Organic light emitting diode display

• US 10,439,165 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, JinHwan, Kim, WooChan, Um, Hyunchul
• Primary Examiner(s): Gupta, Raj R
• Application Number:
  US15/499,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20180033998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8428 Vertical spacers, e.g. arranged between the sealing arrangement and the OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• 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 59/87 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8723 Vertical spacers, e.g. arranged between the sealing arrangement and the OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations

Abstract

An organic light emitting diode display is disclosed in which a flow control pattern of an organic protective layer is disposed to implement a thin bezel. In an active area and a bezel area defined on a substrate, the flow control pattern disposed reduces the flow of a protective layer so as to minimize area size of the bezel area.

Claims

1. An organic light emitting diode display, comprising:

a substrate including an active area that displays an image and a bezel area that does not display an image;

an organic light emitting element over the substrate;

a thin-film transistor electrically connected to the organic light emitting element, the thin-film transistor including a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode;

a protective layer over the substrate that covers the organic light emitting element;

a plurality of planarization layers below the organic light emitting element, the plurality of planarization layers including a first planarization layer and a second planarization layer on the first planarization layer, wherein the second planarization layer is further away from the substrate than the first planarization layer;

a bank on the second planarization layer;

a flow control pattern on the second planarization layer, adjacent to the bank, and overlapping at least the gate electrode of the thin-film transistor, the flow control pattern comprising at least one concave portion that controls a flow of the protective layer from the active area into the bezel area.

2. The organic light emitting diode display according to claim 1, wherein the flow control pattern is in the active area.

3. The organic light emitting diode display according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion extends into at least one of the plurality of planarization layers.

4. The organic light emitting diode display according to claim 3, wherein the flow control pattern includes a plurality of concave portions comprising a first concave portion and a second concave portion, wherein the first concave portion and the second concave portion extend into at least one of the plurality of planarization layers at different depths.

5. The organic light emitting diode display according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of concave portions of the flow control pattern are disposed in order of increasing depth towards an outer edge of the organic light emitting diode display.

6. The organic light emitting diode display according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of dam structures disposed partially in the bezel area and a periphery of the active area.

7. An organic light emitting diode display, comprising:

a substrate including an active area that displays an image and a bezel area that does not display the image, the bezel area adjacent to the active area;

a plurality of driving elements on the substrate, each of the plurality of driving elements including a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode;

a plurality of planarization layers covering the plurality of driving elements, the plurality of planarization layers including a first planarization layer and a second planarization layer on the first planarization layer, wherein the second planarization layer is further away from the substrate than the first planarization layer;

a bank layer on the second planarization layer;

an organic light emitting element including an organic light emitting layer on the bank layer; and

a protective layer covering the organic light emitting element,

wherein at least one of the second planarization layer and the bank layer includes a flow control pattern having a plurality of concave portions that control a flow of the protective layer from the active area into the bezel area during a manufacturing process of the organic light emitting diode display, the flow control pattern overlapping at least the gate electrode of one of the plurality of driving elements.

8. The organic light emitting diode display according to claim 7, wherein the flow control pattern is disposed in the active area.

9. The organic light emitting diode display according to claim 7, wherein at least two of the plurality of concave portions of the flow control pattern have different depths.

10. The organic light emitting diode display according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of concave portions of the flow control pattern are disposed in order of increasing depth in a direction from the active area towards the bezel area.

11. The organic light emitting diode display according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of concave portions extend into at least one of the plurality of planarization layers.

12. The organic light emitting diode display according to claim 7, further comprising:

a plurality of dam structures disposed partially in the bezel area and a periphery of the active area.

13. An organic light emitting diode display, comprising:

a substrate including an active area that displays an image and a bezel area that does not display an image;

a thin-film transistor over the substrate, the thin-film transistor including a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode;

an organic light emitting element over the substrate and electrically connected to the thin-film transistor;

a protective layer over the substrate that covers the organic light emitting element;

a plurality of planarization layers below the organic light emitting element, the plurality of planarization layers including a first planarization layer and a second planarization layer;

a bank on the second planarization layer;

a flow control pattern on the second planarization layer, adjacent to the bank, and at least partially overlapping at least the gate electrode of the thin-film transistor, the flow control pattern comprising at least one concave portion that controls a flow of the protective layer from the active area into the bezel area.

14. The organic light emitting diode display according to claim 13, wherein the flow control pattern is in the active area.

15. The organic light emitting diode display according to claim 13, wherein the concave portion extends into at least one of the plurality of planarization layers.

16. The organic light emitting diode display according to claim 15, wherein the flow control pattern includes a plurality of concave portions comprising a first concave portion and a second concave portion, wherein the first concave portion and the second concave portion extend into at least one of the plurality of planarization layers at different depths.

17. The organic light emitting diode display according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of concave portions of the flow control pattern are disposed in order of increasing depth towards an outer edge of the organic light emitting diode display.

18. The organic light emitting diode display according to claim 13, further comprising:

a plurality of dam structures disposed partially in the bezel area and a periphery of the active area.