ORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING DISPLAY APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20120139000A1
• Filed: 05/03/2011
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2010
• 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: Lee, Yul-Kyu, You, Chun-Gi, Park, Sun, Park, Jong-Hyun, Kim, Kwang-Hae
• Granted Patent: US 8,637,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/99
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1255 integrated with passive devices, e.g. auxiliary capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4908 for thin film semiconductor, e.g. gate of TFT
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals

Abstract

In an organic light-emitting display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same, a pad region of the organic light-emitting display apparatus comprises a protrusion layer including a plurality of protrusion portions formed on a substrate so as to protrude, a pad lower electrode and a pad upper electrode, the pad lower electrode including a protrusion portion formed along a protrusion outline of the protrusion layer and a flat portion formed along the substrate, and the pad upper electrode being formed on the flat portion of the pad lower electrode. A source/drain electrode layer is formed on the pad upper electrode, an organic layer is formed on the source/drain electrode layer, and a counter electrode layer is formed on the protrusion portion of the pad lower electrode and the organic layer. The counter electrode layer follows the protrusion outline of the protrusion layer on the protrusion portion. According to such a structure, cost is reduced due to a reduction in the number of masks, the manufacturing process is simplified, and a lifting phenomenon of the organic layer in the pad region is solved.

Claims

1. An organic light-emitting display apparatus, comprising:

a light-emitting region including an organic light-emitting element, a thin-film transistor (TFT), and a capacitor; and

a non-light-emitting region including a pad region connected to wiring of the light-emitting region;

wherein the pad region comprises;

a protrusion layer including a plurality of protrusion portions formed on a substrate so as to protrude;

a pad electrode including a pad lower electrode and a pad upper electrode, the pad lower electrode comprising a protrusion portion formed along a protrusion outline of the protrusion layer and a flat portion formed along the substrate, the pad upper electrode being formed on the flat portion of the pad lower electrode;

a source/drain electrode layer formed on the pad upper electrode;

an organic layer formed on the source/drain electrode layer; and

a counter electrode layer formed on the protrusion portion of the pad lower electrode and on the organic layer, the counter electrode layer following the protruding outline of the protrusion layer on the protrusion portion.

2. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a buffer layer formed between the substrate and the protrusion layer.

3. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a gate insulating layer formed between the protrusion layer and the pad lower electrode, and an interlayer insulating layer formed between the pad upper electrode and the source/drain electrode layer.

4. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the organic layer is formed so as to cover both the source/drain electrode layer and the pad upper electrode.

5. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the organic layer is formed so as to expose portions of the source/drain electrode layer and the pad upper electrode, and the counter electrode layer is formed so as to contact the exposed portions of the source/drain electrode layer and the pad upper electrode.

6. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the TFT comprises an active layer formed on a same layer as the protrusion layer, a gate electrode formed on a same layer as the pad electrode, and source/drain electrodes formed of a same layer as the source/drain electrode layer.

7. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the organic light-emitting element comprises a pixel electrode formed on a same layer as the pad electrode, a counter electrode formed of a same layer as the counter electrode layer, and a light-emitting layer interposed between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode.

8. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the capacitor comprises a capacitor lower electrode formed on a same layer as the protrusion layer, a capacitor upper electrode formed on a same layer as the pad electrode, and a gate insulating layer interposed between the capacitor lower electrode and the capacitor upper electrode.

9. A method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

forming an active layer of a thin-film transistor (TFT), a capacitor lower electrode of a capacitor, and a protrusion layer of a pad region on a substrate;

forming a gate electrode of the TFT on the active layer, a pixel electrode of an organic light-emitting element on the substrate, a capacitor upper electrode of the capacitor on the capacitor lower electrode, and a pad electrode of the pad region on the protrusion layer;

forming an interlayer insulating layer which includes openings for exposing portions of the active layer, the pixel electrode and the capacitor upper electrode, respectively, the interlayer insulating layer being formed on the pad electrode of the pad region; and

forming source/drain electrodes of the TFT contacting the exposed portions of the active layer and the pixel electrode, and forming a source/drain electrode layer of the pad region on the pad electrode and the interlayer insulating layer;

forming an organic layer which exposes a portion of the pixel electrode and which covers the source/drain electrodes of the TFT, the capacitor upper electrode of the capacitor, and the source/drain electrode layer of the pad region;

forming a light-emitting layer contacting the exposed portion of the pixel electrode; and

forming a counter electrode on the organic layer so as to face the pixel electrode with the light-emitting layer interposed between the counter electrode and the pixel electrode, and forming a counter electrode layer along a protrusion outline of the protrusion layer in the pad region.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of forming a buffer layer on the substrate.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of forming a gate insulating layer on the active layer, the capacitor lower electrode, and the protrusion layer.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the pad electrode comprises a pad lower electrode and a pad upper electrode, the pad lower electrode comprising a protrusion portion formed along a protrusion outline of the protrusion layer and a flat portion formed along the substrate, and the pad upper electrode being formed on the flat portion of the pad lower electrode.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the organic layer is formed so as to cover both the source/drain electrode layer and the pad upper electrode.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the organic layer is formed so as to expose portions of the source/drain electrode layer and the pad upper electrode, and the counter electrode layer is formed so as to contact the exposed portions of the source/drain electrode layer and the pad upper electrode.