Electronic devices, display devices, photoelectric converters, electronic equipment, lighting, and mobile devices

Abstract

To provide an electronic device that can more reliably prevent current leakage between adjacent elements.SOLUTION: An organic light emitting device 100 has a plurality of light emitting devices 10 arranged on a substrate 1. The plurality of light emitting devices 10 each have a first insulating layer 3, a lower electrode 2 (first electrode), an organic layer 4 (functional layer), and an upper electrode 5 (second electrode), in this order from a side of the substrate 1, and the organic layer 4 and the upper electrode 5 are continuously arranged to cover the two lower electrodes 2 each individually included in the two light emitting devices 10 adjacent to each other. The first insulating layer 3 has an inclined part 31 that is inclined relative to the substrate 1. The lower electrode 2 has a first portion 21 that is arranged on the inclined part 31, and a second portion 22 that is in contact with the organic layer 4 and inclined relative to the substrate 1 at an angle smaller than that in the first portion 21. The thickness of the organic layer 4 arranged on the first portion 21 is smaller than the thickness of the organic layer 4 arranged on the second portion 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to electronic devices, display devices, photoelectric converters, electronic equipment, lighting, and mobile devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Organic light-emitting devices and organic photoelectric devices have been proposed as electronic devices using organic layers (also called organic compound layers). An organic light-emitting device is a device having a cathode and an anode and an organic layer placed between them, and is a light-emitting device that generates light when electrons injected from the cathode and holes injected from the anode recombine. An organic photoelectric device is a device having a cathode and an anode and an organic layer placed between them, and is a photoelectric device that extracts electrons and holes generated when the organic layer absorbs light from the cathode and anode. In recent years, display devices equipped with organic light-emitting devices and imaging devices equipped with organic photoelectric devices have attracted attention.

[0003] In electronic devices using organic layers, the organic layer may be continuously formed across multiple organic light-emitting elements or multiple organic photoelectric conversion elements. In such cases, current leakage is likely to occur through the organic layer between the electrodes (cathode or anode) of adjacent elements, which are independently possessed by each element. If current leakage occurs between adjacent elements in an organic light-emitting element, it can lead to unintended light emission from the organic light-emitting element, narrowing the color gamut of the display device. Similarly, if current leakage occurs between adjacent elements in an organic photoelectric conversion element, noise will be generated. Thus, current leakage between adjacent elements degrades the characteristics of electronic devices.

[0004] The electronic device described in Patent Document 1 has an insulating layer provided so as to cover the ends of the lower electrodes of adjacent elements. The insulating layer has a sloping portion that is placed on the lower electrodes, and an organic layer is continuously formed on top of it across multiple elements. Patent Document 1 describes that in order to suppress current leakage between the lower electrodes of adjacent elements, and to suppress current leakage between the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes, the thickness of the organic layer placed on the sloping portion of the insulating layer is set to a predetermined value or more. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-136260 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, an insulating layer having a sloping portion is arranged to cover the end of the flat lower electrode. By adjusting the thickness of the organic layer placed on the sloping portion of the insulating layer, current leakage between adjacent elements and between the upper and lower electrodes is suppressed. However, there was a problem that simply adjusting the thickness of the organic layer, as in the conventional method, was not sufficient to adequately suppress current leakage between adjacent elements.

[0007] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide an electronic device that can more reliably suppress current leakage between adjacent elements. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is an electronic device, Having multiple elements arranged on a substrate, Each of the plurality of elements has, in this order from the substrate side, an insulating layer, a first electrode, a functional layer, and a second electrode, and the functional layer and the second electrode are arranged continuously from above one first electrode to above the other first electrode so as to cover two first electrodes independently present in two adjacent elements of the plurality of elements, the insulating layer has an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the substrate, the first electrode has a first portion arranged on the inclined portion and a second portion that is in contact with the functional layer and has an inclination angle with respect to the substrate that is smaller than that of the first portion, the thickness of the functional layer arranged on the first portion in the direction normal to the surface in contact with the first portion is smaller than the thickness of the functional layer arranged on the second portion in the direction normal to the surface in contact with the second portion, and the plurality of elements emit first light The device includes a first element and a second element that emits a second light, wherein the first and second elements further have a reflective layer and a part of the insulating layer between the second portion and the substrate, from the substrate side, the thickness of the part of the insulating layer of the first element and the thickness of the part of the insulating layer of the second element are different from each other, the insulating layer has a flat portion at a position further from the substrate than the second portion, the reflective layer is disposed below the second portion and the flat portion, the thickness of the portion of the reflective layer disposed below the flat portion in the direction perpendicular to the substrate is greater than the thickness of the portion of the reflective layer disposed below the second portion in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, and the insulating layer is disposed to cover the step formed by the portion of the reflective layer disposed below the second portion and the portion of the reflective layer disposed below the flat portion. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, an electronic device capable of more reliably suppressing current leakage between adjacent elements can be provided.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0010] [Figure 1] A plan view showing the configuration of an organic light-emitting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an organic light-emitting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] A partially enlarged view of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] A schematic diagram showing the configuration of an organic light-emitting device of a comparative example. [Figure 5] A relationship diagram between the ratio of the distance between the flat portions of two adjacent lower electrodes to the layer thickness of the organic layer on the flat portion of the lower electrode and the chromaticity of the red pixel. [Figure 6] An arrangement diagram of members in a film formation simulation. [Figure 7] A diagram showing the result of a film formation simulation. [Figure 8] A cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an organic light-emitting device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] A cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an organic light-emitting device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] A partially enlarged view of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] A cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an organic light-emitting device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] A cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an organic light-emitting device according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] A schematic diagram showing an example of a display device. [Figure 14] A schematic diagram showing an example of an imaging device. [Figure 15] A schematic diagram showing an example of a display device. [Figure 16] A schematic diagram showing an example of a lighting device. [Figure 17] A schematic diagram showing an application example of a display device.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] The details of an organic light-emitting device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement of components, and connection configurations are not limiting to the present invention. While multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0012] In this specification, terms such as "above" and "below" are used for convenience to explain the positional relationships between components with reference to the drawings. Furthermore, the positional relationships between components change as appropriate depending on the direction in which each component is depicted. Therefore, the terms used are not limited to those described in the specification and can be appropriately rephrased depending on the situation. In addition, the terms "above" and "below" do not limit the positional relationship of the components to being directly above or directly below and in direct contact. For example, the expression "electrode B on insulating layer A" does not require that electrode B is formed in direct contact with insulating layer A, and does not exclude cases where other components are included between insulating layer A and electrode B.

[0013] In this specification, "approximately parallel" means a state in which two lines or planes are arranged at an angle of -15° or more and 15° or less. Also in this specification, "arranged continuously between A and B" means that they are arranged continuously without interruption between A and B. Also in this specification, "height" is the upward distance from the top surface (first surface) of the substrate 1. The "height" may also be specified based on a portion parallel to the top surface (first surface) of the substrate 1, using that specified standard.

[0014] [First Embodiment] Referring to Figures 1 to 7, an organic light-emitting device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the electronic device is an organic light-emitting device.

[0015] (Overall configuration of an organic light-emitting device) Figure 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of an organic light-emitting device 100 according to the first embodiment. The organic light-emitting device 100 has a display area 110 on a substrate 1 (on the substrate) in which a plurality of pixels PX are arranged in a two-dimensional array, and peripheral circuits 120. The peripheral circuits 120 are circuits for displaying an image in the display area 110, and may include a signal line drive circuit 121 (signal output circuit) and a signal line drive circuit 122 (vertical scanning circuit), which are drivers for image display.

[0016] Each of the multiple pixels PX has multiple subpixels SP. In this embodiment, each of the multiple pixels PX has three types of subpixels SP: a first subpixel SPR that emits light of the first color, a second subpixel SPG that emits light of the second color, and a third subpixel SPB that emits light of the third color. Here, the first, second, and third colors are, for example, red, green, and blue, respectively. Note that the configuration of the pixel PX shown here is just an example and is not limited thereto. For example, each of the multiple pixels PX may have a fourth subpixel SPW that emits a fourth color, in addition to the first subpixel SPR, second subpixel SPG, and third subpixel SPB. The fourth color may be, for example, white or yellow. Also, in this embodiment, an example is shown where the arrangement of the subpixels SP is a delta arrangement, but it is not limited to this, and may be a stripe arrangement, a square arrangement, or a Bayer arrangement.

[0017] (Configuration of light-emitting elements) Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the line segment AA' in Figure 1. Each of the multiple sub-pixels SP has a light-emitting element 10 arranged on the upper surface (first surface) of the substrate 1. Figure 1 shows three sub-pixels SP that are part of one of the multiple pixels PX of the organic light-emitting device 100. The first sub-pixel SPR has a first light-emitting element 10R, the second sub-pixel SPG has a second light-emitting element 10G, and the third sub-pixel SPB has a third light-emitting element 10B. The first light-emitting element 10R is a light-emitting element that emits light of the first color, the second light-emitting element 10G is a light-emitting element that emits light of the second color, and the third light-emitting element 10B is a light-emitting element that emits light of the third color. In this specification, when referring to a specific light-emitting element among the multiple light-emitting elements 10, a subscript is added after the reference number, such as light-emitting element 10 "R". Also, when referring to a light-emitting element without specifying the type of light-emitting element, it is simply referred to as light-emitting element "10". The same applies to other components.

[0018] Each of the multiple light-emitting elements 10 has, in this order from the upper surface side (substrate side) of the substrate 1, a first insulating layer 3, a lower electrode 2 which is the first electrode, an organic layer 4 including a light-emitting layer, and an upper electrode 5 which is the second electrode. The organic layer 4 including the light-emitting layer can also be called a functional layer. The organic light-emitting device 100 of this embodiment is a top-emission type device that extracts light from the upper electrode 5. Furthermore, the organic light-emitting device 100 includes a protective layer 6 arranged to cover the upper electrode 5, a first planarization layer 8, a second planarization layer 9, and a color filter layer 70.

[0019] The color filter layer 70 includes a first color filter 7R, a second color filter 7G, and a third color filter 7B. The first color filter 7R is a color filter that transmits light of a first color, the second color filter 7G is a color filter that transmits light of a second color, and the third color filter 7B is a color filter that transmits light of a third color. Each color filter 7 is arranged for each of the multiple light-emitting elements 10, and is positioned to correspond to each of the light-emitting regions of the light-emitting elements 10. In the plan view of Figure 1, the color filters 7 of each sub-pixel SP (light-emitting element 10) are shown by solid lines. Also in Figure 1, the outer edge of the lower electrode 2 of each sub-pixel SP is shown by a dashed line, and the opening of the first insulating layer 3 is shown by a dotted line. As will be described later, the organic layer 4 is in contact with the lower electrode 2, and the region where the organic layer 4 and the lower electrode 2 are in contact becomes the light-emitting region of each sub-pixel SP. In this embodiment, since the entire upper surface of the lower electrode 2 is in contact with the organic layer 4, the light-emitting region of each sub-pixel SP is the region shown by the dotted line in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, each color filter 7 is positioned so as to overlap, in a plan view, with the center of the light-emitting region of the corresponding light-emitting element 10.

[0020] In this embodiment, the organic layer 4 of each light-emitting element 10 emits white light. The color filters 7R, 7G, and 7B selectively transmit and separate the RGB light from the white light emitted from the organic layer 4, and emit it to the outside. At least a portion of the color filters in the color filter layer 70 may be a color conversion layer that absorbs the light emitted from the organic layer and converts it to another color before emission. The color conversion layer may include quantum dots (QD). Furthermore, the color filter layer 70 may have four or more types of color filters. Moreover, the light emitted from the organic layer 4 does not have to be white light.

[0021] The substrate 1 is a plate-shaped member having a first surface. Various components are laminated on the first surface of the substrate 1 to form the organic light-emitting device 100. The substrate 1 may be a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon substrate, or an insulating substrate such as glass, quartz, or resin. The substrate 1 may also be flexible.

[0022] A drive circuit layer (not shown) including a transistor electrically connected to the lower electrode 2 may be formed on the substrate 1. In this embodiment, the drive circuit formed on the drive circuit layer is an active-matrix type pixel drive circuit. Therefore, the organic light-emitting device 100 can also be said to be an active-matrix type display device. The drive circuit layer may be formed by laminating on the substrate 1, or a part of it may be directly formed on the substrate 1 by a semiconductor process. The drive circuit layer may include a transistor, a wiring layer, and an insulator placed between the wiring layers. Examples of insulators include an interlayer insulating layer composed of inorganic materials such as silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride (SiNx), and silicon oxynitride (SiON), or organic materials such as polyimide and polyacrylic. The interlayer insulating layer has a flat surface on its upper surface and is sometimes called a planarizing layer for the purpose of reducing the unevenness of the surface that serves as the base when forming the lower electrode 2. When the substrate 1 has a drive circuit layer, the drive circuit layer may also be considered as part of the "substrate". Furthermore, if the drive circuit layer is also considered as part of the "substrate," then the upper surface of the interlayer insulating layer, which is the uppermost layer of the drive circuit layer, can be considered as the first surface. In this embodiment, since the lower electrode 2 is formed on the first surface, the surface of the lower electrode 2 that is in contact with the substrate 1 coincides with the first surface. Therefore, the surface of the lower electrode 2 that is in contact with the substrate 1 may be considered as the first surface.

[0023] The first insulating layer 3 is placed on the substrate 1. The first insulating layer 3 is positioned between a sub-pixel SP and another adjacent sub-pixel SP, and each sub-pixel SP is defined by the first insulating layer 3. The first insulating layer 3 also has an inclined portion 31 that is inclined with respect to the first surface of the substrate 1. The first insulating layer 3 is also called a pixel separation film, partition, bank, etc.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the first insulating layer 3 positioned between the first sub-pixel SPR and the second sub-pixel SPG has a slanted portion 31R at the end closer to the first sub-pixel SPR and a slanted portion 31G at the end closer to the second sub-pixel SPG. Similarly, the first insulating layer 3 positioned between the second sub-pixel SPG and the third sub-pixel SPB has a slanted portion 31G at the end closer to the second sub-pixel SPG and a slanted portion 31B at the end closer to the third sub-pixel SPB. Although not shown in Figure 2, the first insulating layer 3 positioned between the third sub-pixel SPB and the first sub-pixel SPR has a slanted portion 31B at the end closer to the third sub-pixel SPB and a slanted portion 31R at the end closer to the first sub-pixel SPR. The first insulating layer 3 also has a flat portion 32 between the two slanted portions 31. Note that the first sub-pixel SPR, the second sub-pixel SPG, and the third sub-pixel SPB may be read as the first light-emitting element 10R, the second light-emitting element 10G, and the third light-emitting element 10B, respectively.

[0025] The first insulating layer 3 may be formed, for example, by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD). The first insulating layer 3 may be composed of, for example, silicon nitride (SiNx), silicon oxide (SiOx), or silicon oxynitride (SiON). Alternatively, the first insulating layer 3 may be a laminate of these materials. The inclination angle of the inclined portion 31 of the first insulating layer 3 can be controlled by the conditions of anisotropic etching or isotropic etching. The inclination angle of the inclined portion 31 of the first insulating layer 3 may also be controlled by controlling the inclination angle of the layer placed below the first insulating layer 3. The first insulating layer 3 may have irregularities on its upper surface due to processing such as etching or by stacking layers.

[0026] The lower electrode 2 is the anode and is electrically isolated for each light-emitting element 10. In other words, the lower electrode 2 is electrically isolated for each sub-pixel. It is also possible for multiple light-emitting elements 10 to each have their own independent lower electrode 2. The lower electrode 2 is also called a pixel electrode or individual electrode. In this embodiment, in addition to its function as an anode, the lower electrode 2 also functions as a reflective layer that reflects light generated from the organic layer 4 to increase the luminescence efficiency of the light-emitting elements 10. To enhance its function as a reflective layer, the lower electrode 2 may be made of a metallic material with a reflectivity of 80% or more to the emission wavelength of the organic layer 4. Here, the emission wavelength of the organic layer 4 is the wavelength of the light with maximum intensity emitted from the organic layer 4. As the material of the lower electrode 2, for example, metals such as Al (aluminum) or Ag (silver), or alloys of these metals with Si, Cu, Ni, Nd, etc. added can be used. Alternatively, the lower electrode 2 may be made of a metallic material with a reflectivity of 80% or more to light in the visible light region. The lower electrode 2 may have a laminated structure including a barrier layer. The barrier layer may be made of a metal such as Ti, W, Mo, or Au, or an alloy thereof. The barrier layer may be a metal layer positioned on the upper surface of the lower electrode 2.

[0027] The lower electrode 2 has a first portion 21 positioned on the inclined portion 31 of the first insulating layer 3, and a second portion 22 positioned on the substrate 1 in contact with the substrate 1. Furthermore, the lower electrode has a fourth portion 24 positioned on the flat portion 31 of the first insulating layer 3. The lower electrode 2 is positioned to conform to the shape of the layer directly below it. Therefore, the upper and lower surfaces of the first portion 21 positioned on the inclined portion 31 are inclined with respect to the first surface of the substrate 1, similar to the inclined portion 31. On the other hand, the upper and lower surfaces of the second portion 22 positioned on the substrate 1 are substantially parallel to the first surface of the substrate 1. The second portion 22 can also be described as the portion in which the angle of inclination of the surface opposite to the substrate 1 (i.e., the upper surface) with respect to the substrate 1 is smaller than that of the first portion 21. Also, the upper surface of the flat portion 32 is substantially parallel to the first surface of the substrate 1. Therefore, the upper and lower surfaces of the fourth portion 24, which is positioned on the flat portion 32, are substantially parallel to the first surface of the substrate 1. The fourth portion 24 can also be described as the portion in which the angle of inclination of the surface opposite to the substrate 1 (i.e., the upper surface) with respect to the substrate 1 is smaller than that of the first portion 21. Furthermore, the first portion 21 can be described as being positioned to surround the second portion 22 in a plan view. In addition, the fourth portion 24 can be described as being positioned to surround the first portion 21 in a plan view.

[0028] The organic layer 4 is located between the lower electrode 2 and the upper electrode 5. The organic layer 4 is arranged continuously on the lower electrode 2 and the first insulating layer 3, in common with multiple light-emitting elements 10. It can also be said that one organic layer 4 is shared by multiple light-emitting elements 10. The organic layer 4 may be arranged commonly across multiple sub-pixels SP that constitute one pixel PX. The organic layer 4 may be separated between adjacent pixels PX, or it may be arranged commonly across multiple pixels PX. The organic layer 4 may be integrally formed across the entire display area 110 that displays the image of the organic light-emitting device 100. If the organic layer 4 is composed of multiple layers, at least some of these layers may be arranged continuously across multiple light-emitting elements 10. When the size of the sub-pixels SP is fine, it is particularly effective to arrange the organic layer 4 commonly across multiple sub-pixels SP.

[0029] Let's consider the case where a plurality of pixels PX in the organic light-emitting device 100 each include a first sub-pixel SPR having a first lower electrode 2R and a second sub-pixel SPG having a second lower electrode 2G. In this case, at least a portion of the organic layer 4 may be continuously arranged from above the first lower electrode 2R to above the second lower electrode 2G. "Continuously arranged" means arranged without interruption. Furthermore, "continuously arranged from above the first lower electrode 2R to above the second lower electrode 2G" means arranged without interruption from above the first lower electrode 2R to above the second lower electrode 2G.

[0030] Consider the case where a plurality of pixels PX included in the organic light-emitting device 100 each include a first sub-pixel SPR having a first lower electrode 2R, a second sub-pixel SPG having a second lower electrode 2G, and a third sub-pixel SPB having a third lower electrode 2B. In this case, at least a portion of the organic layer 4 may satisfy the following: It may be continuously arranged in at least two of the following locations: from above the first lower electrode 2R to above the second lower electrode 2G, from above the second lower electrode 2G to above the third lower electrode 2B, and from above the third lower electrode 2B to above the first lower electrode 2R. Alternatively, it may be continuously arranged in all of the following locations: from above the first lower electrode 2R to above the second lower electrode 2G, from above the second lower electrode 2G to above the third lower electrode 2B, and from above the third lower electrode 2B to above the first lower electrode 2R.

[0031] The organic layer 4 includes an emissive layer that emits light when holes supplied from the lower electrode 2 and electrons supplied from the upper electrode 2 recombine. The organic layer 4 may include a hole transport layer, an emissive layer, and an electron transport layer. Appropriate materials can be selected for each layer of the organic layer 4 from the viewpoint of luminous efficiency, operating lifetime, and optical interference. The hole transport layer may function as an electron blocking layer or a hole injection layer, or it may be a laminated structure of a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, and an electron blocking layer. The emissive layer may be a laminated structure of emissive layers that emit different colors, or it may be a mixed layer of emissive dopants that emit different colors. The emissive layer may include a first-color emissive material that emits a first color of light, a second-color emissive material that emits a second color of light, and a third-color emissive material that emits a third color, and may be configured so that white light can be obtained by mixing each emissive color. The first, second, and third colors may be, for example, red, green, and blue, respectively. The light-emitting layer may contain light-emitting materials of complementary colors, such as a blue light-emitting material and a yellow light-emitting material. The electron transport layer may also function as a hole-blocking layer or an electron-injection layer, and may have a laminated structure of an electron-injection layer, an electron transport layer, and a hole-blocking layer.

[0032] Furthermore, the organic layer 4 may have multiple light-emitting layers and an intermediate layer disposed between multiple functional layers, and the organic light-emitting device 100 may be a light-emitting device with a tandem structure in which the intermediate layer is a charge-generating layer. The tandem structure may have a charge transport layer, such as a hole transport layer or an electron transport layer, between the charge-generating layer and the light-emitting layer.

[0033] The charge generation layer is a layer that generates charge by containing electron-donating material and electron-accepting material. The electron-donating material and the electron-accepting material are, respectively, a material that donates electrons and a material that accepts electrons. As a result, positive and negative charges are generated in the charge generation layer, and positive or negative charges can be supplied to the layers above and below the charge generation layer. The electron-donating material may be, for example, an alkali metal such as lithium or cesium. Alternatively, the electron-donating material may be, for example, lithium fluoride, a lithium complex, cesium carbonate, or a cesium complex. In this case, electron-donating properties may be exhibited by being included together with reducing materials such as aluminum, magnesium, or calcium. The electron-accepting material may be an inorganic substance such as molybdenum oxide, or an organic substance such as [dipyrazino[2,3-f:2',3'-h]quinoxaline-2,3,6,7,10,11-hexacarbonnitrile](HAT-CN). The electron-accepting material and the electron-donating material may be mixed or layered.

[0034] The upper electrode 5 is the cathode and is positioned on top of the organic layer 4. The upper electrode 5 is formed continuously across multiple light-emitting elements 10 and is shared by the multiple light-emitting elements 10. Similar to the organic layer 4, the upper electrode 5 may be integrally formed over the entire surface of the display area 110 that displays the image of the organic light-emitting device 100. The upper electrode 5 may be an electrode that transmits at least a portion of the light that reaches its lower surface. The upper electrode may function as a semi-transparent reflective layer that transmits some light and reflects other parts (i.e., semi-transparent reflectivity). The upper electrode 5 may be formed from a metal such as magnesium or silver, or an alloy mainly composed of magnesium or silver, or an alloy material containing alkali metals or alkaline earth metals. In addition, oxide conductors such as ITO, IZO, ZnO, AZO, and IGZO may be used as the upper electrode 5. Furthermore, the upper electrode 5 may have a laminated structure if it has an appropriate transmittance.

[0035] The protective layer 6 is formed continuously on the upper electrode 5 across multiple light-emitting elements 10 and is shared by the multiple light-emitting elements 10. The protective layer 6 may contain an inorganic material that is light-transmitting and has low permeability to oxygen and moisture from the outside. The protective layer 6 is also called a moisture-proof layer or sealing layer. The protective layer 6 may contain, for example, silicon nitride (SiNx), silicon oxynitride (e.g., SiON), aluminum oxide (e.g., Al2O3), silicon oxide (SiOx), and titanium oxide (e.g., TiO2). Silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride may be formed, for example, by CVD or sputtering. On the other hand, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, and titanium oxide may be formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The combination of constituent materials and manufacturing methods for the protective layer 6 is not limited to the above examples, but may be manufactured considering the thickness of the layer to be formed, the time required, etc. The protective layer 6 may be a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure, as long as it transmits light that has passed through the upper electrode 5 and has sufficient moisture-blocking performance.

[0036] The color filter layer 70 is formed on the protective layer 6. As described above, the color filter layer 70 may include a first color filter 7R, a second color filter 7G, and a third color filter 7B. The color filters 7 included in the color filter layer 70 may be in contact without gaps, as shown in Figure 2 with the first color filter 7R and the second color filter 7G. Alternatively, the edges of one color filter 7 may overlap the edges of other colored color filters 7.

[0037] The planarization layer 8 is formed between the protective layer 6 and the color filter layer 70, and the planarization layer 9 is formed on top of the color filter layer 70. The planarization layers 8 and 9 are formed of, for example, resin.

[0038] (Configuration of each layer placed on the inclined portion of the first insulating layer) Next, the configuration of each layer placed on the inclined portion 31 of the first insulating layer 3 will be described.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, the organic light-emitting device 100 according to this embodiment has a first insulating layer 3 with an inclined portion 31, on which the lower electrode 2, the organic layer 4, and the upper electrode 5 are laminated. The portion of the organic layer 4 that is positioned on the first portion 21 of the lower electrode 2 is thinner than the portion that is positioned on the second portion 22 of the lower electrode 2. Here, in this specification, the "layer thickness" of layer A is the thickness in the direction normal to the upper surface of layer B which is the base layer A (i.e., the surface of layer B that is in contact with layer A). That is, the layer thickness of the portion of the organic layer 4 that is positioned on the first portion 21 of the lower electrode 2 can also be said to be the thickness in the direction normal to the upper surface of the first portion 21. Similarly, the layer thickness of the portion of the organic layer 4 that is positioned on the second portion 22 of the lower electrode 2 can also be said to be the thickness in the direction normal to the upper surface of the second portion 22.

[0040] This makes it possible to reduce the resistance in the thickness direction of the portion of the organic layer 4 located above the first portion 21 to be less than the resistance in the thickness direction of the portion located above the second portion 22. As a result, even if the charge injected from the lower electrode 2 flows laterally, i.e., towards the adjacent sub-pixel SP, charge recombination can occur in the thinner portion of the organic layer 4 above the first portion 21 before it reaches the adjacent sub-pixel SP. Consequently, charge crosstalk between sub-pixel SPs can be suppressed, and current leakage between sub-pixel SPs can be suppressed.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the thin organic layer 4, which is placed on the inclined portion 31, is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the lower electrode 2 and the upper electrode 5. As a result, while the organic light-emitting device 100 is driven and the light-emitting element 10 constituting the sub-pixel SP is emitting light, an electric field is applied between the lower electrode 2 and the upper electrode 5. Therefore, charge recombination in the organic layer 4 on the inclined portion 31 can be made more likely than when the organic layer 4 is thinly placed on the inclined portion 31 without the lower electrode 2. As a result, current leakage between the sub-pixel SP can be further suppressed.

[0042] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the dotted line portion C in Figure 2. As described above, the lower electrode 2 has a first portion 21 positioned on the inclined portion 31, a second portion 22 in contact with the substrate 1, and a fourth portion 24 positioned on the flat portion 32. The organic layer 4 is positioned to cover the lower electrode 2 and the first insulating layer 3, and has a first region 41 positioned on the first portion 21 with a thinner layer thickness, and a second region 42 positioned on the second portion 22. The first region 41 is inclined with respect to the first surface of the substrate 1, similar to the inclined portion 31 and the first portion 21 of the lower layer, and can therefore be called the inclined region of the organic layer 4. The second region 42 is also positioned with its upper and lower surfaces approximately parallel to the first surface of the substrate 1, similar to the second portion 22 of the lower layer, and can therefore be called the flat region of the organic layer 4.

[0043] When each sub-pixel SP of the organic light-emitting device 100 has a planar structure as shown in Figure 1, the inclined portion 31 is formed along the periphery of the lower electrode 2, encircling each side of the hexagon. In other words, the inclined portion 31 is arranged to surround the second portion 22 that is in contact with the organic layer 4 of the lower electrode 2.

[0044] The first region 41 of the organic layer 4 is located on the first portion 21 and has a thinner layer thickness. However, as shown in Figure 3, there are also portions at both ends where the layer thickness is not thinned. That is, the portion of the first region 41 that is included in the region where the lower electrode 2 and the upper electrode 5 are facing each other parallel to each other has a thinner layer thickness, but this is not the case for other portions. In the portion of the first region 41 adjacent to the second region 42, the first region 41 is filled by the second region 42, which has a larger layer thickness, so the layer thickness is larger. The same applies to the end of the first region 41 opposite to the second region 42. Therefore, it is preferable to measure the layer thickness of the first region 41 in the region where the lower electrode 2 and the upper electrode 5 are facing each other parallel to each other. Similarly, it is preferable to measure the layer thickness of the second region 42 in the region where the lower electrode 2 and the upper electrode 5 are facing each other parallel to each other. As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the layer thickness T1 of the first region 41 is smaller than the layer thickness T2 of the second region 42.

[0045] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, it is preferable that the height H1 of the upper surface of the organic layer 4 in the second region 42 is lower than the height H2 of the upper end 33 of the inclined portion 31. This prevents the organic layer 4 formed on the lower electrode 2 from completely filling the organic layer 4 formed along the inclined portion 31. Therefore, when the organic layer 4 is placed on the lower electrode 2 and the first insulating layer 3, it is easier to make the layer thickness of the first region 41 placed on the inclined portion 31 thinner. Thus, it becomes easier to suppress current leakage between subpixels SP.

[0046] (Spacing between main light-emitting regions and layer thickness of the first region) As described above, the organic light-emitting device 100 has a lower electrode 2 for each of the multiple subpixels SP. Here, as shown in Figure 2, let d be the shortest distance between a second portion 22 of a certain lower electrode 2 and an adjacent second portion 22 of a lower electrode 2. In other words, distance d can also be defined as the shortest distance between two adjacent second regions 42.

[0047] In the organic light-emitting device 100, the ratio of the distance d between two adjacent second portions 22 of the lower electrode 2 to the layer thickness T2 of the organic layer 4 (i.e., second region 42) on the second portion 22 of the lower electrode 2 (d / T2) may be less than 50. Here, the organic layer 4 (i.e., second region 42) placed on the second portion 22 of the lower electrode 2 is the part of the light-emitting region of each sub-pixel SP that contributes the most to light emission, and can also be called the main light-emitting region. The smaller the ratio of the distance d to the layer thickness T2 (d / T2), the smaller the spacing between the main light-emitting regions of the organic layer 4, and the higher the density of the light-emitting elements 10 constituting the sub-pixel SPs. In conventional electronic devices such as organic light-emitting devices, when the ratio of the distance d to the layer thickness T2 (d / T2) is less than 50, current leakage between sub-pixel SPs has been a particularly significant problem. The reason for this is explained below.

[0048] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a comparative example organic light-emitting device 900. The difference between the organic light-emitting device 900 and the organic light-emitting device 100 is that the organic light-emitting device 900 does not have the inclined portion 31 of the first insulating layer 3 and the first portion 21 of the lower electrode 2 positioned on the inclined portion 31. In other words, the organic light-emitting device 900 does not have the current leakage suppression structure that the organic light-emitting device 100 according to this embodiment has. In Figure 4, the equivalent circuit of the light-emitting element 10R is shown superimposed. Note that this equivalent circuit schematically shows the resistance value of the organic layer 4 in Figure 4 and does not mean that an electronic circuit is incorporated. In addition, the equivalent circuit of the light-emitting element 10G is also shown to explain the current leakage between the light-emitting elements 10. The light-emitting element 10R of the organic light-emitting device 900 is a red light-emitting element that emits red light, and the light-emitting element 10G is a green light-emitting element that emits green light.

[0049] Let T2 be the thickness of the organic layer 4 on the lower electrode 2R, d be the distance between the openings of the lower electrode 2R and the lower electrode 2G, and r be the resistance per unit area in the thickness direction of the organic layer 4. In this comparative example, the lower electrode 2 consists only of a flat portion formed on a flat substrate 1. Therefore, the entire lower electrode 2 can be said to be the second portion 22. Consequently, the distance between the openings of the lower electrode 2R and the lower electrode 2G can also be said to be the distance between the second portions 2 of two adjacent lower electrodes 2.

[0050] At this time, the resistance per unit area of ​​the organic layer 4 in the horizontal direction is r(d / T2). From this, the current flowing between the lower electrode 2 and the upper electrode 5 of the light-emitting element 10R is I R The current flowing between the lower electrode 2 and the upper electrode 5 of the light-emitting element 10G is I G Therefore, the following relationship holds true.

[0051] I G / I R =1 / (1+d / T2)...Equation (1) Equation (1) means that even if only the light-emitting element 10R is to be made to emit light, current also flows through the light-emitting element 10G and the light-emitting element 10G also emits light. And the magnitude of the current flowing through the adjacent light-emitting element 10G depends on d / T2, and the smaller d / T2 is, the easier it is for current to flow through the adjacent light-emitting element 10G.

[0052] Let the emission spectrum of only the light-emitting element 10R when emitting light with the same amount of current be S R and the emission spectrum of only the light-emitting element 10 G be S G . At this time, the emission spectrum S R+G considering the leakage current between the light-emitting elements 10 is shown by the following equation (2). [[ID=1S4]]

[0053] S R+G =S R +S G (I G / I R ) ··· Equation (2) The chromaticity coordinates of S R+G in the CIExy space are calculated, and a graph with the value of the x coordinate of the chromaticity coordinates (CIE_x) on the vertical axis and d / T2 on the horizontal axis is shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 represents the relationship between d / T2 and the x value of the chromaticity coordinates. That the x coordinate of the chromaticity coordinates changes in FIG. 5 means that even though red emission is intended, green is also emitted. That is, in FIG. 5, the small value of the x coordinate indicates that leakage current to adjacent pixels has occurred.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 5, when d / T2 is 50 or more, the value of the x coordinate remains high and hardly changes. On the other hand, when d / T2 is less than 50, the value of the x coordinate has decreased significantly, and it can be seen that the reduction in red color purity becomes remarkable. Thus, it can be seen that when the ratio of the distance d to the layer thickness T2 (d / T2) is less than 50, current leakage between the sub-pixels SP can become a particularly large problem.

[0055] On the other hand, in this embodiment, a current leakage suppression structure is realized by providing a slanted portion 31 of the first insulating layer 3 and a first portion 21 of the lower electrode 2 positioned on the slanted portion 31, thereby suppressing current leakage between sub-pixels SP. With this configuration, current leakage can be suppressed even when the ratio of the distance d to the layer thickness T2 (d / T2) is less than 50 and current leakage between sub-pixels SP is likely to occur.

[0056] (Angle of inclination of the insulated portion of the insulating layer) As shown in Figure 3, the inclination angle of the inclined portion 31 is θ i The inclination angle of the upper surface of the first portion 21 of the lower electrode 2 is θ j Let's assume that θ j This can also be said to be the inclination angle of the upper surface of the layer that serves as the base for the formation of the organic layer 4, that is, the inclination angle of the upper surface of the layer that the lower surface of the first region 41 is in contact with. At this time, the inclination angle of the lower surface of the first portion 21 of the lower electrode 2 is θ i The inclination angle of the lower surface of the first region 41 of the organic layer 4 is θ j This is the case when the lower electrode 2 is formed on the inclined portion 31 with a constant layer thickness, θ i and θ j They are approximately equal.

[0057] At this time, the inclination angle θ j θ is preferably 30° or more, and more preferably 50° or more. i and θ j If they are approximately equal, then the angle of inclination θ i The angle is preferably 30° or more, and more preferably 50° or more. This makes it easier to reduce the layer thickness T1 of the organic layer 4 in the first region 41, and greatly enhances the effect of suppressing current leakage between sub-pixels SP. The reason for this is shown below.

[0058] To obtain insights into the preferred inclination angle of the inclined portion 31 in this embodiment, a film deposition simulation (evaporation simulation) was performed using the vapor deposition method. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the film deposition source (evaporation source) and the film deposition target (substrate), which is the premise for the film deposition simulation. The positions of the vapor deposition source 201, the substrate 202, and the organic device 203 placed on the substrate were set as shown in Figure 6, with R=200mm, r=95mm, and h=340mm.

[0059] The deposition distribution is expressed by equation (3) below, with n=2.

[0060] φ = φ0cos n α...Equation (3) Here, in equation (3), α is the angle, φ is the vapor flow density at angle α, and φ0 is the vapor flow density at α=0. Furthermore, it is assumed that the substrate 202 rotates around its center.

[0061] Assuming that there are inclined regions with inclination angles from 0° to 90° at the location of the organic device 203 on the substrate, and with a layer thickness of 76 nm for the organic layer at an inclination angle of 0°, the layer thickness of the organic layer region along the inclined region was calculated for each inclination angle.

[0062] Figure 7 shows the results of the film deposition simulation. From this, it can be seen that when the inclination angle is 30° or more, the thickness T1 of the organic layer 4 in the first region 41 of the organic layer 4 along the inclined portion 31 tends to be thinner. Furthermore, when the inclination angle is 50° or more, the thickness T1 of the organic layer 4 in the first region 41 of the organic layer 4 along the inclined portion 31 tends to be even thinner.

[0063] On the other hand, the inclination angle θ of the inclined surface of the layer in contact with the lower surface of the first region 41 of the organic layer 4 j The angle is preferably less than 70°, and more preferably less than 60°. This prevents the thickness of the organic layer in region 41 from becoming too thin, and suppresses current leakage between the lower electrode 2 and the upper electrode 5.

[0064] The thickness T1 of the organic layer 4 placed on the inclined portion 31 may be 20 nm or more. Preferably, the thickness T1 of the organic layer 4 placed on the inclined portion 31 is 25 nm or more, and particularly preferably 33 nm or more. This further suppresses current leakage between the upper electrode 2 and the lower electrode 5.

[0065] [Second Embodiment] Referring to Figure 8, an organic light-emitting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The following description will mainly focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0066] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the organic light-emitting device 200 according to the second embodiment. The organic light-emitting device 200 has the same configuration as the organic light-emitting device 100, plus a second insulating layer 14 that covers the end of the lower electrode 2. The other configurations are the same as those of the organic light-emitting device 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0067] In this embodiment, the second insulating layer 14 covers the portion of the lower electrode 2 from the fourth portion 24, which is the portion of the lower electrode 2 that is positioned on the flat portion 32 of the first insulating layer 3, to the flat portion of the lower electrode 2 that is positioned on the substrate 1. Here, the portion of the lower electrode 2 that is positioned between the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 and has a smaller inclination angle with respect to the substrate than the first portion 21 is defined as the third portion 23. The upper surface of the third portion 23 may be a portion parallel to the first surface of the substrate 1, similar to the second portion 22. Both the third portion 23 and the fourth portion 24 may have upper surfaces parallel to the first surface of the substrate 1, but the third portion 23 is positioned closer to the substrate 1 than the fourth portion 24. That is, the second insulating layer 14 is positioned on the third portion 23, the first portion 21, and the fourth portion 24. Since the second insulating layer 14 is positioned on the first portion 21 which is positioned on the inclined portion 31, it can also be said that it is positioned on the inclined portion 31. Furthermore, they are continuously arranged up to the end of the lower electrode 2 of the adjacent sub-pixel SP.

[0068] The lower electrode 2 is in contact with the organic layer 4 in the portion not covered by the second insulating layer 14, that is, at the opening of the second insulating layer 14. In this embodiment, the lower electrode 2 is in contact with the organic layer 4 in the central region (second portion 22) of the portion placed on the substrate 1. Therefore, in this embodiment, this region becomes the light-emitting region. In other words, the light-emitting region is defined by the opening of the second insulating layer 14.

[0069] In this embodiment as well, by arranging the lower electrode 2 and the organic layer 4 on the inclined portion 31, the thickness of the organic layer 4 can be reduced, and by applying an electric field between the lower electrode 2 and the upper electrode 5, current leakage between the subpixel SP can be suppressed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second insulating layer 14 is arranged to cover the lower electrode 2 that is resting on the first insulating layer 3, so that the first portion 21 on the inclined portion 31 does not come into contact with the organic layer 4. As a result, charge is not injected into the organic layer 4 from the lower electrode 2 arranged on the inclined portion 31, and light emission in the first region 41 of the organic layer 4 is suppressed compared to the first embodiment.

[0070] In the first embodiment, because the resistance of the organic layer 4 (first region 41) on the inclined portion 31 is low, the amount of recombination light emitted by the charge injected from the lower electrode 2 on the inclined portion 31 tends to be large. However, compared to the organic layer 4 (second region 42) on the flat portion (second portion 22) of the lower electrode 2, the light emitted from the organic layer 4 (first region 41) on the inclined portion (first portion 21) of the lower electrode 2 is less likely to be extracted in the direction of the front of the light-emitting element 10. In other words, the light emitted in the first region 41 contributes less to the luminous efficiency of the light-emitting element 10 than the light emitted in the second region 42. Therefore, if the first region 41 is also brought into contact with the lower electrode 2 to inject charge, as in the first embodiment, the luminous efficiency may be reduced.

[0071] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the first region 41 is not in contact with the lower electrode 2, and only the second region 42 is in contact with the lower electrode 2. Therefore, charge is concentrated in the second region 42, which increases the luminescence efficiency. Charge that has been injected into the second region 42 but has flowed to the adjacent sub-pixel SP is recombined in the first region 41 to emit light, thus suppressing current leakage between sub-pixel SPs. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second insulating layer 14 is also placed on the third portion 23, so that the organic layer 4 (third region (not shown)) placed on the third portion 23 is also configured to have an electric field applied without charge injection from the lower electrode 2. Therefore, charge recombination is also promoted in the third region. As a result, charge that has flowed from the first region 41 to the second region 42 is recombined along the way, making it difficult for the charge to reach the second region 42. As a result, the luminescence efficiency can be further increased.

[0072] [Third Embodiment] Referring to Figure 9, an organic light-emitting apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The following description will mainly focus on the differences from the second embodiment.

[0073] The organic light-emitting device 300 according to the third embodiment has, in addition to the features of the organic light-emitting device 200 according to the second embodiment, a reflective layer 12 between the substrate 1 and the lower electrode 2. A first insulating layer 3 is arranged on top of the reflective layer 12 so as to cover the reflective layer 12. In the organic light-emitting device 200, the second portion 22 of the lower electrode 2 was formed on the substrate 1 in contact with the substrate 1, but in the organic light-emitting device 300, the second portion 22 of the lower electrode 2 is formed on the second flat portion 35 of the first insulating layer 3.

[0074] The reflective layer 12 is a layer that reflects light emitted in the organic layer 4 and propagating toward the substrate 1. The reflective layer 12 may be separated for each sub-pixel SP. Figure 9 shows an example in which the reflective layer 12 is separated for each sub-pixel SP, with the first sub-pixel SPR having the first reflective layer 12R, the second sub-pixel SPG having the second reflective layer 12G, and the third sub-pixel SPB having the third reflective layer 12B.

[0075] From the viewpoint of the luminescence efficiency of the organic light-emitting device 300, the reflective layer 12 may be made of a material with a visible light reflectivity of 50% or more. Specifically, metals such as Al and Ag, or alloys of these metals with Si, Cu, Ni, Nd, Ti, etc., added, may be used as the reflective layer 12. The reflective layer 12 may also have a barrier layer on the surface that reflects light. As the material for the barrier layer of the reflective layer 12, metals such as Ti, W, Mo, and Au, or alloys of these metals, or transparent conductive oxides such as ITO and IZO may be used.

[0076] The reflective layer 12 may have a conductive layer 13 on its peripheral region. The conductive layer 13 may be made of, for example, Ti or TiN, and may be the barrier layer described above. By providing the conductive layer 13 on the reflective layer 12, the resistance when electrically connecting the reflective layer 12 and the lower electrodes 2 can be reduced. For example, each lower electrode 2 may extend to an opening (contact hole) provided in the first insulating layer 3 and be electrically connected to the conductive layer 13 in the peripheral portion of the reflective layer 12 located below the opening via the opening.

[0077] In this embodiment, since the reflective layer 12 is formed on the first surface of the substrate 1, the lower surface of the reflective layer 12 coincides with the first surface. Therefore, the lower surface of the reflective layer 12 may be considered as the first surface.

[0078] The first insulating layer 3 is a light-transmitting insulating layer placed between the reflective layer 12 and the lower electrode 2. The first insulating layer 3 of the organic light-emitting device 300 is continuously arranged across multiple sub-pixels SP, but its thickness differs for each sub-pixel SP. This may result in a configuration (resonant structure) that optimizes the optical distance between the reflective layer 12 and the light-emitting position of the organic layer 4 for each color. Therefore, the first insulating layer 3 can also be called an optical adjustment layer.

[0079] The first insulating layer 3 may consist of a single layer or multiple layers. The first insulating layer 3 may consist of multiple layers, and the number of stacked layers may differ for each sub-pixel SP. The material constituting the first insulating layer 3 is not particularly limited, but for example, silicon oxide (SiOx) can be used.

[0080] A lower electrode 2 is placed on the first insulating layer 3. As described above, the lower electrode 2 is electrically isolated for each subpixel SP. The lower electrode 2 may be made of a transparent material, such as an oxide conductor such as ITO, IZO, ZnO, AZO, or IGZO. The first insulating layer 3 and the lower electrode 2 are light-transmitting.

[0081] The optical distance between the upper electrode 5 and the reflective layer 12 of the organic light-emitting device 300 according to this embodiment may be a constructive interference structure. A constructive interference structure can also be called a resonant structure.

[0082] By forming the organic layer 4 and the first insulating layer 3 to satisfy the conditions for constructive optical interference, the light extracted from the organic light-emitting device can be strengthened by optical interference. If the optical conditions are set to strengthen the light extracted in the forward direction, light will be emitted in the forward direction with higher efficiency. Furthermore, it is known that the half-width of the emission spectrum of light strengthened by optical interference is smaller than that of the emission spectrum before interference. In other words, the color purity can be increased.

[0083] When designed for light of wavelength λ, constructive interference can be achieved by adjusting the distance d0 from the emission position of the organic layer 4's emission layer to the reflective surface of the reflective layer 12 to d0 = iλ / 4n0 (i = 1, 3, 5, ...).

[0084] As a result, the radiation distribution of light at wavelength λ has a larger component in the forward direction, improving the frontal brightness. Note that n0 is the refractive index at wavelength λ of the layer from the emission position to the reflective surface.

[0085] In this embodiment, in order to optimize the optical distance between the light emission position of the light emission layer of the organic layer 4 and the reflective layer 12 for each color, the optical distance Lr between the light emission position of the light emission layer of the organic layer 4 and the reflective surface (e.g., the top surface) of the reflective layer 12 is set to approximately satisfy the following equation (4). Note that the optical distance L is equal to the refractive index n of each layer of the organic layer. j and the thickness d of each layer j It is the sum of the products of Σn. In other words, L is Σn j ×d j It can be expressed as n0 × d0, and also as n0 × d0. Note that φ is a negative value.

[0086] Lr=(2m-(φr / π))×(λ / 4)...Equation (4) Here, in equation (4) above, m is a non-negative integer (a non-zero integer), and φr is the sum of the phase shift amounts [rad] when light of wavelength λ is reflected at the reflecting surface. Note that when φ=-π and m=0, L=λ / 4, and when m=1, L=3λ / 4. Hereafter, the condition m=0 in equation (4) above will be referred to as the λ / 4 interference condition, and the condition m=1 in equation (4) above will be referred to as the 3λ / 4 interference condition.

[0087] Furthermore, the optical distance Ls between the light-emitting position of the light-emitting layer of the organic layer 4 and the reflective surface (e.g., the bottom surface) of the upper electrode 5 is set to approximately satisfy the following equation (5).

[0088] Ls=(2m'-(φs / π))×(λ / 4)=-(φs / π)×(λ / 4)...Equation (5) Here, in the above formula (5), m’ is an integer of 0 or more (non-negative integer), and φs is the sum [rad] of the phase shifts when light of wavelength λ is reflected by the reflecting surface.

[0089] Therefore, the total layer interference L from the reflective layer 12 to the upper electrode 5 is made to approximately satisfy the following formula (6).

[0090] L = (Lr + Ls) = (2m - (φ / π)) × (λ / 4) ··· Formula (6) Here, in the above formula (16), φ is the sum (φr + φs) of the phase shifts when light of wavelength λ is reflected by the reflective layer 12 and the upper electrode 5.

[0091] At this time, in an actual organic light-emitting device, considering viewing angle characteristics and the like that are in a trade-off relationship with the front extraction efficiency, it is not necessary to exactly match the above formula. Specifically, the total layer interference L may have an error within the range of ±λ / 8 from the value that satisfies formula (6), and the allowable value for the total layer interference L to deviate from the interference condition may be 50 nm or more and 75 nm or less.

[0092] Therefore, in the organic light-emitting device 300 according to this embodiment, it is preferable to satisfy the following formula (7). More preferably, the total layer interference L may be within the range of ±λ / 16 from the value that satisfies formula (6), and it is preferable to satisfy the following formula (7’).

[0093] [[ID=二十一]] [[ID=二十二]](λ / 8) × (4m - (2φ / π) - 1) < L < (λ / 8) × (4m - (2φ / π) + 1) ··· Formula (7) (λ / 16) × (8m - (4φ / π) - 1) < L < (λ / 16) × (8m - (4φ / π) + 1) ··· Formula (7’) Here, the emission wavelength λ may be the emission wavelength of the peak with the maximum emission intensity. In the emission of an organic compound, when the emission spectrum includes a plurality of peaks, among these plurality of peaks, it is common that the peak with the shortest wavelength has the maximum emission, so it may be the wavelength of the peak with the shortest wavelength. The emission spectrum refers to the emission spectrum after CF transmission of each light-emitting element.

[0094] A preferred example of the organic light-emitting device 300 according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0095] As shown in Figure 9, it is preferable that the distance d1 from the upper surface of the first reflective layer 12R of the first light-emitting element 10R to the upper surface of the first lower electrode 2R and the distance d2 from the upper surface of the second reflective layer 12G of the second light-emitting element 10G to the upper surface of the second lower electrode 2G are different from each other. Distance d1 is the shortest distance from the upper surface of the first reflective layer 12R of the first light-emitting element 10R to the upper surface of the first lower electrode 2R. Distance d2 is the shortest distance from the upper surface of the second reflective layer 12G of the second light-emitting element 10G to the upper surface of the second lower electrode 2G. Furthermore, it is preferable that distance d1, distance d2, and the distance d3 from the upper surface of the third reflective layer 12B of the third light-emitting element 10B to the upper surface of the third lower electrode 2B are all different from each other. Distance d3 is the shortest distance from the upper surface of the third reflective layer 12B of the third light-emitting element 10B to the upper surface of the third lower electrode 2B.

[0096] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, it is preferable that the distances d1 to d3 satisfy equation (8) or equation (9) below.

[0097] d1>d2...Equation (8) d1>d2>d3...Equation (9) In this embodiment, the ends of the lower electrodes 2 of each light-emitting element 10 may be at the same height. This allows for high-precision patterning of the lower electrodes 2 when the lower electrodes 2 are patterned and formed by photolithography, as the exposure focus height does not change for each light-emitting element 10. In this embodiment, the height of the flat portion 32 of the first insulating layer 3 is set to a constant height for each sub-pixel SP. In other words, the upper surfaces of the flat portion 32 of the first insulating layer 3 of each sub-pixel SP are set to lie on the same plane. The second flat portion 35 of the first insulating layer 3 is set to have a different thickness for each sub-pixel SP in order to function as an optical adjustment layer. In other words, the upper surfaces of the second flat portion 35 lie on different planes for each sub-pixel SP. This can be achieved by changing the number of layers constituting the second flat portion 35 for each sub-pixel SP. On the other hand, the thickness of the flat portion 32 of the first insulating layer 3 is set to be constant. This can be achieved by setting the number of layers constituting the flat portion 32 the same for each sub-pixel SP. By positioning the ends of the lower electrodes 2 on the flat sections 32 whose heights are aligned in this way, the heights of the ends of the lower electrodes 2 of each subpixel SP can be made aligned.

[0098] On the other hand, when patterning is performed so that the end of the lower electrode 2 is formed on the second flat portion 35, the height of the second flat portion 35 differs for each sub-pixel SP, resulting in different heights for the ends of the lower electrode 2. Therefore, the exposure focus height during patterning differs for each sub-pixel SP.

[0099] Figure 10 is an enlarged view of Figure 9. The second insulating layer 14 is positioned to cover the lower electrode 2 that is resting on the first insulating layer 3, and its end 141 is positioned on the third portion 23 of the lower electrode 2. The second insulating layer 14 is positioned between adjacent subpixels SP, and has two peaks between them. The peaks referred to here are the parts where the slope of the second insulating layer 14 changes from an uphill slope to a downhill slope when tracing its upper surface from one end 141 to the other end 141. The peaks may include flat sections, and the part where the slope changes from an uphill slope to a downhill slope with a flat section in between can also be considered a peak. In this case, if the end of the peak closest to one end 141 is called the upper end 142, the second insulating layer 14 has a parallel section 143 between the end 141 and the upper end 142 that is substantially parallel to the first surface of the substrate 1. Furthermore, the second insulating layer 14 has an upward inclined portion 144 between the parallel portion 143 and the upper end 142, and a downward inclined portion 145 between the end portion 141 and the parallel portion 143.

[0100] In this case, it is preferable that the height-direction length H3 of the upper inclined portion 144 is greater than the height-direction length H4 of the lower inclined portion 145. The upper inclined portion 144 is an inclination formed by the second insulating layer 14 being positioned on the inclined portion 31 of the first insulating layer 3 and the lower electrode 2, and the lower inclined portion 145 is the end side surface of the second insulating layer 14. The first region 41 of the organic layer 4 is positioned on the upper inclined portion 144, and by applying an electric field between the lower electrode 2 and the upper electrode 5 to this portion, current leakage between subpixels SP is suppressed. Therefore, by making the upper inclined portion 144 longer, current leakage between subpixels SP can be further suppressed.

[0101] The height H4 of the lower inclined portion 145 is preferably greater than the height (thickness) T3 of the charge transport layer 401 (typically a hole transport layer) in the portion in contact with the lower electrode 2. This makes it easier for the charge transport layer 401 to become thinner along the lower inclined portion 145. This suppresses charge crosstalk (i.e., current leakage) between subpixels SP.

[0102] Furthermore, it is preferable that the height H4 of the lower inclined portion 145 is shorter than the height (thickness) T2 of the organic layer 4 in contact with the lower electrode 2. As a result, the organic layer 4 along the lower inclined portion 145 is embedded in the organic layer 4 formed in the portion parallel to the substrate 1, making it less likely for parts of the organic layer 4 to become too thin. Therefore, current leakage between the upper electrode 5 and the lower electrode 2 can be suppressed.

[0103] Furthermore, it is preferable that the height-direction length H4 of the lower inclined portion 145 is shorter than the height-direction length H3 of the upper inclined portion 144, and that the inclination angle of the steepest part of the lower inclined portion 145 is larger than that of the upper inclined portion 144. In other words, it is preferable that the lower inclined portion 145 has a steeper inclination than the upper inclined portion 144. As a result, the large inclination angle of the lower inclined portion 145 makes it easier to thin the charge transport layer 401 placed on top of it. On the other hand, by shortening the height-direction length of the lower inclined portion 145, it is possible to suppress the organic layer 4 placed on top of it from becoming too thin. This makes it possible to suppress both current leakage (charge crosstalk) between subpixels SP and current leakage between the upper electrode 5 and the lower electrode 2. Also, since the upper inclined portion 144 is an inclined portion with a small inclination angle, it is possible to suppress the organic layer 4 placed on top of it from becoming too thin. Furthermore, by increasing the height of the upper inclined portion 144, the portion to which an electric field is applied to the organic layer 4 placed above it can be extended, thereby achieving both suppression of current leakage between sub-pixels SP and suppression of current leakage between the upper and lower electrodes 2.

[0104] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the central part of the reflective layer 12 is thinner than the outer periphery. In other words, the reflective layer 12 has different thicknesses in the part located below the second portion 22 of the lower electrode 2 and the part located below the flat portion 32 of the first insulating layer 3, with the part located below the flat portion 32 of the first insulating layer 3 being thicker. Furthermore, it is preferable that the first insulating layer 3 is positioned to straddle the step formed between these two parts with different thicknesses. This makes it easy to form the inclined portion 31 of the first insulating layer 3 on the reflective layer 12, reflecting the shape of the reflective layer 12. This makes it possible to suppress charge crosstalk between subpixels SP.

[0105] [Fourth Embodiment] Referring to Figure 11, an organic light-emitting device 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The following description will mainly focus on the differences from the third embodiment.

[0106] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the organic light-emitting device 400 according to the fourth embodiment. The organic light-emitting device 400 has, in addition to the configuration of the organic light-emitting device 300, a microlens array MLA on the second planarization layer 9. The other configurations are the same as those of the organic light-emitting device 300 according to the third embodiment.

[0107] The microlens array MLA includes a first microlens 11R corresponding to the first light-emitting element 10R, a second microlens 11G corresponding to the second light-emitting element 10G, and a third microlens 11B corresponding to the third light-emitting element 10B. Each microlens 11 is positioned so as to overlap, in a plan view, with the center of the light-emitting region of the corresponding light-emitting element 10. The light-emitting region of the light-emitting element 10 is defined by the opening of the second insulating layer 14, but the center of the light-emitting region may be the centroid of the opening of the second insulating layer 14.

[0108] Conventional known microlenses 11 can be used as the microlenses 11 constituting the microlens array MLA. The material of the microlenses 11 may be resin. The microlens array MLA can be formed, for example, by forming a film (photoresist film) of the material for forming the microlenses 11, and then exposing and developing the photoresist film using a mask having a continuous gradation change. Such a mask can be a gray mask or an area gradation mask. In addition, the lens shape may be adjusted by performing etch-back on the microlenses 11 formed in the exposure and development process. The shape of the microlenses 11 may be any shape that can refract synchrotron radiation, and may be spherical or aspherical, and may have an asymmetrical cross-sectional shape.

[0109] The exit side of the microlens 11, in other words, the side opposite to the color filter 7, is preferably filled with a material with a lower refractive index than the microlens 11, typically air. This allows the light-gathering effect of the microlens 11 to be greatly increased.

[0110] In the first region 41 of the organic layer 4 along the inclined portion 31, charge recombination is promoted by the effect of the electric field applied between the upper electrode 5 and the lower electrode 2. In this embodiment, the lower electrode 2 along the inclined portion 31 is covered with the second insulating layer 14, but charges can move along the charge transport layer 401 contained in the organic layer 4 placed on the second portion 22 and reach the first region 41 of the organic layer 4 along the inclined portion 31. These charges recombine in the first region 41, and the first region 41 of the organic layer 4 emits light.

[0111] In this embodiment, as described above, the optical distance is adjusted according to the color of the light emitted from the light-emitting element 10, so that the emitted light is strengthened. However, because the inclined portion 31 of the first insulating layer 3 is located below the first region 41 of the organic layer 4 along the inclined portion 31, a deviation occurs from the optical distance adjusted with reference to the second region 42. As a result, the light L1G emitted after charge recombination and emission in the first region 41 of the organic layer 4 along the inclined portion 31 becomes light in which wavelengths shifted from the desired wavelength are strengthened. Therefore, in this embodiment, the microlens 11 is positioned so that the first region 41 of the organic layer 4 along the inclined portion 31 and the inclined portion of the microlens 11 overlap in a plan view. As a result, the light emitted from the first region 41 in the direction in front of the light-emitting element 10 is refracted by the microlens 11 and becomes light L2G emitted in a direction shifted from the front direction, making it difficult to extract in the front direction.

[0112] Therefore, by providing a microlens array (MLA), the color purity of the light emitted from the light-emitting element 10 can be improved.

[0113] [Fifth Embodiment] Referring to Figure 12, an organic light-emitting device 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The following description will mainly focus on the differences from the third embodiment.

[0114] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an organic light-emitting device 500 according to the fifth embodiment. The organic light-emitting device 500 is the same as the third embodiment except that it has overlapping portions where color filters 7 of different colors among a plurality of color filters 7 included in the color filter layer 70 overlap.

[0115] The organic light-emitting device 500 has an overlapping region 71 in which the edge of the first color filter 7R overlaps the edge of the second color filter 7G. The organic light-emitting device 500 also has an overlapping region 72 in which the edge of the third color filter 7B overlaps the edge of the second color filter 7G.

[0116] In this embodiment, the first region 41 of the organic layer 4 along the inclined portion 31 is positioned at a location that overlaps with the overlapping region (71, 72) where the color filters 7 overlap in a plan view. This allows the light L1G emitted in the first region 41 of the organic layer 4 along the inclined portion 31 to be absorbed by the two types of color filters 7. As described above, the light emitted in the first region 41 is light with low color purity, so this light is attenuated or blocked by the overlapping region of the color filters 7, making it difficult for it to be extracted to the outside. This further increases the color purity of the light emitted from the light-emitting element 10.

[0117] Furthermore, the sealing layer 6 may have a low-density region (not shown) between the second portion 22 of the lower electrode 2 of two adjacent light-emitting elements 10 when viewed in plan. It is preferable that the low-density region is positioned to overlap with the first region 41 in plan view. As described above, the light emitted from the first region 41 is light with wavelengths shifted from the desired wavelength amplified, which contributes to a decrease in color purity. Also, light emitted from the first region 41 of the organic layer 4 along the inclined portion 31 may be emitted towards the color filter 7 of the adjacent light-emitting element 10, and if it passes through the color filter 7 of the adjacent light-emitting element 10 and is emitted, color mixing will occur. As described above, by having a low-density region in the sealing layer 6, the light is scattered by the low-density region, making it difficult for it to be extracted to the outside. This further improves the color purity of the light emitted from the light-emitting elements 10. Here, density refers to atomic density [atom / cm³]. 3 ] may be, or weight density [g / cm³ 3 ] is also acceptable.

[0118] [Other embodiments] In the embodiments described above, the sub-pixels SPR, SPG, and SPB each have color filters 7R, 7G, and 7B, respectively, and the white light emitted from the organic layer 4 is transmitted through each color filter 7 to emit the first to third types of light. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sub-pixel SP may have a configuration in which it does not have a color filter 7. That is, in each of the embodiments described above, the present invention also includes a configuration in which at least the light-emitting layer among the plurality of layers constituting the organic layer 4 is formed separately for each sub-pixel. In this case, the first sub-pixel SPR may have a first light-emitting layer that emits light of a first color, the second sub-pixel SPG may have a second light-emitting layer that emits light of a second color, and the third sub-pixel SPB may have a third light-emitting layer that emits light of a third color. Furthermore, at least a portion of the layers other than the light-emitting layer among the plurality of layers constituting the organic layer 4 may be arranged in common across each sub-pixel SP. In such embodiments as well, the effect of improving light extraction efficiency while suppressing current leakage between pixels is achieved.

[0119] Furthermore, the above embodiments have described the case where the elements of the electronic device are organic light-emitting elements, in other words, the electronic device is an organic light-emitting device. In this case, the functional layer of the electronic device may be an organic layer including a light-emitting layer. On the other hand, the elements of the electronic device may be photoelectric conversion elements, and the electronic device may be a photoelectric conversion device. In this case, the functional layer of the electronic device may be an organic layer including a photoelectric conversion layer.

[0120] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display device according to 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. Transistors are printed on the circuit board 1007. The battery 1008 may not be provided if the display device is not a portable device, or it may be provided in a different location even if it is a portable device.

[0121] The display device according to this embodiment may have a color filter having red, green, and blue colors. The color filter may have the red, green, and blue colors arranged in a delta array.

[0122] The display device according to this embodiment may be used in the display unit of a mobile terminal. In that case, it may have both display and operation functions. Examples of mobile terminals include smartphones and other mobile phones, tablets, and head-mounted displays.

[0123] The display device according to this embodiment may be used in the display unit of an imaging device having an optical unit with multiple lenses and an image sensor that receives light that has passed through the optical unit. The imaging device may have a display unit that displays information acquired by the image sensor. Furthermore, the display unit may be a display unit exposed to the outside of the imaging device or a display unit located inside the viewfinder. The imaging device may be a digital camera or a digital video camera.

[0124] Figure 14(a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of an imaging device according to this embodiment. The imaging device 1100 may include a viewfinder 1101, a rear display 1102, an operation unit 1103, and a housing 1104. The viewfinder 1101 may have a display device according to this embodiment. In that case, the display device 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, the possibility of the subject being obscured by an obstacle, etc.

[0125] Since the optimal timing for imaging is very short, it is best to display the information as quickly as possible. Therefore, it is preferable to use a display device using the organic light-emitting element of the present invention, because organic light-emitting elements have a fast response speed. Display devices using organic light-emitting elements can be used more suitably than liquid crystal display devices, which require a fast display speed.

[0126] The imaging device 1100 has an optical section (not shown). The optical section has multiple lenses that form an image on the image sensor housed in the housing 1104. The focus can be adjusted by adjusting the relative positions of the multiple lenses. This operation can also be performed automatically. The imaging device may also be called a photoelectric converter. The photoelectric converter may not capture images sequentially, but may include imaging methods such as detecting the difference from the previous image or extracting from an image that is always being recorded.

[0127] Figure 14(b) is a schematic diagram showing an example of an electronic device according to 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 may also be a biometric recognition unit that recognizes fingerprints to unlock or otherwise perform actions. An electronic device having a communication unit can also be called a communication device. The electronic device may further have a camera function by including a lens and an image sensor. Images captured by the camera function are displayed on the display unit. Examples of electronic devices include smartphones and laptop computers.

[0128] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display device according to this embodiment. Figure 15(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 device according to this embodiment may be used for the display unit 1302.

[0129] It has a frame 1301 and a base 1303 that supports the display unit 1302. The base 1303 is not limited to the form shown in Figure 15(a). The bottom edge of the frame 1301 may also serve as the base.

[0130] Furthermore, the frame 1301 and the display section 1302 may be curved. Their radius of curvature may be between 5000 mm and 6000 mm.

[0131] Figure 15(b) is a schematic diagram showing another example of the display device according to this embodiment. The display device 1310 in Figure 15(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 first display unit 1311 and the second display unit 1312 may have light-emitting devices according to this embodiment. 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 at a bending point. The first display unit 1311 and the second display unit 1312 may each display different images, or the first and second display units may together display a single image.

[0132] Figure 16(a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of a lighting device according to 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 section 1405. The light source may have an organic light-emitting element according to this embodiment. The optical filter may be a filter that improves the color rendering of the light source. The light diffusion section can effectively diffuse the light from the light source, such as for lighting up, and deliver light over a wide area. The optical filter and light diffusion section may be provided on the light-emitting side of the lighting. A cover may be provided on the outermost part as needed.

[0133] The lighting device is, for example, a device for illuminating a room. The lighting device may emit white light, cool white light, or any other color from blue to red. It may have a dimming circuit to adjust the brightness of these lights. The lighting device may have the organic light-emitting element of the present invention and a power supply circuit connected thereto. The power supply circuit is a circuit that converts AC voltage to DC voltage. White light has a color temperature of 4200K, and cool white light has a color temperature of 5000K. The lighting device may have a color filter.

[0134] Furthermore, the lighting device according to this embodiment may 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.

[0135] Figure 16(b) is a schematic diagram of an automobile, which is an example of a mobile body according to this embodiment. The automobile has a taillight, which is an example of a lighting device. The automobile 1500 has a taillight 1501, and may be configured to illuminate when the brakes are applied or the like.

[0136] The tail lamp 1501 may have an organic light-emitting element according to this embodiment. The tail lamp may have a protective member to protect the organic EL element. The protective member has a reasonably high strength and can be made of any transparent material, but it is preferably made of polycarbonate or the like. A frangic acid derivative, an acrylonitrile derivative, or the like may be mixed with the polycarbonate.

[0137] The automobile 1500 may have a body 1503 and windows 1502 attached thereto. The windows may be transparent displays, unless they are windows for checking the front and rear of the automobile. The transparent displays may have organic light-emitting elements according to this embodiment. In this case, the constituent materials such as electrodes of the organic light-emitting element are made of transparent members.

[0138] The mobile body according to this embodiment may be a ship, aircraft, drone, etc. The mobile body may have a body and a lighting device provided on the body. The lighting device may emit light to indicate the position of the body. The lighting device has an organic light-emitting element according to this embodiment.

[0139] Referencing Figure 17, examples of applications of the display devices of each embodiment described above will be explained. The display device can be applied to systems that can be worn as wearable devices such as smart glasses, HMDs, and smart contact lenses. The imaging display device used in such applications comprises an imaging device capable of photoelectric conversion of visible light and a display device capable of emitting visible light.

[0140] Figure 17(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 of the lens 1601 of the glasses 1600. In addition, the display devices of each embodiment described above are provided on the back surface of the lens 1601.

[0141] 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 display device according to each embodiment. The control device 1603 also controls the operation of the imaging device 1602 and the display device. The lens 1601 has an optical system formed therein for focusing light onto the imaging device 1602.

[0142] Figure 17(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 a display device. The lens 1611 has an optical system formed therein for projecting light emitted from the imaging device and the display device within the control device 1612, and an image is projected onto the lens 1611. The control device 1612 functions as a power supply to provide power to the imaging device and the display device, and also controls the operation of the imaging device and the display device. The control device may have a gaze detection unit that detects the wearer's gaze. Gaze detection may use infrared light. The infrared light emitter emits infrared light towards the eyeball of the user who is fixating on the displayed image. The imaging unit, which has a photodetector, detects the reflected light from the eyeball of the emitted infrared light, thereby obtaining an image of the eyeball. By having a reduction means that reduces the light from the infrared light emitter to the display unit in planar view, the degradation of image quality is reduced.

[0143] The user's gaze towards the 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. For example, a gaze detection method based on the Purkinje image obtained by the reflection of the irradiated light from the cornea can be used.

[0144] 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.

[0145] A display device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an imaging device having a light-receiving element, and may control the display image of the display device based on the user's gaze information provided by the imaging device.

[0146] Specifically, the display device determines a first field of view that the user is fixated on, and a second field of view other than the first field of view, based on gaze information. The first and second field of view may be determined by the control device of the display device, or they may be determined by an external control device and received by the display device. Within the display area of ​​the display device, the display resolution of the first field of view may be controlled to be higher than the display resolution of the second field of view. In other words, the resolution of the second field of view may be lower than that of the first field of view.

[0147] 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 and second view areas may be determined by the control device of the display device, 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.

[0148] AI may be used to determine the primary field of view and high-priority areas. The AI ​​may be a model configured to estimate the angle of gaze 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 that image as training data. The AI ​​program may be installed in the display device, the imaging device, or an external device. If installed in an external device, it will be transmitted to the display device via communication.

[0149] When display control is based on visual detection, this method is preferably applicable to smart glasses that further include an imaging device for capturing images of the surrounding environment. The smart glasses can display the captured external information in real time.

[0150] As described above, by using the device employing the organic light-emitting element according to this embodiment, stable display with good image quality is possible even during long-term display. [Explanation of symbols]

[0151] 1 circuit board 2 Lower electrode (1st electrode) 21 Part 1 22 Part 2 3. First insulating layer 31 Slope 4 Organic layer (functional layer) 41 First area 42 Second area 5 Upper electrode (second electrode) 10 Light-emitting elements

Claims

1. Having multiple elements arranged on a substrate, Each of the aforementioned plurality of elements has, from the substrate side, an insulating layer, a first electrode, a functional layer, and a second electrode, in this order. An electronic device in which the functional layer and the second electrode are arranged continuously from above one first electrode to above the other first electrode, such that they cover two first electrodes independently possessed by two adjacent elements among the plurality of elements, The insulating layer has an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the substrate, The first electrode has a first portion disposed on the inclined portion and a second portion that is in contact with the functional layer and has a smaller inclination angle with respect to the substrate than the first portion. The thickness of the functional layer placed on the first portion in the direction normal to the surface in contact with the first portion is smaller than the thickness of the functional layer placed on the second portion in the direction normal to the surface in contact with the second portion. The plurality of elements include a first element that emits a first light and a second element that emits a second light. The first element and the second element further have a reflective layer and a part of the insulating layer between the second portion and the substrate, from the substrate side. The thickness of the portion of the insulating layer of the first element and the thickness of the portion of the insulating layer of the second element are different from each other. The insulating layer has a flat portion located further away from the substrate than the second portion. The reflective layer is located below the second portion and the flat portion. The thickness of the portion of the reflective layer located below the flat portion in the direction perpendicular to the substrate is greater than the thickness of the portion of the reflective layer located below the second portion in the direction perpendicular to the substrate. The insulating layer is positioned to cover the step formed between the portion located below the second portion of the reflective layer and the portion located below the flat portion of the reflective layer. An electronic device characterized by the following features.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first part is arranged to surround the second part.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a second insulating layer disposed between the first electrode and the functional layer.

4. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first electrode is arranged on the insulating layer so as to cover the end of the flat portion and the inclined portion.

5. The inclined portion of the insulating layer is arranged to surround the second portion in a plan view with respect to the substrate. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the flat portion of the insulating layer is arranged to surround the inclined portion in a plan view with respect to the substrate.

6. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the upper surface of the flat portion of the insulating layer of the first element and the upper surface of the flat portion of the insulating layer of the second element are on the same plane.

7. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the upper surface of the second portion of the first electrode of the first element and the upper surface of the second portion of the first electrode of the second element are on different planes.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the insulating layer functions as an optical adjustment layer.

9. An electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, A display device characterized by having a transistor connected to the plurality of elements.

10. Imaging device and The display unit comprises an electronic device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, A display device in which the display image of the display unit is controlled based on the user's gaze information provided by the imaging device.

11. 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 the image captured by the image sensor. The display unit is a photoelectric conversion device having the electronic device described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

12. An electronic device comprising: a display unit having an electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a housing on which the display unit is provided; and a communication unit provided in the housing for communicating with the outside.

13. A lighting device comprising a light source having an electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and a light diffusing portion or optical film that transmits light emitted by the light source.

14. A mobile body comprising a light fixture having an electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and a body on which the light fixture is provided.

Images