Image display

• US 7,612,499 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: Chi Mei Optoelectronics (InnoLux Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Atsushi, Ono, Shinya, Tsujimura, Takatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Nimeshkumar D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perry; Anthony T
• Application Number:
  US11/159,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20060001033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 313498-512
• US Class Current: 313/506
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/86 Series electrical configurations of multiple OLEDs

Abstract

An image display according to one aspect of the present invention includes a light emitting unit that is located in each unit pixel area in each, emits light corresponding to an injected electric current, and includes a plurality of light emitting layers which are horizontally divided into. The plurality of light emitting layers are electrically connected in series.

Claims

1. An image display, comprising:

a plurality of pixels, each of which comprises

a light emitting unit including a first and a second light emitting element horizontally arranged side by side, the first and second light emitting elements being electrically connected in series;

a first insulation film between the adjacent light emitting elements, the first insulation film being thicker than each of the first and second light emitting elements; and

a controller including a thin film transistor and configured to control an amount of electric current flowing through the light emitting unit to control a luminance of the light emitting elements of the light emitting unit,

wherein each of the first and second light emitting elements comprise a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer which is a different layer from the first electrode layer, and an organic EL layer between the first and second electrode layers,

the second electrode layer of the second light emitting element includes a portion which is under the first insulation film, and

the first electrode layer of the first light emitting element is electrically connected to the second electrode layer of the second light emitting element.

2. The image display according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting elements include organic electronic luminescent elements.

3. The image display according to claim 1, further comprising:

a substrate;

a circuit layer on the substrate; and

a second insulation film formed on the circuit layer and having a via hole through which the conductive pattern is connected to the circuit layer.

4. The image display according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of light emitting elements has a substantially same area from which light is emitted.

5. The image display according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer of the first light emitting element is directly connected to the second electrode layer of the second light emitting element in a region which is outside of the first insulating film.

6. An image display, comprising:

a plurality of pixels, each of which comprises

a light emitting unit including a plurality of light emitting elements horizontally arranged side by side, the plurality of light emitting elements being electrically connected in series;

each of the light emitting elements including a cathode and an anode, a cathode of one of the light emitting elements being electrically connected to an anode of another of the light emitting elements, and the anode of another of the light emitting elements being a different layer from the cathode of the one of the light emitting elements;

a first insulation film between the adjacent light emitting elements, the first insulation film being thicker than each of the light emitting elements;

a conductive pattern electrically connecting the adjacent light emitting elements to each other and including a portion which is under the first insulation film; and

a controller including a thin film transistor and configured to control an amount of electric current flowing through the light emitting element to control a luminance of the light emitting elements of the light emitting unit.