Organic light emitting display device

• US 8,928,597 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2010
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jang, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALMEIDA, CORY A
• Application Number:
  US12/684,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20100110041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens

Abstract

An organic light emitting display device capable of having an electrostatic capacitive type touch panel function without substantially increasing the thickness of the display device and/or including a touch panel with an improved interface between a touch panel module of the touch panel and a touch panel drive integrated circuit (IC) of the touch panel.

Claims

1. An organic light emitting display device comprising:

a substrate;

a display unit on the substrate;

an encapsulation substrate having a first side facing the display unit, and a second side facing away from the display unit;

a touch unit comprising a plurality of first sensors and a plurality of second sensors, the plurality of second sensors being on the second side, the plurality of first sensors being electrically coupled to each other and extending in parallel rows along a first direction, and the plurality of second sensors being electrically coupled to each other and extending in parallel columns along a second direction crossing the first direction;

a first pattern layer on the second side of the encapsulation substrate and comprising the plurality of first and second sensors;

an insulating layer on the first pattern layer; and

a second pattern layer on the insulating layer, the second pattern layer comprising a plurality of pattern units separated and spaced apart from each other, each of the plurality of pattern units being formed to be connected to only corresponding two of the plurality of second sensors on the first pattern layer by penetrating the insulating layer at a first of the corresponding two of the plurality of second sensors, extending along the insulating layer, and penetrating the insulating layer at a second of the corresponding two of the plurality of second sensors,

wherein the insulating layer comprises a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer, and

the first pattern layer, the first insulating layer, the second pattern layer, and the second insulating layer are sequentially formed on the second side.

2. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first sensors and the plurality of second sensors are alternately arranged.

3. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein a protrusion unit of each of the plurality of first sensors in a plane parallel to the substrate is offset from a protrusion unit of each of the plurality of second sensors in the plane.

4. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, further comprising a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) electrically coupled to the plurality of first sensors and the plurality of second sensors.

5. The organic light emitting display device of claim 4, further comprising a connector for delivering electrical signals generated by the touch unit to the flexible PCB,

wherein the connector is electrically coupled to the plurality of first sensors and the plurality of second sensors.

6. The organic light emitting display device of claim 4, wherein the flexible PCB comprises a circuit for driving and controlling the display unit and the touch unit.

7. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises:

a thin film transistor (TFT) on the substrate; and

an organic light emitting diode (OLED) electrically coupled to the TFT,

wherein the OLED comprises a counter electrode, a pixel electrode, and an intermediate layer between the counter electrode and the pixel electrode.

8. The organic light emitting display device of claim 7, wherein the pixel electrode contacts a portion of the TFT, the intermediate layer contacts a portion of the pixel electrode, and the counter electrode contacts a portion of the intermediate layer.

9. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first sensors and the plurality of second sensors comprise indium tin oxide (ITO).

10. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first sensors and the plurality of second sensors are configured to generate electrical signals indicative of a touch.

11. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first sensors comprises a first diamond-shaped pad, and

each of the plurality of second sensors comprises a second diamond-shaped pad at a position adjacent to one of the first diamond-shaped pads.

12. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

13. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the touch unit is an electrostatic capacitive type touch unit.

14. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the second insulating layer on at least a portion of the second pattern layer.

15. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the insulating layer has a plurality of contact holes, and the plurality of pattern units are electrically couple to the plurality of second sensors via the plurality of contact holes.

16. The organic light emitting display device of claim 15, wherein

each of the plurality of first sensors comprises a first diamond-shaped pad,

each of the plurality of second sensors comprises a second diamond-shaped pad at a position adjacent to one of the first diamond-shaped pads, and

the plurality of contact holes are at positions corresponding to corners of the second diamond-shaped pads of the plurality of second sensors, where adjacent second sensors are coupled to each other.

17. The organic light emitting display device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of pattern units are configured to fill the plurality of contact holes to electrically couple the plurality of second sensors that are adjacent to each other on the first pattern layer.

18. The organic light emitting display device of claim 15, wherein each of the contacts holes contacts a corresponding one of the plurality of second sensors, and wherein each of the plurality of pattern units contacts corresponding two of the plurality of contact holes.

19. The organic light emitting display device of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of pattern units comprises:

a main portion on the insulation layer;

a first fill portion in a corresponding one of the plurality of contact holes; and

a second fill portion in another corresponding one of the plurality of contact holes.

20. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises:

a thin film transistor (TFT) on the substrate; and

an organic light emitting diode (OLED) electrically coupled to the TFT,

wherein the OLED comprises a counter electrode, a pixel electrode, and an intermediate layer between the counter electrode and the pixel electrode, and

wherein the counter electrode and the first pattern layer are configured to form a first capacitor.

21. The organic light emitting display device of claim 20, wherein

the first pattern layer is further configured to form a second capacitor with an object approaching the encapsulation substrate, and

the first capacitor is electrically coupled in series with the second capacitor.

22. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, further comprising a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) electrically coupled to the plurality of first sensors and the plurality of second sensors,

wherein the flexible PCB comprises a circuit for driving and controlling the touch unit.

23. The organic light emitting display device of claim 22, further comprising a connector for delivering an electrical signal generated by the touch unit to the flexible PCB,

wherein the connector is electrically coupled to the plurality of first sensors and the plurality of second sensors.

24. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pattern units are separated from each another on the insulation layer.

25. The organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the pattern units have solid contacts formed at portions where the pattern units penetrate the insulating layer.