Color organic EL display and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

A color organic EL display includes: a substrate; a color filter layer disposed on the substrate; a gas barrier layer disposed on the color filter layer; and an organic EL structural body disposed on the gas barrier layer. The substrate and the color filter layer provide an underlayer of the gas barrier layer. The underlayer is a degassed underlayer. The gas barrier layer is provided by an atomic layer deposition method at a temperature equal to or lower than a decomposition starting temperature of the color filter layer.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Applications No. 2004-211593 filed on Jul. 20, 2004, No. 2005-35891 filed on Feb. 14, 2005, and No. 2005-157722 filed on May 30, 2005, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by references. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a color organic EL display and a method for manufacturing a color organic EL display. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] A color organic EL (i.e., electroluminescence) display constituted by interposing a gas barrier layer between an organic EL (electroluminescence) structural body and a color filter is well-known. [0004] This sort of color organic EL display is equipped with such a structure that a color filter layer, a gas barrier layer, and an organic EL structural body have been successively stacked on a substrate. [0005] Specifically, when an organic EL structural body for emitting white light is combined with a color filter, the ...

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Benefits of technology

[0014] In view of the above-described problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a color organic EL display manufactured with low-cost and having simple structure.

[0016] In the display, since the underlayer of the gas barrier layer is degassed, the amount of gas discharged from the substrate and the color filter layer is reduced. Further, since the gas barrier layer is formed at the temperature equal to or lower than the decomposition starting temperature of the color filter layer by the atomic layer deposition method, the color filter layer is not deteriorated with time. Therefore, the gas barrier layer can be formed appropriately. Further, the gas barrier layer is formed by the atomic layer deposition method, which is superior in coating performance and minimum pin holes, compared with a vacuum deposition method, a sputtering method, and a plasma CVD method; and therefore, step coverage of the gas barrier layer is improved and the number of pin holes is reduced. Furthermore, the gas barrier layer can be formed by single process of the atomic layer deposition method, so that productivity of the display is increased, and the manufacturing cost is reduced. Furthermore, the underlayer of the gas barrier layer is degassed so that the amount of gas discharged from the underlayer is reduced. Therefore, the gas barrier layer is prevented from expanding by the discharged gas. Thus, the gas barrier layer is not peeled off. Thus, the color organic EL display is manufactured with low-cost and having simple structure.

[0018] In the display, the amount of gas discharged from the substrate and the color filter layer is reduced. Further, the color filter layer is not deteriorated with time. Therefore, the gas barrier layer can be formed appropriately. Further, the gas barrier layer is formed by the atomic layer deposition method, which is superior in coating performance and minimum pin holes; and therefore, step coverage of the gas barrier layer is improved and the number of pin holes is reduced. Furthermore, productivity of the display is increased, and the manufacturing cost is reduced. Furthermore, the gas barrier layer is not peeled off. Thus, the color organic EL display is manufactured with low-cost and having simple structure.

Problems solved by technology

These difficulties are caused by water contents and the like, which are volatilized from the color filter layer and the overcoat layer, which are made of resin.

However, pin-holes are not considered in view of gas barrier characteristics, as to these conventional gas barrier layers, so that dark spots are easily produced in pixels, and such pixels which cannot maintain desirable light emitting characteristics of organic EL elements are readily produced.

However, the pin-hole measures described in the above documents own problems as to productivity and cost aspects, since the structures of the gas barrier layers and the manufacturing processes thereof are complex.

In this film forming operation, since dense characteristics of these films are deteriorated, gas barrier characteristics thereof are deteriorated.

As a result, these layer structures must be replaced by other stacked layer structures, or the film thicknesses of these layers must be made thicker, so that the problem as to the productivity still remains, and thus, the manufacturing cost is increased.

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