Organic light emitting display (OLED) device and method of fabricating the same

• US 7,663,311 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• 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: Im, Choong-Youl, Yoo, Kyung-Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): MACCHIAROLO, PETER J
• Application Number:
  US11/892,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 313498-512, 315/169.3, 315/169.4, 257/40, 257/79, 428/690
• US Class Current: 313/509
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• 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

Abstract

An organic light emitting display (OLED) device having a simple process of fabrication and improved lifetime and reliability, and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The OLED device comprises: a substrate; a sealing member which seals a plurality of pixels arranged on a pixel region; and a sealing material which bonds the substrate and the sealing member. Each of the pixels includes a thin film transistor disposed on the substrate, an EL device including a lower electrode connected to the thin film transistor, a pixel isolation layer exposing a portion of the lower electrode, an organic layer formed on at least the exposed portion of the lower electrode, and an upper electrode. A pad interconnection line of a pad interconnection region is covered by a first insulating layer, and a pad of a pad region is covered by a second insulating layer so as to expose a portion of the pad. The first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are formed of the same material as a lower layer of the pixel isolation layer.

Claims

1. An organic light emitting display device, comprising:

a substrate including a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels is arranged, a pad region in which a plurality of pads is arranged to transmit signals received from outside, and a pad interconnection region in which a plurality of pad interconnection lines is arranged to transmit the signals from the pads to the pixels;

a sealing member for sealing the plurality of pixels; and

a sealing material for bonding the substrate and the sealing member;

wherein each of the pixels comprises a thin film transistor disposed on the substrate, an organic electroluminance device including a lower electrode connected to the thin film transistor, a pixel isolation layer exposing a portion of the lower electrode, an organic layer formed on at least the exposed portion of the lower electrode, and an upper electrode;

wherein the pixel isolation layer comprises a laminated structure of a lower layer and an upper layer;

wherein the pad interconnection lines of the pad interconnection region are covered by a first insulating layer, and the pads of the pad region are covered by a second insulating layer so as to expose portions of the pads; and

wherein the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are formed of a same material as the lower layer of the pixel isolation layer.

2. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the lower layer of the pixel isolation layer comprises an inorganic insulating layer.

3. The organic light emitting display device of claim 2, wherein the lower layer of the pixel isolation layer comprises a silicon nitride layer.

4. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the upper layer of the pixel isolation layer comprises an organic insulating layer.

5. The organic light emitting display device of claim 4, wherein the upper layer of the pixel isolation layer comprises one of polyimide, polyamride, BCB and SOG.

6. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the sealing material comprises one of a frit and a sealant.

7. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the sealing material is disposed on a portion of the second insulating layer over the pad interconnection line in the pad interconnection region.

8. A method of fabricating an organic light emitting display device, the method comprising the steps of:

preparing a substrate including a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels is arranged, a pad region, and a pad interconnection region;

forming a thin film transistor in each of the pixels of the pixel region, forming a pad on the pad region, and forming a pad interconnection line on the pad interconnection region;

forming a lower electrode connected to the thin film transistor on the pixel region;

forming a pixel isolation layer including a first opening exposing a portion of the lower electrode on the pixel region, forming a first insulating layer on the pad interconnection region so as to insulate the pad interconnection line, and forming a second insulating layer including a second opening exposing a portion of the pad on the pad region so as to insulate the pad using a single mask process;

forming an organic layer on an exposed lower electrode of the pixel region;

forming an upper electrode on the pixel region; and

sealing the plurality of pixels on the substrate by a sealing member using a sealing material;

wherein the pixel isolation layer comprises a laminated structure of a lower layer and an upper layer; and

wherein the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are formed of a same material as the lower layer of the pixel isolation layer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the lower layer comprises an inorganic insulating layer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the lower layer comprises a silicon nitride layer.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second insulating layers comprise an inorganic insulating layer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second insulating layers comprise a silicon nitride layer.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the upper layer of the pixel isolation layer comprises an organic insulating layer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the upper layer of the pixel isolation layer comprises one of polyimide, polyamide, BCB and SOG.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the forming of the pixel isolation layer and the first and second insulating layers comprises:

forming a lower insulating layer and an upper insulating layer on the substrate;

forming a first upper insulating layer pattern including an opening on the pixel region, a second upper insulating layer pattern on the pad interconnection region, and a third upper insulating layer pattern including an opening on the pad region by patterning the upper insulating layer using a halftone mask;

forming a first lower insulating layer pattern having an opening on the pixel region to form the pixel isolation layer having the first opening including openings of the first upper and lower insulating layer patterns, a second lower insulating layer pattern on the pad interconnection region, and a third lower insulating layer pattern having the second opening on the pad region by etching the lower insulating layer using the first to third upper insulating layer patterns as a mask; and

removing the second and third insulating layer patterns.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein a frit is coated on a portion of the pad interconnection region to seal the substrate and the sealing member.