Patent ID: 7071618

Claim:
An EL element comprising: a light-transmitting and insulating substrate having a main part and an outer connecting part protruding from said main part to allow for connection to an electronic device: a first electrode provided on said substrate, said first electrode including a first electrode part provided on said main part of said substrate, and a first electrode terminal extending from said first electrode part onto said outer connecting part; a light-transmitting electrode layer formed on said substrate and being electrically coupled with said first electrode part; a light emitting layer formed on said light-transmitting electrode layer; a dielectric layer formed on said light emitting layer; a backside electrode layer formed on said dielectric layer; a second electrode electrically coupled to said backside electrode layer, said second electrode including a second electrode terminal extending from said backside electrode layer onto said outer connecting part; an insulating layer formed on said backside electrode layer and on portions of said light-transmitting electrode layer not covered by at least one of said light emitting layer, said dielectric layer and said backside electrode layer; and a shielding layer formed on said insulating layer; wherein one of said light-transmitting electrode layer and said backside electrode layer is electrically coupled with said shielding layer; wherein at a peripheral part of said substrate, a non-luminous part is formed, said non-luminous part having no light emitting layer, no dielectric layer and no backside electrode layer formed on said substrate; wherein a hole is formed through said insulating layer at said non-luminous part and penetrates from said shielding layer to said light-transmitting electrode layer; wherein a conductive material is provided in said hole to form a connecting portion that couples said light-transmitting electrode layer with said shielding layer; and wherein said connecting portion and said shielding layer are formed of substantially an identical conductive material.