Organic electroluminescent display device with improved interface between anode and luminescent organic layer

• US 7,531,834 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Mobile Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Jae-Jung, Min, Kyoung-Wook, Lee, Jeong-Yeol, Park, Joon-Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Phung; Anh
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERNSTEIN, ALLISON
• Application Number:
  US11/261,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20060097263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 257/72, 257/40, 257/103, 257/E51.026
• US Class Current: 257/40
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks

Abstract

An organic electroluminescent display device (OELD) that prevents particles from creating blind spots by forming a recess or a groove in the surface of an insulating layer that covers edges of a pixel electrode. The OELD includes a lower electrode arranged on a substrate, an insulating layer arranged on the substrate, the insulating layer having an aperture adapted to expose a portion of the lower electrode, an organic layer arranged on the exposed portion of the lower electrode, and an upper electrode arranged on the substrate, wherein the insulating layer includes a recess and/or a groove in its surface.

Claims

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

a lower electrode arranged on a substrate;

an insulating layer arranged on the substrate, the insulating layer having an aperture adapted to expose a portion of the lower electrode, the insulating layer also having a plurality of recesses arranged in a top surface of said insulating layer;

an organic layer arranged on the exposed portion of the lower electrode exposed by the aperture, the organic layer including an organic luminescent layer adapted to emit light; and

an upper electrode arranged on the organic layer,

wherein more than two of said plurality of recesses is located on an opposite side of said aperture from more than two of said plurality of recesses,

wherein said top surface of said insulating layer is a side furthest from said substrates,

wherein said plurality of recesses have a same shape and are in a same planar level.

2. The OELD of claim 1, wherein the insulating layer is selected from a group consisting of a pixel definition layer, a planarization layer, and a protection layer.

3. The OELD of claim 1, wherein the recess is arranged in a part of the surface of the insulating layer adjacent to edges of the aperture.

4. The OELD of claim 1, wherein the recess is arranged in an entire surface of the insulating layer except at edges of the aperture defining a raised rim about the aperture.

5. The OELD of claim 1, comprising:

a thin film transistor arranged on the substrate, the lower electrode comprising at least one of a source electrode and a drain electrode for the thin film transistor;

the insulating layer comprising a first insulating layer, and the aperture in the first insulating layer exposing one of the source electrode and drain electrode of the thin film transistor;

a pixel electrode arranged on the first insulating layer and connected to one of the source electrode and drain electrode via the aperture in the first insulating layer; and

a second insulting layer arranged on the first insulating layer and having an aperture adapted to expose a portion of the pixel electrode, wherein the second insulating layer further includes a groove arranged in a surface thereof.

6. The OELD of claim 5, with the first insulating layer selected from the group consisting of a pixel definition layer, a planarization layer, and a protection layer.

7. The OELD of claim 1, the organic layer being separate and distinguished from the insulating layer.

8. The OELD of claim 7, the recess going only partly through the insulating layer.

9. An organic electroluminescent display device (OELD), comprising:

a lower electrode arranged on a substrate;

an insulating layer arranged on the substrate, the insulating layer having an aperture adapted to expose a portion of the lower electrode, the insulating layer also having a plurality of grooves arranged in a top surface of said insulating layer;

an organic layer arranged on the exposed portion of the lower electrode; and

an upper electrode arranged on the organic layer, wherein said plurality of grooves is formed in an entire surface of the insulating layer except at edges of the aperture,

wherein more than two of said plurality of grooves is located on an opposite side of said aperture from more than two of said plurality of grooves,

wherein said top surface of said insulating layer is a side furthest from said a substrates,

wherein said plurality of grooves have a same shape and are in a same planar level.

10. The OELD of claim 9, wherein the insulating layer is selected from a group consisting of a pixel definition layer, a planarization layer, and a protection layer.

11. The OELD of claim 9, wherein the groove is arranged in a part of the surface of the insulating layer adjacent to edges of the aperture.

12. An organic electroluminescent display device (OELD), comprising:

a thin film transistor arranged on a substrate, the thin film transistor including at least a source electrode and a drain electrode;

a first insulating layer arranged on the substrate, the first insulating layer having an aperture adapted to expose one of the source electrode and drain electrode of the thin film transistor;

a pixel electrode arranged on the first insulating layer and connected to one of the source electrode and drain electrode via the aperture in the first insulating layer;

a second insulting layer arranged on the first insulating layer and including an aperture adapted to expose a portion of the pixel electrode, wherein the second insulating layer further includes a plurality of recesses arranged in a top surface of said second insulating layer;

an organic layer arranged on the exposed portion of the pixel electrode; and

an upper electrode arranged on the organic layer,

wherein more than two of said plurality of recesses is located on an opposite side of said aperture from more than two of said plurality of recesses,

wherein said top surface of said second insulating layer is a side furthest from said a substrates,

wherein said plurality of recesses have a same shape and are in a same planar level.

13. The OELD of claim 12, wherein the first insulating layer is one of a protection layer and a planarization layer, and the second insulating layer comprises a pixel definition layer.

14. The OELD of claim 12, the pixel electrode being arranged between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer.

15. The OELD of claim 12, the second insulating layer being separate and distinguished from the first insulating layer.

16. An organic electroluminescent display device (OELD), comprising:

a thin film transistor arranged on a substrate, the thin film transistor including at least a source electrode and a drain electrode;

a first insulating layer arranged on the substrate, the first insulating layer having an aperture adapted to expose one of the source electrode and drain electrode of the thin film transistor;

a pixel electrode arranged on the first insulating layer and connected to one of the source electrode and drain electrode via the aperture in the first insulating layer;

a second insulting layer arranged on the first insulating layer and having an aperture adapted to expose a portion of the pixel electrode, wherein the second insulating layer further includes a plurality of grooves arranged in a top surface thereof of said second insulating layer;

an organic layer arranged on the exposed portion of the pixel electrode; and

an upper electrode arranged on the organic layer,

wherein more than two of said plurality of grooves is located on an opposite side of said aperture from more than two of said plurality of grooves,

wherein said top surface of said second insulating layer is a side furthest from said a substrates,

wherein said plurality of grooves have a same shape and are in a same planar level.

17. The OELD of claim 16, wherein the first insulating layer is one of a protection layer and a planarization layer, and the second insulating layer comprises a pixel definition layer.