ORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE DISPLAY

• US 20170033312A1
• Filed: 05/16/2016
• Published: 02/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Sunyoul, Kim, Deukjong
• Granted Patent: US 9,954,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1222 with a particular composition, shape or crystalline structure of the active layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/124 with a particular composition, shape or layout of the wiring layers specially adapted to the circuit arrangement, e.g. scanning lines in LCD pixel circuits wiring structures per se H01L23/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1248 with a particular composition or shape of the interlayer dielectric specially adapted to the circuit arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78675 with normal-type structure, e.g. with top gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78678 with inverted-type structure, e.g. with bottom gate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/351 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/84 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1201 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/124 Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/87 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An organic light-emitting diode display is disclosed. In one aspect, the display includes a display unit located on the substrate and including a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area, and a thin film encapsulation layer sealing the display unit. The display also includes a voltage line formed in the non-display area and surrounding the display area, a metal layer formed of the same material as the voltage line, and a dam surrounding the display area and contacting the voltage line. The voltage line includes a first voltage line disposed in one side of the display area. The first voltage line includes a pair of first end portions and a pair of first connectors respectively connected to the pair of first end portions and extending away from the display area. The metal layer is disposed between the pair of first connectors. The dam contacts the metal layer.

Claims

1. An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, comprising:

a substrate;

a display unit located on the substrate and comprising a display area and a non-display area outside the display area;

a thin film encapsulation layer sealing the display unit;

a voltage line formed in the non-display area and surrounding the display area;

a metal layer formed of the same material as the voltage line; and

a dam having at least a part contacting the voltage line,

wherein the voltage line comprises a first voltage line disposed in one side of the display area,

wherein the first voltage line comprises a pair of first end portions and a pair of first connectors respectively connected to the pair of first end portions and extending away from the display area,

wherein the metal layer is disposed between the pair of first connectors, and

wherein the dam contacts the metal layer.

2. The OLED display of claim 1, wherein the dam comprises a first dam and a second dam spaced apart from each other,

wherein the first dam surrounds the display area, and

wherein the second dam surrounds the first dam.

3. The OLED display of claim 2, wherein the second dam has a height greater than that of the first dam.

4. The OLED display of claim 1, wherein the metal layer is electrically insulated from the voltage line.

5. The OLED display of claim 4, wherein the display unit comprises at least one thin film transistor (TFT), wherein the TFT comprises a source electrode and a drain electrode, and wherein the metal layer is formed on the same layer as the source and drain electrodes.

6. The OLED display of claim 4, wherein the metal layer is located below the dam.

7. The OLED display of claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a thin film transistor (TFT), an OLED electrically connected to the TFT, and a planarization layer disposed between the TFT and the OLED, and wherein the dam is formed on the same layer as the planarization layer.

8. The OLED display of claim 7, wherein the display unit further comprises a pixel-defining layer defining a pixel area, and wherein the dam comprises a first layer formed on the same layer as the planarization layer and a second layer formed on the same layer as the pixel-defining layer.

9. The OLED display of claim 8, wherein the first layer and the second layer are integrally formed.

10. The OLED display of claim 1, wherein the thin film encapsulation layer is formed of at least one inorganic layer and at least one organic layer, and wherein the at least one organic layer is located inside the dam.

11. The OLED display of claim 1, wherein the voltage line comprises a second voltage line surrounding the pair of first end portions, and wherein the second voltage line comprises a pair of second end portions bent to at least partially surround outer sides of the pair of first end portions and a pair of connectors in parallel to the pair of first connectors and extending from the pair of second end portions.

12. The OLED display of claim 11, wherein the dam contacts the second voltage line outside of the remaining sides of the display area, and wherein a portion of the dam has a straight line shape and contacts the pair of second end portions, the pair of first connectors, and the metal layer.

13. The OLED display of claim 11, wherein the display unit further comprises a pad unit configured to apply an electrical signal to the display area, wherein the pad unit is disposed in the non-display area, and wherein the pair of first connectors and the pair of second connectors are connected to the pad unit.

14. The OLED display of claim 1, wherein the metal layer is integrally formed with the first voltage line.

15. The OLED display of claim 14, wherein the dam comprises a plurality of dams, and wherein the first voltage line extends to the outermost dam.

16. The OLED display of claim 14, wherein the voltage line comprises a second voltage line surrounding the pair of first end portions and the remaining sides of the display area, and wherein the metal layer and an outer side of the second voltage line overlap in the depth dimension of the OLED display.

17. The OLED display of claim 7, wherein the TFT comprises an active layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode,

wherein the OLED display further comprises:

a gate insulating layer disposed between the active layer and the gate electrode; and

an interlayer insulating layer disposed between the gate, source and drain electrodes,

wherein the gate and interlayer insulating layers extend from the display area to the non-display area, and wherein the thin film encapsulation layer comprises at least one inorganic layer contacting the gate insulating layer or the interlayer insulating layer outside the dam.

18. The OLED display of claim 17, wherein the at least one inorganic layer has a portion contacting a top surface of the substrate.

19. An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, comprising:

a display unit comprising a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area;

a voltage line formed in the non-display area and surrounding the display area;

a plurality of dams formed in the non-display area and surrounding the display area; and

a metal layer located adjacent to the voltage line, wherein the metal layer and the voltage line overlap the dams in the depth dimension of the OLED display.

20. The OLED display of claim 19, wherein the voltage line comprises a first voltage line disposed in one side of the display area, wherein the first voltage line comprises a pair of first end portions and a pair of first connectors respectively connected to the pair of first end portions, wherein the metal layer is disposed between the pair of first connectors, and wherein the dams overlap the first connectors in the depth dimension of the OLED display.

21. The OLED display of claim 20, wherein the voltage line includes a second voltage line overlapping the dams.