Auxiliary Conductive Layer for Display Electrode Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Display units using organic electroluminescence (EL) elements face challenges in reducing the resistance of the second electrode, which affects power consumption and light emission uniformity, especially when trying to increase the thickness of the electrode for improved conductivity.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an auxiliary electrically-conductive layer with organic conductive material between the second electrode and the wiring lines, allowing for reduced resistance and easier thickness increase without the need for additional components like through electrodes, using a printing method for efficient manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the thickness of the second electrode is increased to reduce resistance, then electrical conductivity is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase due to the need for additional components like through electrodes
Solution Approach 1:
An auxiliary electrically-conductive layer made of organic electrically-conductive material is introduced as an intermediary component between the second electrode and the pixel electrode. This auxiliary layer serves as a mediator that provides additional conduction pathways, effectively reducing the resistance of the second electrode without requiring increases in its thickness or the addition of complex through-electrode structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures by combining the inorganic second electrode with an organic auxiliary electrically-conductive layer. This composite approach leverages the advantages of both material types: the structural stability and electron mobility of inorganic materials in the second electrode, and the flexibility and ease of processing of organic materials in the auxiliary layer, achieving reduced resistance without increased complexity.
2Loss of energy
If the thickness of the second electrode is increased to reduce resistance, then power consumption is reduced, but manufacturing complexity and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary electrically-conductive layer acts as an intermediary that reduces electrical resistance and thereby power consumption without requiring thickening of the second electrode. This intermediary layer can be integrated into the existing manufacturing process using conventional organic layer deposition techniques, avoiding the need for complex additional processing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of changing the thickness parameter of the second electrode (which would increase manufacturing complexity), the patent changes the electrical conductivity parameter by introducing the auxiliary organic electrically-conductive layer. This parameter change approach achieves the same goal of reducing resistance and power consumption while maintaining ease of manufacture.
3Illumination intensity
If the thickness of the second electrode is increased to reduce resistance, then light emission uniformity is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary electrically-conductive layer serves as an intermediary that distributes current more uniformly across the pixel electrode, thereby improving light emission uniformity. This distributed current flow ensures consistent electrical supply to different regions of the pixel electrode without requiring increased thickness of the second electrode or additional complex structural components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively reduces the resistance of the second electrode, minimizing power consumption and light emission variations across the display, while facilitating the upsizing of the display unit and reducing production costs and complexity.
Implementation Method 1
The auxiliary electrically-conductive layer includes an organic electrically-conductive material, and the auxiliary electrically-conductive layer is disposed in the pixel region on the substrate and is electrically coupled to the second electrode
Data Source
AI summary
A display unit includes a substrate including a pixel region including a plurality of pixels and a peripheral region. The display unit includes a plurality of first electrodes, wherein each of the plurality of first electrodes is in a corresponding pixel of the plurality of pixels. The display unit includes a second electrode opposed to the first electrode, wherein the second electrode is common for all of the plurality of pixels. The display unit includes an organic layer between the second electrode and the plurality of first electrodes, wherein the organic layer includes a light-emitting layer. The display unit includes a wiring layer between the substrate and the plurality of first electrodes. The display unit includes an auxiliary electrically-conductive layer including an organic electrically-conductive material, wherein the auxiliary electrically-conductive layer is electrically coupled to the second electrode. The auxiliary electrically-conductive layer is in a recess in the wiring layer.