Method for forming electroluminescent devices

1 - 46 . (canceled)

47 . A method of forming an electroluminescent device which comprises depositing an electroluminescent material on a substrate by ink jet printing to form an electroluminescent layer in which the electroluminescent material is selected from compounds of formula

where Lα is selected from organic ligands and from compounds of formula:

where R 1 , R 2 and R 3 can be the same or different and are selected from hydrogen, and substituted and unsubstituted hydrocarbyl groups such as substituted and unsubstituted aliphatic groups, substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures, fluorocarbons such as trifluoryl methyl groups, halogens such as fluorine or thiophenyl groups; R 1 , R 2 and R 3 can also form substituted and unsubstituted fused aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures and can be copolymerisable with a monomer X is Se, S or O, Y can hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl groups, such as substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures, fluorine, fluorocarbons such as trifluoryl methyl groups, halogens such as fluorinie or thiophenyl groups or nitrile and the ligands Lα are the same or different;

Lp is a neutral organic ligand, or is of formula

where each Ph which can be the same or different and can be a phenyl (OPNP) or a substituted phenyl group, other substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic or polycyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted fused aromatic group such as a naphthyl, anthracene, phenanthrene or pyrene group;

M is a rare earth, transition metal, lanthanide or an actinide, M 2 is a non rare earth rare earth, transition metal, lanthanide or an actinide metal and

n is the combined valence state of M and M 1 and from compounds of formula

where L is a bridging ligand and where M 1 and M 3 are selected from a rare earth, transition metal, lanthanide or an actinide, M 2 is a non rare earth metals and M 4 is M 1 ;

Lm, Lp and Ln are the same or different organic ligands or is Lα, as defined above, x is the valence state of M 1 , y is the valence state of M 2 , and z is the valence state of M 3 and in which the rare earth metals and the non rare earth metals can be joined together by a metal to metal bond and/or via an intermediate bridging atom, ligand or molecular group or in which there are more than three metals joined by metal to metal bonds and/or via intermediate ligands.

48 . A method according to claim 47 in which the said rare earth, transition metal, lanthanide or an actinide is selected from Sm(III), Eu(II), Eu(III), Tb(III), Dy(III), Yb(III), Lu(III), Gd(III), Gd(III), U(III), Tm(III), Ce(III), Pr(III), Nd(III), Pm(III), Dy(III), Ho(III) and Er(III) and the non rare earth metal M 2 is selected from lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, copper, silver, gold, zinc, cadmium, boron, aluminium, gallium, indium, germanium, tin, antimony, lead, and metals of the first, second and third groups of transition metals, manganese, iron, ruthenium, osmium, cobalt, nickel, palladium, platinum, cadmium, chromium, titanium, vanadium, zirconium, tantalum, molybdenum, rhodium, iridium, titanium, niobium, scandium, and yttrium.

49 . A method according to claim 47 in which the electroluminescent material is a selected from metal quinolates and lithium quinolate.

50 . A method according to claim 47 in which the electroluminescent material is selected from non rare earth metal organo metallic complexes, aluminium, magnesium, zinc or scandium organo complexes, β-diketone complexes, Al(DBM) 3 , An(DBM) 2 and MG(DBM) 2 , Sc(DBM) 3 where (DBM) is Tris-(1,3-diphenyl-1-3-propanedione).

51 . A method according to claim 47 there is a layer of a hole transporting material between the substrate and the electroluminescent layer.

52 . A method according to claim 49 in which the substrate comprises an electrically conducting material which forms a first electrode which functions as an anode and there is a layer of a hole transporting material between the first electrode and the electroluminescent layer.

53 . A method according to claim 50 in which the substrate comprises an electrically conducting material which forms a first electrode which functions as an anode and there is a layer of a hole transporting material between the first electrode and the electroluminescent layer.

54 . A method according to claim 53 in which the hole transporting material is selected from aromatic amine complexes; poly(vinylcarbazole), N,N′-diphenyl-N,N′-bis(3-methylphenyl)-1,1′-biphenyl-4,4′-diamine (TPD); polyaniline, substituted polyanilines, ppolythiophenes; substituted polythiophenes, polysilanes and substituted polysilanes; conjugated polymers; poly(arylenevinylene) and substituted derivatives thereof; poly(p-phenylenevinylene-PPV and copolymers; poly(2,5 dialkoxyphenylene vinylene); poly (2-methoxy-5-(2-methoxypentyloxy-1,4-phenylenevinylene), poly(2-methoxypentyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene), poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-dodecyloxy-1,4-phenylenevinylene) and other poly(2,5 dialkoxyphenylenevinylenes) with at least one of the alkoxy groups being a long chain solubilising alkoxy group; copolymers of an aniline monomer of the general formula

where R is in the ortho—or meta-position and is hydrogen, C1-18 alkyl, C1-6 alkoxy, amino, chloro, bromo, hydroxy or the group

where R″ is alky or aryl and R″′ is hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl or aryl, with at least one other monomer of formula I above

where p is from 1 to 10 and n is from 1 to 20, R is hydrogen, C1-18 alkyl, C1-6 alkoxy, amino, chloro, bromo, hydroxy p is 1 to 20 and n is 1 to 50 and X is an anion. polymers of formula

where X is selected from Cl, Br, SO 4 , BF 4 , PF 6 , H 2 PO 3 , H 2 PO 4 , arylsulphonate, arenedicarboxylate, polystyrenesulphonate, polyacrylate alkysulphonate, vinylsulphonate, vinylbenzene sulphonate, cellusode sulphonate, cellulose sulphate or a perfluorinated polyanion; copolymers of aniline with o-anisidine, m-sulphanilic acid or o-aminophenol, or o-toluidine with o-aminophenol, o-ethylaniline or o-phenylene diaminie and substituted or unsubstituted polyaminonapthalenes, polyaminoanthracenes, polyamino phenanthrenes.

55 . A method according to claim 47 in which there is a layer of an electron injecting material deposited on the electroluminescent layer.

56 . A method according to claim 51 in which there is a layer of an electron injecting material deposited on the electroluminescent layer.

57 . A method according to claim 53 in which there is a layer of an electron injecting material deposited on the electroluminescent layer.

58 . A method according to claim 57 characterised the electron injecting material is selected from metal quinolates, a cyano-anthracene, 9,10 dicyano-anthracene, a polystyrene-sulphonate, aluminium quinolate and lithium quinolate.

59 . A method according to claim 47 in which a second electrode selected from aluminium, calcium, lithium, or a silver/magnesium alloys is placed in contact with the electroluminescent layer and forms the cathode.

60 . A method according to claim 57 in which a second electrode selected from aluminium, calcium, lithium, or a silver/magnesium alloys is placed in contact with the electron injecting layer and forms the cathode.

61 . A method of forming an electroluminescent device which comprises depositing sequentially on a substrate (i) a first electrode; (ii) a layer of a hole transporting material; (iii) a layer comprising the electroluminescent material and (iv) a layer of an electron transporting layer material in which at least the layer of the electroluminescent material is deposited by ink jet printing and in which the electroluminescent layer is selected from compounds of formula

where Lα is selected from an organic ligand and compounds of formula

where R 1 , R 2 and R 3 can be the same or different and are selected from hydrogen, and substituted and unsubstituted hydrocarbyl groups such as substituted and unsubstituted aliphatic groups, substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures, fluorocarbons such as trifluoryl methyl groups, halogens such as fluorine or thiophenyl groups; R 1 , R 2 and R 3 can also form substituted and unsubstituted fused aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures and can be copolymerisable with a monomer X is Se, S or O, Y can be hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl groups, such as substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures, fluorine, fluorocarbons such as trifluoryl methyl groups, halogens such as fluorine or thiophenyl groups or nitrile and the ligands Lα are the same or different, Lp is a neutral organic ligand, or is of formula

where each Ph which can be the same or different and can be a phenyl (OPNP) or a substituted phenyl group, other substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic or polycyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted fused aromatic group such as a naphthyl, anthracene, phenanthrene or pyrene group;

M is selected from a rare earth, transition metal, lanthanide or an actinide, M 2 is a non rare earth rare earth, transition metal, lanthanide or an actinide metal,

n is the combined valence state of M and M 1 and from compounds of formula

where L is a bridging ligand and where M 1 and M 3 are selected from a rare earth, transition metal, lanthanide or an actinide, M 2 is a non rare earth metals and M 4 is M 1 ;

Lm, Lp and Ln are the same or different organic ligands or is Lα, as defined above, x is the valence state of M 1 , y is the valence state of M 2 , and z is the valence state of M 3 and in which the rare earth metals and the non rare earth metals can be joined together by a metal to metal bond and/or via an intermediate bridging atom, ligand or molecular group or in which there are more than three metals joined by metal to metal bonds and/or via intermediate ligands.

62 . A method according to claim 61 in which the said rare earth, transition metal, lanthanide or an actinide is selected from Sm(III), Eu(II), Eu(III), Tb(III), Dy(III), Yb(III), Lu(III), Gd (III), Gd(III), U(III), Tm(III), Ce (III), Pr(III), Nd(III), Pm(III), Dy(III), Ho(III) and Er(III) and the non rare earth metal M 2 is selected from lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, copper, silver, gold, zinc, cadmium, boron, aluminium, gallium, indium, germanium, tin, antimony, lead, and metals of the first, second and third groups of transition metals, manganese, iron, ruthenium, osmium, cobalt, nickel, palladium, platinum, cadmium, chromium, titanium, vanadium, zirconium, tantalum, molybdenum, rhodium, iridium, titanium, niobium, scandium, and yttrium.

63 . A method according to claim 61 in which the electroluminescent material is a selected from metal quinolates and lithium quinolate.

64 . A method according to claim 61 in which the electroluminescent material is selected from non rare earth metal organo metallic complexes, aluminium, magnesium, zinc or scandium organo complexes, β-diketone complexes, Al(DBM) 3 , Zn(DBM) 2 and Mg(DBM) 2 , Sc(DBM) 3 where (DBM) is Tris-(1,3-diphenyl-1-3-propanedione).

65 . A method according to claim 61 in which the hole transporting material and/or the electron transporting material and/or the light emitting metal compound are mixed to form one layer.