DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20200012373A1
• Filed: 09/06/2019
• Published: 01/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: PARK, Yong-Hwan, KIM, Jong Seok, AN, Chi Wook, LEE, Seong Jun, JUN, Sang Hyun
• Granted Patent: US 10,642,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens

Abstract

A display device is disclosed. In one aspect, the display device includes a substrate including a display area and a non-display area adjacent to the display area and a display member formed over the substrate in the display area. The display device also includes an encapsulation layer formed over the display member and encapsulating the display member together with the substrate and a plurality of first touch lines formed over the encapsulation layer in the display area. The first touch lines extend in a first direction. The display device further includes a plurality of second touch lines formed on the same layer as the first touch lines in the display area. The second touch lines extend in the first direction and are spaced apart from the first touch lines.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a substrate including a display area and a non-display area adjacent to the display area;

a display member formed over the substrate in the display area;

an encapsulation layer formed over the display member and including at least one organic layer and at least one inorganic layer;

a plurality of first touch lines formed over the encapsulation layer in the display area, wherein the first touch lines extend in a first direction; and

a first bridge line positioned in the non-display area,

wherein the first bridge line extends in a second direction crossing the first direction and is electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of first touch lines,

wherein one of the at least one inorganic layer of the encapsulation layer is formed over a wider area than the at least one organic layer of the encapsulation layer and is positioned over the at least one organic layer of the encapsulation layer so as to cover end portions of the at least one organic layer.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the at least one organic layer of the encapsulation layer does not have any openings exposing the bridge lines.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first touch lines is formed directly on a surface of the encapsulation layer.

4. The display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first touch lines are arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction and are spaced apart from each other.

5. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first bridge line is positioned under the one of the at least one inorganic layer of the encapsulation layer.

6. The display device of claim 1, wherein:

the one of the at least one inorganic layer of the encapsulation layer comprises a first bridge opening over the first bridge line; and

the display device further comprises a first connection line electrically connected to the first bridge line via the first bridge opening.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein the connection line extends toward an end portion of the substrate.

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

a second bridge line positioned in the non-display area and parallel to the first bridge line.

9. The display device of claim 8, wherein the first bridge line and the second bridge line are arranged in the first direction and are spaced apart from each other.

10. The display device of claim 9, wherein a subset of the plurality of first touch lines are electrically connected to one of the first bridge line and the second bridge line.

11. The display device of claim 10, wherein:

the one of the at least one inorganic layer of the encapsulation layer further comprises a second bridge opening over the second bridge line; and

the display device further comprises a second connection line electrically connected to the second bridge line via the second bridge opening.

12. The display device of claim 8, wherein the display member comprises:

a plurality of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs); and

a plurality of thin film transistors respectively electrically connected to the OLEDs.

13. The display device of claim 12, wherein:

each of the thin film transistors comprises a gate electrode; and

the first bridge line and the second bridge line are formed on a same layer as the gate electrodes and are formed of a same material as that of the gate electrodes.

14. The display device of claim 12, wherein:

each of the thin film transistors comprises source and drain electrodes; and

the first bridge line and the second bridge line are formed on a same layer as the source and drain electrodes and are formed of a same material as that of the source and drain electrodes.

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

a plurality of second touch lines formed over the encapsulation layer in the display area,

wherein the plurality of second touch lines are electrically insulated from the plurality of first touch lines.

16. The display device of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of first touch lines and the plurality of second touch lines is formed directly on a surface of the encapsulation layer.

17. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display member comprises:

a plurality of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs); and

a plurality of thin film transistors respectively electrically connected to the OLEDs.

18. The display device of claim 17, wherein:

each of the thin film transistors comprises a gate electrode; and

the first bridge line is formed on a same layer as the gate electrodes and is formed of a same material as that of the gate electrodes.

19. The display device of claim 17, wherein:

each of the thin film transistors comprises source and drain electrodes; and

the first bridge line is formed on a same layer as the source and drain electrodes and is formed of a same material as that of the source and drain electrodes.

20. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first bridge line is electrically connected to the plurality of first touch lines.