Display panel and electronic device including the same

• US 10,454,067 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2018
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Seo, Junghan, Sung, Wooyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thao P
• Application Number:
  US16/022,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20190148672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/00 Constructional details relating to the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/351 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/84 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8445 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/856 comprising reflective means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/127 comprising two substrates, e.g. display comprising OLED array and TFT driving circuitry on different substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/60 OLEDs integrated with inorganic light-sensitive elements, e.g. with inorganic solar cells or inorganic photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/65 OLEDs integrated with inorganic image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/87 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates

Abstract

A display panel includes a base substrate including a front surface and a rear surface and having first and second holes, and a pixel layer on the base substrate. A display area is defined in the front surface. The first hole overlaps with the display area and penetrates the front and rear surfaces. The second hole overlaps with the display area, is adjacent to the first hole, and is recessed from the front surface. The base substrate includes a first base layer including the rear surface, a first barrier layer on the first base layer and including first inorganic films having a first refractive index, and second inorganic films having a second refractive index, a second base layer on the first barrier layer, and a second barrier layer on the second base layer and including the front surface. The first and second inorganic films are alternately stacked.

Claims

1. A display panel comprising:

a base substrate which includes a front surface and a rear surface and in which a first hole and a second hole are defined, wherein a display area is defined in the front surface, wherein the first hole overlaps with the display area and penetrates the front surface and the rear surface, and wherein the second hole overlaps with the display area, is adjacent to the first hole, and is recessed from the front surface; and

a pixel layer on the base substrate,

wherein the base substrate comprises;

a first base layer including the rear surface of the base substrate;

a first barrier layer on the first base layer and comprising;

a plurality of first inorganic films having a first refractive index; and

a plurality of second inorganic films having a second refractive index, wherein the first inorganic films and the second inorganic films are alternately stacked;

a second base layer on the first barrier layer; and

a second barrier layer on the second base layer and including the front surface of the base substrate,

wherein the second hole is defined in the second base layer and the second barrier layer.

2. The display panel of claim 1, wherein an uppermost film of the first barrier layer is one of the first inorganic films, and a lowermost film of the first barrier layer is one of the second inorganic films,

wherein the second refractive index is higher than the first refractive index.

3. The display panel of claim 1, wherein at least two or more of the first inorganic films have different thicknesses from each other, and at least two or more of the second inorganic films have different thicknesses from each other.

4. The display panel of claim 3, wherein the first inorganic films and the second inorganic films have different thicknesses from each other.

5. The display panel of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the first barrier layer is from 550 nm to 600 nm.

6. The display panel of claim 1, wherein the first inorganic films include silicon oxide, and the second inorganic films include silicon nitride.

7. The display panel of claim 1, wherein the second hole includes:

a first sub-hole penetrating the second barrier layer; and

a second sub-hole overlapping with the first sub-hole and defined in the second base layer.

8. The display panel of claim 7, wherein a width of the second sub-hole defined in the second base layer is greater than a width of the first sub-hole penetrating the second barrier layer.

9. The display panel of claim 7, wherein the pixel layer comprises a cover layer which is on the second barrier layer and in which a third sub-hole overlapping with the second hole is defined.

10. The display panel of claim 9, wherein a width of the third sub-hole defined in the cover layer is equal to or less than a width of the first sub-hole penetrating the second barrier layer.

11. The display panel of claim 1, wherein the pixel layer comprises:

a thin film element layer on the base substrate and comprising a thin film transistor; and

a display element layer on the base substrate and comprising an organic light emitting element connected to the thin film transistor.

12. The display panel of claim 11, wherein the display area includes:

a hole area overlapping with the first hole;

a peripheral area surrounding the hole area and overlapping with the second hole; and

a pixel area surrounding the peripheral area and overlapping with the organic light emitting element, and

wherein the organic light emitting element does not overlap with the peripheral area.

13. The display panel of claim 11, wherein the pixel layer does not overlap with the hole area.

14. The display panel of claim 1, wherein a third hole is further defined in the base substrate,

wherein the third hole overlaps with the display area and is closer to the second hole than to the first hole, when viewed in a plan view, and

wherein the third hole is recessed from the front surface of the base substrate.

15. The display panel of claim 14, wherein the third hole includes:

a third sub-hole penetrating the second barrier layer; and

a fourth sub-hole overlapping with the third sub-hole and defined in the second base layer.

16. The display panel of claim 15, wherein a width of the fourth sub-hole defined in the second base layer is greater than a width of the third sub-hole penetrating the second barrier layer.

17. The display panel of claim 1, wherein the first base layer and the second base layer include an organic material.

18. An electronic device comprising:

a display panel comprising;

a base substrate which includes a front surface and a rear surface and in which a first hole and a second hole are defined, wherein a display area and a non-display area adjacent to the display area are defined in the front surface in a plan view, wherein the first hole overlaps with the display area and penetrates the front surface and the rear surface, and wherein the second hole overlaps with the display area, is adjacent to the first hole, and is recessed from the front surface; and

an electronic module received in the first hole and electrically connected to the display panel,

wherein the base substrate comprises;

a first base layer including the rear surface of the base substrate;

a first barrier layer on the first base layer and comprising;

a plurality of first inorganic films having a first refractive index; and

a plurality of second inorganic films having a second refractive index, wherein the second inorganic films and the first inorganic films are alternately stacked;

a second base layer on the first barrier layer; and

a second barrier layer on the second base layer and including the front surface of the base substrate,

wherein the second hole is defined in the second base layer and the second barrier layer.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the electronic module includes at least one of a sound output module, a camera module, or a light receiving module.

20. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the second hole has a closed loop shape surrounding the first hole, when viewed in a plan view.