Display devices and methods of manufacturing display devices

• US 9,966,420 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2014
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Do-Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Malek, Maliheh
• Application Number:
  US14/534,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20150243705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1218 with a particular composition or structure of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/124 Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8722 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants

Abstract

A display device includes a substrate with a major surface and a cover opposing the substrate. An array of light emitting pixels is disposed over a generally central portion of the major surface, and interposed between the substrate and the cover. A seal is disposed over a peripheral portion of the substrate, and interposed between and interconnecting the substrate and the cover. Between the seal and the substrate, a lower insulation layer, an upper insulation layer, and a structure located between the lower and upper insulation layers and including at least one metal layer. The upper insulation layer includes an uneven top surface. A contour of the uneven top surface of the upper insulation layer may conform with or follow that of the top uneven surface of the structure. The seal contacts and is bonded to the uneven top surface of the upper insulation.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a first substrate comprising a major surface, and further comprising a display region disposed over a generally central portion of the major surface, and a peripheral region disposed outside the display region;

at least one lower insulation layer disposed over the first substrate;

at least one transistor disposed over the at least one lower insulation layer over the display region of the first substrate;

a light emitting structure disposed over the display region of the first substrate;

a concave and convex structure disposed over the at least one lower insulation layer and over the peripheral region of the first substrate and comprising at least one metal layer;

an upper insulation layer formed over the concave and convex structure, and comprising an uneven top surface;

a sealant contacting and bonded to the uneven top surface of the upper insulation layer, wherein the sealant is formed only over the peripheral region, and includes a frit; and

a second substrate disposed over the light emitting structure, and bonded to the sealant.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the sealant does not contact the at least one metal layer.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein the concave and convex structure comprises:

the at least one metal layer comprising a first metal layer disposed over the at least one lower insulation layer;

first insulation layer pieces and second insulation layer pieces disposed over the first metal layer; and

the at least one metal layer further comprising a second metal layer disposed over the first metal layer to cover the first and second insulation layer pieces.

4. The display device of claim 3, further comprising third insulation layer pieces, wherein the first metal layer includes a plurality of first openings, wherein each of the third insulation layer pieces is received in one of the first openings.

5. The display device of claim 3, wherein the first metal layer includes a plurality of first openings, wherein the first insulation layer pieces are arranged such that each of the first insulation layer pieces is positioned between immediately neighboring two of the first openings, and wherein the second insulation layer pieces are arranged such that each of the second insulation layer pieces is arranged between immediately neighboring two of the first openings.

6. The display device of claim 5, wherein rows of the first insulation layer pieces and rows of the second insulation layer pieces are alternately arranged.

7. The display device of claim 3, wherein the second metal layer includes a plurality of second openings each overlapping one of the first openings when viewing in a direction perpendicular to the major surface.

8. The display device of claim 4, further comprising third openings formed through the upper insulation layer, the third insulation layer pieces, and the at least one lower insulation layer, wherein the sealant comprises protrusions extending through the third openings and contacting the first substrate.

9. The display device of claim 8, wherein each of the third openings overlaps one of the first openings when viewing in a direction perpendicular to the major surface.

10. The display device of claim 1, wherein the at least one transistor includes a switching transistor and a driving transistor disposed over the at least one insulation layer in the display region.

11. The display device of claim 10, further comprising a capacitor disposed over the driving transistor.

19. The display device of claim 1, wherein the sealant has a top surface and a bottom surface closer to the substrate than the top surface, and wherein the bottom surface of the sealant has at least one stepped portion.

12. A display device comprising:

a substrate comprising a major surface;

a cover opposing the substrate;

an array of light emitting pixels disposed over a generally central portion of the major surface, and interposed between the substrate and the cover;

a seal disposed over a peripheral portion of the substrate outside the generally central portion, the seal interposed between and interconnecting the substrate and the cover, and wherein the seal is formed only over the peripheral region, and includes a frit;

a lower insulation layer formed over the generally peripheral portion of the substrate;

a first metal layer formed over the lower insulation layer and comprising holes which are spaced from each other;

first insulation pieces, each received in one of the holes of the first metal layer;

a second metal layer formed over the first metal layer, and having a concave and convex shape;

second insulation pieces each placed between the first metal layer and one of the first raised portions of the second metal layer;

an upper insulation layer formed over the second metal layer, and comprising second raised portions formed over the first raised portions of the second metal layer and second valley portions each disposed between the immediately neighboring two of the second raised portions;

wherein the seal is bonded to and contacts top surfaces and side surfaces of the second raised portions and surfaces of the second valley portions of the upper insulation layer, which is bonded to and contacts the first insulation pieces, each of which is bonded to and contacts the lower insulation layer.

13. The display device of claim 12, wherein each of the second insulation pieces comprises side surfaces contacting and bonded to the upper insulation layer.

14. The display device of claim 12, wherein the second metal layer comprises openings each overlapping to one of the holes of the first metal layer when viewing in a direction perpendicular to the major surface, and the upper insulation layer comprises protrusions extending through the openings to contact the first insulation pieces.

15. The display device of claim 12, wherein each of the lower insulation layer, the upper insulation layer and the second metal layer comprises holes each overlapping one of the holes of the first metal layer when viewing in a direction perpendicular to the major surface, and the seal comprises protrusions extending through the holes to contact the substrate.

16. The display device of claim 12, wherein the array of light emitting pixels comprises metal layers and insulation layers wherein each of the first and second layers is formed of the same material as that of one of the metal layers of the array of light emitting pixels, wherein each of the top and lower insulation layers is formed of the same material as that of one of the insulation layers of the array of light emitting pixels, wherein the first insulation pieces are formed of the same material as that of one of the insulation layers of the array of light emitting pixels, wherein the second insulation pieces are formed of the same material as that of one of the insulation layers of the array of light emitting pixels.

17. The display device of claim 12, wherein at least one of the upper and lower insulation layers comprises two or more sub-layers formed one by one.

18. The display device of claim 12, wherein the seal does not contact any of the first and second metal layers.