Organic light emitting diode display and fabricating method thereof

• US 20080170013A1
• Filed: 03/12/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Mobile Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jeong, Seoni, Choi, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,893,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/82
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0248 for electrical or thermal protection, e.g. electrostatic discharge [ESD] protection

Abstract

An organic light emitting diode display and a fabricating method thereof are disclosed. Embodiments provide an organic light emitting diode display and a fabricating method thereof which prevents a pixel and a driver included in the organic light emitting diode display from being damaged due to an electrostatic discharge by forming a protective layer along at least one edge region of a substrate having a pixel region and a non-pixel region.

Claims

1. An organic light emitting diode display, comprising:

a substrate including a pixel region and a non-pixel region; and

an electrostatic discharge circuit formed in the non-pixel region of the substrate.

2. The organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit comprises:

a semiconductor layer formed on the substrate;

a gate insulating layer formed on the semiconductor layer;

a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating layer;

an interlayer dielectric layer formed on the gate electrode; and

a source/drain electrode formed on the interlayer dielectric layer.

3. The organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 2, wherein the source/drain electrode is spaced apart from the gate electrode by about 1 μ

m to about 10 μ

m in the horizontal direction.

4. The organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 2, wherein the non-pixel region further comprises:

at least one driver configured to drive a pixel of the pixel region; and

a pad unit configured to electrically couple the pixel and the driver to an external module.

5. The organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pad unit is formed along at least one edge region of the substrate.

6. The organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 5, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit is formed along another edge region of the substrate.

7. The organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 5, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit is formed along each edge of the substrate.

8. The organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit is configured to protect pixels in the pixel region.

9. The organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 4, wherein the gate electrode is coupled to a ground pad formed on the pad unit.

10. The organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit further comprises a buffer layer formed between the substrate and the semiconductor layer.

11. The organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit further comprises a protective layer on the source/drain electrode.

12. The organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit further comprises a conductive contact for electrically coupling the source/drain electrode and the semiconductor layer.

13. The organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 11, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit further comprises an electrode layer formed on the protective layer.

14. The organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 13, wherein the electrode layer is coupled to the source/drain electrode through a conductive via hole.

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

determining a pixel region and a non-pixel region on a substrate;

forming a semiconductor layer on each of the pixel region and the non-pixel region;

forming a gate insulating layer on each of the semiconductor layers of the pixel region and the non-pixel region;

forming a gate electrode on each of the gate insulating layers of the pixel region and the non-pixel region;

forming an interlayer dielectric layer covering each of the gate electrodes of the pixel region and the non-pixel region; and

forming a source/drain electrode on each of the interlayer dielectric layers of the pixel region and the non-pixel region,

wherein at least a thin film transistor is formed in the pixel region, and an electrostatic discharge circuit is formed in the non-pixel region.

16. The method of fabricating an organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 15, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit and the thin film transistor are formed with the same layers.

17. The method of fabricating an organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 15, wherein the source/drain electrode of the non-pixel region is spaced apart from the gate electrode of the non-pixel region by about 1 μ

m to about 10 μ

m in the horizontal direction.

18. The method of fabricating an organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 15, wherein the non-pixel region further comprises:

at least one driver configured to drive a pixel of the pixel region; and

a pad unit configured to electrically couple the pixel and the driver to an external module.

19. The method of fabricating an organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 18, wherein the pad unit is formed along at least one edge region of the substrate.

20. The method of fabricating an organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 19, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit is formed along another edge region of the substrate.

21. The method of fabricating an organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 19, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit is formed along each edge of the substrate.

22. The method of fabricating an organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 15, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit is configured to protect pixels in the pixel region.

23. The method for fabricating an organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 18, wherein the gate electrode is coupled to a ground pad formed on the pad unit.

24. The method for fabricating an organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 15, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit further comprises a buffer layer formed between the substrate and the semiconductor layer.

25. The method for fabricating an organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 15, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit further comprises a protective layer on the source/drain electrode.

26. The method for fabricating an organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 15, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit further comprises a conductive contact for electrically coupling the source/drain electrode and the semiconductor layer.

27. The method for fabricating an organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 25, wherein the electrostatic discharge circuit further comprises an electrode layer formed on the protective layer.

28. The method for fabricating an organic light emitting diode display as claimed in claim 27, wherein the electrode layer is coupled to the source/drain electrode through a conductive via hole.