Organic electroluminescent display device with insulating layer patterns and method of fabricating the same

• US 6,927,536 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Philips LCD Company Limited (LG Display Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Ock-Hee, Kim, Kwan-Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Vip
• Assistant Examiner(s): QUARTERMAN, KEVIN J
• Application Number:
  US10/608,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20040017151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 313/504, 313/498, 313/500, 313/506, 313/512, 257/40, 257/59, 345/76, 345/80, 315/169.3
• US Class Current: 313/504
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/816 Multilayers, e.g. transparent multilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/127 comprising two substrates, e.g. display comprising OLED array and TFT driving circuitry on different substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/80517 Multilayers, e.g. transparent multilayers

Abstract

An organic electroluminescent display (ELD) device includes a first substrate having a plurality of pixel regions including a plurality of pixels, a second substrate spaced apart and facing the first substrate, a plurality of switching elements and a plurality of driving elements interconnected on the second substrate, a plurality of connecting electrodes connected to each of the driving elements, a first electrode formed on an inner surface of the first substrate, a plurality of partitions formed on the first electrode, the partitions being formed along boundaries of neighboring pixels, a plurality of organic light-emitting layers disposed on the first electrode, a plurality of second electrodes formed on the organic light-emitting layers, each of the second electrodes are independently formed in each of the pixel regions, are separated by the partitions, and are electrically connected to one of the connecting electrodes, and a plurality of insulating layer patterns formed between the first electrode and the partitions, the insulating layer pattern being formed along the partitions and extending to contact regions of the connecting electrodes and the second electrodes.

Claims

1. An organic electroluminescent display (ELD) device, comprising:

a first substrate having a plurality of pixel regions including a plurality of pixels;

a second substrate spaced apart and facing the first substrate;

a plurality of switching elements and a plurality of driving elements interconnected on the second substrate;

a plurality of connecting electrodes connected to each of the driving elements;

a first electrode formed on an inner surface of the first substrate;

a plurality of partitions formed on the first electrode, the partitions being formed along boundaries of neighboring pixels;

a plurality of organic light-emitting layers disposed on the first electrode;

a plurality of second electrodes formed on the organic light-emitting layers, each of the second electrodes are independently formed in each of the pixel regions, are separated by the partitions, and are electrically connected to one of the connecting electrodes; and

a plurality of insulating layer patterns formed between the first electrode and the partitions, the insulating layer pattern being formed along the partitions and extending to contact regions of the connecting electrodes and the second electrodes.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein each of the partitions have a trapezoidal shape such that a first width increases from a bottom portion of the partition adjacent to the first substrate to a top portion of the partition adjacent to the second substrate.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode includes transparent conductive material.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the first electrode includes a single layered structure having at least one of indium zinc oxide (IZO) and indium tin oxide (ITO).

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the first electrode includes a dual layered structure having at least one of indium zinc oxide (IZO) and indium tin oxide (ITO), and at least one of calcium (Ca), aluminum (Al), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al)-lithium (Li) alloys, and magnesium (Mg)-silver (Ag) alloys.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode is formed as a single layered structure having at least one of aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg).

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode is formed as a dual layered structure having at least lithium fluorine (LiF) and aluminum (Al).

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein each of the organic light-emitting layers includes a hole-carrying layer adjacent to the first electrode and an electron-carrying layer adjacent to the second electrodes.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein each of the switching elements and the driving elements include an active layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode.

10. A method of fabricating an organic electroluminescent display (ELD) device, comprising steps of:

forming a plurality of switching elements and a plurality of driving elements interconnected on a first substrate having a plurality of pixels;

forming a plurality of connecting electrodes interconnected to each of the driving elements;

forming a first electrode on an inner surface of the second substrate;

forming a plurality of partitions over the first electrode, the partitions being formed along boundaries of neighboring pixels;

forming organic light-emitting layers on the first electrode;

forming second electrodes on the organic light-emitting layer;

forming an insulating layer pattern between the first electrode and the partitions, the insulating layer pattern being formed along the partitions to extend to contact regions of the connecting electrodes and the second electrodes; and

bonding the first and second substrates together,

wherein the connecting electrodes of the first substrate contacts the second electrodes of the second substrate.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the partitions have a trapezoidal shape such that a first width increases from a bottom portion of the partition adjacent to the second substrate to a top portion of the partition adjacent to the first.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first electrode includes transparent conductive material.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first electrode includes a single layered structure having at least one of indium zinc oxide (IZO) and indium tin oxide (ITO).

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first electrode includes a dual layered structure having at least one of indium zinc oxide (IZO) and indium tin oxide (ITO), and at least one of calcium (Ca), aluminum (Al), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al)-lithium (Li) alloys, and magnesium (Mg)-silver (Ag) alloys.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the second electrodes includes a single layered structure having at least one of aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg).

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the second electrodes includes a dual layered structure having at least lithium fluorine (LiF) and aluminum (Al).

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the organic light-emitting layers includes a hole-carrying layer adjacent to the first electrode and an electron-carrying layer adjacent to the second electrodes.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the switching elements and the driving elements includes an active layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode.