Display device and production method thereof

• US 10,559,772 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2017
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ochi, Hisao, Takahashi, Jumpei, Senoo, Tohru, Ochi, Takashi, Sonoda, Tohru, Hirase, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghyka, Alexander G
• Application Number:
  US16/068,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20190363275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/301 flexible foldable or roll-able electronic displays, e.g. thin LCD, OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/28 with scanning beams H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/04 Sealing arrangements , e.g. against humidity
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/06 Electrode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/10 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/125 specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/10 OLED displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8722 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants

Abstract

An organic EL display device includes, as an organic layer stopper defining edges of an organic layer, a frame-shaped bank surrounding a display region. An upper face of the bank includes recessed portions and protrusions including a plurality of protrusions, and upper faces of the protrusions includes planar portions.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a plurality of optical elements;

a sealing film sealing the plurality of optical elements and including a first inorganic layer, a second inorganic layer, and an organic layer provided between the first inorganic layer and the second inorganic layer; and

at least one organic layer stopper formed from a frame-shaped bank surrounding a display region on which the plurality of optical elements are provided, and defining edges of the organic layer,

wherein the at least one organic layer stopper includes an organic layer stopper including a first frame portion surrounding the display region in a plan view and including a plurality of corner portions, and a second frame portion contiguous to the first frame portion, surrounding each of the plurality of corner portions of the first frame portion, and protruding from the first frame portion at the plurality of corner portions of the first frame portion with a space between the second frame portion and each of the plurality of corner portions of the first frame portion.

2. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein only one organic layer stopper of the at least one organic layer stopper is provided.

3. The display device according to claim 2,

wherein the at least one organic layer stopper includes a first organic layer stopper and a second organic layer stopper provided outside of the first organic layer stopper, separated from the first organic layer stopper, and surrounding the first organic layer stopper, and

of the first organic layer stopper and the second organic layer stopper, at least the second organic layer stopper includes the first frame portion and the second frame portion.

4. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein, in a plan view, the first frame portion includes curved portions at the plurality of corner portions, and the second frame portion includes straight angled portions provided outside of the curved portions and surrounding the curved portions.

5. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein, in the at least one organic layer stopper including the first frame portion and the second frame portion, the plurality of corner portions of the first frame portion are formed in an arc shape, and only corner portions of the at least one organic layer stopper have an outer shape that is a polygonal frame shape formed in a double-frame shape formed by the first frame portion and the second frame portion.

6. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein an outer shape formed by the first frame portion and the second frame portion is a quadrilateral shape.

7. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of dot-shaped banks provided between the display region and the at least one organic layer stopper, surrounding the display region, covered by the organic layer, and disposed in a plurality of rows in a frame shape while separated from the at least one organic layer stopper,

wherein dot-shaped banks in adjacent rows of the plurality of dot-shaped banks are disposed alternately with each other.

8. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of optical elements includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a functional layer provided between the first electrode and the second electrode,

the first electrode is formed in island shapes,

the display device further includes an edge cover provided on the display region and surrounding a peripheral portion of the first electrode, and

the at least one organic layer stopper is formed of a material identical to a material of the edge cover.

9. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a driving element layer including a driving element configured to drive the plurality of optical elements, the driving element being formed in the driving element layer,

wherein the driving element layer includes an inorganic insulating film, and

of the at least one organic layer stopper, an organic layer stopper located closest to the display region is directly formed on the inorganic insulating film.

10. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a driving element layer including a plurality of driving elements configured to drive the plurality of optical elements, a plurality of wiring lines, and a flattening film covering the plurality of driving elements and the plurality of wiring lines, the plurality of driving elements, the plurality of wiring lines, and the flattening film being provided in the driving element layer,

wherein each of the plurality of optical elements includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a functional layer provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, the second electrode being a common electrode common to the plurality of optical elements,

the plurality of optical elements are formed on the flattening film,

the display device further includes a plurality of frame-shaped banks formed on the flattening film between the display region and the at least one organic layer stopper and surrounding the display region,

the plurality of frame-shaped banks include a first bank having a first height and a second bank having a second height higher than the first height,

a first slit is formed in the flattening film closer to the display region than the second bank,

a part of a wiring line, of some of the plurality of wiring lines provided in the driving element layer, is exposed in the first slit, and

the second electrode is electrically connected to the part of the wiring line with the first slit interposed between the second electrode and the part of the wiring line.

11. The display device according to claim 10,

wherein a second slit is formed in the flattening film between the at least one organic layer stopper and the first slit, the second slit being covered by the first inorganic layer.

12. The display device according to claim 10,

wherein each of the first bank and the second bank includes a plurality of dot-shaped banks disposed in a plurality of rows in a frame shape, dot-shaped banks in adjacent rows of the plurality of dot-shaped banks being disposed alternately with each other.

13. The display device according to claim 10,

wherein the first electrode is formed in island shapes,

the display device further includes an edge cover provided on the display region and surrounding a peripheral portion of the first electrode, and

the at least one organic layer stopper is formed of a material identical to a material of the edge cover.

14. The display device according to claim 10,

wherein the driving element layer includes an inorganic insulating film, and

of the at least one organic layer stopper, an organic layer stopper located closest to the display region is directly formed on the inorganic insulating film.

16. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein the display device includes

a plurality of optical elements,

a sealing film sealing the plurality of optical elements and including a first inorganic layer, a second inorganic layer, and an organic layer provided between the first inorganic layer and the second inorganic layer, and

at least one organic layer stopper formed from a frame-shaped bank surrounding a display region on which the plurality of optical elements are provided, and defining edges of the organic layer,

the at least one organic layer stopper includes an organic layer stopper including recessed portions and protrusions on an upper face of the organic layer stopper, the recessed portions and protrusions including a plurality of protrusions, each including a planar portion on an upper face of each of the plurality of protrusions,

one organic layer stopper of the at least one organic layer stopper is only provided, and

the at least one organic layer stopper includes a first frame portion surrounding the display region in a plan view and including a plurality of corner portions and a second frame portion contiguous to the first frame portion, surrounding each of the plurality of corner portions of the first frame portion, and protruding from the first frame portion at the plurality of corner portions of the first frame portion with a space between the second frame portion and each of the plurality of corner portions of the first frame portion.

17. The display device according to claim 1,

wherein the display device includes

a plurality of optical elements,

a sealing film sealing the plurality of optical elements and including a first inorganic layer, a second inorganic layer, and an organic layer provided between the first inorganic layer and the second inorganic layer, and

at least one organic layer stopper formed from a frame-shaped bank surrounding a display region on which the plurality of optical elements are provided, and defining edges of the organic layer,

the at least one organic layer stopper includes an organic layer stopper including recessed portions and protrusions on an upper face of the organic layer stopper, the recessed portions and protrusions including a plurality of protrusions, each including a planar portion on an upper face of each of the plurality of protrusions,

the at least one organic layer stopper includes a first organic layer stopper and a second organic layer stopper provided outside of the first organic layer stopper, separated from the first organic layer stopper, and surrounding the first organic layer stopper,

of the first organic layer stopper and the second organic layer stopper, the recessed portions and protrusions are provided on at least the second organic layer stopper, and

of the first organic layer stopper and the second organic layer stopper, at least the second organic layer stopper includes a first frame portion surrounding the display region in a plan view and including a plurality of corner portions, and a second frame portion contiguous to the first frame portion, surrounding each of the plurality of corner portions of the first frame portion, and protruding from the first frame portion at the plurality of corner portions of the first frame portion with a space between the second frame portion and each of the plurality of corner portions of the first frame portion.

15. A method for producing a display device including a plurality of optical elements, and a sealing film sealing the plurality of optical elements and including a first inorganic layer, a second inorganic layer, and an organic layer provided between the first inorganic layer and the second inorganic layer, the method comprising:

forming, as an organic layer stopper defining edges of the organic layer, at least one polygonal frame-shaped bank including corner portions, only the corner portions being formed in a double-frame shape, each of the corner portions including a first frame portion surrounding, in a plan view, a display region on which the plurality of optical elements are provided and including a plurality of corner portions, and a second frame portion contiguous to the first frame portion, surrounding each of the plurality of corner portions of the first frame portion, and protruding from the first frame portion at the plurality of corner portions of the first frame portion with a space between the second frame portion and each of the plurality of corner portions of the first frame portion, to hold back a liquid organic material that becomes the organic layer, using the at least one polygonal frame-shaped bank.