Organic light emitting display device and method of manufacturing the same

• US 20110220922A1
• Filed: 03/08/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Jung-Yeon, Choi, Beom-Rak, Kim, Mu-Hyun, Sung, Un-Cheol
• Granted Patent: US 8,193,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/88
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/121 characterised by the geometry or disposition of pixel elements

Abstract

An organic light emitting display device includes a substrate, a plurality of pixels on the substrate having a first region configured to emit light and a second region configured to transmit external light, a plurality of pixel circuit units, a plurality of first electrodes, a first organic layer on the plurality of first electrodes, a second organic layer on the first organic layer, the second organic layer including an emission layer, a third organic layer on the second organic layer, the third organic layer being positioned in the first region and outside a central portion of the second region, and a second electrode having a first portion only on the third organic layer.

Claims

1. An organic light emitting display device, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of pixels on the substrate, each pixel having a first region configured to emit light and a second region configured to transmit external light;

a plurality of pixel circuit units, each pixel circuit unit being in the first region of each of the plurality of pixels and including at least one thin film transistor;

a plurality of first electrodes, each first electrode being in the first region of each of the plurality of pixels and being electrically connected to a respective pixel circuit unit, the first electrode having an island shape corresponding to a respective pixel of the plurality of pixels;

a first organic layer covering the plurality of first electrodes;

a second organic layer on the first organic layer, the second organic layer including an emission layer;

a third organic layer on the second organic layer, the third organic layer being positioned in the first region and outside a central portion of the second region; and

a second electrode having a first portion only on the third organic layer.

2. The organic light emitting display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first organic layer includes at least one of a hole transport layer and a hole injection layer, and the third organic layer includes at least one of an electron transport layer and an electron injection layer.

3. The organic light emitting display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third organic layer is only in the first region, the second electrode being only and directly on the third organic layer.

4. The organic light emitting display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first organic layer is only in the first region, the third organic layer completely overlapping the first organic layer.

5. The organic light emitting display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first organic layer is in the first region and the second region, the first organic layer extending beyond the third organic layer.

6. The organic light emitting display device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second electrode further comprises a second portion on the first organic layer in the second region, the first and second portions of the second electrode being connected to each other.

7. The organic light emitting display device as claimed in claim 6, wherein a thickness of the second portion is smaller than a thickness of the first portion.

8. The organic light emitting display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of pixel circuit units overlaps the plurality of first electrodes, respectively.

9. The organic light emitting display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first region of each of the plurality of pixels includes a light emission region and a circuit region, each of the plurality of pixel circuit units being in the circuit region, and each of the plurality of first electrodes being in the light emission region.

10. The organic light emitting display device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the light emission region and the circuit region of the each of the plurality of pixels are adjacent to each other.

11. The organic light emitting display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer covering ends of each of the plurality of first electrodes, the third organic layer separating the second electrode from the insulating layer.

12. The organic light emitting display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second electrode includes magnesium (Mg).

13. A method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display device, the method comprising:

defining a plurality of pixels on a substrate, each pixel having a first region configured to emit light and a second region configured to transmit external light;

forming a plurality of pixel circuit units, such that each of the plurality of pixel circuit units is arranged in the first region of each of the plurality of pixels and includes at least one thin film transistor;

forming a plurality of first electrodes, such that each of the plurality of first electrodes is arranged in the first region of each of the plurality of pixels and is electrically connected to a respective pixel circuit unit, the first electrodes being patterned to have an island shape that is separate in each of the plurality of pixels;

forming a first organic layer patterned to cover the plurality of first electrodes;

forming a second organic layer on the first organic layer, such that the second organic layer includes an emission layer and is patterned to correspond to each of the plurality of first electrodes;

forming a third organic layer on the second organic layer, such that the third organic layer is patterned to be in the first region and outside a central portion of the second region; and

depositing metal on the third organic layer to form a second electrode on the third organic layer, such that the second electrode includes a first portion only on the third organic layer.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein depositing the metal includes depositing magnesium (Mg) on the third organic layer.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein forming the second electrode includes depositing the metal only on the third organic layer in the first region.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

forming the first organic layer includes forming at least one of a hole transport layer (HTL) and a hole injection layer (HIL); and

forming the third organic layer includes forming at least one of an electron transport layer and an electron injection layer.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first organic layer is formed in the first region and the second region.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein forming the second electrode further comprises forming a second portion on a portion of the second region where the third organic layer is not formed, the first and second portions of the second electrode being connected to each other.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein a thickness of the second portion is smaller than a thickness of the first portion.

20. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising forming an insulating layer between the first electrodes and the first organic layer, wherein forming the second electrode includes depositing metal only on the third organic layer, such that the third organic layer separates the second electrode from the insulating layer.