JP3948082B2 - Method for manufacturing organic electroluminescence element - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for producing an organic electroluminescent element for producing an organic electroluminescent element using an organic compound as a light emitting layer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, a flat panel display (FPD) has been put to practical use as an alternative to a CRT (Cathode-Ray-Tube) display having a large occupation area and a large weight.
As an FPD, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) is generally widely used as a display for various portable electronic devices, notebook computers, and small televisions, and an FPD other than an LCD such as a plasma display panel (PDP) is also available. It has been put into practical use.
[0003]
As one of such FPDs, there is an electroluminescence (EL) display, and the EL display has been developed for a relatively long time, but there are still problems in terms of full color, brightness, life, etc. Not popular.
Note that the EL display is a self-luminous display that emits light by itself, and the EL element used in the EL display can be used not as a display but also as a planar light emitter. Some elements are used.
[0004]
In addition, an inorganic compound thin film has been conventionally used as a light emitting layer of an EL element to be an EL display. However, an EL element using an inorganic compound thin film has a high driving voltage, a low luminous efficiency, and a low luminance display. I could only do it. On the other hand, in recent years, a light emitting layer of an EL element has been used which uses an organic compound thin film having a low driving voltage and high light emission efficiency.
In addition, organic EL devices (organic electroluminescent devices) using organic compound thin films have a problem in terms of lifetime, but the development of materials for organic light-emitting layers has been promoted in order to extend the lifetime. Practical use at a possible level has become possible.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, development of various FPDs requires fine processing, which is not as high as that of semiconductors, but unlike FPDs, FPDs require fine processing with almost no defects over a large area corresponding to the display surface. Therefore, establishment of microfabrication technology is indispensable for the spread of FPD.
However, an organic compound used as an organic light emitting layer in an organic EL element is generally weak against moisture and has poor resistance to organic solvents and other chemicals.
[0006]
When patterning, which is a microfabrication, is performed on a thin film, generally, a process such as application of a resist on the thin film, exposure of the applied resist, development of the resist, etching of the thin film, peeling of the resist, etc. The so-called photolithography is performed, but the resist contains a large amount of an organic solvent, the developer is usually an aqueous solution, and an aqueous solution, an organic solvent, and other chemicals may be used for etching and resist peeling. Therefore, the organic compound used for the organic light emitting layer may be seriously affected, and it is difficult to use the patterning method as described above for fine processing of the organic EL element.
[0007]
Therefore, the method for forming the organic compound thin film that becomes the light emitting layer is limited, and for example, vacuum deposition (mask deposition) using a metal mask is generally used. According to this mask vapor deposition, patterning is performed simultaneously with the formation of the thin film, and the organic compound thin film can be formed and patterned without using various solvents, aqueous solutions, and other chemicals as described above.
Also, in the formation and patterning of the metal electrode formed on the organic compound thin film, since the formation and patterning of the metal cathode are performed after the formation of the organic light emitting layer, various solvents, aqueous solutions, and other chemicals as described above are used. It is preferable to use metal mask vapor deposition.
However, in the mask deposition as described above, it is difficult to process finer than 100 μm, that is, finely processed to several tens of μm.
In addition, if the metal cathode is formed by metal mask vapor deposition, alignment with the anode (transparent electrode) or the light emitting layer that is the lower structure is difficult.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and enables production of an organic electroluminescent element that enables fine processing of a metal cathode such as several tens of μm, and further enables fine processing of an organic light emitting layer together with the metal cathode. It is intended to provide a method.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  The manufacturing method of the organic electroluminescent element according to claim 1 of the present invention is as follows.
  A transparent electrode is formed on the transparent substrate and patterned to form a first transparent electrode and an external connection portion provided on a side edge portion of the first transparent electrode so as to be insulated from the first transparent electrode. A transparent electrode forming step of forming two transparent electrodes;
  An organic light emitting layer forming step of forming an organic light emitting layer on the first transparent electrode;
  A metal layer forming step of forming a metal layer to be a metal electrode on the organic light emitting layer and the second transparent electrode;
  The metal layer is formed by photolithography so that a portion where the second transparent electrode and the metal layer overlap is left with a part of the second transparent electrode exposed.After patterning, the photoresist is left without removing the photoresist by photolithography.A patterning process;
  Of the external connection part, a part of the exposed second transparent electrode is exposed, and a sealing material forming step of forming a sealing material that does not expose the metal layer;
  It is provided with.
[0010]
  According to the above configuration, a metal layer is formed on the organic light emitting layer in the formation step. Therefore, in the patterning step using photolithography, the organic solvent contained in the photoresist, ultraviolet rays during exposure, and development are performed. The organic light emitting layer is protected by the metal layer covering the organic light emitting layer against the chemical solution for use. In the etching, a metal electrode patterned by removing a part of the metal layer is formed, and the portion from which the metal layer is removed is in a state where the organic light emitting layer is not protected by the metal layer. The part corresponding to the part from which the metal layer is removed is a part where no voltage is applied by the metal electrode made of the remaining metal layer and no light is emitted, so this part is removed together with the metal layer during the etching of the metal layer. Or may not emit light.
  In addition, the metal electrode and the external connection portion made of the second transparent electrode are connected, and a part of the external connection portion is exposed, so that the metal electrode patterned from the exposed portion of the external connection portion An electrical signal can be sent to. That is, when the patterning of the metal electrode is completed, the wiring on the electrode side is completed including the external connection portion that becomes an external contact, and the process can be simplified.
[0011]
Therefore, even if the metal electrode is patterned using photolithography, the organic light emitting region layer, which is the overlapping region of the metal electrode and the transparent electrode, can be protected by the metal layer that becomes the metal electrode. The layer is not greatly affected.
In patterning using photolithography, fine processing such as 100 μm or less is possible, and metal electrodes can be patterned at a level of several tens of μm or less.
Further, by using photolithography, alignment between the pattern of the metal electrode and the lower structure can be facilitated.
[0012]
Further, in the etching, as described above, in the case where the organic light emitting layer under this portion is removed together with the portion not masked by the resist of the metal layer, the organic light emitting region layer together with the metal electrode is removed. Is also formed by patterning using photolithography.
That is, even when the organic light emitting layer is patterned using photolithography as described above, the organic light emitting layer is protected by the metal layer from an aqueous solution used in photolithography, an organic solvent, other chemicals, ultraviolet rays, or the like. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to pattern the organic light emitting region layer using photolithography at a level of several tens of μm or less.
[0013]
In the method for producing an organic electroluminescence element according to claim 2 of the present invention, in the patterning step, a photoresist coating step, an exposure step, a development step, and an etching step are sequentially performed. , Dry etching is performed.
According to the above configuration, since the dry etching is used when removing a part of the metal layer, the substrate is not immersed in the etching solution unlike the wet etching, and the organic light emitting layer is affected by the etching solution. Can be prevented.
[0014]
In dry etching, the substrate is exposed to plasma. However, if the metal layer is relatively thick, the organic light emitting region layer does not receive plasma damage beyond the photoresist and the metal layer. In addition, since the organic light emitting layer is not necessary in the portion where the metal layer is removed, there is no problem even if the portion of the organic light emitting layer corresponding to the portion where the metal layer is removed is subjected to plasma damage.
[0015]
In addition, if a method capable of anisotropic etching such as sputter etching is used as dry etching, the portion of the metal electrode masked by the resist and the portion of the organic light emitting layer underneath are removed from the side. Therefore, the influence of etching on the organic light emitting layer can be minimized.
[0016]
The method for producing an organic electroluminescent element according to claim 3 of the present invention is characterized in that the metal layer has a thickness of 0.1 μm or more.
According to the above configuration, when the metal layer is dry-etched, the metal layer is sufficiently thick so that the organic light emitting region layer does not receive plasma damage beyond the resist layer and the metal layer as described above. .
[0017]
  AlsoClaims of the invention1The manufacturing method of the described organic electroluminescent element is:In the patterning step, the photoresist is left without being removed. Patterning like thisSince the photoresist is not removed after completion, the light emitting layer is not affected by an aqueous solution, an organic solvent or other chemicals for removing the photoresist. Therefore, by not removing the photoresist, it is possible to prevent the organic EL element from deteriorating and simplify the process to reduce the manufacturing cost.
[0018]
In addition, since the photoresist is applied to the upper surface of the metal electrode, that is, the back side of the organic EL element, even if the photoresist remains, it does not affect the light emission of the organic EL element and is used as a protective film for the metal electrode. be able to.
Even if the photoresist is removed, if the photoresist is removed by dry ashing, there is no need to immerse the transparent substrate in the solution or to apply the solution to the transparent substrate, and the light emitting layer of the organic EL element deteriorates. However, the number of processes increases by the number of photoresist stripping processes, and dry stripping using dry ashing may be more expensive than wet stripping. From this side, it is better to leave the photoresist without removing it.
[0021]
  Claims of the invention4The manufacturing method of the described organic electroluminescence element is characterized in that, in the patterning step, the metal layer is patterned and the organic light emitting layer under the metal layer is patterned.
  According to the above configuration, as described above, even when the organic light emitting layer is patterned by photolithography, since the organic light emitting layer is protected by the metal layer, an organic solvent, an aqueous solution, or other chemicals used for photolithography. It is possible to prevent the organic light emitting layer from being deteriorated by UV light, plasma, etc., and to pattern the organic light emitting layer at a level of several tens of μm or less.
[0022]
Further, when the organic light emitting layer is patterned, the metal layer that functions as a part of the resist functions as it is as a metal electrode patterned with the organic light emitting layer, so that it is not necessary to remove it, and the photoresist is also as described above. Therefore, it is not necessary to remove the organic light emitting region layer due to the removal of the resist.
The patterning of the organic light emitting layer is necessary when, for example, a plurality of organic light emitting layers having different emission colors are used for color display.
[0023]
In order to form an organic light emitting region layer for color display, for example, each organic light emitting region layer that emits light in different colors of red, green, and blue is repeatedly arranged in a stripe shape. It is conceivable to form each organic light emitting region layer that emits light in a different color with a method or other pattern, but in this case, the steps from the formation of the organic light emitting layer to the patterning of the metal layer described above are, for example, It should be repeated three times.
[0024]
Further, when forming the light emitting layer and the metal layer for the second and subsequent times, for example, the light emitting region layer and the metal layer which are formed later on the light emitting region layer and the metal electrode which are formed first are overlapped as they are. Therefore, when the light emitting region layer and the metal layer formed later are etched, a portion overlapping the organic light emitting region layer and the light emitting layer formed earlier of the metal layer and the metal electrode is removed. It ’s fine.
In addition, when dry etching the light emitting layer region and the metal layer formed later on the previously formed light emitting region layer and the metal electrode, the resist on the previously formed light emitting region layer and the metal electrode is removed. By leaving without leaving, it is possible to prevent the previously formed light emitting region layer and metal electrode from being etched.
[0025]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Below, the manufacturing method of the organic electroluminescent (EL) element of an example of embodiment of this invention is demonstrated with reference to drawings.
1, 2, and 3 show a cross-section of an organic EL element that is being manufactured to show an outline of a method for manufacturing the organic EL element, but the size of each part, such as thickness and width, is easy to explain. Is shown in a deformed form. In addition, (A) of each figure and (B) are sectional drawings seen from the mutually orthogonal direction.
[0026]
In addition, the organic EL element manufactured by the manufacturing method of the organic EL element of this example is a segment type or simple matrix type EL display, for example, and uses a well-known organic compound as an organic light emitting layer. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the organic EL element includes a transparent substrate 1 that forms a side surface on the display surface side of an EL display, and a transparent electrode (anode) 2 that is sequentially formed on the transparent substrate 1. It consists of an organic light emitting layer 3 and a metal cathode (shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B) 4.
[0027]
In manufacturing the organic EL element of this example, first, the transparent electrode 2 is formed on the transparent substrate 1. The transparent substrate 1 is basically a glass substrate, but a known transparent resin plate or resin film may be used.
The transparent electrode 2 is made of, for example, ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), and is formed on the transparent substrate 1 by a known thin film forming method. As the thin film forming method, for example, a sputtering method, a vacuum evaporation method, a CVD method, a aerosol method, a spraying method, a printing method, or the like can be used.
[0028]
And after forming the ITO thin film used as the transparent electrode 2 over the substantially whole surface of the transparent substrate 1 on the transparent substrate 1, the ITO thin film is patterned by a well-known method, for example, photolithography.
In addition, the pattern of the transparent electrode 2 made of ITO has a shape of an arbitrary shape portion corresponding to display and a wiring portion connected to the shape portion when the organic EL element is a segment type EL display. When the organic EL element is a simple matrix type EL display, it has a stripe-like wiring shape.
[0029]
Further, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, for example, an external connection portion 2a serving as a signal lead-out portion is formed on the left side edge of the transparent electrode 2, and the right side of the transparent electrode 2 is formed. An external connection portion 2b serving as a signal lead-out portion is formed at the edge portion. These external connection portions 2a and 2b are a part of the transparent electrode 2, and the portions to be contact points of the external wiring shown by circles a and b in FIGS. 3A and 3B are exposed at the time of etching. It is assumed that
One external connection part 2a is for sending a cathode signal to the metal cathode 4 side, and is in a state of being insulated from the other part of the transparent electrode 2 and joined to the metal cathode 4 It is said.
The other external connection portion 2b is for sending an anode signal to the transparent electrode 2 as an anode.
[0030]
Next, the organic light emitting layer 3 is formed over substantially the entire surface of the transparent substrate 1 on which the transparent electrode 2 is formed.
The organic light emitting layer 3 is composed of, for example, three layers of a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, and an electron transport layer, or is composed of two layers of a hole transport layer and an electron transport light emitting layer. Is.
[0031]
In addition, for example, α-NPD (N, N′-di (α-naphthyl) -N, N′-diphenyl-1,1′-biphenyl-4,4′-diamine) is used for the hole transport layer. be able to.
Further, as the light emitting layer, DPVBi (4,4′-bis (2,2-diphenylvinylene) biphenyl) containing BCzVBi (4,4′-bis (2-carbazolvinylene) biphenyl) as a dopant is used. it can.
[0032]
As the electron transport layer, Alq3 (tris (8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum) can be used.
As the electron-transporting light-emitting layer, Bebq2 (bis (10-hydroxybenzo [h] quinoline) beryllium) can be used.
In addition, the material of the said organic light emitting layer 3 is an example, The other well-known material can be used as the organic light emitting layer 3, For example, the material which added the quinacridone derivative to Alq3, 1,4'-bis (2 , 2-diphenylvinyl) biphenyl, a material obtained by adding a distyrylarylamine derivative, or the like can be used.
[0033]
And when forming the thin film of the organic light emitting layer 3 on the transparent substrate 1 in which the transparent electrode 2 was formed, the thin film formation method substantially the same as the said transparent electrode 2 can be used.
In forming the organic light emitting layer 3, the organic light emitting layer 3 is not completely covered with the external connection portions 2 a and 2 b of the transparent electrode 2.
[0034]
Next, as shown in FIG. 1, a metal layer 5 to be a metal cathode 4 is formed on the transparent substrate 1 on which the transparent electrode 2 and the organic light emitting layer 3 are formed so as to cover substantially the entire surface of the transparent substrate 1.
As the metal cathode (metal electrode), for example, magnesium alloy such as Mg—In alloy, Mg—Ag alloy, Mg—Al alloy, Al—Li alloy or the like can be used, and electrons are emitted as the cathode. A material having a small work function value can be used.
In forming the metal cathode 4, a thin film forming method substantially similar to that of the transparent electrode 2 can be used.
[0035]
When the metal layer 5 is formed, the metal layer 5 covers the entire surface of the organic light emitting layer 3 formed on the transparent substrate 1 and the thickness of the metal layer 5 is set to 0.1 μm or more. This is to protect the organic light emitting layer 3 from plasma and various chemical solutions as will be described later. If the metal layer 5 is thinner than 0.1 μm, the organic light emitting layer 3 may not be reliably protected from plasma damage described later. There is.
Further, the metal layer 5 is formed on the external connection portion 2 a in a state where the upper surface is not covered with the organic light emitting layer 3. That is, the external connection portion 2a and the metal layer 5 are in an electrically conductive state.
[0036]
Next, the metal layer 5 is patterned to form the metal cathode 4. When patterning the metal cathode 4, photolithography is used. First, a photoresist is applied on the metal layer 5.
As the photoresist, a well-known positive type or a negative type may be used.
Further, as a method for applying the photoresist, dip, spray, roll coater, spinner, or the like can be used.
[0037]
Next, the photoresist is exposed, and then development is performed using a development method such as dipping, spraying, showering, paddles, and the like.
In the exposure, the transparent substrate 1 is exposed to ultraviolet rays. However, since the organic light emitting layer 3 is covered with the metal layer 5, the organic light emitting layer 3 is not adversely affected by the ultraviolet rays.
[0038]
Further, the developer is, for example, an alkaline aqueous solution, and when the organic light emitting layer 3 is touched, the organic light emitting layer 3 is greatly affected. As described above, the organic light emitting layer 3 is the metal layer 5. Therefore, the organic light-emitting layer 3 does not come into contact with the developer even when the transparent substrate 1 is immersed in the developer during development.
Therefore, the organic light emitting layer 3 is not deteriorated during exposure and development of the photoresist.
[0039]
Then, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a portion corresponding to the pattern to be formed of the metal cathode 4 of the photoresist 6 coated on the metal layer 5 by development remains.
Note that pre-baking of the photoresist before exposure and post-baking of the photoresist after development are preferably performed at a low temperature in consideration of the influence of heat on the organic light emitting layer.
[0040]
Next, the metal layer 5 is etched.
When the metal layer 5 is etched, dry etching such as plasma etching, sputter etching, reactive ion etching, or the like is performed.
By performing dry etching, the transparent substrate 1 is not immersed in the etching solution, and the organic light emitting layer 3 is not affected by the etching solution.
[0041]
Further, the portion of the metal layer 5 that is not covered with the photoresist 6 is removed by dry etching, and the organic light emitting layer 3 is exposed in the portion where the metal layer 5 is removed, and the organic light emitting layer 3 is also removed. The remaining portion of the organic light emitting layer 3, that is, the portion of the organic light emitting layer 3 that overlaps the metal cathode 4 formed by etching the metal layer 5 becomes the organic light emitting region layer 7.
The organic light emitting layer 3 emits light when the electrode is applied between the transparent electrode 2 and the metal cathode 4 above and below, and corresponds to the portion of the organic light emitting layer 3 from which the metal layer 5 has been removed. The portion to be placed is not sandwiched between the transparent electrode 2 and the metal cathode 4 and does not emit light, so that there is no problem even if it is removed.
[0042]
Further, since the metal layer 5 (metal cathode 4) left during etching covers the upper surface of the organic light emitting region layer 7 that remains, the remaining organic light emitting region layer 7 receives plasma damage by dry etching using plasma. Can be prevented.
That is, the metal layer 5 has a thickness of 1 μm or more, and can reliably protect the organic light emitting region layer 7 from plasma damage.
Further, the portion of the metal layer 5 that is not covered with the photoresist 6 is removed, and the remaining effective light emission when the portion of the corresponding organic light emitting layer 3 under the removed metal layer 5 is removed. Although the side surface of the region layer 7 is exposed, if the anisotropic etching is performed during dry etching, the metal layer 5 and the organic light emitting layer 3 are prevented from being etched to the inside of the side edge portion of the photoresist. Can do.
[0043]
When the etching is completed, the metal layer 5 is patterned into a predetermined shape as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B to form the metal cathode 4. Further, when the metal cathode 4 is patterned by photolithography as described above, alignment of the transparent electrode 2 or the organic light emitting region layer 7 as the lower structure with the metal cathode 4 is facilitated, and the organic light emitting region layer 7 is formed. The metal cathode 4 and the metal cathode 4 are simultaneously patterned, so that the alignment of the organic light emitting region layer 7 and the metal cathode 4 is ensured.
When the organic EL element is a segment-type EL display, the metal cathode 4 includes an arbitrary shape portion corresponding to display and a wiring portion connected to the shape portion. Then, the transparent electrode 2 is opposed.
When the organic EL element is a simple matrix type EL display, the pattern of the metal electrode layer 4 has a stripe-like wiring shape in a direction orthogonal to the stripe-like transparent electrode 2.
[0044]
And the part where the transparent electrode 2 and the metal cathode 4 of the organic EL element are arranged to face each other with the organic light emitting layer 3 interposed therebetween, that is, the part between the transparent electrode 2 and the metal cathode 4 of the organic light emitting layer 3 A portion surrounded by circles c, d, and e in FIG. 3A is a light emitting region, and light is emitted when a voltage is applied to the transparent electrode 2 and the metal cathode 4 in the light emitting region.
Further, as described above, the metal layer 5 is not removed in at least a part of the part where the external connection part 2a and the metal layer 5 directly overlap (the part surrounded by the circle f in FIG. 3A). The remaining portion is used as a contact point between the external connection portion 2a and the metal cathode 4, and further, the portion other than the portion overlapping the metal cathode 4 of the external connection portion 2a (the portion surrounded by a circle a in FIG. 3A) Are exposed at the time of etching, and wiring for sending a signal to the metal cathode 4 from the outside is connected.
[0045]
  As described above, patterning at a level of several tens of μm is possible by using photolithography when patterning the metal cathode 4. That is, when the metal cathode 4 is formed and patterned by metal mask vapor deposition as in the prior art, patterning of less than 100 μm cannot be performed, but by using photolithography as described above, Finer patterning is possible. The organic EL element formed as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B has at least a sealing material on the upper surface of the transparent substrate 3, that is, the back surface side with respect to the display surface8Is sealed.
[0046]
As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, in this example, when the metal cathode 4 is patterned, the organic light emitting region layer 7 is also patterned in the same shape as the metal cathode 4. become. Further, the organic light emitting region layer 7 to be patterned is protected by the metal cathode 4 and thus is affected by ultraviolet rays, aqueous solutions, organic solvents, various chemicals, plasma, etc. used in each step of photolithography as described above. There is nothing.
[0047]
That is, since the organic light emitting layer 3 is weak against moisture, organic solvents, and other chemicals, the organic light emitting layer 3 is used by using a photoresist containing an organic solvent and using photolithography using a developing solution or an etching solution as the case may be. Although it was difficult to pattern 3, the organic light emitting layer 3 was patterned by photolithography together with the metal layer 5 as described above, so that the organic light emitting layer 3 was organically emitted using photolithography without deteriorating the organic light emitting layer 3. The region layer 7 can be patterned.
[0048]
Therefore, compared with the case where the organic light emitting layer 3 is formed and patterned by mask vapor deposition, the organic light emitting region layer 7 can be finely patterned by using photolithography.
As described above, the method of patterning the organic light emitting layer 3 together with the metal layer 5 using photolithography is to manufacture a plurality of types of organic light emitting layers 3 having different emission colors when manufacturing a color EL display. It can be used effectively when it is formed and patterned every time.
[0049]
In the above example, the EL display made of organic EL elements is a segment type or a simple matrix type. However, an active matrix type EL display using an active element such as a TFT may be used.
Further, a color filter may be provided between the transparent substrate 1 and the organic light emitting layer 3 (between the transparent substrate 1 and the transparent electrode 2).
[0050]
【The invention's effect】
According to the method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescent element according to claim 1 of the present invention, even if the metal electrode is patterned using photolithography, the organic light emitting region layer can be protected by the metal layer serving as the metal electrode. The organic light emitting region layer can be prevented from being greatly affected.
In patterning using photolithography, fine processing such as 100 μm or less is possible, and metal electrodes can be patterned at a level of several tens of μm or less.
[0051]
  Further, in the case of the etching as described above, when the organic light emitting layer under the metal electrode is removed together with the metal electrode not masked by the resist, the organic light emitting layer is used together with the metal electrode by using photolithography. Even if the organic light emitting layer is to be patterned using photolithography, the organic light emitting region layer is protected by metal electrodes from organic solvents, aqueous solutions, other chemicals, and ultraviolet rays used in photolithography. Therefore, the organic light emitting layer can be patterned at a level of several tens of μm or less.
  Since the metal electrode and the external connection portion made of the second transparent electrode are connected, and a part of the external connection portion is exposed, the patterning metal electrode is electrically connected from the exposed portion of the external connection portion. A signal can be sent. That is, when the patterning of the metal electrode is completed, the wiring on the electrode side is completed including the external connection portion, and the process can be simplified.
[0052]
According to the method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescent element according to claim 2 of the present invention, since dry etching is used when removing a part of the metal electrode, the substrate is immersed in an etching solution like wet etching. Therefore, the organic light emitting region layer can be prevented from being affected by the etching solution.
In dry etching, the substrate is exposed to plasma. If the metal electrode is relatively thick, it is possible to prevent the organic light emitting region layer from being damaged by plasma beyond the resist layer and the metal electrode.
[0053]
According to the method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescent element according to claim 3 of the present invention, when the etching of the metal electrode is performed by dry etching, the thickness of the metal electrode is sufficient. In addition, the organic light emitting layer can be prevented from being damaged by plasma beyond the resist layer and the metal electrode.
[0054]
  Claims of the invention1According to the method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescent element described above, since the photoresist is not removed after the etching is completed, the light emitting region layer is not affected by the organic solvent or other chemicals for removing the photoresist. Therefore, by not removing the photoresist, it is possible to prevent the organic EL element from deteriorating and simplify the process to reduce the manufacturing cost.
[0056]
  Claims of the invention4According to the method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescent element described above, even if the organic light emitting layer is patterned by photolithography as described above, the organic light emitting region layer is protected by the metal electrode, and thus is used for photolithography. It is possible to prevent the organic light emitting region layer from being deteriorated by various organic solvents, other chemicals, ultraviolet rays or plasma, and pattern the organic light emitting layer at a level of several tens of μm or less.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIGS. 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views of an organic EL element being manufactured for explaining a method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescent element as an example of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of an organic EL device being manufactured for explaining a method for manufacturing the organic electroluminescent device of the above example. FIGS.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of an organic EL element being manufactured for explaining a method for manufacturing the organic electroluminescent element of the above example. FIGS.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Transparent substrate
2 Transparent electrode
2a External connection
3 Organic light emitting layer
4 Metal cathode (metal electrode)
5 Metal layer
6 photoresist
7 Organic light emitting area layer

Claims (4)

A transparent electrode is formed on the transparent substrate and patterned to form a first transparent electrode and an external connection portion provided on a side edge portion of the first transparent electrode so as to be insulated from the first transparent electrode. A transparent electrode forming step of forming two transparent electrodes;
An organic light emitting layer forming step of forming an organic light emitting layer on the first transparent electrode;
A metal layer forming step of forming a metal layer to be a metal electrode on the organic light emitting layer and the second transparent electrode;
With a portion of the second transparent electrode is exposed, after that by the photolithography to the metal layer patterned so as to leave the second transparent electrode and the metal layer and the overlapped portion, the photo in the photolithographic A patterning process for leaving the photoresist without removing the resist ;
A sealing material forming step of exposing a part of the exposed second transparent electrode of the external connection portion and forming a sealing material that does not expose the metal layer;
A method for producing an organic electroluminescent element, comprising:   2. The organic electrolysis according to claim 1, wherein in the patterning step, a photoresist coating step, an exposure step, a development step, and an etching step are sequentially performed, and dry etching is performed in the etching step. Manufacturing method of luminescence element.   3. The method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescence element according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer has a thickness of 0.1 [mu] m or more. The organic electroluminescence device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the metal layer is patterned and the organic light emitting layer under the metal layer is patterned in the patterning step. Method.

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