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| United States Patent |
6,436,222
|
|
Andre
, et al.
|
August 20, 2002
|
Forming preformed images in organic electroluminescent devices
Abstract
A method of making a non-pixelated organic electroluminescent (EL) device
with a preformed image includes the steps of forming a light-transmissive
anode electrode over a light-transmissive substrate; forming an organic EL
medium structure over the anode electrode; forming a cathode electrode
over the organic EL medium structure and providing a cover structure over
the device; and forming a preformed image in the cathode electrode by
using a laser beam to remove cathode material imagewise from the cathode
such that when a voltage is applied between the anode and cathode
electrodes light will not be emitted from the device in areas
corresponding to the preformed image, and the preformed image will be
observable by a viewer as a dark image surrounded by a bright field of
light emitted through the substrate.
| Inventors:
|
Andre; James J. (Rochester, NY);
Van Slyke; Steven A. (Pittsford, NY)
|
| Assignee:
|
Eastman Kodak Company (Rochester, NY)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
569900 |
| Filed:
|
May 12, 2000 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
156/272.8; 156/292; 219/121.69; 313/504 |
| Intern'l Class: |
H01J 001/62 |
| Field of Search: |
156/272.8,292
219/121.69
313/504
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
| 4356429 | Oct., 1982 | Tang.
| |
| 4539507 | Sep., 1985 | VanSlyke.
| |
| 4769292 | Sep., 1988 | Tang et al.
| |
| 5728994 | Mar., 1998 | Hutton | 219/121.
|
| 6137221 | Oct., 2000 | Roitman et al. | 313/504.
|
| 6268071 | Jul., 2001 | Yasukawa et al. | 313/504.
|
Primary Examiner: Aftergut; Jeff H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Owens; Raymond L.
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