Display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same

• US 10,461,096 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2019
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kwak, Wonkyu, Lee, Jaeyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Kyoung
• Application Number:
  US16/277,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20190181158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 256 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1218 with a particular composition or structure of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1248 with a particular composition or shape of the interlayer dielectric specially adapted to the circuit arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1262 with a particular formation, treatment or coating of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1266 the substrate on which the devices are formed not being the final device substrate, e.g. using a temporary substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• 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 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/851 Division of substrate

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a substrate partitioned into a central area and a peripheral area disposed adjacent to the central area. The central area includes a display area; a first insulating layer corresponding to the peripheral area of the substrate; at least one slit corresponding to a region of the first insulating layer; and a cladding layer, which covers the at least one slit, on the first insulating layer.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a substrate having a central area and a peripheral area disposed adjacent to the central area, the central area comprising a display area;

at least one semiconductive layer or one conductive layer in the display area;

a first insulating layer disposed in the peripheral area of the substrate, the first insulating layer covering at least one of the at least one semiconductive layer or the one conductive layer;

at least one pattern corresponding to a region of the first insulating layer;

a cover layer on the first insulating layer and covering the at least one pattern in the peripheral area, the cover layer comprising an insulating material; and

an encapsulating layer on the display area, at least one layer of the encapsulating layer is spaced apart from the cover layer.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the encapsulating layer comprises one or more inorganic encapsulating layers and one or more organic encapsulating layers, wherein at least one layer of the one or more organic encapsulating layers is spaced apart from the cover layer.

3. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the encapsulating layer comprises one or more inorganic encapsulating layers and one or more organic encapsulating layers, wherein at least one layer of the one or more inorganic encapsulating layers is spaced apart from the cover layer.

4. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the encapsulating layer comprises one or more inorganic encapsulating layers and one or more organic encapsulating layers, wherein the one or more organic encapsulating layers and the one or more organic encapsulating layers are spaced apart from the cover layer.

5. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more insulating layers in the display area, wherein the cover layer includes a same material as a material of the one or more insulating layers.

6. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein a depth of the at least one pattern is less than or equal to a thickness of the first insulating layer.

7. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover layer extends in one direction and is parallel to an edge of the substrate.

8. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover layer extends in one direction and the at least one pattern extends in one direction, and wherein the cover layer is parallel to the at least one pattern in at least one region.

9. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein a width of the cover layer is greater than a width of the at least one pattern.

10. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein a length of the cover layer is longer than a length of the at least one pattern.

11. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer extends to the display area.

12. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one insulating layer in the display area, wherein the first insulating and the at least one insulating layer in the display area are formed of a same material.

13. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of thin-film transistors (TFTs) in the central area of the substrate, each of the plurality of TFTs comprising an active layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, wherein one or more insulating layers are adjacent to at least one selected from the active layer, the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode, and wherein the first insulating layer and the one or more insulating layers include a same material.

14. The display apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more insulating layers include a gate insulating layer between the active layer and the gate electrode or an interlayer insulating layer between the gate electrode and the source and drain electrodes.

15. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer is spaced apart from the display area in at least one direction.

16. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first insulating layer extends to an edge of the substrate.

17. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one pattern extends to an edge of the substrate.

18. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one pattern has a closed loop shape.

19. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a barrier layer between the substrate and the first insulating layer.

20. The display apparatus of claim 19, wherein the barrier layer extends to the display area.

21. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer, wherein the at least one pattern extends through the second insulating layer.

22. The display apparatus of claim 21, wherein the second insulating layer extends to the display area.

23. The display apparatus of claim 21, further comprising at least one insulating layer in the display area, wherein the second insulating layer and the at least one insulating layer in the display area are formed of a same material.

24. The display apparatus of claim 21, further comprising at least two insulating layers in the display area, wherein the first insulating layer and one of the at least two insulating layers in the display area are formed of a same material, and wherein the second insulating layer and one of the at least two insulating layers in the display area are formed of a same material.

25. The display apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a plurality of thin-film transistors (TFTs) in the central area of the substrate, each of the plurality of TFTs comprising an active layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, wherein one or more insulating layers are adjacent to at least one selected from the active layer, the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode, and wherein the second insulating layer and the one or more insulating layers include a same material.

26. The display apparatus of claim 25, wherein the one or more insulating layers include a gate insulating layer between the active layer and the gate electrode or an interlayer insulating layer between the gate electrode and the source and drain electrodes.

27. The display apparatus of claim 25, wherein the one or more insulating layers include a gate insulating layer between the active layer and the gate electrode, an interlayer insulating layer between the gate electrode and the source and drain electrodes,

wherein the first insulating layer and the gate insulating layer include a same material, and

wherein the second insulating layer and the interlayer insulating layer include a same material.

28. The display apparatus of claim 21, wherein the second insulating is spaced apart from the display area in at least one direction.

29. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one pattern is spaced apart from at least one edge of the substrate.

30. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one pattern overlaps with at least one edge of the substrate.

31. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover layer is spaced apart from at least one edge of the substrate.

32. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover layer overlaps with at least one edge from among edges of the substrate.

33. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one pattern comprises a plurality of patterns spaced apart from each other in one direction.

34. The display apparatus of claim 33, wherein the plurality of patterns are disposed in a direction that crosses the one direction.

35. The display apparatus of claim 33, wherein, among the plurality of patterns, a width of a pattern most adjacent to an edge of the substrate is greater than a width of each of patterns other than the pattern most adjacent to the edge of the substrate.

36. The display apparatus of claim 33, wherein, among the plurality of patterns, a width of a pattern furthest from an edge of the substrate is greater than a width of each of patterns other than the pattern furthest from the edge of the substrate.

37. The display apparatus of claim 33, wherein, among the plurality of patterns, a width of a middle pattern located between a pattern furthest from an edge of the substrate and a pattern most adjacent to the edge of the substrate is greater than a width of each of patterns other than the middle pattern.

38. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one edge from among edges of the substrate is defined as a cutting line.

39. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a flexible material.

40. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises an organic material.

41. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises multiple layers.

42. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate further comprises a first layer comprising an organic material, a second layer comprising an organic material, and an insertion layer between the first layer and the second layer.

43. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a particle that remains in the at least one pattern, wherein the cover layer is formed to cover the particle.

44. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the encapsulating layer extends to the peripheral area.

45. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the encapsulating layer comprises one or more inorganic encapsulating layers or one or more organic encapsulating layers.

46. The display apparatus of claim 45, wherein the one or more inorganic encapsulating layers include at least two inorganic encapsulating layers contacting each other at a region not beyond the cover layer.

47. The display apparatus of claim 45, wherein the one or more inorganic encapsulating layers include at least two inorganic encapsulating layers, wherein one of the one or more organic encapsulating layers is between the at least two inorganic encapsulating layers.

48. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of thin-film transistors (TFTs) in the central area of the substrate, each of the plurality of TFTs comprising an active layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, wherein one or more insulating layers are adjacent to at least one selected from the active layer, the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode.

49. The display apparatus of claim 48, wherein the cover layer and the one or more insulating layers include a same material.

50. The display apparatus of claim 48, wherein the cover layer and the one or more insulating layers have a substantially same thickness.

51. The display apparatus of claim 48, wherein the first insulating layer extends to the central area and is disposed between the substrate and the plurality of TFTs.

52. The display apparatus of claim 48, further comprising a passivation layer on the source electrode and the drain electrode, wherein the cover layer and the passivation layer are formed of a same material.

53. The display apparatus of claim 48, further comprising a second insulating layer between the gate electrode and the active layer, wherein the second insulating layer is on the first insulating layer and extends to the peripheral area so as to correspond to the at least one pattern.

54. The display apparatus of claim 48, further comprising an interlayer insulating layer between the gate electrode and the source and drain electrodes, wherein the interlayer insulating layer is on the first insulating layer and extends to the peripheral area so as to correspond to the at least one pattern.

55. The display apparatus of claim 48, further comprising:

a first electrode electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of TFTs; and

a pixel defining layer covering a portion of the first electrode and defining a pixel area.

56. The display apparatus of claim 55 further comprising:

a second electrode facing the first electrode; and

an intermediate layer between the first electrode and the second electrode and comprising an organic emission layer.

57. The display apparatus of claim 55, wherein the cover layer and the pixel defining layer include a same material.

58. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover layer surrounds the display area.

59. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover layer corresponds to edges of the display area, except for one of the edges.

60. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover layer comprises one or more main portions corresponding to edges of the substrate, and comprises a corner portion connecting two adjacent main portions.

61. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pad area in the peripheral area of the substrate, wherein the cover layer is near the pad area and comprises curved portions that correspond to the pad area and are curved toward the display area or are curved away from the display area.

62. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover layer comprises an organic material.