Display device

• US 10,522,431 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2017
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Hyun Woong, Kwak, Won Kyu, Lee, Seung-Kyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Gondarenko, Natalia A
• Application Number:
  US15/616,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20180158741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 257 48, 257 59, 257 88, 257 89, 257E2301, 349 43, 438 30, 438 34
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0452 Details of colour pixel setup, e.g. pixel composed of a red, a blue and two green components
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/12 Test circuits or failure detection circuits included in a display system, as permanent part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/006 Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/12 for structural parameters, e.g. thickness, line width, refractive index, temperature, warp, bond strength, defects, optical inspection, electrical measurement of structural dimensions, metallurgic measurement of diffusions electrical measurement of diffusions H01L22/14
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/32 Additional lead-in metallisation on a device or substrate, e.g. additional pads or pad portions, lines in the scribe line, sacrificed conductors arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the solid state body in operation H01L23/48
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/34 Circuits for electrically characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes, e. g. whole test die, wafers filled with test structures, on-board-devices incorporated on each die, process control monitors or pad structures thereof, devices in scribe line switching, multiplexing, gating devices G01R19/25; process control with lithography, e.g. dose control, G03F7/20; structures for alignment control by optical means G03F7/70633
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/124 with a particular composition, shape or layout of the wiring layers specially adapted to the circuit arrangement, e.g. scanning lines in LCD pixel circuits wiring structures per se H01L23/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1255 integrated with passive devices, e.g. auxiliary capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

A display device includes a display area, a peripheral area, a pad portion, a bending area, a first crack detection circuit, and a first crack detection line. The display area includes pixels and data lines. The peripheral area is disposed outside the display area. The pad portion is disposed in the peripheral area. The bending area is disposed in the peripheral area. The bending area is bendable or in a bent state. The first crack detection circuit is disposed between the display area and the pad portion. The first crack detection circuit includes switches. The first crack detection line includes a first curved portion disposed in the bending area. The first crack detection line is connected between the pad portion and the first crack detection circuit.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a substrate comprising;

a display area comprising pixels and data lines; and

a peripheral area disposed outside the display area;

a pad portion disposed in the peripheral area;

a bending area disposed in the peripheral area, the bending area being bendable or in a bent state;

a first crack detection circuit disposed between the display area and the pad portion, the first crack detection circuit comprising switches;

a first crack detection line comprising a first curved portion disposed in the bending area and adjacent to a first edge of the substrate extending in a first direction, the first crack detection line being connected between the pad portion and the first crack detection circuit, the first crack detection line being configured to detect a crack generated in the bending area;

a first test data line extending in a second direction crossing the first direction in a region of the peripheral area between the display area and some of the switches such that the first test data line crosses some of the data lines in an insulated manner; and

a second test data line extending in the second direction in a region of the peripheral area between the display area and the some of the switches such that the second test data line crosses some of the data lines in an insulated manner, the second test data line being spaced apart from the first test data line in the first direction,

wherein;

the second test data line is connected to the pad portion through a first end of the first crack detection line;

the first test data line is connected to a second end of the first crack detection line different from the first end of the first crack detection line;

the second end is spaced apart from the first end in the second direction; and

the first end is closer to the first edge of the substrate than the second end in the second direction.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the second test data line crosses more of the data lines in an insulated manner than the first test data line.

3. The display device of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the first crack detection circuit comprises a first switch and a second switch,

wherein the first switch comprises;

an input terminal connected with the second test data line; and

an output terminal connected with a first data line among the data lines, and

wherein the second switch comprises;

an input terminal connected with the first test data line; and

an output terminal connected with a second data line among the data lines.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the second data line is connected with a first pixel among the pixels, the first pixel being configured to display a first color.

5. The display device of claim 3, wherein the first crack detection circuit is disposed between the bending area and the pad portion.

6. The display device of claim 3, further comprising:

a common voltage transmission line passing through the bending area, the common voltage transmission line being configured to transmit a common voltage,

wherein the first crack detection line is disposed between the common voltage transmission line and an outer edge of the peripheral area in the bending area.

7. The display device of claim 3, further comprising:

a common voltage transmission line passing through the bending area, the common voltage transmission line being configured to transmit a common voltage,

wherein the common voltage transmission line is disposed between the first crack detection line and an outer edge of the peripheral area in the bending area.

8. The display device of claim 3, further comprising:

a second crack detection line comprising a second curved portion disposed in the peripheral area at a peripheral portion of the display area, the second crack detection line being connected between the pad portion and the first crack detection circuit; and

a third test data line extending in the second direction in the peripheral area,

wherein a first end of the second crack detection line is connected with the pad portion, and a second end of the second crack detection line is connected with the third test data line.

9. The display device of claim 8, wherein:

the first crack detection circuit further comprises a third switch; and

the third switch comprises;

an input terminal connected with the third test data line; and

an output terminal connected with a third data line among the data lines.

10. The display device of claim 9, wherein the third data line is connected with a second pixel among the pixels, the second pixel being configured to display a second color.

11. The display device of claim 9, wherein the second data line is connected with:

a first pixel among the pixels, the first pixel being configured to display a first color; and

a second pixel among the pixels, the second pixel being configured to display a different color than the first color.

12. The display device of claim 3, further comprising:

a second crack detection circuit disposed between the display area and the pad portion, the second crack detection circuit comprising switches; and

a second crack detection line comprising a second curved portion disposed in the peripheral area at a peripheral portion of the display area, the second crack detection line being connected between the pad portion and the second crack detection circuit.

13. The display device of claim 12, further comprising:

a fourth test data line extending in the second direction in the peripheral area,

wherein a first end of the second crack detection line is connected with the pad portion, and a second end of the second crack detection line is connected with the fourth test data line.

14. The display device of claim 13, further comprising:

a fifth test data line extending in the second direction in the peripheral area, the fifth test data line being connected with the pad portion,

wherein the second crack detection circuit comprises a fourth switch and a fifth switch,

wherein the fourth switch comprises;

an input terminal connected with the fifth test data line; and

an output terminal connected with a fourth data line among the data lines, and

wherein the fifth switch comprises;

an input terminal connected with the fourth test data line; and

an output terminal connected with a fifth data line among the data lines.

15. The display device of claim 14, further comprising:

a matching resistor connected between the pad portion and the fifth test data line.

16. The display device of claim 14, wherein:

the second data line is connected with a first pixel among the pixels, the first pixel being configured to display a first color; and

the fifth data line is connected with a second pixel among the pixels, the second pixel being configured to display a second color.

17. The display device of claim 14, wherein the second crack detection circuit is disposed between the bending area and the pad portion.

18. The display device of claim 17, wherein:

the second crack detection line comprises a portion passing through the bending area; and

in the bending area, the first crack detection line is disposed between the second crack detection line and an outer edge of the peripheral area.

19. The display device of claim 14, wherein the bending area is disposed between the first crack detection circuit and the second crack detection circuit.

20. The display device of claim 1, further comprising:

a strain gauge comprising a resistor line, the resistor line being disposed in the bending area.

21. The display device of claim 20, wherein the resistor line is disposed between the first crack detection line and an outer edge of the peripheral area.

22. A display device comprising:

a substrate comprising;

a display area comprising pixels and data lines; and

a peripheral area disposed outside the display area;

a bending area disposed in the peripheral area, the bending area being bendable or in a bent state;

a first crack detection line disposed in the bending area and adjacent to a first edge of the substrate extending in a first direction, the first crack detection line being associated with first pixels among the pixels, the first pixels being configured to emit light of a first color, the first crack detection line being configured to detect a crack generated in the bending area; and

a second crack detection line disposed in the peripheral area outside the bending area and adjacent to the first edge of the substrate, the second crack detection line being associated with second pixels among the pixels, the second pixels being configured to emit light of a second color different from the first pixels, the second crack detection line being configured to detect a crack generated in the peripheral area outside the bending area,

wherein;

the first crack detection line is not connected to the second crack detection line; and

the first crack detection line is spaced apart from the second crack detection line in the first direction.

23. The display device of claim 22, further comprising:

a first crack detection circuit comprising a first switch and a second switch; and

a second crack detection circuit comprising a third switch and a fourth switch,

wherein;

the first switch is connected with a first end of the first crack detection line;

the second switch is connected with a second end of the first crack detection line;

the third switch is connected with a first end of the second crack detection line; and

the fourth switch is connected with a second end of the second crack detection line.

24. The display device of claim 23, wherein the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch are respectively connected with the data lines.

25. The display device of claim 24, wherein:

the first switch and the second switch are connected with a first color pixel among the pixels, the first color pixel being configured to display a first color; and

the third switch and the fourth switch are connected with a second color pixel among the pixels, the second color pixel being configured to display a second color that is different from the first color.