Organic light emitting diode display

• US 9,559,156 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2014
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Changnam
• Primary Examiner(s): Moon, Seokyun
• Application Number:
  US14/560,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20150145756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0413 Details of dummy pixels or dummy lines in flat panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1315 comprising structures specially adapted for lowering the resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1795 comprising structures specially adapted for lowering the resistance

Abstract

An organic light emitting diode display includes a substrate including a display area and a non-display area, a display unit that is formed in the display area and includes a plurality of subpixels arranged in a matrix form, a main ground line that is positioned at a first side of the non-display area and is formed using the same material as source and drain electrodes included in each subpixel, and an auxiliary ground line that is formed to surround the non-display area, overlaps at least a portion of the main ground line at the first side of the non-display area, is electrically connected to the main ground line, and is formed using the same material as a lower electrode included in each subpixel.

Claims

1. An organic light emitting diode display comprising:

a substrate including a display area and a non-display area;

a display unit formed in the display area, the display unit including a plurality of subpixels arranged in a matrix form;

a main ground line that is formed to surround the non-display area and is formed using the same material as source and drain electrodes of a transistor unit included in each subpixel; and

an auxiliary ground line that is formed to surround the non-display area, overlaps at least a portion of the main ground line at a first side of the non-display area, is electrically connected to the main ground line, and is formed using the same material as a lower electrode of the organic light emitting diode included in each subpixel,

wherein the material of the ground line is different from the material of the auxiliary ground line.

2. The organic light emitting diode display of claim 1, wherein at least one of the main ground line and the auxiliary ground line is electrically connected to an upper electrode included in each subpixel.

3. The organic light emitting diode display of claim 1, wherein the main ground line is formed using the same process as the source and drain electrodes included in each subpixel,

wherein the auxiliary ground line is formed using the same process as the lower electrode included in each subpixel.

4. The organic light emitting diode display of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a bezel area defined in third and fourth sides of the non-display area,

wherein the main ground line is electrically connected to an upper electrode included in each subpixel in the bezel area.

5. The organic light emitting diode display of claim 4, wherein the auxiliary ground line is divided into at least two parts in the bezel area, and the at least two parts are separated from each other on the main ground line.

6. The organic light emitting diode display of claim 4, wherein the bezel area includes a dummy area, a contact area, and a gate driving element area divided from an area ranging from an area adjacent to the display unit to the outside of the substrate,

wherein the auxiliary ground line includes an inside auxiliary ground line formed in the dummy area and an outside auxiliary ground line formed in the gate driving element area,

wherein the main ground line extends from the dummy area to a portion of the gate driving element area and is electrically connected to the upper electrode included in each subpixel in the contact area.

7. The organic light emitting diode display of claim 4, wherein the bezel area includes a dummy area and a gate driving element area divided from an area ranging from an area adjacent to the display unit to the outside of the substrate,

wherein the auxiliary ground line extends from the dummy area to the gate driving element area,

wherein the main ground line extends from the dummy area to a portion of the gate driving element area and is electrically connected to the upper electrode included in each subpixel through a contact hole formed in a bank layer in the gate driving element area.

8. The organic light emitting diode display of claim 1, wherein each subpixel includes a transistor unit and a light emitting unit,

wherein the transistor unit includes the source electrode, the drain electrode, and a gate electrode,

wherein the light emitting unit includes the lower electrode connected to one of the source electrode and the drain electrode, an organic light emitting layer, and an upper electrode connected to the main ground line.

9. An organic light emitting diode display comprising:

a substrate including a display area and a non-display area;

a display unit formed in the display area, the display unit including a plurality of subpixels arranged in a matrix form;

a main ground line that is formed to surround the non-display area and is formed using the same material as source and drain electrodes included in each subpixel; and

an auxiliary ground line that is formed to surround the non-display area, overlaps at least a portion of the main ground line at a first side of the non-display area, is electrically connected to the main ground line, and is formed using the same material as a lower electrode included in each subpixel,

wherein the substrate includes a bezel area defined in third and fourth sides of the non-display area,

wherein the main ground line is electrically connected to an upper electrode included in each subpixel in the bezel area, and

wherein the auxiliary ground line is divided into at least two parts in the bezel area, and the at least two parts are separated from each other on the main ground line.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate having an array of pixels, each pixel including a plurality of sub-pixels configured to emit light from organic light emitting layers, sandwiched between a cathode and an anode, according to control from a pixel driving circuit comprised of at least one driving transistor, one switching transistor, and one capacitor for each sub-pixel;

a first ground line in a bezel area of said substrate and disposed along at least three sides of the array of pixels, operatively connected with said cathode, and made of the same material as that of source/drain electrodes of at least one among said driving transistor and said switching transistor; and

a second ground line in said bezel area of said substrate and disposed along at least three sides of the array of pixels, operatively connected with said first ground line, and made of a material different from that of said first ground line,

said first ground line and said second ground line having portions that overlap each other in said bezel area along one side of said array of pixels.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said second ground line is in direct contact with said first ground line at the portions that overlap each other.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a planarization layer interposed between the first and second ground lines.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a bank layer interposed between said cathode and said second ground line.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said cathode is in direct contact with said second ground line through an opening portion of said bank layer in said bezel area.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said first ground line is in direct contact with said second ground line through an opening portion of said planarization layer in said bezel area.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a gate electrode under at least the portions of first and second ground lines that overlap each other.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said opening portion of said bank layer and said opening portion of said planarization layer are spaced each other.