Claims
- 1. An electroluminescent device including a plurality of layers, the device comprising:
a first electrode layer; a second electrode layer; a light-emitting layer disposed between the first and second electrode layers; and at least one crystallite formed in a layer.
- 2. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer includes a plurality of row electrodes and the second electrode layer includes a plurality of column electrodes.
- 3. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:
a plurality of pixels, wherein the pixel is an area of the device where a row electrode overlaps a column electrode; and a plurality of inter-pixel areas, wherein the inter-pixel area is an area of the device void of any electrode overlapping another electrode, and wherein the crystallite is positioned in one inter-pixel area.
- 4. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the crystallite is formed by heat treatment.
- 5. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 3, wherein the crystallite is formed by laser annealing.
- 6. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 3, wherein the crystallite is formed by ultra-violet exposure.
- 7. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the crystallite is formed by laser annealing.
- 8. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the crystallite is formed by ultra-violet exposure.
- 9. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 1, wherein one electrode layer includes a roughened surface.
- 10. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 9, wherein the roughened surface is formed by laser annealing.
- 11. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 3, wherein one electrode layer includes a roughened surface over inter-pixel areas.
- 12. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the roughened surface is formed by laser annealing.
- 13. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the crystallite has a size of approximately 0.4 microns.
- 14. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 1, further including a plurality of crystallites.
- 15. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer is formed from indium tin oxide, the second electrode layer is formed from aluminum, the light-emitting layer is formed from zinc sulfide doped with manganese, and the crystallite is located within the light-emitting layer.
- 16. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first electrode layer is formed from indium tin oxide, the second electrode layer is formed from aluminum, the light-emitting layer is formed from zinc sulfide doped with manganese, and the crystallite is located within the light-emitting layer.
- 17. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is formed from aluminum, the light-emitting layer is formed from zinc sulfide doped with manganese, and wherein one of the layers of electrodes includes a roughened surface.
- 18. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is formed from aluminum, the light-emitting layer is formed from zinc sulfide doped with manganese, and wherein one of the layers of electrodes includes a roughened surface.
- 19. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer is formed from indium tin oxide, the second electrode layer is a multilayer electrode formed from aluminum and lithium fluoride, and the light-emitting layer is formed from doped 8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum.
- 20. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first electrode layer is formed from indium tin oxide, the second electrode layer is a multilayer electrode formed from aluminum and lithium fluoride, the light-emitting layer is formed from doped 8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum, and the crystallite is located within the inter-pixel area.
- 21. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:
a first and second dielectric layers; and a viewing surface.
- 22. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 19 further comprising a light-absorbing layer.
- 23. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:
a hole injection layer; a hole transport layer; a electron transport layer; and a viewing surface.
- 24. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 21 further comprising a layer of inert gas with desiccant.
- 25. A method of fabricating an electroluminescent device that emits light to an observer and wherein the device has a plurality of layers, the method comprising:
depositing the layers onto a viewing surface; and thermally treating the layers such that a layer produces a crystalline scattering state.
- 26. The method as set forth in claim 25, wherein the crystalline scattering state is a crystallite capable of enhancing the amount of light emitted to the observer.
- 27. The method as set forth in claim 25, wherein laser annealing is used to thermally treat the layers.
- 28. The method as set forth in claim 25, wherein ultra-violet exposure is used to thermally treat the layers.
- 29. The method as set forth in claim 25, further comprising removing a crystalline scattering state that substantially reduces the amount of light being emitted from the device.
- 30. An electroluminescent device including a plurality of layers, the device comprising:
a first electrode layer of a substantially non-transparent material; a second electrode layer of a substantially non-transparent material; and a light-emitting layer disposed between the first and second electrode layers.
- 31. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 30, wherein the light-emitting layer includes a polycrystalline material containing at least one crystallite.
- 32. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 30, wherein the first electrode layer includes a plurality of row electrodes and the second electrode layer includes a plurality of column electrodes.
- 33. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 32, further comprising:
a crystallite; a plurality of pixels, wherein the pixel is an area of the device where a row electrode overlaps a column electrode; and a plurality of inter-pixel areas, wherein the inter-pixel area is an area of the device void of any electrode overlapping another electrode, and wherein the crystallite is positioned in one inter-pixel area.
- 34. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 33, wherein the crystallite scatters light emitted from the light emitting layer.
- 35. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 30, further comprising a crystallite formed in a layer, the crystallite operable to scatter light emitted from the light-emitting layer.
- 36. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 30, wherein the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are layers formed from metal.
- 37. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 34, wherein the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are formed from aluminum.
- 38. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 37, wherein the first electrode layer includes a roughened surface.
- 39. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 38, wherein the roughened surface is formed by laser annealing.
- 40. An electroluminescent device having a plurality of layers deposited on a viewing surface, the device comprising:
a light-emitting means; a light-scattering means for increasing a luminance of the device; and a conducting means for establishing a voltage across the light-emitting means.
- 41. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 40, wherein the light-emitting means includes the light-scatting means.
- 42. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 41, wherein the light-scattering means is at least one crystallite within the light-emitting means.
- 43. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 40, wherein the light-scattering means is a gap within a layer of the device.
- 44. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 43, where the gap includes two sidewalls positioned at an angle.
- 45. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 40, wherein the conducting means includes the light-scattering means.
- 46. The electroluminescent device as set forth in claim 40, wherein the light-scattering means is a roughened surface of a layer within the device.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/301,995, entitled “ENHANCEMENT OF LUMINANCE AND LIFE IN ELECTROLUMINESCENCE,” filed on Jun. 28, 2001, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60301995 |
Jun 2001 |
US |