Displays with vias

• US 9,226,347 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Weber, Douglas J., Rothkopf, Fletcher R., Drzaic, Paul S., Dabov, Teodor, Wright, Derek W., Myers, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Santiago, Mariceli
• Application Number:
  US13/766,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20130342099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 313498-512, 257/79
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/04 Sealing arrangements , e.g. against humidity
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/06 Electrode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/10 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/12 Light sources with substantially two-dimensional radiating surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/115 Via connections; Lands around holes or via connections H05K1/112 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/10 OLED displays
• 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 electronic device may include a display. The display may be an organic light-emitting diode display. The organic light-emitting diode display may have a substrate layer, a layer of organic light-emitting diode structures, and a layer of sealant. Vias may be formed in the substrate layer. The vias may be formed before completion of the display or after completion of the display. The vias may be filled with metal using electroplating or other metal deposition techniques. The vias may be connected to contacts on the rear surface of the display. The vias may be located in active regions of the display or inactive regions of the display. The display may include a top surface emission portion and a bottom surface emission portion.

Claims

1. A method of forming an electronic device display, the method comprising:

depositing a conductive layer on a display substrate;

in a single step, removing a portion of the display substrate and a portion of the conductive layer to form a via through the display substrate and the conductive layer;

selectively removing an additional portion of the conductive layer to expose a region of the display substrate; and

forming light-emitting diode structures in the exposed region of the display substrate to form an active region of the electronic device display.

2. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

depositing a protective layer over the conductive layer, wherein forming the via comprises forming the via through the display substrate, the conductive layer, and the protective layer.

3. The method defined in claim 2 wherein depositing the protective layer over the conductive layer comprises depositing a layer of titanium over the conductive layer and the via.

4. The method defined in claim 1 wherein forming the via through the display substrate and the conductive layer comprises:

drilling a via hole through the display substrate and the conductive layer.

5. The method defined in claim 4 wherein drilling the via hole comprises:

with laser drilling equipment, drilling the via hole.

6. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising:

electroplating the via hole to form conductive sidewalls that extend through the via hole.

7. The method defined in claim 6 wherein electroplating the via hole comprises:

electroplating the via hole with molybdenum to form the conductive sidewalls.

8. A method of forming an electronic device display, the method comprising:

forming a light-emitting diode layer on a display substrate;

depositing a sealant layer over the light-emitting diode layer; and

forming a via that extends through the display substrate and the light-emitting diode layer without extending through the sealant layer.

9. The method defined in claim 8 wherein forming the light-emitting diode layer comprises:

forming display pixels in the light-emitting diode layer within an active region of the electronic device display, wherein forming the via comprises forming the via through the display substrate and the light-emitting diode layer within the active region of the electronic device display.

10. The method defined in claim 9 further comprising:

depositing a layer of titanium over the light-emitting diode layer, wherein forming the via comprises forming the via through the display substrate, the light-emitting diode layer, and the layer of titanium.

11. The method defined in claim 9 wherein forming the via comprises:

with drilling equipment, drilling an opening that extends through the display substrate and the light-emitting diode layer; and

depositing a conductive material in the opening.

12. A method of forming an electronic device display, the method comprising:

forming a light-emitting diode layer on a display substrate having first and second opposing surfaces, wherein forming the light-emitting diode layer comprises forming a first layer of organic emissive material on the first surface of the display substrate;

forming a second layer of organic emissive material on the second surface of the display substrate; and

forming a via through the display substrate.

13. The method defined in claim 12 wherein forming the via through the display substrate comprises:

with drilling equipment, forming a via hole through the display substrate.

14. The method defined in claim 13 wherein forming the via through the display substrate further comprises:

electroplating the via hole with metal.

15. The method defined in claim 12 wherein the first layer of organic emissive material on the first surface of the display substrate forms a front surface emission region that emits light from the first surface, and wherein forming the comprises:

forming the via through the display substrate and the front surface emission region.

16. The method defined in claim 15 wherein the second layer of organic emissive material on the second surface of the display substrate forms a rear surface emission region that emits light through the display substrate, and wherein forming the light-emitting diode layer on the display substrate comprises:

forming organic light-emitting diode structures in the front surface emission region.

17. The method defined in claim 16 further comprising:

attaching a flexible printed circuit to the via at the second surface of the display substrate, wherein the flexible printed circuit conveys a display signal between driver circuitry and the via.

18. The method defined in claim 12 wherein the via extends from the first layer of organic emissive material on the first surface of the display substrate to the second surface of the display substrate.

19. A method of forming an electronic device display, the method comprising:

with heating equipment, at least partially melting a display substrate; and

inserting a conductive rod through the partially melted display substrate to form a via that is completely filled by the conductive rod.

20. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the conductive rod comprises a metal wire and wherein inserting the conductive rod through the partially melted display substrate comprises:

inserting the metal wire through the partially melted display substrate.

21. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the display substrate includes opposing front and rear surfaces, the method further comprising:

with cutting equipment, removing excess portions of the conductive rod that extend beyond the front and rear surfaces of the display substrate so that a remaining portion of the conductive rod forms a conductive via that extends between the front and rear surfaces of the display substrate.

22. The method defined in claim 21 further comprising:

forming organic light-emitting diode structures on the display substrate that are electrically coupled to the conductive rod.