Organic light emitting display and method of fabricating the same

• US 20070170846A1
• Filed: 01/08/2007
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Mobile Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Mobile Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Park, Jin-Woo, Kwak, Won-Kyu, Choi, Dong-Soo, Song, Seung-Yong, Kim, Deuk-Jong
• Application Number:
  US11/650,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20070170846A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/504
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/846 comprising getter material or desiccants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/17 Passive-matrix OLED displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass

Abstract

An OLED having an improved adhesion characteristic and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The OLED includes: a substrate having a pixel region and a non-pixel region except the pixel region; and an encapsulation substrate for encapsulating the substrate. The pixel region includes: a thin film transistor including a semiconductor layer, a gate electrode, and source and drain electrodes; a first electrode electrically connected with the thin film transistor; a pixel defining layer disposed on the first electrode; an organic layer having at least an emissive layer formed on the first electrode and the pixel defining layer; a second electrode disposed on the organic layer; and at least one inorganic layer. The non-pixel region includes at least one inorganic layer, and a frit disposed on the inorganic layer to encapsulate the substrate and the encapsulation substrate.

Claims

1. An organic light emitting display device comprising:

a first substrate;

an second substrate;

an integrated structure formed on the first substrate, wherein the integrated structure comprises a non-conductive inorganic material layer and an array of organic light emitting pixels formed over the non-conductive inorganic material layer; and

a frit seal interposed between and interconnecting the first and second substrates while surrounding the array, the frit seal having a first surface facing the first substrate and a second surface facing the second substrate, wherein the second surface contacts the non-conductive inorganic material layer.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein substantially the entirety of the first surface of the frit seal contacts the non-conductive inorganic material layer.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein substantially the entirety of the first surface of the frit seal is fixed to the non-conductive inorganic material layer.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the array of organic light emitting pixels is provided between the non-conductive inorganic material layer and the second substrate.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the array of organic light emitting pixels comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and an organic light emitting layer interposed between the first and second electrodes.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the integrated structure further comprises an array of thin film transistors, wherein the non-conductive inorganic material layer is interposed between the array of organic light emitting pixels and the array of thin film transistors, and wherein the thin film transistor is disposed between the non-conductive inorganic material layer and the first substrate.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the non-conductive inorganic material layer comprises a plurality of via holes, through which electrically conductive connections are formed so as to interconnect the array of organic light emitting pixels and the array of thin film transistors.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the non-conductive inorganic material layer has a thickness from about 1 to about 5 μ

m in thickness.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the integrated structure further comprises anon-conductive organic material layer substantially parallel to the non-conductive inorganic material layer, wherein the non-conductive organic material layer is formed between the non-conductive inorganic material layer and the array of organic light emitting pixels.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the non-conductive organic material layer does not contact the frit seal.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the integrated structure further comprises an array of thin film transistors, wherein the non-conductive inorganic material layer is interposed between the array of organic light emitting pixels and the array of thin film transistors, and wherein the thin film transistor is disposed between the non-conductive inorganic material layer and the first substrate.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the non-conductive inorganic material layer comprises a plurality of via holes, through which electrically conductive connectors are formed so as to interconnect the array of organic light emitting pixels and the array of thin film transistors.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the non-conductive organic material layer comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of polyacryl resin, epoxy resin, phenol resin, polyamide resin, polyimide resin, unsaturated polyester resin, polyphenylene ether resin, polyphenylene sulfide resin, and benzocyclobutene.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the non-conductive inorganic material layer comprises at least one of silicon nitride (SiN_x), silicon oxide (SiO_x), and spin on glass (SOG).

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the non-conductive inorganic material layer consists essentially of one or more inorganic materials.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the frit seal comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of magnesium oxide (MgO), calcium oxide (CaO), barium oxide (BaO), lithium oxide (Li₂O), sodium oxide (Na₂O), potassium oxide (K₂0), boron oxide (B₂O₃), vanadium oxide (V₂O₅), zinc oxide (ZnO), tellurium oxide (TeO₂), aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), silicon dioxide (SiO₂), lead oxide (PbO), tin oxide (SnO), phosphorous oxide (P₂O₅), ruthenium oxide (Ru₂O), rubidium oxide (Rb₂O), rhodium oxide (Rh₂O), ferrite oxide (Fe₂O₃), copper oxide (CuO), titanium oxide (TiO₂), tungsten oxide (WO₃), bismuth oxide (Bi₂O₃), antimony oxide (Sb₂O₃), lead-borate glass, tin-phosphate glass, vanadate glass, and borsilicate.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the first surface of the frit seal and the non-conductive inorganic material layer are in contact along edges of the first substrate.

18. A method of fabricating an organic light emitting display, comprising:

providing a first substrate and an array of thin film transistors formed over the first substrate;

forming a non-conductive inorganic material layer over the array of thin film transistors;

forming an array of light emitting pixels over the non-conductive inorganic material layer;

arranging a second substrate over the first substrate such that the array of light emitting pixels are interposed between the first and second substrates; and

forming a frit seal between the first and second substrates while the frit seal surrounds the array of light emitting pixels, wherein the frit seal contacts the non-conductive inorganic material layer.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming a non-conductive organic material layer over the non-conductive inorganic material layer prior to forming the array of light emitting pixels, wherein prior to forming the frit seal, a portion of the non-conductive inorganic material layer is exposed, wherein the frit seal contacts the portion.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming a plurality of via holes through the non-conductive inorganic material layer prior to forming the array of light emitting pixels, wherein electrically conductive connections are formed through the via holes so as to interconnect the array of organic light emitting pixels and the array of thin film transistors.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the non-conductive inorganic material layer is formed by spin coating.

22. An organic light emitting display device comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate;

an integrated structure formed on the first substrate, wherein the integrated structure comprises a planarization layer and an array of organic light emitting pixels, which comprises an anode, wherein the integrated structure further comprises an extension of the anode; and

a frit seal interposed between and interconnecting the first and second substrates while surrounding the array, the frit seal having a first surface facing the first substrate and a second surface facing the second substrate, wherein the second surface contacts the extension of the anode.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the anode comprises an inorganic layer, wherein the anode is formed of at least one selected from the group consisting of Al, MoW, Mo, Cu, Ag, Al-alloy, Ag-alloy, ITO, IZO, and a semitransparent metal.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the integrated structure further comprises an organic planarization layer interposed between the anode and the first substrate.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the integrated structure further comprises an inorganic layer interposed between the anode and the organic planarization layer.

26. The device of claim 22, wherein substantially the entirety of the first surface of the frit seal contacts the anode.

27. The device of claim 22, wherein substantially the entirety of the first surface of the frit seal is fixed to the anode.