DISPLAY DEVICE WITH CRACK-SENSING LINE

• US 20180033355A1
• Filed: 07/17/2017
• Published: 02/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2016
• 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, SEUNG-KYU, CHA, SEUNG JI, KWON, TAE HOO
• Granted Patent: US 11,011,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0413 Details of dummy pixels or dummy lines in flat panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0452 Details of colour pixel setup, e.g. pixel composed of a red, a blue and two green components
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/04 Display protection
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/12 Test circuits or failure detection circuits included in a display system, as permanent part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/006 Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3225 using an active matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1244 for preventing breakage, peeling or short circuiting
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/341 Short-circuit prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1315 comprising structures specially adapted for lowering the resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/88 Dummy elements, i.e. elements having non-functional features
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates

Abstract

A display device includes a substrate having a display area and a non-display area. A plurality of pixels is disposed in the display area of the substrate. A plurality of data lines is connected to the plurality of pixels. A crack sensing line is connected to at least one of the plurality of data lines. The crack sensing line is disposed in the non-display area of the substrate. A dummy pattern layer is connected to the crack sensing line.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a substrate including a display area and a non-display area;

a plurality of pixels disposed in the display area of the substrate;

a plurality of data lines connected to the plurality of pixels;

a crack sensing line connected to at least one of the plurality of data lines, the crack sensing line disposed in the non-display area of the substrate; and

a dummy pattern layer connected to the crack sensing line.

2. The display device of claim 1, further comprising

a common voltage line disposed in the non-display area of the substrate, adjacent to both the crack sensing line and the dummy pattern layer.

3. The display device of claim 2, wherein

the crack sensing line and the dummy pattern layer each extend in parallel with the common voltage line.

4. The display device of claim 1, wherein

the dummy pattern layer has a higher resistance than the crack sensing line.

5. The display device of claim 4, wherein

the dummy pattern layer includes a semiconductor material.

6. The display device of claim 1, further comprising

a connection electrode at least partially overlapping each of the crack sensing line and the dummy pattern layer, and

wherein the crack sensing line and the dummy pattern layer are connected to each other by the connection electrode.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein

the connection electrode is made of the same material as the plurality of data lines.

8. The display device of claim 6, further comprising:

a gate insulating layer disposed between the dummy pattern layer and the crack sensing line and disposed between the dummy pattern layer and the connection electrode;

an interlayer insulating layer disposed between the crack sensing line and the connection electrode and disposed between the dummy pattern layer and the connection electrode;

a first contact hole formed in the interlayer insulating layer and at least partially overlapping the crack sensing line; and

a second contact hole formed in the interlayer insulating layer and the gate insulating layer an at least partially overlapping the dummy pattern layer,

wherein the connection electrode is connected to the crack sensing line through the first contact hole and is connected to the dummy pattern layer through the second contact hole.

9. The display device of claim 6, further comprising:

a gate insulating layer disposed between the dummy pattern layer and the crack sensing line and disposed between the dummy pattern layer and the connection electrode;

an interlayer insulating layer disposed between the crack sensing line and the connection electrode and disposed between the dummy pattern layer and the connection electrode; and

a third contact hole formed in the interlayer insulating layer and the gate insulating layer and at least partially overlapping the crack sensing line and the dummy pattern layer,

wherein the connection electrode is connected to the crack sensing line and the dummy pattern layer through the third contact hole.

10. The display device of claim 9, wherein

the connection electrode is in contact with an upper surface and a side surface of the crack sensing line in the third contact hole.

11. The display device of claim 6, further comprising:

a gate insulating layer disposed between the dummy pattern layer and the crack sensing line;

an interlayer insulating layer disposed between the crack sensing line and the connection electrode; and

a fourth contact hole penetrating the gate insulating layer, the crack sensing line, and the interlayer insulating layer within an area overlapping the dummy pattern layer,

wherein the connection electrode is connected to the crack sensing line and the dummy pattern layer through the fourth contact hole.

12. The display device of claim 11, wherein

the connection electrode is in contact with a side surface of the crack sensing line through the fourth contact hole.

13. The display device of claim 1, further comprising:

a gate insulating layer disposed between the dummy pattern layer and the crack sensing line; and

a fifth contact hole formed in the gate insulating layer and at least partially overlapping the dummy pattern layer, wherein the crack sensing line is directly connected to the dummy pattern layer through the fifth contact hole.

14. The display device of claim 1, further comprising:

a semiconductor disposed in the display area of the substrate;

a gate electrode overlapping the semiconductor; and

a source electrode and a drain electrode, each connected to the semiconductor and separated from each other.

15. The display device of claim 14, wherein

the crack sensing line is made of the same material as the gate electrode, and

the dummy pattern layer is made of the same material as the semiconductor.

16. The display device of claim 14, farther comprising

a first capacitor electrode and a second capacitor electrode each disposed in the display area of the substrate and at least partially overlapping each other,

wherein the crack sensing line is made of the same material as the first capacitor electrode,

wherein the gate electrode is made of the same material as the second capacitor electrode, and

wherein the dummy pattern layer is made of the same material as the semiconductor.

17. The display device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first test gate line and a first test signal line each disposed in the non-display area of the substrate; and

a first switching element connected to the first test gate line, the first test signal line, and the plurality of data lines.

18. The display device of claim 17, further comprising:

a second test gate line and a second test signal line each disposed in the non-display area of the substrate; and

a second switching element connected to the second test gate line, the second test signal line, and the at least one of the plurality of data lines.

19. The display device of claim 18, wherein

the plurality of data lines receive a first voltage from the first test signal line when a gate-on voltage is applied to the first test gate line, and

the plurality of data lines receive a second voltage, that is different from the first voltage, from the second test signal line when the gate-on voltage is applied to the second test gate line.

20. The display device of claim 19, wherein

the gate-on voltage is applied to the first test gate line during a first time, and the gate-on voltage is applied to the second test gate line during a second time, the second time occurring after the first time.

21. The display device of claim 18, wherein

the crack sensing line is connected to the at least one of the plurality of data lines through the second switching element.

22. The display device of claim 1, wherein

the dummy pattern layer overlaps the crack sensing line.

23. A display device comprising:

a flexible substrate;

a plurality of pixels disposed on the flexible substrate;

a plurality of data lines disposed on the substrate and connected to the plurality of pixels;

a first crack sensing line connected to the plurality of data lines; and

a dummy pattern layer disposed between the first crack sensing line and the flexible substrate.

24. The display device of claim 23, wherein the dummy pattern layer has a larger resistance than the first crack sensing line.

25. The display device of claim 23, wherein the dummy pattern layer and the first crack sensing line cause an RC delay to reduce a peak current in the first crack sensing line when static electricity is present in the first crack sensing line.

26. The display device of claim 23, wherein the first crack sensing line causes an artifact to be displayed in the display device when a crack in the substrate is detected by the first crack sensing line.

27. The display device of claim 23, additionally comprising a second crack sensing line connected to the plurality of data lines.