ORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING DISPLAY AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20170148856A1
• Filed: 10/19/2016
• Published: 05/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Choi, Jonghyun, Kim, Sunkwang, Sim, Suyeon, Kang, Kinyeng
• Granted Patent: US 10,205,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/124 Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/10 Substrates, e.g. flexible substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An organic light-emitting display including a substrate, an insulating layer on the substrate, the substrate and the insulating layer having an opening therethrough penetrating, a pixel array on the insulating layer, the pixel array including a plurality of pixels that surround the opening, a first pixel adjacent to the opening from among the plurality of pixels includes a pixel electrode layer, an intermediate layer on the pixel electrode layer, and an opposite electrode layer on the intermediate layer, and a stepped portion on the substrate and adjacent to the opening, the stepped portion having an under-cut step, wherein the intermediate layer including an organic emission layer, and wherein at least one of the intermediate layer and the opposite electrode layer extends toward the opening and is disconnected by the stepped portion.

Claims

1. An organic light-emitting display comprising:

a substrate;

an insulating layer on the substrate, the substrate and the insulating layer having an opening therethrough penetrating;

a pixel array on the insulating layer, the pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels that surround the opening, a first pixel adjacent to the opening from among the plurality of pixels comprises a pixel electrode layer, an intermediate layer on the pixel electrode layer, and an opposite electrode layer on the intermediate layer; and

a stepped portion on the substrate and adjacent to the opening, the stepped portion having an under-cut step,

wherein the intermediate layer comprising an organic emission layer, and

wherein at least one of the intermediate layer and the opposite electrode layer extends toward the opening and is disconnected by the stepped portion.

2. The organic light-emitting display of claim 1,

wherein the substrate has a first area corresponding to the opening, a second area corresponding to the pixel array, and a third area between the first area and the second area, and

wherein the stepped portion is in the third area.

3. The organic light-emitting display of claim 1,

wherein the insulating layer comprises a recess that is concave in a thickness direction of the insulating layer, and

wherein the stepped portion is within the recess.

4. The organic light-emitting display of claim 3, wherein the stepped portion comprises:

a first layer within the recess; and

a second layer over the first layer,

wherein a width of an upper portion of the first layer is less than a width of a lower portion of the second layer.

5. The organic light-emitting display of claim 4, wherein the first layer and the second layer comprise different materials.

6. The organic light-emitting display of claim 4, wherein the first layer comprises metal.

7. The organic light-emitting display of claim 4,

wherein the first pixel further comprises a pixel circuit electrically connected to the pixel electrode layer, and

wherein the pixel circuit comprises a thin film transistor (TFT) comprising a gate electrode, an active layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, and the pixel circuit further comprises a storage capacitor comprising a lower electrode and an upper electrode.

8. The organic light-emitting display of claim 7, wherein the first layer comprises a same material as that of one of the gate electrode, the source electrode, the drain electrode, the lower electrode, and the upper electrode.

9. The organic light-emitting display of claim 4, wherein the second layer comprises a same material as that of the insulating layer.

10. The organic light-emitting display of claim 4, wherein a thickness of the first layer is greater than a thickness of the at least one layer.

11. The organic light-emitting display of claim 10, further comprising a protection layer that covers the at least one layer.

12. The organic light-emitting display of claim 11, wherein the protection layer comprises at least one of an organic layer and an inorganic layer, the organic layer comprising organic-inorganic composite particles.

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

forming an insulating layer on a substrate, the substrate having a first area, a second area, and a third area between the first area and the second area;

forming a stepped portion in the third area of the substrate, the stepped portion having an under-cut step;

forming a pixel array in the second area of the substrate and comprising a plurality of pixels; and

forming an opening that corresponds to the first area and penetrates through the substrate and the insulating layer,

wherein the forming of the pixel array comprises;

forming a pixel electrode layer;

forming an intermediate layer on the pixel electrode layer, the intermediate layer comprising an organic emission layer; and

forming an opposite electrode layer on the intermediate layer, and

wherein at least one of the intermediate layer and the opposite electrode layer extends toward the opening and is disconnected by the stepped portion.

14. The method of claim 13,

wherein the stepped portion comprises a first layer metal and a second layer over the first layer, the first layer comprising metal, and

wherein a width of an upper surface of the first layer is less than a width of a lower surface of the second layer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the forming of the stepped portion comprises:

forming a preliminary first layer below the insulating layer;

partially etching the insulating layer such that a portion of the insulating layer remaining over the preliminary first layer forms the second layer of the stepped portion and that an end of the preliminary first layer is exposed; and

forming the first layer by removing the end of the preliminary first layer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the forming of the first layer and the forming of the pixel electrode layer are performed during a same etching process.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

forming a pixel circuit in the second area of the substrate, the pixel circuit being connected to the pixel electrode layer, the pixel circuit comprising a thin film transistor (TFT) comprising a gate electrode, an active layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, and the pixel circuit further comprising a storage capacitor comprising a lower electrode and an upper electrode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first layer comprises a same material as that of one of the gate electrode, the source electrode, the drain electrode, the lower electrode, and the upper electrode.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein a thickness of the first layer is greater than a thickness of the at least one layer.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising forming a protection layer that covers a disconnected portion of the at least one layer.