Organic light-emitting display device

• US 10,431,771 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, JongChan, Oh, Jee Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Erdem, Fazli
• Application Number:
  US15/805,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20180138450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 257 40
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3026 Top emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/81 Anodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/828 Transparent cathodes, e.g. comprising thin metal layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8445 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/124 Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8051 Anodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/80524 Transparent cathodes, e.g. comprising thin metal layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8723 Vertical spacers, e.g. arranged between the sealing arrangement and the OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8731 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an organic light-emitting display (OLED) device that includes: a substrate having an active area and an inactive area surrounding the active area; a first planarization layer flattening a surface on circuit elements in the active area and inactive area; an organic light-emitting element on the first planarization layer; an encapsulation element on the organic light-emitting element and the first planarization layer, the encapsulation element having a first inorganic layer, a second inorganic layer and an organic layer between the first and second inorganic layers; and a structure in the inactive area and spaced apart from the first planarization layer. The structure includes a first layer made of a same material as the first planarization layer; a plurality of walls on the first layer and spaced apart from each other; and a second layer that fills a space between the plurality of walls.

Claims

1. An organic light-emitting display (OLED) device comprising:

a substrate having an active area and an inactive area surrounding the active area;

a first planarization layer that provides an upper flattened surface on elements in the active area and the inactive area, the first planarization layer having an active area portion and an inactive area portion;

an organic light-emitting element on the first planarization layer in the active area;

an encapsulation element on the organic light-emitting element and the first planarization layer, the encapsulation element having a first inorganic layer, a second inorganic layer and an organic layer between the first and second inorganic layers; and

a structure in the inactive area that is spaced apart from the first planarization layer portion located in the active area,

wherein the structure in the inactive area comprises,

a first layer member that includes the inactive area portion of the first planarization layer that is spaced apart from the first planarization layer portion located in the active area;

a plurality of walls overlying the first layer member that are spaced apart from each other; and

a second layer being disposed between the plurality of walls,

wherein the second layer is spaced apart from the organic layer of the encapsulation element.

2. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the first and second inorganic layers cover the first layer member and the plurality of walls.

3. The OLED device of claim 2, wherein the second layer is disposed on the first and second inorganic layers.

4. The OLED device of claim 2, wherein the second layer is disposed between the first and second inorganic layers.

5. The OLED device of claim 2, wherein the second layer is disposed under the first and second inorganic layers.

6. The OLED device of claim 2, wherein a top surface of the second inorganic layer disposed on the plurality of walls is higher than a top surface of the second layer.

7. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the second layer is made of a same material as the organic layer.

8. The OLED device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second planarization layer disposed on or under the first planarization layer.

9. The OLED device of claim 8, wherein the structure further comprises a third layer disposed between the first layer member and the plurality of walls.

10. The OLED device of claim 8, wherein the structure is made of a same material as the second planarization layer.

11. The OLED device of claim 9, wherein a layer disposed on the first and third layers covers a top surface and side surfaces of a layer disposed thereunder.

12. The OLED device of claim 9, further comprising:

a wall disposed on the first planarization layer and the second planarization layer,

wherein the organic layer is disposed on an inner side of the wall.

13. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of walls is made of a same material as at least one insulating pattern disposed on the first planarization layer in the active area.

14. The OLED device of claim 10, further comprising:

a bank disposed on the first planarization layer and covering a part of an anode of the organic light-emitting element; and

a spacer disposed on the bank,

wherein each of the plurality of walls comprises a lower layer made of a same material as the bank, and an upper layer made of a same material as the spacer.

15. The OLED device of claim 1, further comprising:

a conductive layer on the structure; and

a plurality of touch sensing electrodes on the encapsulation element,

wherein the conductive layer is a touch line connected to the plurality of touch sensing electrodes.

16. An organic light-emitting display (OLED) device comprising:

a substrate on which an active area and an inactive area surrounding the active area are defined;

a first planarization layer having a first portion disposed in the active area and a second portion disposed in the inactive area, the second portion disposed in the inactive area being spaced from the portion disposed in the active area;

a second planarization layer overlying the first planarization layer, the second planarization layer having a portion disposed in the active area;

an organic light-emitting element disposed on the at least one planarization layer;

a bank layer having a first portion disposed in the active area and second and third portions disposed in the inactive area, the second and third portions disposed in the inactive area being disposed overlying the second portion of the planarization layer disposed in the inactive area and being spaced apart from each other;

a spacer layer having a first portion disposed in the active area and second and third portions disposed in the inactive area, the second and third portions disposed in the inactive area being disposed overlying the second and third portions of the bank layer disposed on the planarization layer and being spaced apart from each other;

an encapsulation element that includes an organic layer, the encapsulation element covering the organic light-emitting element; and

a space located between the first portion of the first planarization layer in the active area and the first planarization layer in the inactive area that has a depth equal to or greater than the sum of the first planarization layer and the second planarization layer on a first side and the sum of the first planarization layer, the bank layer and the spacer layer on a second side to provide a space to receive any overflow of the organic layer.

17. The OLED device of claim 16, further comprising:

a filling layer disposed in a space between the second and third portions of the bank layer and the second and third portions of the spacer layer, and the filling layer provides an even top surface between the second and third portions of the spacer layer.

18. The OLED device of claim 17, further comprising:

a conductive layer disposed on the filling layer and the second and third portions of the spacer layer to be electrically connected to a conductive pattern on the encapsulation element.

19. The OLED device of claim 16, further comprising:

a leveling layer positioned between the two spacer layer portions disposed in the inactive area that provides an even top surface between the two spacer layer portions.