Display device

• US 10,007,370 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Park, Yong-Hwan, Kim, Jong Seok, An, Chi Wook, Lee, Seong Jun, Jun, Sang Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Kohlman, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US14/725,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20160103537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens

Abstract

A display device is disclosed. In one aspect, the display device includes a substrate including a display area and a non-display area adjacent to the display area and a display member formed over the substrate in the display area. The display device also includes an encapsulation layer formed over the display member and encapsulating the display member together with the substrate and a plurality of first touch lines formed over the encapsulation layer in the display area. The first touch lines extend in a first direction. The display device further includes a plurality of second touch lines formed on the same layer as the first touch lines in the display area. The second touch lines extend in the first direction and are spaced apart from the first touch lines.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a substrate including a display area and a non-display area adjacent to the display area;

a display member formed over the substrate in the display area;

an encapsulation layer formed over the display member and encapsulating the display member together with the substrate;

a plurality of first touch lines formed over the encapsulation layer in the display area, wherein the first touch lines extend in a first direction;

a plurality of second touch lines formed on the same layer as the first touch lines in the display area, wherein the second touch lines extend in the first direction and are spaced apart from the first touch lines; and

a plurality of bridge lines positioned between the substrate and the encapsulation layer in the non-display area,

wherein the bridge lines extend in a second direction crossing the first direction and are electrically connected to the first touch lines,

wherein the encapsulation layer includes at least one organic layer and at least one inorganic layer that are alternately stacked, and

wherein the organic layer does not overlap the bridge lines.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein each of the first touch lines and the second touch lines is formed directly on a surface of the encapsulation layer.

3. The display device of claim 2, wherein end portions of each of the first and second touch lines formed in the display area are bent and extend so as to neighbor to each other.

4. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first touch lines are arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction and are spaced apart from each other.

5. The display device of claim 4, wherein the second touch lines are:

i) arranged in the second direction, ii) interposed between the first touch lines and iii) spaced apart from each other.

6. The display device of claim 5, wherein each of the second touch lines includes:

a main line extending in the first direction; and

a plurality of branch lines extending from the main line and respectively neighboring the first touch lines.

7. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display member includes:

a plurality of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs); and

a plurality of thin film transistors respectively electrically connected to the OLEDs.

8. The display device of claim 7, wherein each of the thin film transistors comprises a gate electrode and wherein the bridge lines are formed on the same layer the gate electrodes and are formed of the same material as that of the gate electrodes.

9. The display device of claim 7, wherein each of the thin film transistors comprises source and drain electrodes and wherein the bridge lines are formed on the same layer as the source and drain electrodes and are formed of the same material as that of the source and drain electrodes.

10. The display device of claim 1, wherein the second touch lines are electrically insulated from and cross the bridge lines in the non-display area.

11. The display device of claim 10, wherein the encapsulation layer includes a plurality of first bridge contact holes over the bridge lines and wherein the first touch lines are electrically connected to the bridge lines via the first bridge contact holes.

12. The display device of claim 11, wherein the encapsulation layer further includes a plurality of second bridge contact holes over the bridge lines and wherein the display device further comprises a plurality of connection lines electrically connected to the bridge lines via the second bridge contact holes.

13. The display device of claim 12, wherein the connection lines include the same material as that of the first touch lines.

14. The display device of claim 12, wherein the connection lines extend together with the second touch lines toward an end portion of the substrate.

15. The display device of claim 12, wherein the bridge lines are arranged in the first direction and are spaced apart from each other.

16. The display device of claim 15, wherein a subset of the first touch lines are electrically connected to one of the bridge lines.

17. The display device of claim 16, wherein the connection lines are respectively connected to the bridge lines to which the first touch lines are connected.

18. The display device of claim 1, wherein the encapsulation layer comprises an upper inorganic layer formed over a wider area than remaining layers of the encapsulation layer and positioned over the remaining layers of the encapsulation layer so as to cover end portions of the remaining layers.