Display with vias for concealed printed circuit and component attachment

• US 9,286,826 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• 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): Edmonds, Lisa Lea
• Assistant Examiner(s): Augustin, Christopher L
• Application Number:
  US13/284,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20130107476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 174/259, 361/728, 361/729, 361/742, 361746-750, 361/767, 361/774, 361/775, 361735-737, 361/752, 361/792, 361/807, 361/809, 445 23- 25, 349149-152
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 display having an array of display pixels formed on a polymer substrate layer with vias, wherein the polymer substrate layer extends under the entire array of display pixels, wherein the array of display pixels includes first and second adjacent display pixels, and wherein one of the vias is located between the first and second adjacent display pixels;

electroplated metal sidewalls in the vias;

a printed circuit substrate coupled to the polymer substrate layer; and

display driver circuitry mounted to the printed circuit substrate, wherein the printed circuit substrate includes conductive traces electrically coupled between at least one of the vias and the display driver circuitry.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises an organic light-emitting diode display.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the organic light-emitting diode display comprises:

a light-emitting diode layer on the substrate layer that includes organic emissive material and light-emitting diode structures; and

a sealant layer on the light-emitting diode layer.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the sealant forms a front surface for the display and wherein the substrate layer comprises an opposing rear surface with contacts.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 further comprising at least one component mounted to the contacts.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the at least one component comprises a component selected from the group consisting of:

a connector, an integrated circuit, a flexible printed circuit, a resistor, a capacitor, and an inductor.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the at least one component comprises an integrated circuit.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 further comprising solder with which the integrated circuit is mounted to the contacts on the substrate layer.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the at least one component comprises a flexible printed circuit.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 further comprising anisotropic conductive film with which the flexible printed circuit is mounted to the contacts on the substrate layer.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the substrate layer comprises a two-sided flexible printed circuit having conductive traces on at least opposing first and second surfaces.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the substrate layer comprises a flexible layer of polyimide.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the vias comprise laser-drilled vias.

28. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the printed circuit substrate has opposing first and second surfaces, wherein one of the vias is electrically connected to a contact on the first surface of the printed circuit substrate, and wherein the display driver circuitry is mounted to the second surface of the printed circuit substrate.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a display mounted in the housing, wherein the display has opposing front and rear surfaces, wherein the front surface is viewable from outside of the housing, and wherein the display includes a substrate layer with electroplated vias, a light-emitting diode layer, and a sealant layer, and wherein the light-emitting diode layer is interposed between the sealant layer and the substrate layer; and

a jumper structure coupled to the substrate layer, wherein the jumper structure comprises at least one conductive trace that routes signals from a first one of the electroplated vias to a second one of the electroplated vias.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 further comprising a flexible printed circuit that is electrically connected to the electroplated vias.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 further comprising a display driver integrated circuit mounted to the flexible printed circuit.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the vias comprise metal sidewalls, wherein the substrate layer comprises a flexible sheet of polymer, and wherein the vias comprise laser-drilled vias.

23. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the jumper structure comprises a flexible printed circuit substrate.

24. The electronic device defined in claim 23 wherein the signals comprise signals associated with operating the display.

25. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the substrate layer extends under the entire layer of light-emitting diodes.

26. The electronic device defined in claim 14 further comprising first and second contacts on a surface of the jumper structure, wherein the first contact is electrically connected to the first one of the electroplated vias and wherein the second contact is electrically connected to the second one of the electroplated vias.

18. Apparatus, comprising:

an organic light-emitting diode display having a substrate layer, a layer of light-emitting diodes on the substrate layer, and a polymer sealant layer on the light-emitting diode layer, wherein the substrate layer comprises vias;

display driver circuitry mounted on a first printed circuit substrate; and

a second printed circuit substrate electrically connected between the vias and the first printed circuit substrate, wherein the second printed circuit substrate comprises traces that route signals between the display driver circuitry and the organic light-emitting diode display and includes a contact that is electrically connected to one of the vias.

19. The apparatus defined in claim 18 further comprising at least one electrical component that is electrically connected to the vias.

20. The apparatus defined in claim 19 wherein the substrate layer comprises a layer of polymer, wherein the vias comprise laser-drilled vias, and wherein the electrical component is electrically connected to the laser-drilled vias.

21. The apparatus defined in claim 20 wherein the electrical component comprises a flexible printed circuit that is electrically connected to the laser-drilled vias with conductive adhesive.

22. The apparatus defined in claim 20 wherein the electrical component comprises an integrated circuit that is electrically connected to the laser-drilled vias with solder.

27. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein the substrate layer extends under the entire layer of light-emitting diodes.