Light-Emitting Component and Method for Producing a Light-Emitting Component

Abstract

A light-emitting component and a method for producing a light-emitting component are disclosed. I an embodiment the light-emitting component includes a layer sequence for generating light, wherein the layer sequence comprises a marking, and wherein the marking is formed as a luminescence degradation of the layer sequence.

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. A light-emitting component comprising: a layer sequence for generating light, wherein the layer sequence comprises a marking, and wherein the marking is formed as a luminescence degradation of the layer sequence.

18. The light-emitting component according to claim 17, wherein the layer sequence for generating light is aged in a targeted manner in a region of the marking.

19. The light-emitting component according to claim 17, wherein, when the light-emitting component is in normal operation, the marking has a reduced electroluminescence compared to a region of the layer sequence that is free of the marking.

20. The light-emitting component according to claim 17, wherein the marking has a reduced photoluminescence under UV irradiation compared to a region of the layer sequence that is free of the marking.

21. The light-emitting component according to claim 17, wherein the layer sequence includes at least one organic layer.

22. The light-emitting component according to claim 21, wherein the at least one organic layer comprises the marking.

23. The light-emitting component according to claim 21, wherein the organic layer is defective or destroyed in a targeted manner in a region of the marking.

24. The light-emitting component according to claim 17, wherein the marking is formed intrinsically with respect to the light-emitting component so that an outer surface of the light-emitting component is free of the marking.

25. The light-emitting component according to claim 17, wherein the marking includes a plurality of degraded regions, the degraded regions are separated from one another by non-degraded regions.

26. The light-emitting component according to claim 17, wherein the marking includes a coding.

27. The light-emitting component according to claim 17, wherein a lateral extent of the marking is between 1 m*1 m and 150 m*150 m.

28. A method for producing a light-emitting component having a layer sequence for generating radiation, the method comprising: forming a marking by coherent radiation, wherein the marking comprises a luminescence degradation in the layer sequence.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein a wavelength of the coherent radiation is between 150 nm and 550 nm.

30. The method according to claim 28, further comprising: forming a first electrode on the layer sequence, wherein the first electrode extends at least partially over the layer sequence in a lateral direction; forming the marking in the layer sequence in a vertical direction from a side of the layer sequence that faces away from the first electrode; and after forming the marking in the layer sequence, forming a second electrode on the layer sequence on the side of the layer sequence facing away from the first electrode in the vertical direction so that the second electrode at least partially extends over the layer sequence in the lateral direction.

31. The method according to claim 28, further comprising: forming an auxiliary layer that at least partially extends over the layer sequence in the lateral direction; and forming the marking in the layer sequence in a vertical direction through the auxiliary layer from a side of the layer sequence that faces the auxiliary layer.

32. The method according to claim 28, further comprising: providing a substrate that at least partially extends over the layer sequence in the lateral direction; and forming the marking in the layer sequence in a vertical direction through the substrate from a side of the layer sequence that faces the substrate.

33. The method according to claim 28, wherein the marking includes a coding, and wherein a lateral extent of the marking is at most 150 m*150 m.

34. A light-emitting component comprising: a layer sequence for generating light, wherein the layer sequence comprises a marking, wherein the marking is formed as a luminescence degradation of the layer sequence, wherein the marking includes a coding, and wherein a lateral extent of the marking is at most 150 m*150 m.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Further features, configurations and expediencies result from the following description of the exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the Figures.

[0036] The figures show in:

[0037] FIG. 1 is a first exemplary embodiment of a method for producing a light-emitting component having a marking by means of a schematically-illustrated sectional view;

[0038] FIG. 2 is the light-emitting component according to FIG. 1 by means of a schematically-illustrated plan view;

[0039] FIG. 3 is a second exemplary embodiment of a method for producing the light-emitting component having a marking by means of a schematically-illustrated sectional view; and

[0040] FIG. 4 is a third exemplary embodiment of a method for producing the light-emitting component having a marking by means of a schematically-illustrated sectional view.

[0041] Like, identical or similar elements are denoted with the same reference characters throughout the figures. The figures and the size ratios of the elements illustrated in the Figures are not to be considered to be true to scale. Rather, individual elements and in particular layer thicknesses can be illustrated in an exaggerated size for the purpose of a better illustration and/or understanding.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates a first exemplary embodiment of a method for producing a marked light-emitting component 1 in a schematic sectional view.

[0043] A substrate 5 is provided, which extends in the lateral direction. Together with a side, the substrate 5 forms, e.g., a bottom surface of the light-emitting component 1. A layer sequence 3 for the generation of light is arranged on a side of the substrate 5 facing away from the bottom surface of the light-emitting component 1. The light-emitting component 1 includes a first electrode 9 on a side of the layer sequence 3 that faces the substrate 5. The light-emitting component further includes a second electrode 11 on a side of the layer sequence 3 facing away from the substrate 5.

[0044] The layer sequence 3 includes organic semiconductor material, in particular organic layers for the emission of light and for supplying charge carriers. In particular, the light-emitting component 1 is an organic light-emitting diode chip having an active region provided for the generation of light (not explicitly shown in the figures for the sake of simplicity).

[0045] The electrodes 9, 11 comprise, e.g., a conductive oxide, metal, metal alloy or metal oxide such as aluminum, silver, a silver-magnesium-alloy or indium tin oxide. Here, electrodes 9, 11 form the cathode and anode for the electrical contacting of the light-emitting component 1. In this exemplary embodiment, the substrate 5 is formed as an opaque metal foil to be flexible. An emission direction of the light-emitting component 1 is directed to a side of the layer sequence 3 that faces the second electrode 11 (so-called top emitter). In this context, at least the second electrode 11 is formed to be transparent.

[0046] In other embodiments, both the substrate 5 and the two electrodes 9, 11 can be of transparent design. In this case, the emission direction of the light-emitting component is, e.g., unobstructed in the vertical direction (so-called transparent OLED). To that end, the substrate 5 can be formed of glass, for example.

[0047] The light-emitting component 1 further includes a transparent auxiliary layer 13 arranged in the vertical direction on a side of the second electrode 11 facing away from the layer sequence 3. The auxiliary layer 13 forms a cover layer of the light-emitting component 1, for example. The auxiliary layer 13 includes one or multiple sub-layers, for example. Here, the auxiliary layer 13 or a sub-layer thereof if formed as a protective layer of the light-emitting component 1 and includes glass, for example. The auxiliary layer 13 is a final encapsulation of the light-emitting component 1, for example. In particular, the light-emitting component 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment can be provided to be ready for operation.

[0048] In the context of the forming of a marking 7 (see FIG. 2) for simplified traceability and improved counter protection of the light-emitting component 1, the light-emitting component 1 is applied with coherent radiation 15 from the cover surface, e.g., in a separate or final step.

[0049] To that end, a UV laser can be used, in particular, in order to achieve an artificial ageing of the light-emitting component 1 in a region of the marking 7 (a so-called local degradation). In this case, it is made use of the fact that the light-emitting component 1, in particular the layer sequence 3, is degraded under the impact of ultraviolet (UV) light, i.e., by selective irradiation of the light-emitting component 1 with coherent radiation 15, a region of the light-emitting component 11 can be degraded to such an extent that its luminescent properties are severely impaired (in this context, the irradiation can also be referred to as luminescence degradation). The degraded region may in particular have significantly reduced electroluminescence during light-emitting operation of the light-emitting component 1. Furthermore, the degraded region can have a severely-reduced photo luminescence when irradiated, in particular when irradiated with UV radiation. This advantageously allows reading the marking 7 both in a functional and in a defective light-emitting component 1. In this context, a degraded region of the marking 7 can be perceived to be darker compared to a non-degraded region.

[0050] In this case, the marking 7 is formed intrinsically in the light-emitting component 1, so that an outer surface of the light-emitting component 1, including the cover surface, the bottom surface and the side surfaces of the light-emitting component 1, is free of the marking. In particular, the organic semiconductor material comprises the marking 7 after this step, e.g., an emitter layer of the layer sequence 3. Alternatively or in addition however, further layers of the light-emitting component 1 may comprise the marking 7, e.g., e.g., a so-called interface between the cathode and the emitter layer.

[0051] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the marking 7 comprises multiple degraded regions spaced from one another by non-degraded regions. In this exemplary embodiment, a shape and a size of the degraded regions are formed equally. The degraded regions are illustrated schematically as quadratic. However, the degraded regions may have any shape, in particular a circular shape.

[0052] In particular, for forming the marking 7, a laser having a wavelength of 330 nm to 370 nm, particularly 355 nm, is used. A region degraded in such a way is in particular circular. In this case, a diameter of the region degraded in such a way can be merely 5 m, so that this region is not per se perceivable due to the poor resolution capability of the human eye.

[0053] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the degraded regions are arranged in a grid. In particular, the degraded and non-degraded regions of the marking 7 form a two-dimensional binary coding, e.g., a so-called data matrix or dot matrix. In this exemplary embodiment, the marking 7 includes 1111 grid cells. A lateral extent of the marking 7 can be 55 m55 m then, for example.

[0054] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the individual grid cells are not additionally spaced from one another by non-degraded regions, so that the lateral extent of the marking 7, e.g., doubles, namely is 110 m110 m, for example. The non-degraded regions for spacing the grid cells advantageously allow a higher light yield of the light-emitting component 1 in the region of the marking 7. In particular, the individual degraded regions can be irradiated during operation of the light-emitting component 1, thereby contributing to making the marking 7 invisible to the human eye.

[0055] The number of grid cells can be different in other exemplary embodiments. In particular, the number can be between 1 and 1000 grid cells per column and/or line, depending on an information content of the marking 7. Here, the number of grid cells per column can differ from the number of grid cells per line. Furthermore, the grid does not necessarily have to consist of lines or columns arranged perpendicular to one another and other patterns such as a hexagonal arrangement of the grid cells are possible just as well. Here, a lateral extent of the marking 7 is preferably less than 1 mm1 mm, so that a high light yield of the light-emitting component 1 is made possible.

[0056] Furthermore, the marking 7 is not limited to a coding. Rather, simple labels as well as different, one-dimensional, two-dimensional or multi-dimensional codings can be implemented, as mentioned in the general section of the description.

[0057] The second exemplary embodiment of a method for producing a light-emitting component 1 having a marking illustrated by means of FIG. 3 is different from the first exemplary embodiment in that the marking 7 is formed in the layer sequence 3 of the light-emitting component 1 in an intermediate step during the production, i.e., in particular in a light-emitting component 1 that is not ready for operation. This can, e.g., be the case, if the light-emitting component 1 is a so-called bottom emitter, in which a side of the layer sequence 3 facing away from the substrate 5 is covered by at least one opaque layer. The opaque layer is, e.g., a second electrode 11 formed to be reflective.

[0058] In this case, forming of the marking 7 from the cover surface of the light-emitting component 1 by means of coherent radiation 15 is only possible prior to the application of the opaque layer. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the light-emitting component 1 is applied with the coherent radiation after the application of the layer sequence 3.

[0059] In contrast, the light-emitting component 1 can also be a so-called top emitter or a transparent OLED, in which the forming of the marking 7 can be effected any time after application of the layer sequence 3 from the cover surface of the light-emitting component 1.

[0060] After forming the marking 7, the other layers of the light-emitting component 1 are applied, for example, analogously to the first exemplary embodiment.

[0061] The third exemplary embodiment of a method for producing a marked light-emitting component 1 illustrated by means of FIG. 4 differs from the first exemplary embodiment in that the marking 7 is formed in the layer sequence 3 from the bottom surface of the light-emitting component 1 by means of coherent radiation 15. In this context, the first electrode 9 as well as the substrate 5 are of transparent design. Here, the light-emitting component 1 is a so called bottom emitter or a transparent OLED. The forming of the marking 7 can be effected any time after application of the layer sequence 3, for example, also analogously to the second exemplary embodiment.