LED device having improved power distribution
View Patent ↗An LED device that includes electrodes patterned over a substrate; the pattern forming several first electrodes separated by inter-electrode spacers. One or more light-emitting layers are formed over the first electrodes. A patterned conductive layer is formed over the one or more light-emitting layers and over the first electrodes in regions external to the inter-electrode spacers. A continuous unpatterned conductive layer is formed over both the patterned conductive layer and the inter-electrode spacers. Finally, a combination of the patterned and continuous unpatterned conductive layers form a single, bi-layered, electrically continuous second electrode.
1. An LED device, comprising:
a) a substrate;
b) a plurality of electrodes patterned over the substrate, the pattern forming a plurality of first electrodes separated by inter-electrode spacers;
c) one or more light-emitting layers formed over the plurality of first electrodes;
d) a patterned conductive layer formed over the one or more light-emitting layers and over the plurality of first electrodes in regions external to the inter-electrode spacers;
e) a continuous unpatterned conductive layer formed over both the patterned conductive layer and the inter-electrode spacers; and
f) wherein a combination of the patterned and continuous unpatterned conductive layers form a single, bi-layered, electrically continuous second electrode, and
wherein the thickness of at least some of the patterned, conductive layer is different over at least some of the plurality of first electrodes than over others of the plurality of first electrodes.
2. The LED device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first electrodes are transparent and either or both of the patterned and continuous unpatterned conductive layers are reflective; or wherein the plurality of first electrodes are reflective and both the patterned and continuous unpatterned conductive layers are transparent.
3. The LED device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first electrodes are reflective, the patterned conductive layer is transparent, and the continuous unpatterned conductive layer is semi-transparent.
4. The LED device of claim 3 , further comprising a transparent conductive layer formed over the semi-transparent, continuous unpatterned conductive layer.
5. The LED device of claim 1 , wherein the light-emitting layer comprises organic light-emitting materials, inorganic phosphorescent light-emitting materials, or light-emitting quantum dots in a semiconducting matrix.
6. The LED device of claim 1 , further comprising an electrode buss electrically continuous with the single, bi-layered, electrically continuous second electrode.
7. The LED device of claim 1 , wherein the continuous, unpatterned conductive layer is thicker than the patterned conductive layer.
8. The LED device of claim 1 , wherein different light-emitting materials, in the light-emitting layer, emit different colors of light over different first electrodes.