FLAT PANEL DISPLAY DEVICE AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20070159094A1
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Jung-woo, SONG, Mi-jeong, KANG, Sung-kee, CHUN, Young-tea, OH, Tae-sik, LEE, Ho-nyeon
• Granted Patent: US 8,350,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/512
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/04 Sealing arrangements , e.g. against humidity
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8445 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8722 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8731 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/88 Dummy elements, i.e. elements having non-functional features

Abstract

A flat panel display device including a display area where an image is displayed and a non-display area located at an outside of the display area includes bank portions arranged in a pattern in the display area and partitioning a plurality of openings, emission elements located in the openings, dummy bank portions formed in the non-display area and integrated therewith, and a sealing passivation layer having a multi-layered structure of organic films and inorganic films alternately arranged, one organic film being located at an interface directly contacting the emission element and one inorganic film located firstly on an outermost portion of the dummy bank portions when the sealing passivation layer extends from the display area to the non-display area.

Claims

1. A flat panel display device including a display area where a desired image is displayed and a non-display area located at an outside of the display area, the flat panel display device comprising:

bank portions arranged in a pattern in the display area and partitioning a plurality of openings;

emission elements located in the openings;

dummy bank portions formed in the non-display area and integrated with the bank portions in the display area; and

a sealing passivation layer having a multi-layered structure of at least one organic film and at least one inorganic film alternately arranged, one of the at least one organic film located at an interface directly contacting the emission elements and one of the at least one inorganic film arranged firstly on the dummy bank portions when the sealing passivation layer extends from the display area to the non-display area.

2. The flat panel display device of claim 1, further comprising a first substrate and a second substrate, wherein each emission element is an organic electroluminescent element including a first electrode, a second electrode, and an organic film inserted between the first and second electrodes.

3. The flat panel display device of claim 2, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are disposed facing each other with the emission elements there between, and wherein the first and second substrates are made of glass or plastic material.

4. The flat panel display device of claim 1, wherein the openings partitioned by the bank portions in the display area are arranged in a zigzag pattern along a first direction or a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

5. The flat panel display device of claim 1, wherein a unit pixel in the display area includes red, green, and blue subpixels repeated by a pitch distance, and a width of the dummy bank portions is greater than twice the pitch distance.

6. The flat panel display device of claim 1, wherein a height of the bank portions in the display area is less than a height of the dummy bank portions in the non-display area.

7. The flat panel display device of claim 1, wherein the organic film located at the interface directly contacting the emission elements has a smaller peripheral area than the inorganic film arranged firstly on the dummy bank portions.

8. The flat panel display device of claim 1, wherein the bank portions in the display area and the dummy bank portions in the non-display area are formed from a same material and within a same layer of the flat panel display device, the dummy bank portions forming at least part of a blocking wall blocking harmful material from entering the display area.

9. A flat panel display device including a display area where a desired image is displayed and a non-display area located at an outside of the display area, the flat panel display device comprising:

bank portions arranged in a pattern in the display area and partitioning a plurality of openings;

emission elements located in the openings;

dummy bank portions formed in the non-display area and integrated with the bank portions in the display area;

an encapsulation material layer burying the dummy bank portions; and

a sealing passivation layer covering the emission elements and having a multi-layered structure of at one organic film and at least one inorganic film alternately arranged.

10. The flat panel display device of claim 9, wherein one of the at least one organic film is located at an interface directly contacting the emission elements and one of the at least one inorganic film is arranged firstly on the dummy bank portions when the sealing passivation layer extends from the display area to the non-display area.

11. The flat panel display device of claim 9, wherein the dummy bank portions extend in a same pattern as that of the bank portions in the display area and a plurality of openings are partitioned by the dummy bank portions.

12. The flat panel display device of claim 11, wherein the dummy bank portions have at least two or more dummy banks arranged in series with the openings partitioned by the dummy bank portions there between.

13. The flat panel display device of claim 9, wherein the encapsulation material layer is made of inorganic material.

14. The flat panel display device of claim 9, wherein the encapsulation material layer has a height greater than a height of the bank portions in the display area and a height of the dummy bank portions.

15. A flat panel display device including a display area where a desired image is displayed and a non-display area located at an outside of the display area, the flat panel display device comprising:

bank portions arranged in a pattern in the display area and partitioning a plurality of openings;

emission elements located in the openings;

dummy bank portions formed in the non-display area and integrated with the bank portions in the display area;

blocking members disposed between the dummy bank portions preventing permeation of harmful material to the emission elements; and

a sealing passivation layer covering the emission elements and having a multi-layered structure of at least one organic film and at least one inorganic film alternately arranged.

16. The flat panel display device of claim 15, wherein faces of the blocking members contact sides of the dummy bank portions.

17. The flat panel display device of claim 15, wherein a height of the dummy bank portions in the non-display area is greater than a height of the bank portions in the display area.

18. The flat panel display device of claim 15, wherein one of the at least one organic film having a planarizing effect is arranged at an interface of the sealing passivation layer directly contacting the emission elements and one of the at least one inorganic film is arranged firstly on the dummy bank portions where the sealing passivation layer extends from the display area to the non-display area.

19. The flat panel display device of claim 15, wherein the blocking members are made of inorganic material.

20. A flat panel display device including a display area where a desired image is displayed and a non-display area located at an outside of the display area, the flat panel display device comprising:

bank portions arranged in a pattern in the display area and partitioning a plurality of openings;

emission elements located in the openings;

dummy bank portions formed in the non-display area and integrated with the bank portions in the display area; and

a sealing passivation layer isolating the emission elements from outside air and having a multi-layered structure of at least one organic film and at least one inorganic film alternately arranged and extending from the display area to the non-display area.

21. The flat panel display device of claim 20, wherein the sealing passivation layer covers the dummy bank portions in the non-display area.

22. The flat panel display device of claim 20, wherein one of the at least one organic film having a planarization effect is arranged at an interface of the sealing passivation layer directly contacting the emission elements and one of the at least one inorganic film is arranged firstly on the dummy bank portions where the sealing passivation layer extends from the display area to the non-display area.

23. The flat panel display device of claim 20, wherein the dummy bank portions form a solid uninterrupted wall surrounding the display area.

24. The flat panel display device of claim 20, wherein the dummy bank portions are formed in a pattern within the non-display area and partition a plurality of openings in the non-display area, the flat panel display device further comprising an encapsulation material layer filling the openings between the dummy bank portions.

25. The flat panel display device of claim 20, further comprising blocking members alternating with the dummy bank portions within the non-display area.

26. A method of fabricating a flat panel device having protection from harmful material, the flat panel display device including a display area where an image is displayed and a non-display area located at an outside of the display area, the method comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming bank portions within the display area on the first substrate in a pattern having partitioned openings to receive emission elements within the openings; and

,

forming dummy bank portions within the non-display area on the first substrate substantially simultaneously with forming the bank portions in the display area, the dummy bank portions forming at least part of a blocking wall preventing entrance of harmful material into the display area from a side of the flat panel device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein forming the bank portions in the display area and forming the dummy bank portions in the non-display area includes depositing a shielding material over the substrate and patterning the shielding material.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising locating emission elements within the openings, covering the emission elements and the blocking wall with a sealing passivation layer having a multi-layered structure of at least one organic film and at least one inorganic film arranged alternately, disposing one of the at least one organic film in direct contact with the emission elements, and disposing one of the at least one inorganic film in direct contact with the blocking wall.