Light-emitting devices, image forming apparatuses, display devices, photoelectric converters, electronic devices, lighting devices, mobile devices, and wearable devices.

Abstract

To provide a technique advantageous for ensuring a reflection area.SOLUTION: A light-emitting device has a plurality of pixels arranged on a principal surface of a substrate. Each pixel includes: a first electrode; a second electrode arranged between the first electrode and the principal surface; an organic functional layer arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode and including luminescence material; a reflecting electrode arranged between the second electrode and the principal surface; an insulating layer arranged between the second electrode and the reflecting electrode; and a contact electrode connecting the second electrode and the reflecting electrode to each other. The insulating layer includes, on a section perpendicular to the principal surface, a first insulating part arranged between the reflecting electrode and the second electrode, and a second insulating part arranged between the reflecting electrodes of pixels adjacent to each other, of the plurality of pixels. The contact electrode includes a first portion arranged on the second insulating part, and a second portion extending continuously from the first portion and in contact with the reflecting electrode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 shows an electro-optical device including a light-emitting element using an organic electroluminescence (EL) element. Further, in Patent Document 1, since the contact resistance becomes high when a reflective electrode using Al and copper is directly connected to a pixel electrode using indium tin oxide (ITO), it is shown that a contact electrode using titanium nitride is disposed between the reflective electrode and the pixel electrode.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By disposing the entire contact electrode within the region of the reflective electrode, there is a possibility that the reflective region that reflects light in the reflective electrode becomes narrow. A structure in which the contact electrode can secure the reflective region while being in contact with the reflective electrode is desired.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique advantageous for securing a reflective region.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In view of the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a light-emitting device in which a plurality of pixels are arranged on the main surface of a substrate, each pixel comprising: 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; an insulating layer disposed between the second electrode and the reflective electrode; and a contact electrode connecting the second electrode and the reflective electrode, wherein the insulating layer includes, in a cross section perpendicular to the main surface, a first insulating portion disposed between the reflective electrode and the second electrode, and a second insulating portion disposed between the reflective electrodes of adjacent pixels among the plurality of pixels, and the contact electrode includes a first portion disposed on the second insulating portion and a second portion extending continuously from the first portion and in contact with the reflective electrode. Furthermore, in the orthogonal projection onto the main surface, the first portion does not overlap with the reflective electrode. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology that is advantageous for securing a reflective area. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A plan view showing an example configuration of the light-emitting device of this embodiment. [Figure 2] A cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the light-emitting device in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the manufacturing process for a light-emitting device. [Figure 4] A cross-sectional view showing an example configuration of a comparative light-emitting device. [Figure 5] A cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the light-emitting device in Figure 1. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the manufacturing process for a light-emitting device. [Figure 7] A cross-sectional view showing an example of the pixel configuration of the light-emitting device in Figure 1. [Figure 8] A diagram showing an example of an image forming apparatus using the light-emitting device of this embodiment. [Figure 9] A diagram showing an example of a display device using the light-emitting device of this embodiment. [Figure 10] A diagram showing an example of a photoelectric conversion device using the light-emitting device of this embodiment. [Figure 11] A diagram showing an example of an electronic device using the light-emitting device of this embodiment. [Figure 12] A diagram showing an example of a display device using the light-emitting device of this embodiment. [Figure 13] A diagram showing an example of a lighting device using the light-emitting device of this embodiment. [Figure 14] A diagram showing an example of a mobile body using the light-emitting device of this embodiment. [Figure 15] A diagram showing an example of a wearable device using the light-emitting device of this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. While the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any way. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, identical or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0010] A light-emitting device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6(e). The following embodiments are all examples of the present disclosure and do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. Figure 1 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the light-emitting device 100 of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the light-emitting device 100.

[0011] The plan view of FIG. 1 shows an arrangement example of a reflective electrode 110, a contact electrode 112, an electrode 113 (which may also be called a lower electrode, etc.), and a light-emitting region 119 among the pixels 201 arranged in the light-emitting device 100. The shape of the pixel 201 in plan view may be, for example, hexagonal as shown on the left side of FIG. 1. Also, for example, the shape of the pixel 201 in plan view may be square as shown on the right side of FIG. 1. The contact electrode 112 partially contacts the reflective electrode 110 and extends from the portion contacting the reflective electrode 110 to the outside of the region where the reflective electrode 110 is arranged.

[0012] Next, the configuration of the pixel 201 will be described in detail using the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a plurality of pixels 201r, 201g, 201b arranged on the main surface 151 of the substrate 101. Each pixel 201 includes an electrode 116, an electrode 113 arranged between the electrode 116 and the main surface 151 of the substrate 101, and an organic functional layer 115 containing a light-emitting material arranged between the electrode 116 and the electrode 113. Each pixel 201 further includes a reflective electrode 110 arranged between the electrode 113 and the main surface 151 of the substrate 101, an insulating layer 111 arranged between the electrode 113 and the reflective electrode 110, and a contact electrode 112 connecting the electrode 113 and the reflective electrode 110.

[0013] On the substrate 101, for example, an element isolation region 102 (which may be, for example, an STI structure) for constituting a transistor for driving the pixel 201, a gate insulating film, a gate electrode 103, and a source / drain region 104 are arranged. The substrate 101 may be a semiconductor substrate using, for example, silicon (Si), etc. However, it is not limited thereto, and the substrate 101 may be an insulating substrate such as glass or plastic. In that case, a semiconductor layer such as silicon may be formed on the insulating substrate, and elements such as transistors may be formed on the semiconductor layer.

[0014] An interlayer insulating film 105 is formed between the main surface 151 of the substrate 101 and the reflective electrode 110. Further, a wiring layer 107 is disposed between the interlayer insulating film 105 and the reflective electrode 110. The source / drain region 104 and the wiring pattern disposed in the wiring layer 107 are electrically connected via a conductive plug 106. Similarly, the gate electrode 103 and the wiring pattern disposed in the wiring layer 107 are also electrically connected via a conductive plug. In the interlayer insulating film 105, for example, borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) formed by thermal CVD method, silicon oxide (SiO, not limited to this, SiON, SiN, etc. may also be used) formed by plasma CVD method, etc. can be used. For the wiring pattern disposed in the wiring layer 107, aluminum (Al), an alloy of Al and copper (Cu) (for example, Al with 0.5 (atm%) of Cu added (hereinafter sometimes referred to as AlCu)), etc. can be used. At the interface between the wiring pattern such as AlCu and the interlayer insulating films 105, 108, a barrier metal such as titanium (Ti) / titanium nitride (TiN) can be disposed. For the conductive plug 106, tungsten (W), etc. can be used. At the interface between the conductive plug 106 using W and the interlayer insulating film 105, a barrier metal such as Ti / TiN can be disposed.

[0015] An interlayer insulating film 108 is disposed so as to cover the interlayer insulating film 105 and the wiring layer 107. It can also be said that the interlayer insulating film 108 is disposed between the interlayer insulating film 105 (and the wiring layer 107) and the reflective electrode 110. The wiring pattern disposed in the wiring layer 107 and the reflective electrode 110 are electrically connected via a conductive plug 109. In the interlayer insulating film 108, for example, silicon oxide formed by plasma CVD method, etc. can be used. For the reflective electrode 110, AlCu, etc. can be used. For the conductive plug 109, W, etc. can be used. At the interface between the conductive plug 109 using W and the interlayer insulating film 108, a barrier metal such as Ti / TiN can be disposed. The reflective electrode 110 may be used as a wiring pattern for sending an electrical signal, etc.

[0016] An insulating layer 111 is arranged 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 arranged in the organic functional layer 115. For example, silicon oxide deposited using plasma CVD can be used for the insulating layer 111. The insulating layer 111 includes an insulating portion arranged between the reflective electrode 110 and the electrode 113 in a cross section perpendicular to the main surface 151 of the substrate 101. The insulating layer 111 also includes an insulating portion 111c arranged between the reflective electrodes 110 of adjacent pixels 201 among a plurality of pixels 201. It can also be said that the insulating portion 111c is arranged to electrically isolate the reflective electrodes 110 arranged in each pixel 201.

[0017] An electrode 113 is placed on top of the reflective electrode 110. Electrode 113 may function, for example, as an anode electrode. A transparent conductive material is used for electrode 113. For example, electrode 113 may be formed using indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO).

[0018] Electrode 113 and reflective electrode 110 are electrically connected by contact electrode 112. The contact electrode 112 may be made of, for example, Ti, molybdenum (Mo), or chromium (Cr). For example, TiN may be used for the contact electrode 112. The contact electrode 112 includes a portion 112a positioned on the insulating portion 111c, and a portion 112b extending continuously from portion 112a and in contact with the reflective electrode 110. As shown in Figure 2, electrode 113 is in contact with portion 112a of the contact electrode 112. Also, as shown in Figure 2, electrode 113 does not necessarily have to be in contact with portion 112b of the contact electrode 112.

[0019] An insulating layer 114 is placed above the electrode 113, between the organic functional layer 115 and the electrode 113, covering the outer edge of the electrode 113 and defining the light-emitting region 119 of each pixel 201. For example, silicon oxide deposited by plasma CVD can be used for the insulating layer 114. The insulating layer 114 electrically isolates the electrode 113 of each pixel 201.

[0020] The organic functional layer 115 comprises an emissive layer containing at least an organic emissive material. The organic functional layer 115 may also include other functional layers besides the emissive layer, such as a charge transport layer or a charge blocking layer. The organic functional layer 115 may be shared by multiple pixels 201, as shown in Figure 2.

[0021] Electrodes 116 are arranged to cover the organic functional layer 115. Electrodes 116 may also be called upper electrodes. Electrodes 116 may function as cathode electrodes. Electrodes 116 may be a thin film of a transparent material to allow the light emitted from the organic functional layer 115 to be emitted to the upper surface without obstruction. Electrodes 116 may be made of gold (Au), platinum (Pt), silver (Ag), Al, Cr, magnesium (Mg), or alloys thereof. Electrodes 116 may be shared by multiple pixels 201, as shown in Figure 2.

[0022] A sealing layer 117 is placed so as to cover the electrode 116. The sealing layer 117 is placed to prevent moisture and other substances from entering each layer from the electrode 116 to the substrate 101. For example, silicon nitride (SiN) deposited using plasma CVD can be used for the sealing layer 117.

[0023] A color filter 118 is positioned to cover the sealing layer 117. In the configuration shown in Figure 2, color filters 118r, 118g, and 118b are arranged so as to transmit different peak wavelengths of colors from each other. Color filter 118r transmits red light, color filter 118g transmits green light, and color filter 118b transmits blue light.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the pixel 201 may have an optical resonance structure in which the thickness of the insulating layer 111 between the reflective electrode 110 and the electrode 113 differs from that of the color filter 118, depending on the wavelength of light transmitted by the color filter 118. More specifically, the color filter 118r of pixel 201r and the color filter 118g of pixel 201g (or the color filter 118r of pixel 201r and the color filter 118b of pixel 201b, or the color filter 118g of pixel 201g and the color filter 118b of pixel 201b) transmit different peak wavelengths of color from each other. In that case, the thickness of the portion of the insulating layer 111 that overlaps with the light-emitting region 119 may differ from that of pixels 201r and 201g (or pixels 201r and 201b, or pixels 201g and 201b).

[0025] Next, the manufacturing method of the light-emitting device 100 will be explained using Figures 3(a) to 3(e). Figure 3(a) shows the state after the process of forming the reflective electrode 110 has been completed. The reflective electrode 110 is formed by depositing AlCu using, for example, a sputtering method. Subsequently, the reflective electrode 110 is formed through a photolithography process, an etching process (for example, dry etching), and so on.

[0026] After forming the reflective electrode 110, the insulating portion 111c of the insulating layer 111 is formed. For example, a material layer (e.g., SiO) for the insulating portion 111c is deposited so as to cover the reflective electrode 110 using a high-density plasma CVD method. Then, planarization is performed using a CMP method to form the insulating portion 111c of the insulating layer 111, as shown in Figure 3(b).

[0027] Next, the contact electrode 112 is formed. The contact electrode 112 is formed by depositing TiN using, for example, a sputtering method. Then, after a photolithography process, etching (for example, dry etching) process, etc., the contact electrode 112 is formed as shown in Figure 3(c). A part of the formed contact electrode 112 (part 112b) is in contact with a part of the reflective electrode 110 and is electrically connected. Because the insulating part 111c was planarized using the CMP method, the space between part 112a and part 112b of the contact electrode 112 is flat.

[0028] After forming the contact electrode 112, the insulating layer 111b of the insulating layer 111 is deposited. For example, the material layer (e.g., SiO) of the insulating layer 111b is deposited using a high-density plasma method. Next, the surface irregularities of the material layer caused by the irregularities of the substrate such as the contact electrode 112 are flattened using a CMP method or the like. The formation of the insulating layer 111b may be completed when the surface of the material layer of the insulating layer 111b is flattened. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(d), the insulating layer 111b may be adjusted to different thicknesses for each pixel 201r, 201g, and 201b to realize an optical resonance structure.

[0029] Next, as shown in Figure 3(e), 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 process, etching (e.g., dry etching), etc. Then, the electrode 113 is formed by depositing, for example, an ITO film or an IZO film using a sputtering method, and then patterning it using a photolithography process, etching (e.g., dry etching), etc. The opening can be formed in the flattened portion of the upper surface of the material layer of the insulating layer 111b, as shown in Figure 3(e). Also, the height at which the contact electrode 112 is positioned can be the same among the pixels 201. Therefore, the height difference between the part of the electrode 113 furthest from the main surface 151 and the part of the contact electrode 112 in contact with the electrode 113 can be the same among each of the multiple pixels 201.

[0030] The steps before forming the reflective electrode 110 and the steps after forming the electrode 113 may be the same as the manufacturing steps for light-emitting devices using known organic light-emitting materials. Therefore, a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0031] Next, the effects of this disclosure will be explained in comparison with the light-emitting device of the comparative example. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example configuration of the light-emitting device 199 of the comparative example. The layer structure of the light-emitting device 199 is the same as that of the light-emitting device 100 shown in Figure 2. On the other hand, in the light-emitting device 199 of the comparative example, the entire contact electrode 112 is arranged on the reflective electrode 110, similar to the electro-optical device shown in Patent Document 1. As a result, the reflective region of the reflective electrode 110 that reflects light becomes smaller. The reduction in the reflective region can negatively affect improvements in the aperture ratio of the pixels 201 and the resolution of the pixels 201.

[0032] In contrast, the light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment shown in Figure 2 includes a contact electrode 112 with a portion 112a positioned on an insulating part and a portion 112b that contacts the reflective electrode 110. The portion 112b of the contact electrode 112 may be as small as possible, as long as it can be electrically connected to the reflective electrode 110. Therefore, the structure of the light-emitting device 100 makes it easier to secure the reflective region of the reflective electrode 110 that reflects light. As a result, it can be seen that the light-emitting region 119 of the light-emitting device 100 shown in Figure 2 is wider than the light-emitting region 119 of the comparative example light-emitting device 199 shown in Figure 4. This makes it possible to achieve, for example, an improved viewing angle, increased freedom in layout, and miniaturization (high definition).

[0033] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in the orthogonal projection onto the main surface 151 of the substrate 101, portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 may be larger than portion 112b. As mentioned above, portion 112b of the contact electrode 112 may be the minimum area necessary to enable electrical connection with the reflective electrode 110. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 3(e), an opening is formed in the insulating layer 111 (111b), and the portion of the contact electrode 112 that contacts the electrode 113 is exposed. Therefore, considering process margins and the like, portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 may have a larger area than portion 112b. The influence of portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 on the reflection region of the reflective electrode 110 is small.

[0034] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a modified light-emitting device 100', which is a modified version of the light-emitting device 100 shown in Figure 2. The shape of the insulating part 111c of the light-emitting device 100' differs from that of the light-emitting device 100. The other configurations may be the same as those of the light-emitting device 100 shown in Figure 2, so the light-emitting device 100' will be described focusing on the differences.

[0035] In the light-emitting device 100 shown in Figure 2, the upper surface of the insulating portion 111c is positioned at the same height as the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110. This is because, as shown in Figure 3(b), a planarization process is included when forming the insulating portion 111c. Therefore, the upper surface of the insulating portion 111c may be at the same height as the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110. Furthermore, depending on the conditions of the planarization process, the upper surface of the insulating portion 111 may be positioned lower than the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110 (closer to the main surface 151 of the substrate 101).

[0036] On the other hand, in the light-emitting device 100', as shown in Figure 5, in a cross-section perpendicular to the main surface 151 of the substrate 101, the upper surface of the insulating portion 111c is further away from the main surface 151 of the substrate 101 than the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110, in a direction perpendicular to the main surface 151 of the substrate 101. The contact electrode 112 includes a portion 112a that is positioned on the insulating portion 111c that protrudes beyond the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110, and a portion 112b that extends continuously from portion 112a and is in contact with the reflective electrode 110. As shown in Figure 5, the electrode 113 is in contact with the portion of the contact electrode 112 that is positioned on the upper surface of the insulating portion 111c. As a result, the reflective electrode 110 and the electrode 113 are electrically connected via the contact electrode 112.

[0037] The insulating portion 111c may have a tapered shape that decreases as it moves away from the main surface 151 of the substrate 101, as shown in Figure 5. In the configuration shown in Figure 5, 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 of the reflective electrode 110. In that case, in the orthogonal projection onto the main surface 151 of the substrate 101, the portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 is positioned so as not to overlap with the light-emitting region 119 of an adjacent pixel 201 that is not in contact with the reflective electrode 110 and electrode 113. However, within the range that does not overlap with the light-emitting region 119, the portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 may be positioned to overlap with the reflective electrode 110 of an adjacent pixel 201. Even in that case, the portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 does not touch the reflective electrode 110 and electrode 113 of an adjacent pixel 201.

[0038] As described above, electrode 113 is in contact with the portion of contact electrode 112 that is located 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 greater than or equal to the distance between the reflective electrodes 110 of adjacent pixels 201 among the multiple pixels 201. In other words, the height of the insulating portion 111c from the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110 may be greater than or equal to the width between the reflective electrodes 110 of the insulating portion 111c. The width between the reflective electrodes 110 of the insulating portion 111c is set so that no leakage current flows between adjacent reflective electrodes 110. In addition, portion 112a of contact electrode 112 and electrode 113 are positioned at a height greater than or equal to the width between the reflective electrodes 110. This suppresses leakage current between the contact electrode 112 (electrode 113) and the reflective electrode 110 of the adjacent pixel 201.

[0039] In the light-emitting device 100 shown in Figure 2, the contact electrode 112 is positioned on an insulating portion 111c that is 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, it is necessary to widen the spacing between adjacent pixels 201 (reflective electrodes 110). On the other hand, in the light-emitting device 100' shown in Figure 5, the insulating portion 111c protrudes above the upper surface of the reflective electrode 110, so that the 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 orthogonal projection onto the main surface 151 of the substrate 101, the light-emitting device 100' can bring the contact electrode 112 closer to the reflective electrode 110 of the adjacent pixel 201. Therefore, it becomes possible to shorten the distance between adjacent pixels 201 (reflective electrodes 110), and miniaturization (high resolution) of the light-emitting device 100' is realized.

[0040] Furthermore, portion 112a of the contact electrode 112 is positioned in the height direction on the side surface of the insulating portion 111c. This suppresses light leakage between adjacent pixels 201. In other words, it is possible to improve the image quality of the light-emitting device 100'.

[0041] Next, the manufacturing method of the light-emitting device 100' will be explained using Figures 6(a) to 6(e). Figure 6(a) shows the state after the process of forming the reflective electrode 110 has been completed. The reflective electrode 110 is formed by depositing AlCu using, for example, a sputtering method. Subsequently, the reflective electrode 110 is formed through processes such as photolithography and etching (for example, dry etching).

[0042] Next, as shown in Figure 6(b), the insulating portion 111c of the insulating layer 111 is formed. For example, a material layer (e.g., SiO) for the insulating portion 111c is deposited to cover the reflective electrode 110 using a high-density plasma CVD method. After the formation of the material layer for the insulating portion 111c, planarization is performed using the CMP method. Subsequently, the planarized material layer is subjected to a photolithography process, an etching process (e.g., dry etching), etc., to form the insulating portion 111c shown in Figure 6(b). By adjusting the etching process conditions appropriately, the tapered shape of the side surface of the insulating portion 111c, as shown in Figure 3(b), can be achieved.

[0043] After the insulating portion 111c is formed, the contact electrode 112 is formed. The contact electrode 112 is formed by depositing TiN using, for example, a sputtering method. Subsequently, the contact electrode 112 is formed as shown in Figure 6(c) through processes such as photolithography and etching (e.g., dry etching). A portion of the formed contact electrode 112 (part 112b) is in contact with a portion of the reflective electrode 110, and is electrically connected. In addition, part 112a of the contact electrode 112 is in contact with the side and top surfaces of the insulating portion 111c from the portion that connects to part 112b. By making the side surface of the insulating portion 111c tapered, disconnection between parts 112a and 112b of the contact electrode 112, and disconnection between the top and side surfaces of the insulating portion 111c in part 112a of the contact electrode 112 can be suppressed.

[0044] After forming the contact electrode 112, the insulating layer 111b of the insulating layer 111 is deposited. For example, the material layer (e.g., SiO) of the insulating layer 111b is deposited using a high-density plasma method. Next, the surface irregularities of the material layer caused by the irregularities of the substrate such as the contact electrode 112 are flattened using a CMP method or the like. The formation of the insulating layer 111b may be completed when the surface of the material layer of the insulating layer 111b is flattened. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(d), the insulating layer 111b may be adjusted to different thicknesses for each pixel 201r, 201g, and 201b to realize an optical resonance structure.

[0045] Next, as shown in Figure 6(e), the electrode 113 is formed. First, an opening for connection to the contact electrode 112 is formed in the insulating layer 111 using a photolithography process, etching (e.g., dry etching), etc. Then, the electrode 113 is formed by depositing, for example, an ITO film or an IZO film using a sputtering method, and then patterning it using a photolithography process, etching (e.g., dry etching), etc. The reflective electrode 110 and the electrode 113 are electrically connected via the contact electrode 112.

[0046] Electrode 113 may be in contact with contact electrode 112 at the portion of portion 112a of contact electrode 112 that is located on the upper surface of the insulating portion 111c. In the configurations shown in Figures 5 and 6(e), similar to the configuration shown in Figure 2, electrode 113 is in contact with portion 112a of contact electrode 112, but not with portion 112b.

[0047] The steps before forming the reflective electrode 110 and the steps after forming the electrode 113 may be the same as the manufacturing steps for light-emitting devices using known organic light-emitting materials. Therefore, a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0048] Here, examples of applications of the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment applied to image forming apparatuses, display devices, photoelectric converters, electronic devices, lighting devices, mobile devices, and wearable devices will be described using Figures 7(a), 7(b) to 15(a), 15(b). As described above, the pixels 201 of the light-emitting device 100 will be described as being equipped with organic light-emitting elements, such as organic EL elements using organic light-emitting materials. First, the details of each component arranged in the pixels 201 of the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' will be shown, and then the application examples will be described.

[0049] Structure of an organic light-emitting device An organic light-emitting element is provided on a substrate by forming an insulating layer, a first electrode, an organic compound layer, and a second electrode. 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 can be made of acrylic resin or the like. The same applies when a planarization layer is provided between the color filter and the microlens.

[0050] substrate Examples of substrates include quartz, glass, silicon wafers, resins, and metals. The substrate may also be equipped with switching elements such as transistors and wiring patterns, and an insulating layer may be provided on top of these. The insulating layer can be made of any material as long as it allows for the formation of contact holes between the first electrode and the substrate, enabling the formation of wiring patterns between them, and ensuring insulation from unconnected wiring patterns. For example, the insulating layer may be made of resins such as polyimide, silicon oxide, or silicon nitride.

[0051] electrode A pair of electrodes can be used as electrodes. The pair of electrodes may be an anode and a cathode. When an electric field is applied in the direction in which the organic light-emitting element emits light, the electrode with the higher potential is the anode, and the other is the cathode. Alternatively, the electrode that supplies holes to the light-emitting layer can be the anode, and the electrode that supplies electrons can be the cathode.

[0052] Materials with a high work function may be selected as the anode components. For example, elemental metals such as gold, platinum, silver, copper, nickel, palladium, cobalt, selenium, vanadium, and tungsten, or mixtures containing these, or alloys combining them, as well as metal oxides such as tin oxide, zinc oxide, indium oxide, tin-indium oxide (ITO), and zinc-indium oxide can be used. Conductive polymers such as polyaniline, polypyrrole, and polythiophene can also be used as anode components.

[0053] These electrode materials may be used individually or in combination of two or more types. Furthermore, the anode may consist of a single layer or multiple layers.

[0054] When electrodes are used as reflective electrodes, for example, chromium, aluminum, silver, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, or alloys thereof, or laminates thereof, can be used. It is also possible to use the above materials to function as a reflective film without serving as an electrode. Furthermore, when transparent electrodes are used, oxide transparent conductive layers such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide can be used, but are not limited to these. Photolithography technology can be used to form the electrodes.

[0055] On the other hand, materials with a low work function may be selected as the constituent material of the cathode. Examples include alkali metals such as lithium, alkaline earth metals such as calcium, and elemental metals or mixtures containing these, such as aluminum, titanium, manganese, silver, lead, and chromium. Alternatively, alloys combining these elemental metals can also be used. For example, magnesium-silver, aluminum-lithium, aluminum-magnesium, silver-copper, and zinc-silver can be used. Metal oxides such as indium tin oxide (ITO) can also be used. These electrode materials may be used individually or in combination of two or more. The cathode may also have a single-layer or multi-layer structure. Silver may be used as the cathode, and a silver alloy may be used to reduce silver aggregation. The ratio of the alloy does not matter as long as silver aggregation is reduced. For example, the ratio of silver to other metals may be 1:1, 3:1, etc.

[0056] The cathode may be a top-emission element using an oxide conductive layer such as ITO, or a bottom-emission element using a reflective electrode such as aluminum (Al), and is not particularly limited. The method for forming the cathode is not particularly limited, but using a DC or AC sputtering method can result in good coverage of the formed film and a lower cathode resistance.

[0057] Pixel separation layer The pixel separation layer may be formed from so-called silicon oxides such as silicon nitride (SiN), silicon oxynitride (SiON), or silicon oxide (SiO), which are formed using chemical vapor deposition (CVD). To increase the in-plane resistance of the organic compound layer, the thickness of the organic compound layer, particularly the hole transport layer, may be thinly deposited on the sidewalls of the pixel separation layer. Specifically, by increasing the taper angle of the sidewalls of the pixel separation layer and the thickness of the pixel separation layer, the thickness of the organic processed material layer on the sidewalls can be thinned to increase vignetting during deposition.

[0058] On the other hand, the pixel isolation layer's sidewall taper angle and thickness can be adjusted to the extent that no voids are formed in the protective layer formed on top of it. By preventing voids from forming in the protective layer, the occurrence of defects in the protective layer can be reduced. As the occurrence of defects in the protective layer is reduced, reliability degradation such as the occurrence of dark spots and poor conductivity of the second electrode can be reduced.

[0059] According to this embodiment, charge leakage to adjacent pixels can be effectively suppressed even if the taper angle of the sidewall of the pixel isolation layer is not steep. As a result of this study, it was found that sufficient reduction is possible if the taper angle is in the range of 60 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less. The film thickness of the pixel isolation layer may be 10 nm or more and 150 nm or less. Furthermore, the same effect can be obtained even if the device is composed only of pixel electrodes without a pixel isolation layer. However, in this case, the film thickness of the pixel electrode can be reduced by making it less than half the thickness of the organic layer, or by making the ends of the pixel electrodes a forward taper of less than 60°.

[0060] Furthermore, even when the first electrode is the cathode and the second electrode is the anode, a wide color gamut and low-voltage driving are possible by forming an electron-transporting material, a charge transport layer, and a light-emitting layer on the charge transport layer.

[0061] organic compound layer The organic compound layer may be formed as a single layer or as multiple layers. If there are multiple layers, they may be called a hole injection layer, hole transport layer, electron blocking layer, light-emitting layer, hole blocking layer, electron transport layer, electron injection layer, etc., depending on their function. The organic compound layer is mainly composed of organic compounds, but may also contain inorganic atoms or inorganic compounds. The organic compound layer may contain, for example, copper, lithium, magnesium, aluminum, iridium, platinum, molybdenum, zinc, etc. The organic compound layer may be disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, or it may be disposed in contact with the first electrode and the second electrode.

[0062] protective layer A protective layer may be provided on the cathode. For example, by bonding glass with a desiccant to the cathode, the intrusion of moisture into the organic compound layer can be reduced, thereby reducing the occurrence of display defects. In another embodiment, a passivation layer such as silicon nitride may be provided on the cathode to reduce the intrusion of moisture into the organic compound layer. For example, after forming the cathode, it may be transported to another chamber without breaking the vacuum and a 2 μm thick silicon nitride may be formed by the CVD method to serve as the protective layer. After forming the protective layer using the CVD method, a protective layer using atomic layer deposition (ALD) may be provided. The material of the protective layer formed by the ALD method is not limited, but may be silicon nitride, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, etc. Silicon nitride may be further formed on the protective layer formed by the ALD method using the CVD method. The protective layer formed by the ALD method may have a smaller film thickness than the protective layer formed by the CVD method. Specifically, the film thickness of the protective layer formed by the ALD method may be 50% or less, or even 10% or less, of the film thickness of the protective layer formed by the CVD method.

[0063] Color filter A color filter may be provided on the protective layer. For example, a color filter that takes into account the size of the organic light-emitting element may be provided on a separate substrate, and the substrate on which the color filter is formed and the substrate on which the organic light-emitting element is provided may be bonded together. Alternatively, for example, the color filter may be patterned on the protective layer described above using photolithography technology. The color filter may be made of polymer.

[0064] flattening layer A planarization layer may be placed between the color filter and the protective layer. The planarization layer is provided to reduce the unevenness of the layer below it. It may also be called a material resin layer without limiting its purpose. The planarization layer may be composed of an organic compound, which may be low molecular weight or high molecular weight. High molecular weight organic compounds may be used in the planarization layer to reduce unevenness.

[0065] Planarization layers may be provided above and below the color filter. In this case, the constituent materials of each planarization layer may be the same or different. Specifically, polyvinylcarbazole resin, polycarbonate resin, polyester resin, ABS resin, acrylic resin, polyimide resin, phenolic resin, epoxy resin, silicone resin, urea resin, etc., can be used as materials for the planarization layer.

[0066] Microlens An organic light-emitting device may have optical components such as microlenses on its light-emitting side. Microlenses may be made of acrylic resin, epoxy resin, or the like. Microlenses may be used to increase the amount of light extracted from the organic light-emitting device or to control the direction of the extracted light. Microlenses may have a hemispherical shape. If they have a hemispherical shape, among the tangents tangent to the hemisphere, there is a tangent parallel to the insulating layer, and the point of contact between that tangent and the hemisphere is the vertex of the microlens. The vertex of the microlens can be similarly determined in any cross-sectional view. That is, among the tangents tangent to the semicircle of the microlens in the cross-sectional view, there is a tangent parallel to the insulating layer, and the point of contact between that tangent and the semicircle is the vertex of the microlens.

[0067] Furthermore, the midpoint of a microlens can also be defined. In the cross-section of a microlens, a line segment can be imagined from the point where one arc ends to the point where another arc ends, and the midpoint of this line segment can be called the midpoint of the microlens. The cross-section used to determine the vertices and midpoints may be a cross-section perpendicular to the insulating layer.

[0068] A microlens has a first surface with a convex portion and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The second surface may be positioned closer to the functional layer (light-emitting layer) than the first surface. To adopt such a configuration, it is necessary to form the microlens on a light-emitting device. If the functional layer is an organic layer, high-temperature processes may be avoided in the manufacturing process of the microlens. Also, when adopting a configuration in which the second surface is positioned closer to the functional layer than the first surface, the glass transition temperatures of all organic compounds constituting the organic layer may be 100°C or higher, and for example, 130°C or higher is suitable.

[0069] Opposing board A counter substrate may be placed on the planarization layer. The counter substrate is called a counter substrate because it is provided in a position corresponding to the aforementioned substrate. The constituent material of the counter substrate may be the same as that of the aforementioned substrate. The counter substrate may be a second substrate if the aforementioned substrate is referred to as the first substrate.

[0070] organic layer The organic compound layers constituting the organic light-emitting element according to the embodiment of this disclosure (hole injection layer, hole transport layer, electron blocking layer, light-emitting layer, hole blocking layer, electron transport layer, electron injection layer, etc.) may be formed by the following methods.

[0071] The organic compound layer constituting the organic light-emitting element according to the embodiment of this disclosure can be formed using a dry process such as vacuum deposition, ionization deposition, sputtering, or plasma deposition. Alternatively, instead of a dry process, a wet process can be used in which the layer is formed by dissolving the compound in a suitable solvent and applying a known coating method (e.g., spin coating, dipping, casting, LB method, inkjet method, etc.).

[0072] When layers are formed using methods such as vacuum deposition or solution coating, crystallization is less likely to occur, resulting in excellent stability over time. Furthermore, when forming films using coating methods, it is possible to combine the film with an appropriate binder resin.

[0073] Examples of the binder resins mentioned above include, but are not limited to, polyvinylcarbazole resin, polycarbonate resin, polyester resin, ABS resin, acrylic resin, polyimide resin, phenolic resin, epoxy resin, silicone resin, and urea resin.

[0074] Furthermore, these binder resins may be used individually as homopolymers or copolymers, or as a mixture of two or more types. Additionally, known additives such as plasticizers, antioxidants, and UV absorbers may be used in combination as needed.

[0075] Pixel circuit The light-emitting device may have a pixel circuit connected to a light-emitting element. The pixel circuit may be an active-matrix type that independently controls the light emission of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element. The active-matrix type circuit may be voltage-programmed or current-programmed. The drive circuit has a pixel circuit for each pixel. The pixel circuit may have a light-emitting element, a transistor that controls the light emission brightness of the light-emitting element, a transistor that controls the light emission timing, a capacitor that holds the gate voltage of the transistor that controls the light emission brightness, and a transistor for connecting to GND without going through the light-emitting element.

[0076] The light-emitting device has a display area and a peripheral area arranged around the display area. The display area has a pixel circuit, and the peripheral area has a display control circuit. The mobility of the transistors constituting the pixel circuit may be smaller than the mobility of the transistors constituting the display control circuit.

[0077] The slope of the current-voltage characteristics of the transistors constituting the pixel circuit can be smaller than the slope of the current-voltage characteristics of the transistors constituting the display control circuit. The slope of the current-voltage characteristics can be measured using the so-called Vg-Ig characteristic.

[0078] The transistors that make up the pixel circuit are those connected to the light-emitting elements, such as the first light-emitting element.

[0079] pixels The organic light-emitting device has multiple pixels. Each pixel has subpixels that emit light of a different color from the others. The subpixels may each have, for example, RGB light-emitting colors.

[0080] A pixel emits light from a region also called the pixel aperture. The pixel aperture may be 15 μm or less, or 5 μm or more. More specifically, it may be 11 μm, 9.5 μm, 7.4 μm, 6.4 μm, etc.

[0081] The spacing between subpixels may be 10 μm or less, specifically 8 μm, 7.4 μm, or 6.4 μm.

[0082] Pixels can take on known arrangements in a plan view. For example, they may be in a stripe arrangement, delta arrangement, pentile arrangement, or Bayer arrangement. The shape of subpixels in a plan view may be any known shape. For example, rectangles, rhombuses or other quadrilaterals, hexagons, etc. Of course, even if it is not a precise shape, if it is close to a rectangle, it is included in the category of rectangles. The shape of subpixels and the pixel arrangement can be used in combination.

[0083] Applications of the organic light-emitting element according to the embodiment of this disclosure The organic light-emitting element according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be used as a component of a display device or lighting device. Other applications include exposure light sources for electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, backlights for liquid crystal display devices, and light-emitting devices having a color filter in a white light source.

[0084] The display device may also be an image information processing device that has an image input unit for receiving image information from an area CCD, linear CCD, memory card, etc., an information processing unit for processing the input information, and displays the input image on the display unit.

[0085] Furthermore, the display unit of the imaging device or inkjet printer may have a touch panel function. The driving method for this touch panel function may be infrared, capacitive, resistive, or electromagnetic induction, and is not particularly limited. The display device may also be used as the display unit of a multifunction printer.

[0086] Next, we will provide further explanation with reference to the drawings. Figure 7(a) shows an example of a pixel 201 arranged in light-emitting devices 100 and 100'. The pixel has sub-pixels 810 (pixels 201). The sub-pixels are divided into 810R, 810G, and 810B based on their light emission. The emission color may be distinguished by the wavelength emitted from the light-emitting layer, or the light emitted from the sub-pixel may be selectively transmitted or color-converted by a color filter or the like. Each sub-pixel has a reflective electrode 802 which is the first electrode, an insulating layer 803 covering the edge of the reflective electrode 802, an organic compound layer 804 covering the first electrode and the insulating layer, a transparent electrode 805 which is the second electrode, a protective layer 806, and a color filter 807 on an interlayer insulating layer 801.

[0087] The interlayer insulating layer 801 may have transistors or capacitive elements placed in the layer below or inside it. The transistor and the first electrode may be electrically connected via a contact hole or the like (not shown).

[0088] The insulating layer 803 may also be called a bank or pixel isolation layer. The insulating layer 803 covers the edge of the first electrode and is arranged to surround the first electrode. The portion of the first electrode not covered by the insulating layer 803 is in contact with the organic compound layer 804 and becomes a light-emitting region.

[0089] 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.

[0090] The second electrode may be a transparent electrode, a reflective electrode, or a semi-transparent electrode.

[0091] The protective layer 806 reduces the penetration of moisture into the organic compound layer. Although the protective layer is shown as a single layer, it may consist of multiple layers. Each layer may contain an inorganic compound layer and an organic compound layer.

[0092] The color filter 807 is classified into 807R, 807G, and 807B depending on its color. The color filter may be formed on a planarization film (not shown). A resin protective layer (not shown) may also be placed on the color filter. The color filter may also be formed on a protective layer 806. Furthermore, the color filter may be bonded to an opposing substrate, such as a glass substrate, after it has been placed on it.

[0093] The display device 800 in Figure 7(b) (corresponding to the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' described above) includes an organic light-emitting element 826 and a TFT 818 as an example of a transistor. A substrate 811 made of glass, silicon, or the like is provided, with an insulating layer 812 on top of it. An active element such as the TFT 818 is placed on the insulating layer, and the gate electrode 813, gate insulating film 814, and semiconductor layer 815 of the active element are arranged therein. The TFT 818 is also composed of a semiconductor layer 815, a drain electrode 816, and a source electrode 817. An insulating film 819 is provided on top of the TFT 818. The anode 821 and the source electrode 817 that constitute the organic light-emitting element 826 are connected via a contact hole 820 provided in the insulating film.

[0094] The method of electrical connection between the electrodes (anode, cathode) in the organic light-emitting element 826 and the electrodes (source electrode, drain electrode) in the TFT is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 7(b). In other words, it is sufficient for either the anode or cathode to be electrically connected to either the source electrode or the drain electrode of the TFT. TFT refers to a thin-film transistor.

[0095] In the display device 800 shown in Figure 7(b), the organic compound layer is depicted as a single layer, but the organic compound layer 822 may consist of multiple layers. A first protective layer 824 and a second protective layer 825 are provided on the cathode 823 to reduce the degradation of the organic light-emitting element.

[0096] In the display device 800 shown in Figure 7(b), a transistor is used as the switching element, but other switching elements may be used instead.

[0097] Furthermore, the transistor used in the display device 800 in Figure 7(b) is not limited to a transistor using a single-crystal silicon wafer, but may also be a thin-film transistor having an active layer on an insulating surface of the substrate. Examples of active layers include non-single-crystal silicon such as single-crystal silicon, amorphous silicon, and microcrystalline silicon, and non-single-crystal oxide semiconductors such as indium zinc oxide and indium gallium zinc oxide. Thin-film transistors are also called TFT elements.

[0098] The transistors included in the display device 800 in Figure 7(b) may be formed within a substrate such as a silicon substrate. Here, "formed within a substrate" means that the transistors are manufactured by processing the substrate itself, such as a silicon substrate. In other words, having transistors within a substrate can be seen as the substrate and transistors being formed as a single unit.

[0099] The organic light-emitting element according to this embodiment has its luminescence controlled by a TFT, which is an example of a switching element, and by providing multiple organic light-emitting elements on the surface, an image can be displayed according to the luminescence of each element. Here, the switching element according to this embodiment is not limited to a TFT, but may also be a transistor made of low-temperature polysilicon, or an active matrix driver formed on a substrate such as a silicon substrate. "On the substrate" can also be said to be "within the substrate". Whether to provide a transistor within the substrate or to use a TFT is selected depending on the size of the display area; for example, if the size is about 0.5 inches, the organic light-emitting element may be provided on a silicon substrate.

[0100] Figures 8(a) to 8(c) are schematic diagrams showing an example of an image forming apparatus using the light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment. The image forming apparatus 926 shown in Figure 8(a) includes a photoreceptor 927, an exposure light source 928, a developing unit 931, a charging unit 930, a transfer unit 932, a transport unit 933 (transport rollers in the configuration of Figure 8(a)), and a fuser 935.

[0101] Light 929 is irradiated from the exposure light source 928, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 927. Light-emitting devices 100 and 100' can be applied to this exposure light source 928. The developing unit 931 contains toner or the like as a developer and can function as a developer that applies the developer to the exposed photoreceptor 927. The charging unit 930 charges the photoreceptor 927. The transfer unit 932 transfers the developed image to the recording medium 934. The transport unit 933 transports the recording medium 934. The recording medium 934 can be, for example, paper or film. The fuser unit 935 fixes the image formed on the recording medium.

[0102] Figures 8(b) and 8(c) are schematic diagrams showing how multiple light-emitting units 936 are arranged along the longitudinal direction on a long substrate with an exposure light source 928. Light-emitting devices 100 and 100' can be applied to these light-emitting units 936. In other words, multiple pixels 201 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate. Direction 937 is parallel to the axis of the photoreceptor 927. This column direction is the same as the direction of the axis when the photoreceptor 927 rotates. This direction 937 can also be called the longitudinal axis direction of the photoreceptor 927.

[0103] Figure 8(b) shows a configuration in which the light-emitting units 936 are arranged along the long axis of the photoreceptor 927. Figure 8(c) is a modified example of the arrangement of the light-emitting units 936 shown in Figure 8(b), in which the light-emitting units 936 are arranged alternately in the column direction in the first and second columns. In the first and second columns, the light-emitting units 936 are arranged at different positions in the row direction. In the first column, multiple light-emitting units 936 are arranged at intervals, and in the second column, light-emitting units 936 are arranged at positions corresponding to the gaps between the light-emitting units 936 in the first column. Also, multiple light-emitting units 936 are arranged at intervals in the row direction. The arrangement of the light-emitting units 936 shown in Figure 8(c) can also be described as a grid arrangement, a houndstooth arrangement, or a checkerboard pattern.

[0104] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display device using the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment. The display device 1000 may have 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. Active elements such as transistors are arranged on the circuit board 1007. The battery 1008 does not need to be provided if the display device 1000 is not a portable device, and even if it is a portable device, it does not need to be provided in this position. The light-emitting devices 100 and 100' can be applied to the display panel 1005. The pixels 201 arranged on the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' that function as the display panel 1005 are connected to and operate with active elements such as transistors arranged on the circuit board 1007.

[0105] The display device 1000 shown in Figure 9 may be used in the display unit of a photoelectric conversion device (also called an imaging device) which has an optical unit with multiple lenses and an image sensor that receives light passing through the optical unit and converts it into an electrical signal. The photoelectric conversion device may have a display unit that displays information acquired by the image sensor. The display unit may be an external display unit exposed to the outside of the photoelectric conversion device, or a display unit located inside the viewfinder. The photoelectric conversion device may be a digital camera or a digital video camera.

[0106] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a photoelectric converter using the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment. The photoelectric converter 1100 may have a viewfinder 1101, a rear display 1102, an operating unit 1103, and a housing 1104. The photoelectric converter 1100 may also be called an imaging device. The light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment can be applied to the display unit, which is the viewfinder 1101 or the rear display 1102. In this case, the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' may display not only the image to be captured, but also environmental information, imaging instructions, etc. Environmental information may include the intensity of ambient light, the direction of ambient light, the speed at which the subject is moving, and the possibility of the subject being obscured by an obstacle.

[0107] Since the optimal timing for imaging is often very short, it is desirable to display information as quickly as possible. Therefore, light-emitting devices 100 and 100', which include pixels 201 containing light-emitting elements made of organic light-emitting materials such as organic EL elements, may be used in the viewfinder 1101 and the rear display 1102. This is because organic light-emitting materials have a fast response speed. Light-emitting devices 100 and 100' using organic light-emitting materials are more suitable than liquid crystal displays for these devices where display speed is required.

[0108] The photoelectric converter 1100 has an optical section (not shown). The optical section has multiple lenses, and the light that passes through the optical section is imaged onto a photoelectric converter element (not shown) housed in a light-receiving housing 1104. The focus can be adjusted by adjusting the relative positions of the multiple lenses. This operation can also be performed automatically.

[0109] The light-emitting devices 100 and 100' may be applied to the display section of an electronic device. In that case, they may have both a display function and an operating function. Examples of portable terminals include mobile phones such as smartphones, tablets, and head-mounted displays.

[0110] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an electronic device using the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment. The electronic device 1200 has a display unit 1201, an operation unit 1202, and a housing 1203. The housing 1203 may have a circuit, a printed circuit board having the circuit, a battery, and a communication unit. The operation unit 1202 may be a button or a touch panel type response unit. The operation unit 1202 may also be a biometric recognition unit that recognizes fingerprints to unlock or otherwise perform actions. A portable device having a communication unit can also be called a communication device. The light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment can be applied to the display unit 1201.

[0111] Figures 12(a) and 12(b) are schematic diagrams showing an example of a display device using the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment. Figure 12(a) is a display device such as a television monitor or a PC monitor. The display device 1300 has a frame 1301 and a display unit 1302. The light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment can be applied to the display unit 1302. The display device 1300 may also have a base 1303 that supports the frame 1301 and the display unit 1302. The base 1303 is not limited to the form shown in Figure 12(a). For example, the lower edge of the frame 1301 may also serve as the base 1303. Also, the frame 1301 and the display unit 1302 may be curved. The radius of curvature may be 5000 mm or more and 6000 mm or less.

[0112] Figure 12(b) is a schematic diagram showing another example of a display device using the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment. The display device 1310 in Figure 12(b) is configured to be foldable and is a so-called foldable display device. The display device 1310 has a first display unit 1311, a second display unit 1312, a housing 1313, and a bending point 1314. The light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment can be applied to the first display unit 1311 and the second display unit 1312. The first display unit 1311 and the second display unit 1312 may be a single display device without seams. 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 may each display different images, or they may display a single image together.

[0113] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a lighting device using the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this 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 devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment can be applied to the light source 1402. The optical film 1404 may be a filter that improves the color rendering of the light source. The light diffusion unit 1405 can effectively diffuse the light from the light source, such as for lighting up, and deliver light over a wide area. A cover may be provided on the outermost part if necessary. The lighting device 1400 may have both the optical film 1404 and the light diffusion unit 1405, or it may have only one of them.

[0114] The lighting device 1400 is, for example, a device for illuminating a room. The lighting device 1400 may emit white light, daylight white light, or any other color from blue to red. It may have a dimming circuit for adjusting the brightness of these colors. The lighting device 1400 may have a power supply circuit connected to the light-emitting devices 100, 100' which function as light sources 1402. The power supply circuit is a circuit that converts AC voltage to DC voltage. White light has a color temperature of 4200K, and daylight white light has a color temperature of 5000K. The lighting device 1400 may also have a color filter. The lighting device 1400 may also have a heat dissipation section. The heat dissipation section releases heat from inside the device to the outside, and examples include metals with high specific heat, liquid silicon, etc.

[0115] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of an automobile having a taillight, which is an example of a vehicle light fixture using the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment. The automobile 1500 may have a taillight 1501, and the taillight 1501 may be illuminated when the brakes are applied or otherwise. The light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment may also be used as headlights for a vehicle. The automobile is an example of a mobile body, and the mobile body may be a ship, drone, aircraft, railway vehicle, industrial robot, etc. The mobile body may have a body and a light fixture installed thereon. The light fixture may indicate the current position of the body.

[0116] The light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment can be applied to the tail lamp 1501. The tail lamp 1501 may have a protective member to protect the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' that function as the tail lamp 1501. The protective member can be made of any material as long as it has a reasonably high strength and is transparent, but it may be made of polycarbonate or the like. The protective member may also be made of polycarbonate mixed with a frangic acid derivative, an acrylonitrile derivative, or the like.

[0117] The automobile 1500 may have a body 1503 and windows 1502 attached thereto. The windows may be for checking the front and rear of the automobile, or they may be transparent displays such as head-up displays. The light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment may be used for such transparent displays. In this case, the constituent materials such as electrodes of the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' are made of transparent materials.

[0118] Referring to Figures 15(a) and 15(b), further application examples of the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment will be described. The light-emitting devices 100 and 100' can be applied to systems that can be worn as wearable devices such as smart glasses, head-mounted displays (HMDs), and smart contact lenses. The imaging display device used in such application examples comprises an imaging device capable of photoelectric conversion of visible light and a light-emitting device capable of emitting visible light.

[0119] Figure 15(a) illustrates a pair of glasses 1600 (smart glasses) according to one application example. An imaging device 1602, such as a CMOS sensor or SPAD, is provided on the front surface side of the lens 1601 of the glasses 1600. In addition, the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' of this embodiment are provided on the back surface side of the lens 1601.

[0120] The eyeglasses 1600 further include a control device 1603. The control device 1603 functions as a power supply that provides power to the imaging device 1602 and the light-emitting devices 100 and 100' according to each embodiment. The control device 1603 also controls the operation of the imaging device 1602 and the light-emitting devices 100 and 100'. The lens 1601 has an optical system formed therein for focusing light onto the imaging device 1602.

[0121] Figure 15(b) illustrates a pair of glasses 1610 (smart glasses) according to one application example. The glasses 1610 have a control device 1612, which is equipped with an imaging device equivalent to an imaging device 1602 and light-emitting devices 100 and 100'. The lens 1611 has an optical system formed therein for projecting light emitted from the imaging device and light-emitting devices 100 and 100' in the control device 1612, and an image is projected onto the lens 1611. The control device 1612 functions as a power supply that provides power to the imaging device and light-emitting devices 100 and 100', and also controls the operation of the imaging device and light-emitting devices 100 and 100'. The control device 1612 may have a gaze detection unit that detects the wearer's gaze. Gaze detection may use infrared light. The infrared light-emitting unit emits infrared light towards the eyeball of the user who is gazing at the displayed image. An image of the eyeball is obtained by detecting the reflected light from the eyeball of the emitted infrared light with a photodetector. By having a reduction mechanism that reduces the amount of light transmitted from the infrared light-emitting part to the display part in a planar view, the degradation of image quality is reduced.

[0122] The user's gaze towards a displayed image is detected from an image of the eyeball obtained by imaging with infrared light. Any known method can be applied to gaze detection using an image of the eyeball. As an example, a gaze detection method based on the Purkinje image obtained by the reflection of the irradiated light from the cornea can be used.

[0123] More specifically, gaze detection processing is performed based on the pupil-corneal reflection method. Using the pupil-corneal reflection method, a gaze vector representing the orientation (rotation angle) of the eyeball is calculated based on the pupil image and Purkinje image contained in the captured image of the eyeball, thereby detecting the user's gaze.

[0124] The light-emitting devices 100, 100' according to the embodiments of this disclosure include an imaging device having a light-receiving element, and may control the displayed image based on the user's line of sight information from the imaging device.

[0125] Specifically, the light-emitting device 100 determines a first field of view area that the user is fixated on, and a second field of view area other than the first field of view area, based on gaze information. The first and second field of view areas may be determined by the control devices of the light-emitting devices 100 and 100', or they may be determined by an external control device and received. In the display area of ​​the light-emitting devices 100 and 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. In other words, the resolution of the second field of view area may be lower than that of the first field of view area.

[0126] Furthermore, the display area has a first display area and a second display area different from the first display area, and based on gaze information, the area with higher priority is determined from the first display area and the second display area. The first display area and the second display area may be determined by the control devices of the light-emitting devices 100 and 100', or they may be determined by an external control device and received. The resolution of the high-priority area may be controlled to be higher than the resolution of the areas other than the high-priority area. In other words, the resolution of areas with relatively lower priority may be lowered.

[0127] AI may be used to determine the first field of view area and high-priority areas. The AI ​​may be a model configured to estimate the angle of line of sight and the distance to the target object at the end of the line of sight from the image of the eye, using the image of the eye and the direction the eye was actually looking in the image as training data. The AI ​​program may be owned by the light-emitting devices 100, 100', the imaging device, or an external device. If owned by an external device, it is transmitted to the light-emitting devices 100, 100' via communication.

[0128] When display control is based on visual detection, this can be applied to smart glasses that also have an imaging device for capturing images of the surrounding environment. The smart glasses can display the captured external information in real time.

[0129] The disclosures herein include the following light-emitting devices, image-forming devices, display devices, photoelectric converters, electronic devices, lighting devices, mobile devices, and wearable devices.

[0130] (Item 1) A light-emitting device in which multiple pixels are arranged on the main surface of a substrate, Each pixel comprises 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, an insulating layer disposed between the second electrode and the reflective electrode, and a contact electrode connecting the second electrode and the reflective electrode. The insulating layer includes, in a cross-section perpendicular to the main surface, a first insulating portion disposed between the reflective electrode and the second electrode, and a second insulating portion disposed between the reflective electrodes of adjacent pixels among the plurality of pixels. The light-emitting device is characterized in that the contact electrode includes a first portion disposed on the second insulating portion and a second portion that extends continuously from the first portion and is in contact with the reflective electrode.

[0131] (Item 2) The light-emitting device according to item 1, characterized in that the second electrode is in contact with the first portion.

[0132] (Item 3) The light-emitting device according to item 1 or 2, characterized in that the second electrode is not in contact with the second portion.

[0133] (Item 4) The light-emitting device according to any one of items 1 to 3, characterized in that, in the orthogonal projection onto the main surface, the first portion is larger than the second portion.

[0134] (Item 5) Each pixel further comprises a second insulating layer between the organic functional layer and the second electrode, which covers the outer edge of the second electrode and defines the light-emitting region of each pixel. The aforementioned plurality of pixels include a first pixel and a second pixel, The light-emitting device according to any one of items 1 to 4, characterized in that the first pixel and the second pixel have different thicknesses in the portion of the insulating layer that overlaps with the light-emitting region.

[0135] (Item 6) Each pixel is further equipped with a color filter, The light-emitting device according to item 5, characterized in that the color filter of the first pixel and the color filter of the second pixel transmit different peak wavelengths of colors to each other.

[0136] (Item 7) The light-emitting device according to any one of items 1 to 6, characterized in that the height difference between the portion of the second electrode furthest from the main surface and the portion of the contact electrode in contact with the second electrode is the same among each of the plurality of pixels.

[0137] (Item 8) A light-emitting device according to any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that the space between the first part and the second part is flat.

[0138] (Item 9) The light-emitting device according to any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that, in the cross-section, the upper surface of the second insulating portion is further away from the main surface in a direction perpendicular to the main surface than the upper surface of the reflective electrode.

[0139] (Item 10) The light-emitting device according to item 9, characterized in that the second electrode is in contact with the portion of the contact electrode that is located on the upper surface of the second insulating portion.

[0140] (Item 11) The light-emitting device according to item 9 or 10, characterized in that the height difference between the upper surface of the second insulating portion and the upper surface of the reflective electrode is greater than or equal to the distance between the reflective electrodes of adjacent pixels among the plurality of pixels.

[0141] (Item 12) The light-emitting device according to any one of items 9 to 11, characterized in that the second insulating portion has a tapered shape that becomes smaller as it moves away from the main surface.

[0142] (Item 13) The preceding second electrode includes a transparent conductive material, The reflective electrode contains aluminum, The light-emitting device according to any one of items 1 to 12, characterized in that the contact electrode contains titanium.

[0143] (Item 14) The device comprises a photoreceptor, an exposure light source for exposing the photoreceptor, a developer for applying a developer to the exposed photoreceptor, and a transfer unit for transferring the image developed in the developer to a recording medium. An image forming apparatus characterized in that the exposure light source has a light-emitting device described in any one of items 1 to 13.

[0144] (Item 15) A display device characterized by comprising a light-emitting device described in any one of items 1 to 13, and an active element connected to the light-emitting device.

[0145] (Item 16) It comprises an optical unit having multiple lenses, an image sensor that receives light that has passed through the optical unit, and a display unit that displays an image. The photoelectric conversion device is characterized in that the display unit displays an image captured by the image sensor and has a light-emitting device described in any one of items 1 to 13.

[0146] (Item 17) It comprises a housing on which a display unit is provided, and a communication unit provided in the housing for communicating with the outside, The display unit is an electronic device characterized by having a light-emitting device described in any one of items 1 to 13.

[0147] (Item 18) A lighting device having a light source and at least one of a light diffusing section and an optical film, The aforementioned light source is characterized by having a light-emitting device described in any one of items 1 to 13.

[0148] (Item 19) A mobile body having an aircraft body and a lighting fixture provided on the aircraft body, The aforementioned luminaire is a mobile body characterized by having a light-emitting device described in any one of items 1 to 13.

[0149] (Item 20) A wearable device having a display device for displaying images, The wearable device is characterized in that the display device has a light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

[0150] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0151] 100: Light-emitting device, 101: Substrate, 110: Reflective electrode, 111: Insulating layer, 111c: Insulating part, 112: Contact electrode, 112a,112b: Part, 113,116: Electrode, 115: Organic functional layer, 151: Main surface, 201: Pixel

Claims

1. A light-emitting device in which multiple pixels are arranged on the main surface of a substrate, Each pixel comprises 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, an insulating layer disposed between the second electrode and the reflective electrode, and a contact electrode connecting the second electrode and the reflective electrode. The insulating layer includes, in a cross-section perpendicular to the main surface, a first insulating portion disposed between the reflective electrode and the second electrode, and a second insulating portion disposed between the reflective electrodes of adjacent pixels among the plurality of pixels. The contact electrode includes a first portion disposed on the second insulating portion and a second portion that extends continuously from the first portion and is in contact with the reflective electrode. A light-emitting device characterized in that, in the orthogonal projection onto the main surface, the first portion does not overlap with the reflective electrode.

2. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second electrode is in contact with the first portion.

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

4. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the orthogonal projection onto the main surface, the first portion is larger than the second portion.

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

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

7. Each pixel further comprises a second insulating layer between the organic functional layer and the second electrode, which covers the outer edge of the second electrode and defines the light-emitting region of each pixel. The aforementioned plurality of pixels include a first pixel and a second pixel, The light-emitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first pixel and the second pixel have different thicknesses in the portion of the insulating layer that overlaps with the light-emitting region.

8. Each pixel is further equipped with a color filter, The light-emitting device according to claim 7, characterized in that the color filter of the first pixel and the color filter of the second pixel transmit different peak wavelengths of colors to each other.

9. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the height difference between the portion of the second electrode furthest from the main surface and the portion of the contact electrode in contact with the second electrode is the same among each of the plurality of pixels.

10. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the space between the first part and the second part is flat.

11. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the cross-section, the upper surface of the second insulating portion is further away from the main surface in a direction perpendicular to the main surface than the upper surface of the reflective electrode.

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

13. The light-emitting device according to claim 11, characterized in that the difference in height between the upper surface of the second insulating portion and the upper surface of the reflective electrode is greater than or equal to the distance between the reflective electrodes of adjacent pixels among the plurality of pixels.

14. The light-emitting device according to claim 11, characterized in that the second insulating portion has a tapered shape that becomes smaller as it moves away from the main surface.

15. The second electrode comprises a transparent conductive material, The reflective electrode contains aluminum, The light-emitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact electrode contains titanium.

16. The device comprises a photoreceptor, an exposure light source for exposing the photoreceptor, a developer for applying a developer to the exposed photoreceptor, and a transfer unit for transferring the image developed in the developer to a recording medium. An image forming apparatus characterized in that the exposure light source has a light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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

18. It comprises an optical unit having multiple lenses, an image sensor that receives light that has passed through the optical unit, and a display unit that displays an image. The photoelectric conversion device is characterized in that the display unit displays an image captured by the image sensor and has a light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

19. It comprises a housing on which a display unit is provided, and a communication unit provided in the housing for communicating with the outside, The display unit is an electronic device characterized by having a light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

20. A lighting device having a light source and at least one of a light diffusing section and an optical film, The lighting device is characterized in that the light source has a light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

21. A mobile body having an aircraft body and a lighting fixture provided on the aircraft body, The aforementioned light fixture is a mobile body characterized by having a light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

22. A wearable device having a display device for displaying images, The wearable device is characterized in that the display device has a light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

Images