FLEXIBLE DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20160378224A1
• Filed: 05/12/2016
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: KWON, Dohyun, Jang, Mi, Lee, Minjung, Jang, Hyoungwook, Kim, Kyuyoung, Lee, Dongki, Lee, Jangdoo, Im, Choongyoul, Kim, Mugyeom, Lee, Junghun
• Granted Patent: US 10,168,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8445 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/865 comprising light absorbing layers, e.g. light-blocking layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1315 comprising structures specially adapted for lowering the resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/38 comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8731 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8792 comprising light absorbing layers, e.g. black layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

A flexible display device may include a display panel providing a base surface and a touch screen disposed on the base surface. The display panel may include a plurality of light emitting areas and a non-light emitting area disposed adjacent to the light emitting areas. A plurality of touch electrodes and a plurality of insulating layers of the touch screen may have a mesh shape through which openings corresponding to the plurality of light emitting areas are defined. Accordingly, a flexibility of the flexible display device is improved, and the touch electrode is prevented from being cracked.

Claims

1. A flexible display device, comprising:

a display panel providing a base surface and comprising a plurality of light emitting areas and a non-light emitting area disposed adjacent to the light emitting areas; and

a touch screen disposed on the base surface, the touch screen comprising;

a plurality of first conductive patterns disposed on the base surface and overlapped with the non-light emitting area;

a first insulating layer disposed on the base surface, covering the first conductive patterns, and comprising a plurality of first openings defined to correspond to the light emitting areas;

a plurality of second conductive patterns disposed on the first insulating layer and overlapped with the non-light emitting area; and

a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer, covering the second conductive patterns, and comprising a plurality of second openings defined to correspond to the light emitting areas.

2. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first conductive patterns and each of the plurality of second conductive patterns have a mesh shape through which a plurality of openings is defined.

3. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first conductive patterns comprise a plurality of first touch electrodes extending in a first direction and arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, and each of the plurality of first touch electrodes comprises a plurality of touch openings defined by the plurality of first touch electrodes.

4. The flexible display device of claim 3, wherein the second conductive patterns comprise a plurality of second touch electrodes extending in the second direction and arranged in the first direction, and each of the plurality of second touch electrodes comprises a plurality of touch openings defined by the second touch electrodes.

5. The flexible display device claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of first touch electrodes comprise a plurality of first sensing parts arranged in the first direction and a plurality of first connecting parts each connecting two first sensing parts adjacent to each other among the plurality of first sensing parts, and the plurality of first conductive patterns further comprise a plurality of second sensing parts disposed adjacent to the plurality of first sensing parts.

6. The flexible display device of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of second conductive patterns comprise a plurality of second connecting parts connecting two second sensing parts adjacent to each other in the second direction among the plurality of second sensing parts through contact holes defined through the first insulating layer.

7. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the display panel comprises:

a base substrate;

a circuit layer disposed on the base substrate;

an organic light emitting device layer disposed on the circuit layer; and

a thin film encapsulation layer encapsulating the organic light emitting device layer.

8. The flexible display device of claim 7, wherein the thin film encapsulation layer provides the base surface.

9. The flexible display device of claim 8, wherein the thin film encapsulation layer comprises:

a lower inorganic thin film layer configured to contact with the organic light emitting device layer;

a plurality of organic thin film layers disposed on the base surface; and

a plurality of upper inorganic thin film layers alternately stacked with the organic thin film layers.

10. The flexible display device of claim 9, wherein the lower inorganic thin film layer comprises at least a lithium fluoride layer.

11. The flexible display device of claim 9, wherein a thin film layer disposed at an uppermost position among the organic thin film layers and the upper inorganic thin film layers alternately stacked with the organic thin film layers comprise third openings or grooves defined to correspond to the plurality of first openings.

12. The flexible display device of claim 8, wherein the display panel further comprises a buffer layer providing the base surface.

13. The flexible display device of claim 12, wherein the buffer layer comprises a plurality of third openings or grooves defined to correspond to the plurality of first openings.

14. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first conductive patterns comprise:

a plurality of first touch electrodes comprising a plurality of touch openings defined to correspond to the plurality of first openings; and

a plurality of first auxiliary electrodes spaced apart from the plurality of first touch electrodes, and the plurality of second conductive patterns comprise;

a plurality of second touch electrodes crossing the plurality of first touch electrodes, comprising a plurality of touch openings defined to correspond to the plurality of first openings, each of the plurality of second touch electrodes being electrically connected to a corresponding first auxiliary electrode of the plurality of first auxiliary electrodes; and

a plurality of second auxiliary electrodes, each being electrically connected to a corresponding first touch electrode among the plurality of first touch electrodes.

15. The flexible display device of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of first touch electrodes comprises a plurality of first sensing parts overlapped with corresponding second auxiliary electrodes among the plurality of second auxiliary electrodes and a plurality of first connecting parts each connecting two first sensing parts adjacent to each other among the plurality of first sensing parts, and each of the plurality of second touch electrodes comprise a plurality of second sensing parts overlapped with corresponding first auxiliary electrodes among the plurality of first auxiliary electrodes and a plurality of second connecting parts each connecting two second sensing parts adjacent to each other among the plurality of second sensing parts.

16. The flexible display device of claim 15, wherein the corresponding second auxiliary electrodes are electrically connected to the plurality of first sensing parts through a plurality of auxiliary contact holes defined through the first insulating layer.

17. The flexible display device of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of first auxiliary electrodes has a mesh shape, and each of the plurality of second auxiliary electrodes has a mesh shape.

18. The flexible display device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of color filters each being disposed inside a corresponding first opening among the first openings.

19. The flexible display device of claim 18, wherein the second insulating layer comprises a plurality of second openings defined to correspond to the plurality of light emitting areas.

20. The flexible display device of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of color filters extends inside the corresponding second opening among the plurality of second openings.

21. The flexible display device of claim 19, wherein each of the first and second insulating layers is a black matrix.

22. The flexible display device of claim 18, wherein the second insulating layer is overlapped with the color filters.

23. The flexible display device of claim 18, further comprising a black matrix layer disposed on the second insulating layer and comprising a plurality of transmitting openings defined to correspond to the plurality of light emitting areas.

24. A flexible display device, comprising:

a display panel providing a base surface and comprising a plurality of light emitting areas and a non-light emitting area disposed adjacent to the plurality of light emitting areas; and

a touch screen disposed on the base surface, the touch screen comprising;

a plurality of first conductive patterns disposed on the base surface and overlapped with the non-light emitting area;

a first black matrix disposed on the base surface, covering the first conductive patterns, and comprising a plurality of first openings defined to correspond to the plurality of light emitting areas;

a plurality of color filters each being disposed inside a corresponding first opening among the plurality of first openings;

an insulating layer disposed on the first black matrix and the plurality of color filters and overlapped with the plurality of light emitting areas and the non-light emitting area; and

a plurality of second conductive patterns disposed on the insulating layer and overlapped with the non-light emitting area.

25. The flexible display device of claim 24, wherein the plurality of second conductive patterns comprise at least one of chromium oxide, chromium nitride, titanium oxide, and titanium nitride.

26. The flexible display device of claim 24, further comprising a second black matrix disposed on the insulating layer, covering the plurality of second conductive patterns, and overlapped with the non-light emitting area.

27. The flexible display device of claim 26, wherein the second black matrix comprises a plurality of second openings defined to correspond to the plurality of light emitting areas.

28. The flexible display device of claim 24, wherein an edge of each of the plurality of color filters is overlapped with the second black matrix.

29. The flexible display device of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of first conductive patterns and each of the plurality of second conductive patterns have a mesh shape through which a plurality of openings is defined.

30. The flexible display device of claim 24, wherein the plurality of first conductive patterns comprise a plurality of first touch electrodes extending in a first direction and arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, and each of the plurality of first touch electrodes comprises a plurality of touch openings defined by the first touch electrodes.

31. The flexible display device of claim 30, wherein the second conductive patterns comprise a plurality of second touch electrodes extending in the second direction and arranged in the first direction, and each of the plurality of second touch electrodes comprises a plurality of touch openings defined by the second touch electrodes.

32. The flexible display device claim 31, wherein each of the plurality of first touch electrodes has a constant width in the first direction, two first touch electrodes adjacent to each other among the plurality of first touch electrodes are spaced apart from each other in the first direction by a first interval, each of the plurality of second touch electrodes has a constant width in the second direction, and two second touch electrodes adjacent to each other among the plurality of second touch electrodes are spaced apart from each other in the second direction by a second interval greater than the first interval.

33. The flexible display device claim 32, wherein each of the plurality of first touch electrodes comprises a plurality of first sensing parts arranged in the first direction and a plurality of first connecting parts each connecting two first sensing parts adjacent to each other among the plurality of first sensing parts, and the plurality of first conductive patterns further comprise a plurality of second sensing parts disposed adjacent to the plurality of first sensing parts.

34. The flexible display device claim 33, wherein the plurality of second conductive patterns comprise a plurality of second connecting parts each connecting two second sensing parts adjacent to each other in the second direction among the plurality of second sensing parts through a plurality of contact holes defined by the first black matrix and the insulating layer.

35. The flexible display device of claim 24, wherein the plurality of first conductive patterns comprise:

a first touch electrodes comprising a plurality of touch openings defined to correspond to the plurality of first openings; and

a plurality of shielding electrodes spaced apart from the plurality of first touch electrodes, and the plurality of second conductive patterns comprise a plurality of second touch electrodes crossing the plurality of first touch electrodes, comprising a plurality of touch openings defined to correspond to the plurality of first openings, and each being overlapped with a corresponding shielding electrode among the plurality of shielding electrodes.

36. The flexible display device of claim 35, wherein each of the plurality of first touch electrodes comprises a plurality of first sensing parts and a plurality of first connecting parts each connecting two first sensing parts adjacent to each other among the plurality of first sensing parts, and each of the plurality of second touch electrodes comprises a plurality of second sensing parts each being overlapped with corresponding shielding electrodes among the plurality of shielding electrodes and a plurality of second connecting parts each connecting two second sensing parts adjacent to each other among the plurality of second sensing parts.

37. The flexible display device of claim 35, wherein the plurality of shielding electrodes receive a ground voltage.

38. A flexible display device, comprising:

a display panel providing a base surface and comprising a plurality of light emitting areas and a non-light emitting area disposed adjacent to the light emitting areas; and

a touch screen disposed on the base surface, the touch screen comprising;

a plurality of first conductive patterns disposed on the base surface and overlapped with the non-light emitting area;

a plurality of color filters disposed on the base surface, each of the plurality of color filters comprising a center portion overlapped with a corresponding light emitting area among the plurality of light emitting areas and an edge portion extending from the center portion, overlapped with the non-light emitting area, and overlapped with a corresponding first conductive pattern among the plurality of first conductive patterns;

a plurality of second conductive patterns disposed on the plurality of color filters and overlapped with the non-light emitting area; and

a black matrix overlapped with the plurality of non-light emitting area.

39. The flexible display device of claim 38, wherein the edge portion of some color filters among the plurality of color filters makes contact with the first conductive pattern and covers the first conductive pattern.

40. The flexible display device of claim 38, wherein the black matrix is disposed on the plurality of color filters and covers the second conductive patterns.

41. The flexible display device of claim 40, wherein the touch screen further comprises an insulating layer covering the plurality of color filters, the plurality of second conductive patterns disposed on the insulating layer, and the black matrix disposed on the insulating layer and covering the plurality of second conductive patterns.

42. The flexible display device of claim 38, wherein the black matrix comprises:

a first black matrix disposed on the base surface to cover the plurality of first conductive patterns; and

a second black matrix disposed on the plurality of color filters to cover the plurality of second conductive patterns.

43. The flexible display device of claim 42, wherein the touch screen further comprises an insulating layer covering the plurality of color filters, and the second black matrix is disposed on the insulating layer.

44. The flexible display device of claim 38, wherein the plurality of first conductive patterns comprise the plurality of first touch electrodes extending in a first direction and arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction, and each of the plurality of first touch electrodes comprises a plurality of touch openings defined by the plurality of first touch electrodes.

45. The flexible display device of claim 44, wherein each of the plurality of first touch electrodes comprises a plurality of first sensing parts arranged in the first direction and a plurality of first connecting parts each connecting two first sensing parts adjacent to each other among the plurality of first sensing parts, and the plurality of first conductive patterns further comprise a plurality of second sensing parts disposed adjacent to the plurality of first sensing parts.

46. The flexible display device of claim 45, wherein each of the plurality of second conductive patterns comprises a plurality of second connecting parts connecting two second sensing parts adjacent to each other in the second direction among the plurality of second sensing parts through a plurality of contact holes defined respectively through the corresponding color filters among the plurality of color filters.

47. The flexible display device of claim 38, wherein the plurality of color filters comprise at least one of a red color filter, green color filter, and blue color filter.

48. The flexible display device of claim 38, wherein the plurality of color filters comprise a first color filter and a second color filter adjacent to the first color filter, and the edge portion of the first color filter makes contact with the edge portion of the second color filter.

49. The flexible display device of claim 38, wherein the plurality of color filters comprise a first color filter and a second color filter adjacent to the first color filter, and the edge portion of the first color filter is overlapped with the edge portion of the second color filter.

50. A flexible display device, comprising:

a display panel providing a base surface and comprising a plurality of light emitting areas and a non-light emitting area disposed adjacent to the plurality of light emitting areas; and

a touch screen disposed on the base surface, the touch screen comprising;

a noise shielding conductive layer disposed on the base surface and overlapped with the non-light emitting area;

a first insulating layer disposed on the base surface and covering the noise shielding conductive layer;

a plurality of first conductive patterns disposed on the first insulating layer and overlapped with a portion of the noise shielding conductive layer;

a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer;

a plurality of second conductive patterns disposed on the second insulating layer and overlapped with a portion of the noise shielding conductive layer; and

a third insulating layer disposed on the second insulating layer.

51. The flexible display device of claim 50, wherein the first insulating layer comprises a first over coating layer providing a first flat surface on which the plurality of first conductive patterns are disposed.

52. The flexible display device of claim 51, wherein the second insulating layer comprises a plurality of color filters each being overlapped with a corresponding light emitting area among the plurality of light emitting areas.

53. The flexible display device of claim 52, wherein an edge of each of the plurality of color filters is overlapped with the light emitting area.

54. The flexible display device of claim 53, wherein the second insulating layer further comprises a second over coating layer covering the plurality of color filters and proving a second flat surface on which the plurality of second conductive patterns are disposed.

55. The flexible display device of claim 53, wherein the second insulating layer further comprises a black matrix disposed on the first flat surface, covering the plurality of first conductive patterns, and comprising a plurality of openings defined to correspond to the plurality of light emitting areas.

56. The flexible display device of claim 50, wherein the third insulating layer comprises a black matrix covering the plurality of second conductive patterns and comprising a plurality of openings defined to correspond to the plurality of light emitting areas.

57. The flexible display device of claim 50, wherein the first insulating layer comprises a plurality of color filters each being overlapped with a corresponding light emitting area among the plurality of light emitting areas.

58. The flexible display device of claim 57, wherein the second insulating layer comprises an over coating layer providing a flat surface on which the plurality of second conductive patterns are disposed.

59. The flexible display device of claim 58, wherein the second insulating layer further comprises a black matrix disposed on the color filters, covering the first conductive patterns, and comprising openings defined therethrough to correspond to the light emitting areas, and the over coating layer covers the black matrix.

60. The flexible display device of claim 50, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third insulating layers comprises a hard coating layer.

61. The flexible display device of claim 50, wherein the noise shielding conductive layer comprises a plurality of first mesh lines to define a plurality of first openings corresponding to the plurality of light emitting areas, the plurality of first conductive patterns comprise a plurality of second mesh lines to define a plurality of second openings corresponding to the plurality of light emitting areas, and the plurality of first mesh lines have a line width greater than a line width of the plurality of second mesh lines.

62. The flexible display device of claim 50, further comprising a window member disposed on the touch screen, and an optically clear adhesive coupling the window member and the touch screen, wherein the window member comprises a base member and a hard coating layer disposed on the base member.

63. The flexible display device of claim 50, wherein the noise shielding conductive layer receives a ground voltage.

64. The flexible display device of claim 50, wherein the display panel comprises:

a base substrate;

a circuit layer disposed on the base substrate;

an organic light emitting device layer disposed on the circuit layer; and

a thin film encapsulation layer encapsulating the organic light emitting device layer.

65. The flexible display device of claim 64, wherein the thin film encapsulation layer provides the base surface.

66. A flexible display device, comprising:

a display panel providing a base surface, comprising a plurality of light emitting areas and a non-light emitting area disposed adjacent to the plurality of light emitting areas, and comprising a noise shielding conductive layer disposed on the base surface to overlap with the non-light emitting area;

a touch screen disposed on the noise shielding conductive layer; and

an optically clear adhesive member coupling the base surface and the touch screen, the touch screen comprising;

a base member;

a plurality of first conductive patterns disposed on the base member and overlapped with a portion of the noise shielding conductive layer;

a first insulating layer disposed on the base member to cover the plurality of first conductive patterns;

a plurality of second conductive patterns disposed on the first insulating layer and overlapped with a portion of the noise shielding conductive layer; and

a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer.

67. The flexible display device of claim 66, wherein one insulating layer of the first and second insulating layers comprises a plurality of color filters each being overlapped with a corresponding light emitting area among the plurality of light emitting areas.

68. The flexible display device of claim 67, wherein at least one of the first and second insulating layers comprises a black matrix through which a plurality of openings corresponding to the plurality of light emitting areas are defined.

69. The flexible display device of claim 68, wherein each of the noise shielding conductive layer, the plurality of first conductive patterns, and the plurality of second conductive patterns has a mesh shape through which a plurality of openings corresponding to the plurality of light emitting areas are defined.