Display device with substrate comprising an opening and adjacent grooves

• US 10,541,380 B1
• Filed: 07/01/2019
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sung, Wooyong, Choi, Wonwoo, Kim, Sooyoun, Seo, Junghan, Lee, Seoyeon, Lee, Hyoungsub, Chang, Moonwon, Chae, Seunggun, Song, Seungyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Laurence J
• Application Number:
  US16/458,319
• Time in Patent Office: 204 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76205 in a region being recessed from the surface, e.g. in a recess, groove, tub or trench region
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/84 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/121 characterised by the geometry or disposition of pixel elements
• 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 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8731 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/00 Constructional details of devices covered by this subclass and not covered by groups H10K10/80, H10K30/80, H10K50/80 or H10K59/80
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A display device includes: a substrate that includes an opening and a display area that surrounds the opening; a plurality of grooves formed in the substrate between the opening and the display area; a display element layer on the substrate and that includes a plurality of display elements in the display area; a thin-film encapsulation layer disposed on the display element layer, the thin-film encapsulation layer including a first inorganic encapsulation layer, an organic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer which are sequentially stacked; a planarization layer disposed over the plurality of grooves and that includes an organic insulating material, wherein the planarization layer is disposed over the second inorganic encapsulation layer, and the organic encapsulation layer is disposed below the second inorganic encapsulation layer.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a substrate that includes an opening and a display area that surrounds the opening;

a plurality of grooves formed in the substrate between the opening and the display area;

a display element layer disposed on the substrate and that includes a plurality of display elements in the display area;

a thin-film encapsulation layer disposed on the display element layer, the thin-film encapsulation layer including a first inorganic encapsulation layer, an organic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer which are sequentially stacked; and

a planarization layer disposed over the plurality of grooves and that includes an organic insulating material,

wherein the planarization layer is disposed over the second inorganic encapsulation layer, and the organic encapsulation layer is disposed below the second inorganic encapsulation layer.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display element layer includes at least one organic material layer, and the at least one organic material layer is disconnected by one or more of the groove.

3. The display device of claim 2, wherein the at least one organic material layer includes at least one of a hole transport layer, a hole injection layer, an electron injection layer, or an electron transport layer.

4. The display device of claim 2, wherein the display element layer includes pixel electrodes that respectively correspond to the plurality of display elements, emission layers disposed on the pixel electrodes, and an opposite electrode that covers the display area, the opposite electrode being disconnected by one or more of the groove.

5. The display device of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a base layer and an inorganic insulating layer, the base layer includes a polymer resin, and

each of the plurality of grooves includes:

a hole formed in the inorganic insulating layer; and

a hole and a recess each formed in the base layer.

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

a first barrier layer disposed under the planarization layer; and

a second barrier layer disposed over the planarization layer.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein the planarization layer is disposed between the opening and the display area, and

the first barrier layer and the second barrier layer make contact with each other around a first edge of the planarization layer, the first edge of the planarization layer being adjacent to the display area.

8. The display device of claim 6, wherein the first barrier layer is in direct contact with the second inorganic encapsulation layer.

9. The display device of claim 6, wherein the first edge of the planarization layer is located on a same vertical line as an edge of the substrate, wherein the edge of the substrate bounds the opening.

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

an input sensing layer that includes a conductive layer and insulating layers respectively disposed on and under the conductive layer, wherein the conductive layer includes touch electrodes,

wherein the first barrier layer and the second barrier layer are respectively integrally formed with one of the insulating layers of the input sensing layer.

11. A display device, comprising:

a substrate that includes an opening and a display area adjacent to the opening, the substrate including a plurality of grooves formed between the opening and the display area;

a display element layer on the substrate and that includes a plurality of display elements in the display area, the display element layer including at least one organic material layer, wherein the at least one organic material layer is disconnected by the plurality of grooves;

a thin-film encapsulation layer disposed on the display element layer, the thin-film encapsulation layer including at least one inorganic encapsulation layer and at least one organic encapsulation layer; and

a planarization layer that includes an organic insulating material, wherein the planarization layer is disposed between the opening and the display area.

12. The display device of claim 11, wherein the substrate includes:

a first base layer that includes a polymer resin;

a first inorganic insulating layer disposed on the first base layer;

a second base layer disposed on the first inorganic insulating layer and that includes a polymer resin; and

a second inorganic insulating layer disposed on the second base layer,

wherein each of the plurality of grooves includes a first hole formed in the second inorganic insulating layer, and a second hole or a recess formed in the second base layer.

13. The display device of claim 12, wherein a lateral surface of the second inorganic insulating layer includes a tip that protrudes further toward a center of each groove than a lateral surface of the second base layer, wherein the lateral surface of the second inorganic insulating layer bounds the first hole, and the lateral surface of the second base layer bounds the second hole or the recess.

14. The display device of claim 11, wherein at least one inorganic encapsulation layer includes a first inorganic encapsulation layer disposed between the organic encapsulation layer and the planarization layer.

15. The display device of claim 14, wherein a portion of the planarization layer overlaps a portion of the organic encapsulation layer.

16. The display device of claim 14, wherein the at least one inorganic encapsulation layer further includes a second inorganic encapsulation layer disposed between the display element layer and the organic encapsulation layer, wherein the second inorganic encapsulation layer continuously covers an inner surface of each groove.

17. The display device of claim 11, further comprising a first inorganic barrier layer disposed on the planarization layer.

18. The display device of claim 17, further comprising a second inorganic barrier layer disposed under the planarization layer, wherein the second inorganic barrier layer makes contact with the first inorganic barrier layer around a first edge of the planarization layer, the first edge of the planarization layer being adjacent to the display area.

19. The display device of claim 18, further comprising:

an input sensing layer that includes a conductive layer and insulating layers respectively disposed on and under the conductive layer,

wherein each of the first inorganic barrier layer and the second inorganic barrier layer is integrally formed with one of the insulating layers of the input sensing layer.

20. A display device, comprising:

a substrate that includes an opening and a display area in which a plurality of pixels are disposed, the opening being formed between the plurality of pixels;

a display element layer that includes a plurality of display elements that respectively correspond to the plurality of pixels, the display element layer including at least one organic material layer;

a thin-film encapsulation layer disposed on the display element layer; and

a plurality of grooves formed in the substrate between the opening and the display area and that disconnect the at least one organic material layer.

21. The display device of claim 20, wherein the plurality of grooves are formed in a multi-layered film that includes a polymer resin layer and an inorganic insulating layer, and

each of the plurality of grooves includes:

a first hole formed in the inorganic insulating layer; and

a second hole or a recess formed in the polymer resin layer.

22. The display device of claim 21, wherein the substrate has a multi-layered structure that includes the polymer resin layer and the inorganic insulating layer.

23. The display device of claim 21, wherein a lateral surface of the inorganic insulating layer includes a tip that protrudes further toward a center of the groove than a lateral surface of the polymer resin layer, wherein the lateral surface of the inorganic insulating layer bounds the first hole, and the lateral surface of the polymer resin layer bounds the second hole or the recess.

24. The display device of claim 20, further comprising a planarization layer disposed between the opening and the display area.

25. The display device of claim 24, wherein the planarization layer includes an organic insulating material, and

the thin-film encapsulation layer includes:

an organic encapsulation layer; and

a first inorganic encapsulation layer disposed between the organic encapsulation layer and the planarization layer.

26. The display device of claim 25, wherein the thin-film encapsulation layer further includes a second inorganic encapsulation layer, and

the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer make contact with each other between the opening and the display area, and a contact area of the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer overlaps the planarization layer.

27. The display device of claim 24, further comprising:

a first inorganic barrier layer disposed under the planarization layer; and

a second inorganic barrier layer disposed over the planarization layer.

28. The display device of claim 27, wherein the first inorganic barrier layer and the second inorganic barrier layer make contact with each other around a first edge of the planarization layer, the first edge of the planarization layer being adjacent to the display area.

29. The display device of claim 27, further comprising:

an input sensing layer that includes a conductive layer and insulating layers respectively disposed on and under the conductive layer, wherein the conductive layer includes touch electrodes,

wherein each of the first inorganic barrier layer and the second inorganic barrier layer is integrally formed with one of the insulating layers of the input sensing layer.

30. The display device of claim 24, wherein the planarization layer is disposed between the opening and the display area.