DISPLAY APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20200136087A1
• Filed: 09/17/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Hun, Ko, Changhyun
• Granted Patent: US 10,720,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8445 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic light-emitting element covered by group H10K50/00
• 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 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/70 Testing, e.g. accelerated lifetime tests
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 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

A display apparatus including a substrate; a display area arranged on the substrate and including a plurality of pixels, and a peripheral area arranged outside the display area; a dam surrounding the display area; a crack detector arranged between the dam and an end of the substrate and electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of pixels; a crack prevention dam arranged between the dam and the end of the substrate; and an encapsulation layer including a first inorganic layer, an organic layer, and a second inorganic layer, each covering the display area and a portion of the peripheral area. The first inorganic layer and the second inorganic layer in the encapsulation layer extend to the end of the substrate.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

a display area arranged on the substrate and comprising a plurality of pixels, and a peripheral area arranged outside the display area;

a dam surrounding the display area;

a crack detector arranged between the dam and an end of the substrate and electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of pixels;

a crack prevention dam arranged between the dam and the end of the substrate; and

an encapsulation layer comprising a first inorganic layer, an organic layer, and a second inorganic layer, each covering the display area and a portion of the peripheral area,

wherein the first inorganic layer and the second inorganic layer in the encapsulation layer extend to the end of the substrate.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the crack prevention dam is arranged between the crack detector and the end of the substrate.

3. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the crack prevention dam is arranged to overlap the crack detector.

4. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the crack detector is arranged between the crack prevention dam and the end of the substrate.

5. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first insulating layer in the display area and the peripheral area,

wherein the crack detector is arranged over a first insulating layer in the peripheral area.

6. The display apparatus of claim 5, wherein the crack prevention dam comprises at least one slit in the first insulating layer, and a cladding covering the at least one slit.

7. The display apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a first barrier layer arranged between the substrate and the first insulating layer.

8. The display apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first barrier layer extends to the end of the substrate.

9. The display apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first inorganic layer in the encapsulation layer is in direct contact with the first barrier layer between the crack detector and the end of the substrate.

10. The display apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first inorganic layer in the encapsulation layer is in direct contact with the first barrier layer between the crack prevention dam and the end of the substrate.

11. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first insulating layer in the display area and the peripheral area,

wherein:

at least one slit is arranged in the first insulating layer in the peripheral area; and

the crack detector is arranged in the at least one slit in the first insulating layer.

12. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a flexible material.

13. The display apparatus of claim 12, wherein the substrate further comprises a first layer comprising an organic material, a second layer comprising an organic material, and a second barrier layer disposed between the first layer and the second layer.

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

a thin-film transistor arranged on the substrate and comprising an active layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode;

a first electrode connected to one of the source electrode and the drain electrode;

a pixel-defining layer defining the first electrode;

a second electrode facing the first electrode; and

an intermediate layer arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode and comprising an organic light-emitting layer, wherein;

the display apparatus further comprises a first insulating layer in the display area and the peripheral area; and

the first insulating layer comprises at least one of insulating layers arranged between the active layer, the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode in the thin-film transistor.

15. The display apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a passivation layer on the source electrode and the drain electrode,

wherein the cladding layer includes a same material as a material of the passivation layer.

16. The display apparatus of claim 15, wherein the dam includes a same material as a material of at least one of the passivation layer and the pixel-defining layer.

17. The display apparatus of claim 16, wherein the dam comprises a first dam arranged near the display area, and a second dam arranged between the first dam and the crack detector.

18. The display apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a spacer on the pixel-defining layer,

wherein an uppermost portion of the second dam includes a same material as a material of the spacer.

19. A method of manufacturing a display apparatus by performing a cutting process with reference to a cutting line on a mother substrate to thereby split the mother substrate into a plurality of display apparatuses, the plurality of display apparatuses including a display area comprising a plurality of pixels and a peripheral area outside the display area, the method comprising:

forming a first insulating layer on the mother substrate;

forming a dam on the first insulating layer to surround the display area, a crack detector electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of pixels, and a crack prevention dam arranged between the dam and the cutting line, each in the peripheral area of each of the plurality of display apparatuses; and

forming an encapsulation layer comprising a first inorganic layer, an organic layer, and a second inorganic layer in the display area and the peripheral area,

wherein the first inorganic layer and the second inorganic layer are formed on the cutting line of the mother substrate to extend over a peripheral areas of a display apparatus adjacent to the first inorganic layer and the second inorganic layer, and then, the first inorganic layer and the second inorganic layer are cut with reference to the cutting line in a process of cutting the mother substrate.

20. The display apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the organic layer in the encapsulation layer is formed by using a first open mask comprising a plurality of first openings corresponding to the display area and a portion of the peripheral area of each of the display apparatuses; and

the first inorganic layer and the second inorganic layer in the encapsulation layer are formed by using a second open mask comprising a second opening corresponding to the mother substrate to thereby connect a peripheral area of each of the plurality of display apparatuses to each other.

21. The display apparatus of claim 19, wherein the crack detector and the crack prevention dam include a same material as a material of an insulating layer in the display area.