Displays with vias

• US 9,974,122 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• 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:
  US14/866,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20160088692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• 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. An electronic device display, comprising:

a transparent display substrate having front and rear surfaces;

a front surface emission region on the front surface of the transparent display substrate that emits light from the front surface, wherein the front surface emission region comprises a first light-emitting layer, and wherein the front surface emission region comprises organic light-emitting diodes and thin-film transistors formed on the front surface of the transparent display substrate;

a rear surface emission region on the rear surface of the transparent display substrate that emits light through the transparent display substrate, wherein the rear surface emission region comprises a second light-emitting layer, and wherein the rear surface emission region comprises organic light-emitting diodes and thin-film transistors formed on the rear surface of the transparent display substrate; and

a flexible printed circuit that transmits display signals to the first and second light-emitting layers.

2. The electronic device display defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a via formed in the transparent display substrate that extends from the front surface emission region to the rear surface of the transparent display substrate.

3. The electronic device display defined in claim 2, wherein the flexible printed circuit is coupled to the via at the rear surface of the transparent display substrate, the electronic device display further comprising:

driver circuitry, wherein the flexible printed circuit conveys a display signal between the driver circuitry and the via.

4. The electronic device display defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a via that extends through the transparent display substrate, wherein the first light-emitting layer overlaps the via.

5. The electronic device display defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a conductive via that extends through the display substrate and that transmits the display signals from the flexible printed circuit to the first light-emitting layer; and

a conductive trace on the rear surface of the transparent display substrate that transmits the display signals from the flexible printed circuit to the second light-emitting layer.

6. The electronic device display defined in claim 5 further comprising:

display driver circuitry, wherein the flexible printed circuit transmits the display signals from the display driver circuitry to the conductive via and the conductive trace.

7. An electronic device display, comprising:

a transparent display substrate having front and rear surfaces;

a front surface emission region on the front surface of the transparent display substrate that emits light from the front surface;

a rear surface emission region on the rear surface of the transparent display substrate that emits light through the transparent display substrate;

a conductive trace on the rear surface of the transparent display substrate, the conductive trace coupled to the rear surface emission region;

a via formed in the transparent display substrate that extends from the front surface emission region to the rear surface of the transparent display substrate;

a flexible printed circuit board comprising a polymer substrate and electrical traces, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is coupled to the via at the rear surface of the transparent display substrate; and

driver circuitry, wherein the flexible printed circuit board conveys a display signal between the driver circuitry and the via.

8. The electronic device display defined in claim 7, wherein the flexible printed circuit board conveys an additional display signal between the driver circuitry and the rear surface emission region through the conductive trace.

9. The electronic device display defined in claim 7 wherein the front surface emission region and the rear surface emission region each comprise organic light-emitting diode structures and thin film transistor structures.

10. The electronic device display defined in claim 7, further comprising:

an additional via formed in the transparent display substrate that extends from the front surface emission region to the rear surface of the transparent display substrate, wherein the via and the additional via are coupled to the front surface emission region.

11. The electronic device display defined in claim 7, wherein the driver circuitry comprises a display driver integrated circuit.

12. An electronic device display, comprising:

a transparent display substrate having front and rear surfaces;

a front surface emission region on the front surface of the transparent display substrate that emits light from the front surface; and

a rear surface emission region on the rear surface of the transparent display substrate that emits light through the transparent display substrate, wherein the front surface emission region comprises a first light-emitting layer and wherein the rear surface emission region comprises a second light-emitting layer;

a flexible printed circuit that transmits display signals to the first and second light-emitting layers;

a conductive via that extends through the display substrate and that transmits the display signals from the flexible printed circuit to the first light-emitting layer; and

a conductive trace on the rear surface of the transparent display substrate that transmits the display signals from the flexible printed circuit to the second light-emitting layer.

13. The electronic device display defined in claim 12 further comprising:

display driver circuitry, wherein the flexible printed circuit transmits the display signals from the display driver circuitry to the conductive via and the conductive trace.