Method for manufacturing an electronic component and electronic component

Abstract

Method for manufacturing an electronic component (100) in which an encapsulation (3) for protecting the active electronic element (2) from damaging external influences is applied to a substrate (1) with an active electronic element (2) by the steps: - Application of a first inorganic encapsulation layer (11) by means of atomic layer deposition, - Application of a second inorganic encapsulation layer (12) onto the first encapsulation layer (11) by chemical vapor deposition, wherein in a completely circumferential edge region (201) the first encapsulation layer (11) remains free from the second encapsulation layer (12), and - Application of a third inorganic encapsulation layer (13) onto the first and second encapsulation layers (11, 12) by means of atomic layer deposition, so that the second encapsulation layer (12) and the surrounding edge region (201) are covered by the third encapsulation layer (13).

Description

[0001] A method for manufacturing an electronic component and an electronic component are described.

[0002] In multi-layered electronic components made of different materials, such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), which are typically manufactured as a composite and then separated, differing stresses can occur between the layers due to the varying material properties. These properties include differences in layer adhesion and / or varying coefficients of thermal expansion. This can lead to problems at the interfaces between layers made of different materials. For example, delamination problems can occur in automotive robustness tests, caused by cracks or breaks in the layers. Such delamination problems can lead to leaks and thus component failure, at least in the edge regions of multi-layered encapsulation assemblies, especially those with differently manufactured layers.

[0003] Document US 2012 / 0146492A1 describes an organic light-emitting display device and a method for its manufacture.

[0004] Document US 2015 / 0 221 891 A1 describes a seal for organic light-emitting diode displays.

[0005] At least one objective of certain embodiments is to specify a method for manufacturing an electronic component. At least another objective of certain embodiments is to specify an electronic component.

[0006] These problems are solved by a method and an object according to the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the object and the method are characterized in the dependent claims and are further described in the following description and drawings.

[0007] In a method for manufacturing an electronic component, an encapsulation is applied to a substrate containing an active electronic element. This encapsulation serves to protect the active electronic element from damaging external influences. These damaging external influences can include, for example, corrosive gases such as oxygen or hydrogen sulfide, or even moisture. According to at least one further embodiment, an electronic component comprises a substrate on which an active electronic element and an encapsulation for protecting the active electronic element from damaging external influences are arranged. The following features and embodiments apply equally to the method and to the electronic component.

[0008] According to a further embodiment, the active electronic element is coated with the encapsulation. The encapsulation can, in particular, be applied directly to the active electronic element. Furthermore, the encapsulation arrangement can also be applied laterally alongside the active electronic element, especially on the substrate on which the active electronic element is arranged. "Lateral" is defined as a direction parallel to the main plane of extension of the substrate. A vertical direction, which also corresponds to the orientation of the active electronic element on the substrate, runs perpendicular to the main plane of extension of the substrate and thus perpendicular to all lateral directions. At least in some areas, the encapsulation can be applied laterally alongside the active electronic element directly onto the substrate.Furthermore, the encapsulation can extend laterally to at least one or more edges of the substrate. The encapsulation can have or consist of multiple encapsulation layers, so that the active electronic element can be covered by the encapsulation in the form of a multilayer coating after the electronic component is completed.

[0009] According to another embodiment, the active electronic element comprises or is an organic optoelectronic element and / or an organic electronic element. For example, the electronic component is an optoelectronic component such as a light-emitting or light-detecting component. In this case, the active electronic element comprises or is formed by layers and / or components that, during operation, enable the optoelectronic functionality of the component, i.e., that have at least one light-emitting or light-detecting active region. Furthermore, the electronic component can also comprise an active electronic element that does not possess optoelectronic properties and, for example, forms a transistor or a power semiconductor component.Particularly preferably, the electronic component can be designed as an organic electronic component in which the active electronic element has an organic functional layer stack.

[0010] According to a further embodiment, the electronic component is designed as an organic optoelectronic component, i.e., as an organic light-emitting or organic light-detecting component. In this case, the active electronic element comprises an organic functional layer stack containing at least one organic light-emitting or detecting layer, which is designed and configured to generate or detect light during operation of the component. Furthermore, in the case of an organic optoelectronic component, the active electronic element comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, which are configured to inject or remove charge carriers from the functional layer stack during operation. In particular, one of the electrodes can be configured as the anode and the other as the cathode.In the case of an organic light-emitting device, the electrodes can thus inject holes or electrons, particularly from different sides, into at least one organic light-emitting layer during operation. Through recombination of holes and electrons, light can be generated in the light-emitting layer via electroluminescence. The organic light-emitting device can therefore be designed, in particular, as an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), in which the organic functional layer stack, together with the first and second electrodes between which the organic functional layer stack is arranged, forms the active electronic element.

[0011] At least one of the electrodes of the active electronic element of the organic optoelectronic device is transparent, allowing light to be emitted through the transparent electrode or to reach the organic functional layer stack from the outside during operation of the organic optoelectronic device. The encapsulation arrangement can be positioned, in particular, over the electrodes and the organic functional layer stack.

[0012] The term "transparent" here and in the following refers to a layer, which may also be a sequence of layers, that is at least permeable to electromagnetic radiation, for example, with one or more spectral components in the infrared, visible, and / or ultraviolet range. In conjunction with a light-emitting component, a transparent layer can be particularly permeable to light generated during the operation of the component. A transparent layer can be completely translucent or at least partially scattering and / or partially absorbing light, so that a layer described as transparent can also be diffusely or milkily translucent and thus translucent.

[0013] According to another embodiment, the substrate, for example in the case of an organic optoelectronic component, comprises or consists of glass, plastic, metal, or a semiconductor material, or a combination thereof. Such materials are also possible in conjunction with other electronic components. If the substrate is intended to emit light during operation or allow light to reach the active electronic element from the outside, the substrate is transparent and preferably comprises glass, plastic, or a combination such as a glass-plastic laminate. Furthermore, the substrate can, for example, also include encapsulation layers that are not part of the encapsulation on the active element. In particular, it can be advantageous if the substrate is impermeable to moisture, oxygen, and other damaging gases from the environment.

[0014] Furthermore, it is also possible that during the fabrication of the electronic component, a plurality of active electronic elements are arranged on the substrate and then all active electronic elements are simultaneously encapsulated. After the encapsulation is complete, it is possible to separate the substrate containing the majority of the encapsulated active electronic elements. This allows for the production of multiple electronic components, each containing, for example, one encapsulated active electronic element.

[0015] To create the encapsulation, a first inorganic encapsulation layer is applied using atomic layer deposition. The term "atomic layer deposition" encompasses both pure atomic layer deposition (ALD) and molecular layer deposition (MLD) processes. The first encapsulation layer can be applied, preferably over a large area, to the active electronic element and to a peripheral region adjacent to the active electronic element on the substrate, so that the active electronic element is essentially enclosed by the substrate and the first encapsulation layer. "Essentially" here can mean that, for example, in certain areas between the first encapsulation layer and the substrate, layers extending from the active electronic element may still protrude externally, i.e., beneath the first encapsulation layer.Such layers can, for example, be contact layers that are designed and set up for electrically contacting the active electronic element to an external electrical energy source.

[0016] A second inorganic encapsulation layer is deposited onto the first encapsulation layer using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in such a way that the first encapsulation layer remains free of the second layer in a completely circumferential border region. The term "chemical vapor deposition" encompasses both plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and non-plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes. In particular, chemical vapor deposition is not an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. Analytical methods can differentiate between layers deposited using ALD and those deposited using PECVD or CVD.The second encapsulation layer is applied to an area on the first encapsulation layer that at least partially, and particularly preferably completely, covers the active electronic element. The second encapsulation layer can particularly preferably cover the active electronic element laterally, i.e., completely cover it. Furthermore, the second encapsulation layer can extend beyond the active electronic element laterally, i.e., project laterally beyond the active electronic element. In particular, the second encapsulation layer can extend beyond the active electronic element laterally, and especially circumferentially, by at least 1 mm. The area covered by the second encapsulation layer is surrounded laterally by the completely circumferential edge region.The fully circumferential edge region can, in particular, be a region that is wider laterally than the active electronic element. In other words, there is a region laterally adjacent to the active element where the first encapsulation layer is not covered by the second encapsulation layer. Corresponding to the described lateral extent of the second encapsulation layer, the edge region can be spaced at least 1 mm away from the active electronic element in the lateral direction pointing away from it.

[0017] A third inorganic encapsulation layer is deposited onto the first and second encapsulation layers using atomic layer deposition, so that the second encapsulation layer and the surrounding edge region, which is free of the second encapsulation layer, are covered by the third encapsulation layer. The third encapsulation layer thus extends beyond the second encapsulation layer in a lateral direction. In particular, the third encapsulation layer can be deposited directly onto the first encapsulation layer in the edge region.

[0018] Preferably, the third encapsulation layer can be applied to the entire edge area, i.e., laterally surrounding the second encapsulation layer. Consequently, the second encapsulation layer can be completely enclosed by the first and third encapsulation layers.

[0019] According to a further embodiment, the edge region has a width of greater than or equal to 200 µm or greater than or equal to 500 µm. Furthermore, the edge region can have a width of less than or equal to 5000 µm or less than or equal to 2000 µm. Particularly preferably, the edge region has a width of greater than or equal to 500 µm and less than or equal to 2000 µm. The width is measured, in particular, in the lateral direction away from the active electronic element. The area in which the third encapsulation layer is arranged on the first encapsulation layer can thus have a corresponding width.

[0020] The encapsulation formed by at least the first, second, and third inorganic encapsulation layers is manufactured as an inorganic thin-film encapsulation using atomic layer deposition and chemical vapor deposition. In this context, a thin-film encapsulation is understood to be a device designed to form a barrier against atmospheric substances, particularly moisture and oxygen, and / or against other harmful substances such as corrosive gases, for example, hydrogen sulfide. In other words, the thin-film encapsulation is designed to be completely impervious to atmospheric substances, or at most to a very limited extent. This barrier effect is essentially generated in the thin-film encapsulation by the encapsulation layers that are part of, or constitute, the encapsulation.The encapsulation layers of the encapsulation preferably have a thickness of less than or equal to 5 µm. In particular, the first, second, and third encapsulation layers can be free of organic materials. It is especially preferred that the entire encapsulation be free of organic materials. Furthermore, the encapsulation can be free of any additional encapsulation layers besides the first, second, and third. This can mean that the encapsulation consists of the first, second, and third encapsulation layers. In this case, however, a mask layer can optionally be present between the second and third encapsulation layers, as described below.

[0021] The first and third inorganic encapsulation layers can each have a thickness greater than or equal to one atomic layer, or greater than or equal to 1 nm, or greater than or equal to 5 nm and less than or equal to 300 nm, or less than or equal to 100 nm, or less than or equal to 70 nm, or less than or equal to 50 nm, or less than or equal to 20 nm, or less than or equal to 10 nm. Suitable materials for the first and third encapsulation layers can be, in particular, oxides, nitrides, or oxynitrides, such as aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, hafnium oxide, lanthanum oxide, tantalum oxide, aluminum tin oxide, and mixtures and layer combinations thereof. The first and third inorganic encapsulation layers can be made of the same or different materials and have the same or different thicknesses.Particularly preferably, the first encapsulation layer can terminate with a material on the top side, i.e., the side facing away from the substrate, with which the third encapsulation layer begins on the bottom side, i.e., the side facing the substrate, so that identical materials of the first and third encapsulation layers meet in the edge region.

[0022] The second encapsulation layer may comprise one or more of the materials mentioned in conjunction with those for the first and third encapsulation layers, as well as silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, aluminum-doped zinc oxide, silicon carbide, and mixtures with the aforementioned materials, for example SiCN, and layer combinations of the aforementioned materials, wherein, in a preferred embodiment, the second encapsulation layer may be free of an inorganic glass-like material and / or free of SiO₂ and SiON₄. The second encapsulation layer or layers of a layer stack forming the second encapsulation layer may, for example, each have a thickness between 1 nm and 5 µm, and preferably between 100 nm and 1000 nm, including the limits of this range.

[0023] According to a further embodiment, the second encapsulation layer is applied to the edge region when it is deposited onto the first encapsulation layer. In other words, the second encapsulation layer can be applied over a large area and without a specific structure. Subsequently, the second encapsulation layer is removed from the edge region of the first encapsulation layer, so that the edge region of the first encapsulation layer is exposed and free of the second encapsulation layer. The removal of the second encapsulation layer from the edge region can particularly preferably be carried out by etching. For example, etching back to a selective material of the first encapsulation layer, such as a metal oxide or a nitride, can also be performed.

[0024] To remove the second encapsulation layer from the edge region, a mask layer can be applied to the second encapsulation layer. The mask layer can be applied, in particular, to the areas where the second encapsulation layer is to remain. The second encapsulation layer can then be removed in the areas free of the mask layer. This allows the second encapsulation layer and the mask layer to have the same lateral extent in the areas not covered by the mask layer after the second encapsulation layer has been removed. In other words, the second encapsulation layer and the mask layer can be perfectly aligned when viewed vertically from above.The mask layer can then remain on the second encapsulation layer, so that in the finished electronic component the mask layer is located between the second and third encapsulation layers and is enclosed by the first and third encapsulation layers together with the second encapsulation layer.

[0025] As an alternative to using a mask layer, the second encapsulation layer can also be applied using a shadow mask, exclusively to an area enclosed by the edge region on the first encapsulation layer. The third encapsulation layer can then be applied directly onto the second encapsulation layer.

[0026] According to another embodiment, the mask layer is formed by a metallic material. In particular, the mask layer can be a metal, a metal mixture, or an alloy. For example, the mask layer can be aluminum and / or nickel and have a thickness greater than or equal to 200 nm and less than or equal to 2000 nm. For example, the mask layer can be formed by an electrode material of the active electronic element. In other words, the active electronic element can have an electrode with or made of a metallic material that is also used to produce the mask layer. The mask layer can, for example, be vapor-deposited.

[0027] The electronic component has an encapsulation comprising a first and third inorganic encapsulation layer, each deposited by atomic layer deposition, and a second encapsulation layer deposited by chemical vapor deposition between them. The second encapsulation layer is laterally recessed from a surrounding edge region in which the third encapsulation layer is directly attached to the first encapsulation layer. Due to the recessed second encapsulation layer, the encapsulation in the edge region thus has only one interface between encapsulation layers, namely between the first and third encapsulation layers.Since the first and third encapsulation layers are applied using the same method and can preferably have the same material adjacent to each other, different coefficients of thermal expansion at the encapsulation edge can be avoided, thus preventing the disadvantages described above regarding the delamination of different materials.

[0028] Further advantages, advantageous embodiments and further developments result from the exemplary embodiments described below in conjunction with the figures.

[0029] They show: Fig. 1A to 1E schematic representations of process steps of a method for manufacturing an electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment, Fig. 2A to 2F schematic representations of process steps of a method for manufacturing an electronic component according to a further embodiment and Fig. 3 a schematic representation of an electronic component according to a further embodiment.

[0030] In the exemplary embodiments and figures, identical, similar, or similarly functioning elements may be designated with the same reference numerals. The depicted elements and their relative sizes are not to be considered to scale; rather, individual elements, such as layers, components, building elements, and areas, may be exaggerated for clarity and / or better understanding.

[0031] In the Fig. Figures 1A to 1E show an embodiment of a method for manufacturing an electronic component 100. In a first process step, as shown in Fig. Figure 1A shows a substrate 1 with an active electronic element 2. The active electronic element 2 can, for example, be an organic optoelectronic element comprising electrode layers and organic functional layers deposited on the substrate 1 and designed and configured to emit or detect light during operation. Further details are provided below in connection with the Fig. 3. By way of example, an electronic element 100 is described which is designed as an organic light-emitting component. Alternatively, the active electronic element 2 can also be an organic electronic element, such as a transistor or a power semiconductor component. Furthermore, the active electronic element 2 can also be an inorganic optoelectronic or electronic component.

[0032] A plurality of active electronic elements 2 can also be deposited on the substrate 1. The completed electronic component 100 can have a corresponding plurality of active electronic elements. Alternatively, the substrate 1 can be provided for a plurality of electronic components 100, each of which then has, for example, one active electronic element 2. In this case, the substrate 1 with the layers and elements deposited on it can be separated into a plurality of electronic components 100 following the process described here.

[0033] In the process steps described below, the active electronic element 2 is provided with an encapsulation 3 to protect it from damaging external influences; the encapsulation is completed in Fig. 1D is shown. To produce the encapsulation 3, as shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 1B, a first inorganic encapsulation layer 11 is deposited onto the active electronic element 2 by means of atomic layer deposition, wherein the first encapsulation layer 11 completely covers the active electronic element 2 and extends beyond the active electronic element 2 in a lateral direction, i.e., along the main extension plane of the substrate 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the first encapsulation layer 11 extends laterally to the lateral edges of the substrate 1 and is thus deposited in an unstructured and large-area manner.Areas or elements, such as electrical contacts, which must be accessible for later contacting of the electronic component 100, can, for example, already be kept free from the first encapsulation layer 11 in this process step and from the further encapsulation layers in the subsequent process steps, or can only be exposed subsequently by removing the encapsulation layers.

[0034] Atomic layer deposition allows for the application of a thin yet high-density first encapsulation layer 11, which can cover the underlying structures in a surface-conforming manner. The thickness of this first encapsulation layer 11 can range from a few nanometers to 10 nm or up to several tens of nanometers. This first encapsulation layer 11 can consist of, for example, aluminum oxide or titanium oxide, or, as described in the general section, another material and / or a different thickness. Furthermore, the first encapsulation layer 11 can also consist of or comprise a stack of layers made of different materials.

[0035] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1C, a second inorganic encapsulation layer 12 is applied in a further process step using chemical vapor deposition. Compared to atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition allows for a higher growth rate and thus a greater thickness to be achieved more quickly, so that the second encapsulation layer 12 can also contribute to the mechanical stability of the encapsulation 3. The second encapsulation layer 12 can, for example, consist of silicon nitride or silicon carbide with a thickness of a few hundred nm to a few micrometers. Alternatively, other materials and thicknesses are also possible, as described in the general section.

[0036] The second encapsulation layer 12 is applied in a structured manner over the active electronic element 2 in a region 200 by means of a shadow mask (not shown) such that a border region 201 surrounding the active electronic element 2 in a lateral direction is free of the second encapsulation layer 12. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 1C, the region 200, and thus the second encapsulation layer 12, projects laterally beyond the active electronic element 2, such that the second encapsulation layer 12 completely covers the active electronic element 2 when viewed vertically, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the principal extension plane of the substrate 1. Simultaneously, the second encapsulation layer 12 is withdrawn from the lateral edges of the first encapsulation layer 11, so that the first encapsulation layer 11 is free of the second encapsulation layer 12 in the edge region 201. In particular, the second encapsulation layer 12 can project laterally beyond the active electronic element 2, especially circumferentially, by at least 1 mm. The edge region 201 preferably has a width greater than or equal to 500 µm and less than or equal to 2000 µm. The width is measured, in particular, laterally away from the active electronic element.

[0037] In a further procedural step, as described in Fig. As shown in Figure 1D, a third inorganic encapsulation layer 13 is applied by atomic layer deposition to complete the encapsulation 3, such that the second inorganic encapsulation layer 12 and, in the circumferential edge region 201, the first encapsulation layer 11 are directly covered by the third encapsulation layer 13. The second encapsulation layer 12 is thus enclosed on all sides by the first and third encapsulation layers 11, 13. Particularly preferably, the third inorganic encapsulation layer 13 has the same material as the first inorganic encapsulation layer 11, so that the first and third encapsulation layers 11, 13 preferably have the same or at least nearly the same coefficient of thermal expansion.At the interface between the first and third encapsulation layers 11, 13 in the edge region 201, the occurrence of stresses and a resulting delamination of the third encapsulation layer 13 from the first encapsulation layer 11 can thus be avoided in the event of temperature changes.

[0038] As in Fig. 1D in a section view and in Fig. Figure 1E shows a top view in a vertical direction of the third encapsulation layer 13, and the electronic component 100 produced in this way has an encapsulation 3 which has a two-layer system in the edge region 201 with preferably identically produced layers, which can lead to increased long-term stability of the encapsulation 3 and thus also of the electronic component 100.

[0039] In the Fig. Sections 2A to 2F show a further embodiment of a method for manufacturing an electronic component 100. The [details of the] Fig. 2A and Fig. The steps shown in 2B correspond to those in connection with the Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B described process steps for providing the substrate 1 with the active electronic element 2 and applying the first encapsulation layer 11.

[0040] The second encapsulation layer 12 is, as in Fig. 2C is shown, in comparison to the one in connection with the Fig. The process described in step 1C is applied over a large area and without structure to the first encapsulation layer 11. Therefore, in the present embodiment, no shadow mask is used during the chemical vapor deposition process.

[0041] In a subsequent procedural step, which takes place in Fig. As shown in Figure 2D, a mask layer 14 is applied to the second encapsulation layer 12. This mask layer covers and defines the area 200 where the second encapsulation layer 12 is to remain, while leaving the edge region 201, which is to be free of the second encapsulation layer 12 in the finished component, uncovered. The mask layer 14 comprises or is formed from a metallic material that is vapor-deposited. In particular, the mask layer 14 can, for example, comprise or be composed of aluminum and / or nickel and have a thickness greater than or equal to 200 nm and less than or equal to 2000 nm. The second encapsulation layer 12 is then removed in the areas free of the mask layer 14, i.e., in the laterally surrounding edge region 201, for example by etching, as shown in Figure 2D. Fig. 2E is shown. The second encapsulation layer 12 and the mask layer 14 can thus have the same lateral extent and be congruent when viewed from above in the vertical direction.

[0042] The subsequent application of the third encapsulation layer 13 is carried out as described in connection with the Fig. 1D described, wherein the mask layer 14 can remain on the second encapsulation layer 12 when the third encapsulation layer 13 is applied, as in Fig. 2F is shown. Accordingly, the mask layer 14 in the finished electronic component 100 is arranged between the second and third encapsulation layers 12, 13 and is enclosed by the first and third encapsulation layers 11, 13 together with the second encapsulation layer 12.

[0043] In Fig. Figure 3 shows an embodiment of an electronic component 100 which was produced using the method described above and which, purely by way of example, is designed as an organic light-emitting component, in particular as an organic light-emitting diode (OLED).

[0044] The electronic component 100 comprises, on substrate 1, a first electrode 102 and a second electrode 104, and between them an organic functional layer stack 103, as essential components of the active electronic element 2. The organic functional layer stack 103 includes at least one organic light-emitting layer, enabling the electronic component 100 to generate and emit light during operation. At least the first electrode 102, like the substrate 1, is transparent, allowing light generated in the organic functional layer stack 103 during operation of the electronic component 100 to be emitted through the at least one transparent electrode 102 and the substrate 1. The side of the substrate 1 facing away from the active electronic element 2 thus forms a light-emitting surface for the electronic component 100.Furthermore, the component 100 can have at least one additional layer, such as a scattering layer, on the side of the substrate 1 facing away from the active electronic element 2, to improve light extraction, the outer side of which facing the environment then forms the light extraction surface.

[0045] The transparent substrate 1 can, for example, be in the form of a glass plate or glass layer. Alternatively, the substrate 1 can also be, for example, a transparent plastic or a glass-plastic laminate.

[0046] The transparent first electrode 102 applied to substrate 1 can, for example, comprise a transparent conductive oxide. Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) are transparent, conductive materials, usually metal oxides such as zinc oxide, tin oxide, aluminum tin oxide, cadmium oxide, titanium oxide, indium oxide, and indium tin oxide (ITO). In addition to binary metal-oxygen compounds, such as ZnO, SnO₂, or In₂O₃, ternary metal-oxygen compounds, such as Zn₂SnO₄, CdSnO₃, ZnSnO₃, MgIn₂O₄, GaInO₃, Zn₂In₂O₅, or In₄Sn₃O₄, are also included. 12or mixtures of different transparent conductive oxides belong to the group of TCOs. Furthermore, TCOs do not necessarily have a stoichiometric composition and can also be p- or n-doped. The first electrode 102 can also, for example, be a transparent metal, i.e., a metal with a sufficiently small thickness in the range of a few tens of nanometers or less, metallic network structures or conductive networks, for example with or made of silver, and / or graphene or carbon-containing layers, or a combination of the aforementioned transparent materials.

[0047] The second electrode 104 on the organic functional layer stack 103 can be reflective and comprise a metal selected from aluminum, barium, indium, silver, gold, magnesium, calcium, copper, and lithium, as well as compounds, combinations, and alloys thereof. In particular, the second electrode 104 can comprise Ag, Al, Cu, or alloys or layer stacks containing these metals, for example, Ag / Mg, Ag / Ca, Mg / Al, or Mo / Al / Mo or Cr / Al / Cr. Alternatively or additionally, the second electrode 104 can also comprise a TCO material mentioned above or a layer stack containing at least one TCO and at least one metal.

[0048] The first electrode 102 can, for example, be configured as the anode, while the second electrode 104 can be configured as the cathode. However, with appropriate material selection, a configuration with reversed polarity is also possible.

[0049] For electrical contacting of the electrodes 102 and 104, electrode connection pieces 105 can be provided, which extend from the electrodes 102 and 104 outwards under the encapsulation 3 and can form electrical contacts outside the encapsulation 3 or be electrically connected to electrical contacts arranged outside the encapsulation 3. These contacts can serve, in particular, for the external electrical contacting of the electronic component 100 with an external electrical energy source, i.e., a current and / or voltage supply. The electrode connection pieces 105, designed as electrical contact leads, can, for example, comprise or be made of a TCO and / or a metal. Furthermore, the electrode connection pieces 105 can be formed by a metal layer or by a stack of metal layers, such as Cr / Al / Cr, Mo / Al / Mo, Ag / Mg, or Al or Cu.Combinations with a TCO layer and a metal layer or a stack of metal layers are also possible. An electrode connection piece 105, intended for electrical contacting the first electrode 102, can be arranged laterally next to the first electrode 102, as shown, or alternatively, at least partially on or under the first electrode 102, which in this case can also extend into the edge region 201.

[0050] The organic functional layer stack 103 can, in addition to at least one organic light-emitting layer, comprise further organic layers, for example, one or more layers selected from hole injection layers, hole transport layers, electron blocking layers, hole-blocking layers, electron transport layers, electron injection layers, and charge generation layers (CGLs) that are suitable for directing holes or electrons to the organic light-emitting layer or blocking the respective transport. Furthermore, multiple light-emitting layers may be present. The layers of the organic functional layer stack 103 can comprise organic polymers, organic oligomers, organic monomers, organic small non-polymeric molecules, or combinations thereof.In particular, it can be advantageous if the organic functional layer stack 103 includes a functional layer designed as a hole transport layer to enable effective hole injection into the at least one organic light-emitting layer. Suitable materials for a hole transport layer include, for example, tertiary amines, carbazole derivatives, conductive polyaniline, or polyethylene dioxythiophene. Suitable materials for the light-emitting layer include electroluminescent materials exhibiting radiation emission due to fluorescence or phosphorescence, such as polyfluorene, polythiophene, or polyphenylene, or derivatives, compounds, mixtures, or copolymers thereof.

[0051] Furthermore, as in Fig.Figure 3 shows that insulating layers 106 may be present, for example made of polyimide or an inorganic electrically insulating material, which can, for example, electrically insulate the electrodes 102, 104 from each other. Depending on the design of the individual layers of the electronic component 100, insulating layers 106 may not be absolutely necessary and may not be present, for example, in the case of corresponding masking processes for applying the layers.

[0052] The encapsulation 3 is applied over the organic functional layer stack 103 and the electrodes 102, 104 to protect the active element 3, as described in conjunction with the previous figures. Instead of or in addition to the substrate 1 and the first electrode 102, the second electrode 104 and the encapsulation 3 arranged above it can also be transparent, so that the electronic component 100 can additionally or alternatively emit light in the direction away from the substrate 1 during operation.

[0053] The embodiments described in connection with the figures may alternatively or additionally have further features as described in the general part. Reference symbol list 1 substrate 2 active electronic element 3 Encapsulation 11 first inorganic encapsulation layer 12 second inorganic encapsulation layer 13 third inorganic encapsulation layer 14 mask layers 100 electronic components 102 Electrode 103 organic functional layer stacks 104 electrode 105 Electrode connector 106 Insulator layer 200 area 201 Edge area

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