JP7397666B2 - Encapsulant for organic EL display elements - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sealant for organic EL display elements that has excellent coating properties on substrates and inorganic material films even when the film is made thin.

An organic electroluminescent (hereinafter also referred to as "organic EL") display element has a laminate structure in which an organic light emitting material layer is sandwiched between a pair of electrodes facing each other. When electrons are injected and holes are injected from the other electrode, the electrons and holes combine in the organic light emitting material layer to emit light. Since organic EL display elements emit light by themselves, they have better visibility than liquid crystal display elements that require a backlight, can be made thinner, and can be driven at low DC voltages. It has the advantage of

The organic light-emitting material layers and electrodes that constitute an organic EL display element have a problem in that their characteristics tend to deteriorate due to moisture, oxygen, and the like. Therefore, in order to obtain a practical organic EL display element, it is necessary to extend the life of the organic light emitting material layer and electrode by shielding them from the atmosphere. Patent Document 1 discloses a method of sealing an organic light emitting material layer and an electrode of an organic EL display element with a laminated film of a silicon nitride film and a resin film formed by a CVD method. Here, the resin film has the role of preventing pressure on the organic layer and electrodes due to internal stress of the silicon nitride film.

As a method for preventing moisture from penetrating into the organic light emitting material layer, Patent Document 2 discloses a method of alternately depositing an inorganic material film and a resin film, and Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4 discloses a method of forming a resin film on an inorganic material film.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-223264 Special Publication No. 2005-522891 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-307873 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-149710

As a method for forming a resin film, there is a method of applying a sealant onto a base material using an inkjet method and then curing the sealant. If such an inkjet coating method is used, a resin film can be formed uniformly at high speed.
On the other hand, since there is a need for flexible organic EL display elements that can be curved or folded, the sealant for organic EL display elements must also be made flexible. One possible way to make the encapsulant for organic EL display elements flexible is to make the encapsulant a thin film, but conventional encapsulants require coating when thinning them using an inkjet method, etc. There was a problem of being inferior in gender.
An object of the present invention is to provide a sealant for an organic EL display element that has excellent coating properties on a substrate or an inorganic material film even when the film is made thin.

The present invention is a sealant for an organic EL display element containing a curable resin and a polymerization initiator, in which the solubility parameter of the entire curable resin is 16.5 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 or more. 5 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 or less, contains two or more types of curable resin as the curable resin, and the difference in solubility parameters between each curable resin is 5 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/ The ratio of the content of the curable resin to the total curable resin of ² or less is 95% by weight or more, and the surface tension of the entire sealant for organic EL display elements at 25°C is 25 mN/m or more and 38 mN/m or less. This is a sealant for a certain organic EL display element.
The present invention will be explained in detail below.

The present inventors have discovered that the cause of poor coating properties when attempting to thin a sealant for organic EL display elements is due to foreign matter generated during the substrate manufacturing process, etc., and the sealant around the foreign matter. We believe that this is due to repelling or the inability of the sealant to follow the unevenness of the substrate or inorganic material film, resulting in the formation of pinholes. Therefore, as a result of intensive studies, the present inventors found that by setting the solubility parameter of the entire curable resin and the surface tension of the entire encapsulant within specific ranges, even when thinning the film, the substrate and inorganic material film The present inventors have discovered that it is possible to obtain a sealant for organic EL display elements that has excellent coating properties, and have completed the present invention.

The sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention has a surface tension of the entire sealant for organic EL display elements at 25°C of 25 mN/m or more and 38 mN/m or less. By having the above-mentioned surface tension within this range, the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention has an excellent effect of preventing repellency caused by foreign matter and has excellent wettability to substrates and inorganic material films. . The lower limit of the surface tension of the entire sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention is preferably 26 mN/m, the upper limit is 37 mN/m, the lower limit is more preferably 27 mN/m, and the upper limit is 35 mN/m.
In addition, the said surface tension can be measured by a dynamic wettability tester at 25 degreeC.

The sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention contains a curable resin.
The sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention has a solubility parameter (hereinafter also referred to as "SP value") of the entire curable resin of 16.5 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 or more and 19.5 (J /cm ³ ) ^1/2 or less. Since the SP value of the entire curable resin is within this range, the encapsulant for organic EL display elements of the present invention has the effect of preventing repellency caused by foreign matter and the wettability to the substrate and inorganic material film. It will be excellent in A preferable lower limit of the SP value of the entire curable resin is 17.0 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 , a preferable upper limit is 19.2 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 , and a more preferable lower limit is 17.7. (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 , and a more preferable upper limit is 19.0 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 .
In addition, in this specification, the above-mentioned "solubility parameter" is a value calculated by the Fedors estimation method. Moreover, the above-mentioned "solubility parameter of the entire curable resin" means the average value of the solubility parameter based on the weight fraction of each curable resin component used in the sealant for an organic EL display element.

The encapsulant for organic EL display elements of the present invention contains two or more kinds of curable resins as the above-mentioned curable resins, and the difference in SP value between each curable resin is 5 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2. The content of the following curable resin based on the total curable resin is 95% by weight or more. That is, when calculating the sum of the contents of two or more curable resins so that there is no combination of curable resins in which the difference in SP value between each curable resin exceeds 5 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 . However, there are combinations in which the amount is 95% by weight or more based on the total curable resin. Encapsulant for organic EL display elements obtained when the content of the curable resin is 95% by weight or more so that the difference in SP value between the curable resins is 5 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 or less However, it has an excellent effect of preventing repelling caused by foreign matter and has excellent wettability to the substrate and the inorganic material film. The content of the curable resin at which the difference in SP value between each curable resin is 5 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 or less is preferably 98% by weight or more, and preferably 99% by weight or more. The content is more preferably 99.9% by weight or more, even more preferably 99.99% by weight or more.
The encapsulant for organic EL display elements of the present invention contains two or more kinds of curable resins as the above-mentioned curable resins, and the maximum difference in SP value between each curable resin is 5 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/ It is preferably ² or less. That is, it is preferable that there is no combination of curable resins in which the difference in SP value exceeds 5 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 . Since the maximum difference in SP value between each of the above-mentioned curable resins is 5 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 or less, the obtained sealant for organic EL display elements can prevent repelling caused by foreign substances. The effect and wettability to the substrate and inorganic material film are improved. It is more preferable that the maximum difference in SP value between each of the above-mentioned curable resins is 4 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 or less.

The SP value of the entire curable resin and the SP value of each curable resin component in the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention can be determined by purifying the sealant for organic EL display elements by chromatography or by GC- The structure and composition can be specified by performing compositional analysis such as MS, LC-MS, etc., and the SP value can be calculated and determined.

The curable resin preferably contains a compound having a siloxane skeleton. By containing the above-mentioned compound having a siloxane skeleton, it becomes easy to adjust the surface tension of the resulting sealant for organic EL display elements, and the resulting coating film has better flatness.

Examples of the compound having a siloxane skeleton include epoxy compounds having a siloxane skeleton, oxetane compounds having a siloxane skeleton, and (meth)acrylic compounds having a siloxane skeleton. Among these, a compound represented by the following formula (1) is preferred.
In addition, in this specification, the above-mentioned "(meth)acrylic" means acrylic or methacryl, the above-mentioned "(meth)acrylic compound" means a compound having a (meth)acryloyl group, and the above-mentioned "(meth)acrylic" means a compound having a (meth)acryloyl group. "Acryloyl" means acryloyl or methacryloyl.

In formula (1), R ¹ represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and X ¹ and X ² each independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or the following formula (2- 1), (2-2), (2-3), or (2-4), and X ³ represents the following formula (2-1), (2-2), (2-2). -3) or a group represented by (2-4). m is an integer from 0 to 100, and n is an integer from 0 to 100. However, when n is 0, at least one of X ¹ and X ² is represented by the following formula (2-1), (2-2), (2-3), or (2-4). represents a group.

In the formulas (2-1) to (2-4), R ² represents a bond or an alkylene group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and in the formula (2-3), R ³ represents hydrogen or a carbon number 1 It represents an alkyl group of 6 or less, R ⁴ represents a bond or a methylene group, and in formula (2-4), R ⁵ represents hydrogen or a methyl group.

The above-mentioned compound having a siloxane skeleton is suitable for use in organic EL display elements from the viewpoints of storage stability of the resulting sealant for organic EL display elements, adhesion to substrates and inorganic material films, and ejection stability during inkjet coating. It is preferable that the material be purified in advance to remove high molecular weight substances having a number average molecular weight of 100,000 or more before being blended into the sealant.
Specifically, in the compound having a siloxane skeleton, the content of a polymer having a number average molecular weight of 100,000 or more is preferably 0.5% or less.
In addition, in this specification, the above-mentioned number average molecular weight and the content ratio of the above-mentioned high molecular weight substance are measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) using tetrahydrofuran as a solvent, and are values determined by polystyrene conversion. . Moreover, the content ratio of the above-mentioned high molecular weight substance can also be measured by GPC. Examples of columns for measuring the number average molecular weight in terms of polystyrene and the content ratio of the above-mentioned high molecular weight substance by GPC include Shodex LF-804 (manufactured by Showa Denko K.K.). Moreover, the content rate of the polymer is calculated from the area ratio of the above GPC.

Examples of the method for purifying the above-mentioned compound having a siloxane skeleton include a method of purifying by distillation, a method of purifying using a column, and the like.

The above compounds having a siloxane skeleton may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The content of the compound having a siloxane skeleton in the curable resin is preferably less than 40% by weight. When the content of the compound having a siloxane skeleton is less than 40% by weight, the resulting sealant for an organic EL display element has better wetting and spreading properties. A more preferable upper limit of the content of the compound having a siloxane skeleton is 35% by weight.
Further, a preferable lower limit of the content of the compound having the siloxane skeleton in the curable resin is 0.1% by weight. When the content of the compound having a siloxane skeleton is 0.1% by weight or more, it becomes easier to adjust the surface tension of the resulting sealant for organic EL display elements.

Examples of the above-mentioned curable resins other than the above-mentioned compounds having a siloxane skeleton include epoxy compounds without a siloxane skeleton (hereinafter also simply referred to as "epoxy compounds"), oxetane compounds without a siloxane skeleton (hereinafter simply referred to as " (also referred to as "oxetane compounds"), vinyl ether compounds that do not have a siloxane skeleton (hereinafter also simply referred to as "vinyl ether compounds"), (meth)acrylic compounds that do not have a siloxane skeleton (hereinafter also simply referred to as "(meth)acrylic compounds") ) etc.

Examples of the above epoxy compounds include bisphenol A type epoxy compounds, bisphenol E type epoxy compounds, bisphenol F type epoxy compounds, bisphenol S type epoxy compounds, bisphenol O type epoxy compounds, 2,2'-diallylbisphenol A type epoxy compounds, Alicyclic epoxy compounds, hydrogenated bisphenol type epoxy compounds, propylene oxide-added bisphenol A type epoxy compounds, resorcinol type epoxy compounds, biphenyl type epoxy compounds, sulfide type epoxy compounds, diphenyl ether type epoxy compounds, dicyclopentadiene type epoxy compounds, naphthalene type epoxy compounds, phenol novolak type epoxy compounds, ortho-cresol novolac type epoxy compounds, dicyclopentadiene novolak type epoxy compounds, biphenyl novolac type epoxy compounds, naphthalenephenol novolak type epoxy compounds, glycidylamine type epoxy compounds, alkyl polyol type epoxy compounds, Examples include rubber-modified epoxy compounds and glycidyl ester compounds. Among these, alkyl polyol type epoxy compounds are preferred, and neopentyl glycol diglycidyl ether is most preferred, since they are difficult to volatilize and the resulting sealant for organic EL display elements has better inkjet coating properties.
The above epoxy compounds may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Examples of the oxetane compounds include 3-(allyloxy)oxetane, phenoxymethyloxetane, 3-ethyl-3-hydroxymethyloxetane, 3-ethyl-3-(phenoxymethyl)oxetane, 3-ethyl-3-((2 -ethylhexyloxy)methyl)oxetane, 3-ethyl-3-((3-(triethoxysilyl)propoxy)methyl)oxetane, 3-ethyl-3(((3-ethyloxetan-3-yl)methoxy)methyl) Examples include oxetane, phenol novolac oxetane, 1,4-bis(((3-ethyl-3-oxetanyl)methoxy)methyl)benzene, and the like. Among these, 3-ethyl-3(((3-ethyloxetan-3-yl)methoxy)methyl)oxetane is preferred because it has excellent curability and low outgassing properties.
The above oxetane compounds may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Examples of the vinyl ether compounds include benzyl vinyl ether, cyclohexanedimethanol monovinyl ether, dicyclopentadiene vinyl ether, 1,4-butanediol divinyl ether, cyclohexanedimethanol divinyl ether, diethylene glycol divinyl ether, triethylene glycol divinyl ether, and dipropylene glycol. Examples include divinyl ether, tripropylene glycol divinyl ether, and the like.
The above vinyl ether compounds may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Examples of the above (meth)acrylic compounds include glycidyl (meth)acrylate, 1,6-hexanediol di(meth)acrylate, 1,9-nonanediol di(meth)acrylate, dicyclopentenyl (meth)acrylate, and dicyclopentenyl (meth)acrylate. Cyclopentenyloxyethyl (meth)acrylate, dicyclopentanyl (meth)acrylate, benzyl (meth)acrylate, trimethylolpropane tri(meth)arylate, 1,12-dodecanediol di(meth)acrylate, lauryl (meth)acrylate etc.
The above (meth)acrylic compounds may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
In addition, in this specification, the above-mentioned "(meth)acrylate" means acrylate or methacrylate.

The sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention contains a polymerization initiator.
As the polymerization initiator, a photocationic polymerization initiator or a thermal cationic polymerization initiator is suitably used. Further, depending on the type of the above-mentioned curable resin, a photo radical polymerization initiator and a thermal radical polymerization initiator are also suitably used.

The photocationic polymerization initiator is not particularly limited as long as it generates a protonic acid or Lewis acid upon irradiation with light, and may be an ionic photoacid generating type or a nonionic photoacid generating type. You can.

Examples of the anion moiety of the ionic photoacid-generating photocationic polymerization initiator include BF ₄ ^- , PF ₆ ^- , SbF ₆ ^- , (BX ₄ ) ^- (where X is at least two fluorine atoms). or a phenyl group substituted with a trifluoromethyl group). Further, as the above anion moiety, PF _m (C _n F _2n+1 ) _6-m ⁻ (wherein m is an integer of 0 to 5, and n is an integer of 1 to 6), etc. Can be mentioned.
Examples of the ionic photoacid-generating photocationic polymerization initiators include aromatic sulfonium salts, aromatic iodonium salts, aromatic diazonium salts, aromatic ammonium salts, (2,4-cyclo Examples include pentadien-1-yl)((1-methylethyl)benzene)-Fe salt.

Examples of the aromatic sulfonium salts include bis(4-(diphenylsulfonio)phenyl)sulfide bishexafluorophosphate, bis(4-(diphenylsulfonio)phenyl)sulfide bishexafluoroantimonate, and bis(4-(diphenylsulfonio)phenyl)sulfide bishexafluoroantimonate. diphenylsulfonio)phenyl) sulfide bistetrafluoroborate, bis(4-(diphenylsulfonio)phenyl)sulfidetetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, diphenyl-4-(phenylthio)phenylsulfonium hexafluorophosphate, diphenyl-4-( Phenylthio) phenylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate, diphenyl-4-(phenylthio)phenylsulfonium tetrafluoroborate, diphenyl-4-(phenylthio)phenylsulfonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, triphenylsulfonium hexafluorophosphate, triphenylsulfonium hexa Fluoroantimonate, triphenylsulfonium tetrafluoroborate, triphenylsulfonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, bis(4-(di(4-(2-hydroxyethoxy))phenylsulfonio)phenyl)sulfide bishexafluorophosphate, Bis(4-(di(4-(2-hydroxyethoxy))phenylsulfonio)phenyl)sulfide bishexafluoroantimonate, bis(4-(di(4-(2-hydroxyethoxy))phenylsulfonio)phenyl ) Sulfide bistetrafluoroborate, bis(4-(di(4-(2-hydroxyethoxy))phenylsulfonio)phenyl)sulfidetetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, tris(4-(4-acetylphenyl)thiophenyl) Examples include sulfonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate.

Examples of the aromatic iodonium salts include diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate, diphenyliodonium hexafluoroantimonate, diphenyliodonium tetrafluoroborate, diphenyliodonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, bis(dodecylphenyl)iodonium hexafluorophosphate, bis (dodecylphenyl)iodonium hexafluoroantimonate, bis(dodecylphenyl)iodonium tetrafluoroborate, bis(dodecylphenyl)iodoniumtetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, 4-methylphenyl-4-(1-methylethyl)phenyl iodonium hexa Fluorophosphate, 4-methylphenyl-4-(1-methylethyl)phenyliodonium hexafluoroantimonate, 4-methylphenyl-4-(1-methylethyl)phenyliodonium tetrafluoroborate, 4-methylphenyl-4-( Examples include 1-methylethyl) phenyl iodonium tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl) borate.

Examples of the aromatic diazonium salt include phenyldiazonium hexafluorophosphate, phenyldiazonium hexafluoroantimonate, phenyldiazonium tetrafluoroborate, and phenyldiazonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate.

Examples of the aromatic ammonium salt include 1-benzyl-2-cyanopyridinium hexafluorophosphate, 1-benzyl-2-cyanopyridinium hexafluoroantimonate, 1-benzyl-2-cyanopyridinium tetrafluoroborate, and 1-benzyl-2-cyanopyridinium hexafluoroantimonate. -2-cyanopyridinium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, 1-(naphthylmethyl)-2-cyanopyridinium hexafluorophosphate, 1-(naphthylmethyl)-2-cyanopyridinium hexafluoroantimonate, 1-(naphthylmethyl) -2-cyanopyridinium tetrafluoroborate, 1-(naphthylmethyl)-2-cyanopyridinium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, and the like.

As the above (2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)((1-methylethyl)benzene)-Fe salt, for example, (2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)((1-methylethyl)benzene )-Fe(II) hexafluorophosphate, (2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)((1-methylethyl)benzene)-Fe(II) hexafluoroantimonate, (2,4-cyclopentadien-1 -yl)((1-methylethyl)benzene)-Fe(II) tetrafluoroborate, (2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)((1-methylethyl)benzene)-Fe(II) tetrakis(penta Examples include fluorophenyl) borate and the like.

Examples of the nonionic photoacid-generating photocationic polymerization initiator include nitrobenzyl esters, sulfonic acid derivatives, phosphoric acid esters, phenolsulfonic esters, diazonaphthoquinone, N-hydroxyimidosulfonate, and the like.

Among the above photocationic polymerization initiators, commercially available ones include, for example, a cationic photopolymerization initiator manufactured by Midori Kagaku Co., Ltd., a cationic photopolymerization initiator manufactured by Union Carbide, a cationic photopolymerization initiator manufactured by ADEKA, Examples include a cationic photopolymerization initiator manufactured by 3M, a cationic photopolymerization initiator manufactured by BASF, a cationic photopolymerization initiator manufactured by Rhodia, and a cationic photopolymerization initiator manufactured by San-Apro.
Examples of the photocationic polymerization initiator manufactured by Midori Kagaku Co., Ltd. include DTS-200.
Examples of the photocationic polymerization initiator manufactured by Union Carbide include UVI6990 and UVI6974.
Examples of the photocationic polymerization initiator manufactured by ADEKA include SP-150 and SP-170.
Examples of the cationic photopolymerization initiator manufactured by 3M include FC-508 and FC-512.
Examples of the photocationic polymerization initiator manufactured by BASF include IRGACURE 261 and IRGACURE 290.
Examples of the photocationic polymerization initiator manufactured by Rhodia include PI2074.
Examples of the photocationic polymerization initiator manufactured by San-Apro include CPI-100P, CPI-200K, and CPI-210S.

The above-mentioned thermal cationic polymerization initiator has an anion moiety of BF ₄ ^- , PF ₆ ^- , SbF ₆ ^- , or (BX ₄ ) ^- (wherein, X is substituted with at least two or more fluorine or trifluoromethyl groups). sulfonium salts, phosphonium salts, ammonium salts, etc., which are composed of phenyl groups). Among these, sulfonium salts and ammonium salts are preferred.

Examples of the sulfonium salt include triphenylsulfonium tetrafluoroborate, triphenylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate, and the like.

Examples of the phosphonium salts include ethyltriphenylphosphonium hexafluoroantimonate, tetrabutylphosphonium hexafluoroantimonate, and the like.

Examples of the ammonium salt include dimethylphenyl (4-methoxybenzyl) ammonium hexafluorophosphate, dimethylphenyl (4-methoxybenzyl) ammonium hexafluoroantimonate, dimethylphenyl (4-methoxybenzyl) ammonium tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl) Borate, dimethylphenyl (4-methylbenzyl) ammonium hexafluorophosphate, dimethylphenyl (4-methylbenzyl) ammonium hexafluoroantimonate, dimethylphenyl (4-methylbenzyl) ammonium hexafluorotetrakis (pentafluorophenyl) borate, methylphenyl Dibenzylammonium hexafluorophosphate, Methylphenyldibenzylammonium hexafluoroantimonate, Methylphenyldibenzylammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, Phenyltribenzylammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, Dimethylphenyl(3,4-dimethyl) benzyl) ammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, N,N-dimethyl-N-benzylanilinium hexafluoroantimonate, N,N-diethyl-N-benzylanilinium tetrafluoroborate, N,N-dimethyl-N- Examples include benzylpyridinium hexafluoroantimonate, N,N-diethyl-N-benzylpyridinium trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, and the like.

Among the above-mentioned thermal cationic polymerization initiators, commercially available ones include, for example, thermal cationic polymerization initiators manufactured by Sanshin Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. and thermal cationic polymerization initiators manufactured by King Industries.
Examples of the thermal cationic polymerization initiator manufactured by Sanshin Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. include Sanaid SI-60, Sanaid SI-80, Sanaid SI-B3, Sanaid SI-B3A, and Sanaid SI-B4.
Examples of the thermal cationic polymerization initiator manufactured by King Industries include CXC-1612 and CXC-1821.

Examples of the photoradical polymerization initiator include benzophenone compounds, acetophenone compounds, acylphosphine oxide compounds, titanocene compounds, oxime ester compounds, benzoin ether compounds, benzyl, thioxanthone compounds, and the like.

Among the above-mentioned radical photopolymerization initiators, commercially available ones include, for example, radical photopolymerization initiators manufactured by BASF, and radical photopolymerization initiators manufactured by Tokyo Kasei Kogyo.
Examples of the photoradical polymerization initiators manufactured by BASF include IRGACURE 184, IRGACURE 369, IRGACURE 379, IRGACURE 651, IRGACURE 819, IRGACURE 907, IRGACURE 2959, IRGACURE OXE01, Examples include phosphorus TPO.
Examples of the photoradical polymerization initiator manufactured by Tokyo Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd. include benzoin methyl ether, benzoin ethyl ether, benzoin isopropyl ether, and the like.

Examples of the thermal radical polymerization initiator include those consisting of azo compounds, organic peroxides, and the like.
Examples of the azo compound include 2,2'-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) and azobisisobutyronitrile.
Examples of the organic peroxide include benzoyl peroxide, ketone peroxide, peroxyketal, hydroperoxide, dialkyl peroxide, peroxy ester, diacyl peroxide, peroxydicarbonate, and the like.

Among the above thermal radical polymerization initiators, commercially available ones include, for example, VPE-0201, VPE-0401, VPE-0601, VPS-0501, VPS-1001, and V-501 (all manufactured by Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd. (manufactured by), etc.

The content of the polymerization initiator has a preferable lower limit of 0.01 parts by weight and a preferable upper limit of 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the curable resin. When the content of the polymerization initiator is 0.01 parts by weight or more, the resulting sealant for organic EL display elements has better curability. When the content of the polymerization initiator is 10 parts by weight or less, the curing reaction of the resulting sealant for organic EL display elements does not become too rapid, resulting in better workability and a more uniform cured product. It can be done. A more preferable lower limit of the content of the polymerization initiator is 0.05 parts by weight, and a more preferable upper limit is 5 parts by weight.

The sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention may contain a sensitizer. The sensitizer has the role of further improving the polymerization initiation efficiency of the polymerization initiator and further promoting the curing reaction of the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention.

Examples of the sensitizer include anthracene compounds, thioxanthone compounds, 2,2-dimethoxy-1,2-diphenylethan-1-one, benzophenone, 2,4-dichlorobenzophenone, methyl o-benzoylbenzoate, Examples include 4,4'-bis(dimethylamino)benzophenone and 4-benzoyl-4'-methyldiphenyl sulfide.
Examples of the anthracene compound include 9,10-dibutoxyanthracene.
Examples of the thioxanthone compound include 2,4-diethylthioxanthone.

The preferable lower limit of the content of the sensitizer is 0.01 parts by weight and the preferable upper limit is 3 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the curable resin. When the content of the sensitizer is 0.01 part by weight or more, the sensitizing effect is more effectively exhibited. When the content of the sensitizer is 3 parts by weight or less, light can be transmitted deep into the body without excessive absorption. A more preferable lower limit of the content of the sensitizer is 0.1 part by weight, and a more preferable upper limit is 1 part by weight.

The sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention may contain silane coupling agents, surface modifiers, reinforcing agents, softeners, plasticizers, viscosity modifiers, ultraviolet absorbers, antioxidants, etc., as necessary. It may also contain additives.
When the above-mentioned additives are contained, the above-mentioned additives are more excellent in preventing the resulting sealant for organic EL display elements from repelling foreign matter and in conforming to irregularities of the substrate and inorganic material film. The maximum difference in SP value between each component contained in the curable resin and the additive is preferably 5 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 or less.

The silane coupling agent has the role of further improving the adhesion between the organic EL display element sealant of the present invention and the substrate or inorganic material film.
Examples of the silane coupling agent include 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, and 3-isocyanatepropyltrimethoxysilane. These silane coupling agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The preferable lower limit of the content of the silane coupling agent is 0.1 parts by weight, and the preferable upper limit is 10 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the polymerizable compound. When the content of the silane coupling agent is within this range, it is possible to suppress bleeding out of excess silane coupling agent and to improve the adhesiveness. A more preferable lower limit of the content of the silane coupling agent is 0.5 parts by weight, and a more preferable upper limit is 5 parts by weight.

The surface modifier has the role of further improving the flatness of the coating film of the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention.
Examples of the surface modifier include surfactants, leveling agents, and the like.

Examples of the surface modifier include silicone-based and fluorine-based agents.
Examples of commercially available surface modifiers include BYK-340, BYK-345 (both manufactured by BYK Chemie Japan), and Surflon S-611 (manufactured by AGC Seimi Chemical).

The sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention may contain a solvent for the purpose of adjusting viscosity, etc., but the remaining solvent may cause problems such as deterioration of the organic light emitting material layer and generation of outgas. Therefore, it is preferable that the content of the solvent is 0.05% by weight or less, and it is most preferable that no solvent is contained.

As a method for producing the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention, for example, a curable resin and , a method of mixing a polymerization initiator and an additive such as a silane coupling agent added as necessary.

The sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention preferably has a viscosity at 25° C. of 5 mPa·s or more and 30 mPa·s or less. When the viscosity is within this range, the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention has better inkjet coating properties. A more preferable lower limit of the viscosity of the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention is 8 mPa·s, and a more preferable upper limit is 20 mPa·s.
In addition, in this specification, the said viscosity means the value measured using the E-type viscometer at 25 degreeC and 100 rpm conditions.

A preferable lower limit of the total light transmittance of the cured product of the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention at wavelengths of 380 nm to 800 nm is 80%. When the total light transmittance is 80% or more, the resulting organic EL display element has better optical properties. A more preferable lower limit of the total light transmittance is 85%.
The total light transmittance can be measured using, for example, a spectrometer such as AUTOMATIC HAZE METER MODEL TC-III DPK (manufactured by Tokyo Denshoku Co., Ltd.). Further, the cured product used for measuring the above-mentioned light transmittance and the moisture permeability and water content described below can be obtained by, for example, irradiating 3000 mJ/cm ² of ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 365 nm using a light source such as an LED lamp. can.

The sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention preferably has a transmittance of 85% or more at 400 nm after irradiating the cured product with ultraviolet rays for 100 hours at an optical path length of 20 μm. When the transmittance after irradiation with the ultraviolet rays for 100 hours is 85% or more, transparency is high, loss of light emission is small, and color reproducibility is excellent. A more preferable lower limit of the transmittance after irradiation with the ultraviolet rays for 100 hours is 90%, and an even more preferable lower limit is 95%.
As a light source for irradiating the ultraviolet rays, a conventionally known light source such as a xenon lamp or a carbon arc lamp can be used, for example.

The encapsulant for organic EL display elements of the present invention has a moisture permeability of 100 g/m at a thickness of 100 μm, which is measured by exposing the cured product to an environment of 85° C. and 85% RH for 24 hours, in accordance with JIS Z 0208. It is preferable that it is below ^m2 . When the moisture permeability is 100 g/m ² or less, the effect of preventing deterioration of the organic light-emitting material layer due to moisture in the cured product is excellent, and the resulting organic EL display element has excellent reliability.

The sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention preferably has a moisture content of less than 0.5% when the cured product is exposed to an environment of 85° C. and 85% RH for 24 hours. When the moisture content of the cured product is less than 0.5%, the effect of preventing deterioration of the organic light emitting material layer due to moisture in the cured product is more excellent, and the resulting organic EL display element has better reliability. becomes. A more preferable upper limit of the moisture content of the cured product is 0.3%.
Examples of methods for measuring the moisture content include a method of determining it by the Karl Fischer method in accordance with JIS K 7251, and a method of determining the weight increase after water absorption in accordance with JIS K 7209-2.

A method for manufacturing an organic EL display element using the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention includes, for example, a step of applying the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention to a base material by an inkjet method. Examples include a method including a step of curing the applied sealant for an organic EL display element by light irradiation and/or heating.
The encapsulant for organic EL display elements of the present invention is particularly effective in preventing repelling during coating when applied in a thin film form to a substrate with a surface free energy of 50 mJ/m ² or more and 80 mJ/m ² or less. Become excellent.

In the step of applying the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention to the base material, the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention may be applied to the entire surface of the base material, or may be applied to a part of the base material. May be applied. The shape of the sealing part of the sealant for an organic EL display element of the present invention formed by coating is not particularly limited as long as it can protect the laminate having the organic light emitting material layer from the outside air. The shape may be such that it completely covers the body, a closed pattern may be formed around the periphery of the laminate, or a pattern may be formed with a partial opening at the periphery of the laminate. may be formed.

When the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention is cured by light irradiation, the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention has a wavelength of 300 nm or more and 400 nm or less and a wavelength of 300 mJ/cm ² or more and 3000 mJ/cm ² or less. It can be suitably cured by irradiating the integrated amount of light.

Examples of light sources used for the above-mentioned light irradiation include low-pressure mercury lamps, medium-pressure mercury lamps, high-pressure mercury lamps, ultra-high-pressure mercury lamps, excimer lasers, chemical lamps, black light lamps, microwave-excited mercury lamps, metal halide lamps, sodium lamps, halogen lamps, and xenon lamps. Examples include lamps, LED lamps, fluorescent lamps, sunlight, and electron beam irradiation devices. These light sources may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.
These light sources are appropriately selected according to the absorption wavelength of the photocationic polymerization initiator and the photoradical polymerization initiator.

Examples of means for irradiating light onto the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention include simultaneous irradiation with various light sources, sequential irradiation with time differences, and combination irradiation of simultaneous irradiation and sequential irradiation. Any irradiation means may be used.

The cured product obtained by the step of curing the sealant for organic EL display elements by light irradiation and/or heating may be further coated with an inorganic material film.
Conventionally known inorganic materials can be used as the inorganic material constituting the inorganic material film, and examples thereof include silicon nitride (SiN _x or SiO _x N _y ), silicon oxide (SiO _x ), and the like. The inorganic material film may be composed of one layer, or may be composed of a plurality of laminated layers. Further, the laminate may be coated by alternately repeating the inorganic material film and the resin film made of the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention.

The method for manufacturing the organic EL display element described above includes the step of bonding a base material coated with the sealant for organic EL display elements of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as "one base material") and another base material. may have.
The base material to which the encapsulant for organic EL display elements of the present invention is applied (hereinafter also referred to as "one base material") may be a base material on which a laminate having an organic light emitting material layer is formed. , it may be a base material on which the laminate is not formed.
When one of the base materials is a base material on which the laminate is not formed, the present invention is applied to the one base material so that the laminate can be protected from the outside air when the other base material is bonded together. What is necessary is to apply a sealant for organic EL display elements. That is, the area that will be the position of the laminate when the other base material is bonded is completely coated, or the area that will be the position of the laminate when the other base material is bonded is completely coated. A closed pattern of the sealant portion may be formed in a shape that fits within.

The step of curing the organic EL display element encapsulant by light irradiation and/or heating may be performed before the step of bonding the one base material and the other base material, or It may be performed after the step of bonding the base material and the other base material together.
When the step of curing the sealant for an organic EL display element by light irradiation and/or heating is performed before the step of bonding the one base material and the other base material, the organic EL display of the present invention It is preferable that the device sealant has a pot life of 1 minute or more after being irradiated with light and/or heated until the curing reaction progresses and adhesion becomes impossible. When the pot life is 1 minute or more, higher adhesive strength can be obtained without curing progressing too much before bonding the one base material and the other base material together.

In the step of bonding the one base material and the other base material together, the method of bonding the one base material and the other base material together is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to bond them together under a reduced pressure atmosphere.
The preferable lower limit of the degree of vacuum under the reduced pressure atmosphere is 0.01 kPa, and the preferable upper limit is 10 kPa. Since the degree of vacuum under the reduced pressure atmosphere is within this range, it is possible to connect the one base material and the other base material without spending a long time to achieve a vacuum state due to the airtightness of the vacuum device and the ability of the vacuum pump. Air bubbles in the sealant for an organic EL display element of the present invention can be more efficiently removed when the materials are bonded together.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sealant for an organic EL display element that has excellent coating properties on a substrate or an inorganic material film even when the film is made thin.

The present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to Examples below, but the present invention is not limited to these Examples.

(Examples 1 to 8, Comparative Examples 1 to 5)
According to the blending ratios listed in Tables 1 and 2, each material was uniformly stirred and mixed at a stirring speed of 300 rpm using a Homodisper type stirring mixer (manufactured by Primix, "Homodisper L type"). Sealants for organic EL display elements of Examples 1 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5 were prepared. The compounds having a siloxane skeleton in the table were all purified by distillation before being mixed with other components.
As the oxetane compounds having a siloxane skeleton in the table, those obtained by the following method were used. That is, 0.1 mol of 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane, 0.2 mol of allyloxyoxetane (manufactured by Yokkaichi Gosei Co., Ltd., "AL-OX"), and platinum (0)-1,3-divinyl- The mixture was mixed with 100 ppm of 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane complex solution (manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich) and heated at 80° C. for 5 hours. The completion of the reaction was confirmed by NMR, and the resulting solution was purified by distillation to obtain a highly pure oxetane-modified disiloxane compound as an oxetane compound having a siloxane skeleton. ¹ H-NMR, GPC, and FT-IR analysis confirmed that the obtained oxetane-modified disiloxane compound was a compound represented by the following formula (3).
Table 1 shows the SP value of the entire curable resin and the maximum difference in SP value between each curable resin, calculated by Fedors' estimation method, for each sealant for organic EL display elements obtained in Examples and Comparative Examples. Shown in 2.
In addition, the surface of each of the sealants for organic EL display elements obtained in Examples and Comparative Examples was measured by the Wilhelmy method at 25°C using a surface tension meter (manufactured by Kyowa Interface Science Co., Ltd., "DY-300"). The tension is shown in Tables 1 and 2.
Furthermore, each of the sealants for organic EL display elements obtained in Examples and Comparative Examples was tested at 25°C and 100 rpm using an E-type viscometer (manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd., "VISCOMETER TV-22"). The viscosities measured in the above are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

<Evaluation>
The following evaluations were performed on each of the sealants for organic EL display elements obtained in Examples and Comparative Examples. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

(1) A SiO ₂ film was formed on a wettable glass substrate using a sputtering device to obtain a substrate having a SiO ₂ film on the surface. Each of the sealants for organic EL display elements obtained in Examples and Comparative Examples was applied to the obtained substrate using an inkjet ejection device (manufactured by Microjet, "NanoPrinter500") in a droplet volume of 10 picoliters. The coating was applied to an area of 8 cm x 8 cm at a pitch of 48 μm. Three minutes after application, the sealant on the substrate was visually observed, and the number of uncoated areas that did not spread and became streaky was confirmed. "◎" if the number of uncoated streaks was 0, "○" if the number was 1 or more and less than 2, "△" if the number was 2 or more and less than 5. When there were 5 or more fibers, the wetting and spreading properties were evaluated as "x".

(2) Foreign matter coverage In the same manner as in “(1) Wetting and spreading properties” above, silicon _nitride particles (manufactured by Ube Industries, Ltd., “SN-E10”) and silica Particles (manufactured by Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd., "Seahoster") were sprayed using a sprayer. Each of the sealants for organic EL display elements obtained in Examples and Comparative Examples was applied to the obtained substrate using an inkjet ejection device (manufactured by Microjet, "NanoPrinter500") in a droplet volume of 10 picoliters. The coating was applied to an area of 8 cm x 8 cm at a pitch of 48 μm. Three minutes after application, irradiation was performed using a 395 nm UV LED with an illuminance of 1000 mW/cm ² so that the cumulative amount of light was 1000 mJ/cm ² , and the scattered silicon nitride particles and silica particles were assumed to be foreign substances, and each 10 foreign particles were arbitrarily extracted. The number of pinholes was confirmed. ``◎'' if the number of pinholes per 10 foreign objects is 0, ``○'' if the number is 1 or more and less than 2, and ``△'' if the number is 2 or more and less than 3. When there were three or more particles, the foreign matter coverage was evaluated as "x". In addition, "-" was given to those that could not be evaluated due to poor wetting and spreading.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sealant for an organic EL display element that has excellent coating properties on a substrate or an inorganic material film even when the film is made thin.

Claims (5)

A sealing agent for organic EL display elements containing a curable resin and a polymerization initiator,
The solubility parameter of the entire curable resin is 17.7 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 or more and 19.5 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 or less,
The curable resin contains two or more types of curable resins, and the total curability of the curable resin content is such that the difference in solubility parameters between each curable resin is 5 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 or less. The proportion to the resin is 95% by weight or more,
The curable resin contains a compound having a siloxane skeleton, and the content of the compound having the siloxane skeleton in the curable resin is less than 40% by weight,
A sealing agent for an organic EL display element, characterized in that the entire surface tension of the sealant for an organic EL display element at 25° C. is 25 mN/m or more and 38 mN/m or less. The organic EL display element according to claim 1, wherein the curable resin contains two or more types of curable resins, and the maximum difference in solubility parameters between each curable resin is 5 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 or less. Sealant for use. The curable resin contains two or more curable resins, and the maximum difference in solubility parameters between each curable resin is 4 (J/cm ³ ) ^1/2 The encapsulant for organic EL display elements according to claim 1, which is as follows. The encapsulant for organic EL display elements according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the viscosity of the entire encapsulant for organic EL display elements at 25° C. is 5 mPa·s or more and 30 mPa·s or less. The encapsulant for organic EL display elements according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, which is used for coating by an inkjet method.