Display with vias for concealed printed circuit and component attachment

• US 9,805,643 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wright, Derek, Rothkopf, Fletcher R., Myers, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoa C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Augustin, Christopher L
• Application Number:
  US14/866,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20160021746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 361728, 361729, 361735, 361736, 361742, 361746-750, 349149-152, 313483, 313498, 313500-512, 445 23- 25
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/115 Via connections; Lands around holes or via connections H05K1/112 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/80 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals

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 by laser drilling. 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. Components such as flexible printed circuits, integrated circuits, connectors, and other circuitry may be mounted to the contacts on the rear surface of the display.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a display mounted in the housing, wherein the display comprises a substrate with first and second opposing surfaces, a thin-film transistor layer formed on the first surface, a via that extends from the first surface to the second surface, and a metal contact on the second surface that is electrically coupled to the via;

a first printed circuit with conductive traces;

a display driver integrated circuit mounted to the first printed circuit, wherein the display driver integrated circuit is electrically coupled to the metal contact through the conductive traces on the first printed circuit;

a second printed circuit that is electrically coupled to the display driver integrated circuit through the conductive traces on the first printed circuit; and

electroplated metal sidewalls in the via.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the second printed circuit comprises a flexible printed circuit that electrically couples the display driver integrated circuit to the metal contact.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2, wherein the display driver integrated circuit transmits signals to the thin-film transistor layer through the flexible printed circuit.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3, wherein the first printed circuit comprises a connector that is electrically coupled to the metal traces on the first printed circuit, wherein the flexible printed circuit has a first end that is connected to the metal contact on the substrate and a second opposing end that is connected to the connector on the first printed circuit.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the first printed circuit is mounted to the metal contact on the second surface of the substrate.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5, wherein the second printed circuit is electrically coupled to the display driver integrated circuit through a flexible printed circuit that extends between the first and second printed circuits.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6, wherein the flexible printed circuit has first and second opposing ends, wherein the second printed circuit comprises a flex circuit connector, wherein the first end of the flexible printed circuit is attached to the flex circuit connector, and wherein the second end of the flexible printed circuit is attached to the first printed circuit board.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the first printed circuit has first and second opposing surfaces, wherein the first surface of the first printed circuit is interposed between the second surface of the first printed circuit and the second surface of the substrate, and wherein the display driver integrated circuit is mounted on the second surface of the first printed circuit.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the display has an active area and an inactive area, and wherein the via is formed in the inactive area of the display.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the display has an active area and an inactive area, and wherein the via is formed in the active area of the display.

11. An electronic device, comprising;

a housing;

a display mounted in the housing, wherein the display comprises a display substrate having first and second opposing surfaces, first and second conductive vias that extend from the first surface to the second surface, wherein the first and second conductive vias comprise conductive material that extends from the first surface to the second surface, and thin-film transistor circuitry that is formed on the first surface and electrically coupled to the first and second conductive vias; and

a conductive path that routes signals from the first conductive via to the second conductive via.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11, wherein the second surface of the display substrate is interposed between the conductive path and the first surface of the display substrate.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 further comprising a printed circuit mounted to the second surface of the display substrate, wherein the conductive path is a trace on the printed circuit.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 12, wherein the conductive path comprises a gate line that routes gate line signals from the first conductive via to the second conductive via.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 12, wherein the conductive path comprises a data line that routes data line signals from the first conductive via to the second conductive via.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 12, wherein the first and second conductive vias have electroplated metal sidewalls.

17. An electronic device, comprising:

a display, comprising;

a display substrate having first and second opposing surfaces;

a plurality of vias that extend through the display substrate from the first surface to the second surface; and

thin-film transistor circuitry formed on the first surface of the display substrate;

a display driver integrated circuit that transmits signals to the thin-film transistor circuitry through a first via in the plurality of vias, wherein the second surface of the display substrate is interposed between the display driver integrated circuit and the first surface of the display substrate; and

a conductive trace that routes signals between a second via in the plurality of vias and a third via in the plurality of vias, wherein the second surface of the display substrate is interposed between the conductive trace and the first surface of the display substrate.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17, further comprising:

a first printed circuit board on which the conductive trace is formed, wherein the first printed circuit board is mounted to the second surface of the display substrate.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18, further comprising:

a second printed circuit board on which the display driver integrated circuit is mounted, wherein the second printed circuit is mounted to the second surface of the display substrate.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 17, wherein the display comprises an active area and an inactive area, wherein a first portion of the plurality of vias are formed in the active area, and wherein a second portion of the plurality of vias are formed in the inactive area.