High resolution organic light-emitting diode devices, displays, and related methods
View Patent ↗A method of manufacturing an organic-light emitting diode (OLED) display can include providing on a substrate a first electrode associated with a first sub-pixel and a second electrode associated with a second sub-pixel, wherein a gap is formed between the first electrode and the second electrode and wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are positioned in a well having boundaries defined by a confinement structure on the substrate. The method can also include depositing in the well with the electrodes positioned therein, active OLED material to form a substantially continuous layer of active OLED material that spans the boundaries of the well such that a surface of the layer of active OLED material that faces away from the substrate has a non-planar topography. The depositing can be via inkjet printing.
1. A method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display comprising:
providing on a substrate a first electrode associated with a first sub-pixel and a second electrode associated with a second sub-pixel, wherein a gap is formed between the first electrode and the second electrode and wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are positioned in a well having boundaries defined by a confinement structure on the substrate; and
depositing in the well with the electrodes positioned therein, active OLED material to form a substantially continuous layer of active OLED material that spans and is contained within the boundaries of the well such that a surface of the layer of active OLED material that faces away from the substrate has a non-planar topography, wherein the depositing is via inkjet printing.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer of active OLED material has a substantially uniform thickness.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the layer of active OLED material includes local non-uniformities in thickness.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the local non-uniformities in thickness are within 5 μm-10 μm of edges of surface features in the well.
5. The method of claim 1 , the layer of active OLED material has a thickness less than a thickness of the first electrode and the second electrode.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the active OLED material comprises light-emissive material.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the light-emissive material has a light-emissive wavelength range that is the same for the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer of active OLED material comprises two layers of active OLED materials including a light-emissive material and a hole conducting material.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the hole conducting material is at least one of a hole injecting material and a hole transporting material.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sub-pixels correspond to differing pixels.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a structure on the substrate within the gap between the first electrode and the second electrode.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the structure comprises an electrically resistive material.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing a definition layer on the substrate and a portion of the first electrode and the second electrode and then depositing the confinement structure over the definition layer.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the definition layer comprises an electrically resistive material.
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising depositing a structure on the substrate in the gap between the first electrode and the second electrode.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising depositing a second definition layer on the structure.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic light-emissive display is a top emission display.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display has a fill factor greater than 40%.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display has a fill factor greater than 60%.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display has a resolution of at least 100 ppi.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display has a resolution of at least 300 ppi.
22. An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, comprising:
a first electrode disposed on a substrate, wherein the first electrode is associated with a first sub-pixel;
a second electrode disposed on the substrate and spaced from the first electrode to provide a gap between the first and second electrodes, wherein the second electrode is associated with a second sub-pixel;
a confinement structure positioned on the substrate to define boundaries of a well containing the first electrode and the second electrode; and
a substantially continuous active OLED material layer that spans and is contained within the boundaries of the well and is disposed over the first electrode and second electrode, wherein a surface of the active OLED material layer that faces away from the substrate has a non-planar topography.
23. The display of claim 22 , wherein the active OLED material layer has a substantially uniform thickness.
24. The display of claim 23 , wherein the active OLED material layer includes local non-uniformities.
25. The display of claim 24 , wherein the local non-uniformities in thickness are within 5 μm to 10 μm of edges of surface features in the well.
26. The display of claim 22 , wherein the active OLED material layer has a thickness less than a thickness of the first electrode and the second electrode.
27. The display of claim 22 , wherein the active OLED material layer comprises a light-emissive material.
28. The display of claim 27 , wherein the light-emissive material has a light-emissive wavelength range that is the same for the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel.
29. The display of claim 22 , wherein the active OLED material layer comprises two active OLED material layers including a light-emissive material layer and a hole conducting material layer.
30. The display of claim 29 , wherein the hole conducting material is chosen from at least one of a hole injecting material and a hole transporting material.
31. The display of claim 22 , wherein the first and second sub-pixels correspond to differing pixels.
32. The display of claim 22 , further comprising a structure disposed on the substrate within the gap between the first electrode and the second electrode.
33. The display of claim 32 , wherein the structure comprises an electrically resistive material.
34. The display of claim 22 , further comprising a definition layer disposed on the substrate over a portion of the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the confinement structure is disposed over the definition layer.
35. The display of claim 34 , wherein the definition layer comprises an electrically resistive material.
36. The display of claim 34 , further comprising a structure disposed on the substrate in the gap between the first electrode and the second electrode.
37. The display of claim 36 , further comprising a second definition layer disposed over the structure.
38. The display of claim 22 , wherein the display is a top emission display.
39. The display of claim 22 , wherein the display is an active matrix device.
40. The display of claim 22 , wherein the display has a fill factor greater than 40%.
41. The display of claim 22 , wherein the display has a fill factor greater than 60%.
42. The display of claim 22 , wherein the display has a resolution of at least 100 ppi.
43. The display of claim 22 , wherein the display has a resolution of at least 300 ppi.