upper surface of the second insulating portion and an upper surface of the reflective electrode is not less than a distance between reflective electrodes of adjacent pixels among the plurality of pixels.

14. The light emitting device according to claim 11, wherein The second insulating portion has a tapered shape that decreases as it moves away from the main surface.

15. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein: The second electrode comprises a transparent conductive material, The reflective electrode comprises aluminum, and The contact electrode includes titanium.

16. An image forming apparatus comprising a photosensitive member, an exposure light source configured to expose the photosensitive member, a developing device configured to apply a developer to the exposed photosensitive member, and a transfer device configured to transfer an image developed by the developing device to a printing medium, in, The exposure light source includes the light emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 15 .

17. A display device comprising the light emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 15 and an active element connected to the light emitting device.

18. A photoelectric conversion device comprising an optical unit having a plurality of lenses, an image sensor configured to receive light having passed through the optical unit, and a display unit configured to display an image, in, The display unit displays an image captured by the image sensor, and includes the light emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

19. An electronic equipment comprising a housing provided with a display unit and a communication unit provided in the housing and configured to perform external communication, in, The display unit comprises a light emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

20. A lighting device comprising a light source and at least one of a light diffusion unit and an optical film, in, The light source comprises a light emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

21. A mobile object comprising a main body and a lighting device arranged in the main body, in, The lighting fixture comprises a light emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 15 .

22. A wearable device comprising a display device configured to display an image, in, The display device comprises a light emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

Images