OLED display with photosensor

• US 6,933,532 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Global OLED Technology LLC (LG Display Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Cok, Ronald S., Arnold, Andrew D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wille, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Farahani, Dana
• Application Number:
  US10/401,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20040188687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 257/57, 257/59, 257/72, 257/79, 257/80, 257/81, 257/82, 257/83, 257/84, 257/95, 257/98, 257/99, 257/290, 257/291, 257/53, 257/60
• US Class Current: 257/80
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3026 Top emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/805 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/13 comprising photosensors that control luminance
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/805 Electrodes

Abstract

An OLED display including: a transparent electrode; a reflective electrode having a transparent window; a light emissive layer disposed between the transparent electrode and the reflective electrode; and a photosensor located under the transparent window of the reflective electrode to sense light produced by the light emissive layer.

Claims

1. An OLED display, comprising:

a) a transparent electrode;

b) a reflective electrode having a transparent window;

c) a light emissive layer disposed between the transparent electrode and the reflective electrode; and

d) a photosensor located under the transparent window of the reflective electrode to sense light produced by the light emissive layer.

2. The display claimed in claim 1, wherein the transparent window is an opening in the reflective electrode.

3. The display claimed in claim 2, wherein the opening is filled with a transparent insulator.

4. The display claimed in claim 3, wherein the transparent insulator is SiO₂.

5. The display claimed in claim 2, wherein the opening is filled with transparent conductor.

6. The display claimed in claim 5, wherein the transparent conductor is ITO.

7. The display claimed in claim 1, wherein the transparent window is a thin region in the reflective electrode.

8. The display claimed in claim 1, wherein the photosensor is a thin film device.

9. The display claimed in claim 1, wherein the window is located in the center of the reflective electrode.

10. The display claimed in claim 1, wherein the window is located at an edge of the reflective electrode.

11. The display claimed in claim 1, wherein the reflective electrode includes a plurality of windows.

12. The display claimed in claim 11, further comprising a plurality of photosensors corresponding to the plurality of windows.

13. A method of making an OLED display, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a substrate;

b) forming a control circuit, including a photosensor on the substrate;

c) forming a reflective electrode having a transparent window located over the photosensor;

d) depositing a light emissive layer over the reflective electrode; and

e) forming a transparent electrode over the light emissive layer.

14. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein the transparent window is an opening in the reflective electrode.

15. The method claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of providing a transparent insulator in the opening.

16. The method claimed in claim 15, wherein the transparent insulator is SiO₂.

17. The method claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of providing a transparent conductor in the opening.

18. The method claimed in claim 17, wherein the transparent conductor is ITO.

19. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein the transparent window is a thin region in the reflective electrode.

20. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein the step of forming the photosensor employs a thin film manufacturing technique.

21. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein the window is located in the center of the reflective electrode.

22. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein the window is located at an edge of the reflective electrode.

23. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein the reflective electrode includes a plurality of windows.

24. The method claimed in claim 23, wherein the step of forming a photosensor includes forming a plurality of photosensors corresponding to the plurality of windows in the reflective electrode.

25. The method claimed in claim 14, wherein the display includes a plurality of light emitting elements defined by a plurality of separate reflective electrodes having openings, and further comprising the step of forming an insulator between the reflective electrodes and in the openings in the reflective electrodes.