CN117082922A

CN117082922A - Display device and method of manufacturing the same

Info

Publication number: CN117082922A
Application number: CN202310538845.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 裵珍姬; 曺荣敏; 尹姬淑
Original assignee: Samsung Display Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Display Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-05-16
Filing date: 2023-05-12
Publication date: 2023-11-17

Abstract

A display device and a method of manufacturing the display device are provided. The display device includes: a display panel including a display region, an adjacent region surrounding the display region, and a curved region extending from one side of the adjacent region; an optical functional layer disposed on the display panel; a first protection member disposed on the bending region and spaced apart from the optical functional region in a first direction from the display region toward the bending region; and a second protection member arranged to fill a gap between the optical functional layer and the first protection member, wherein a modulus of the second protection member is smaller than a modulus of the first protection member.

Description

Display device and method of manufacturing the same

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims the priority and ownership of korean patent application No. 10-2022-0059836 filed on 5 months and 16 days of 2022 and korean patent application No. 10-2022-0072354 filed on 6 months and 14 days of 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Technical Field

One or more embodiments relate to a display device and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a display device and a method of manufacturing the same that can prevent defects due to electrostatic discharge (Electrostatic Discharge, ESD) in a bending region of a display panel.

Background

Recently, electronic devices have been widely used. Electronic devices are used in various ways, such as mobile electronic devices and fixed electronic devices, and such electronic devices generally include a display apparatus capable of providing visual information such as images or videos to a user to support various functions.

Recently, as the size of components for driving the display apparatus is reduced, the proportion of the display apparatus in the electronic device is gradually increased, and a structure that can be bent at a certain angle or folded around an axis with respect to a flat state has been developed.

In general, a display device includes a display panel, and the display panel includes a display area displaying an image and a peripheral area that is a non-display area adjacent to the display area. When at least a portion of the peripheral region of the display panel is bent, visibility at various angles of the display device may be improved, or an area of the non-display region may be reduced.

Disclosure of Invention

In general, electrostatic discharge (ESD) is generated in a bent region of the display panel and/or a region adjacent to the bent region, and thus, wiring of the display panel may be damaged.

One or more embodiments include a display device and a method of manufacturing the display device that can improve defects of the display panel by preventing occurrence of ESD in the display panel.

According to one or more embodiments, a display device includes: a display panel including a display region, an adjacent region surrounding the display region, and a curved region extending from one side of the adjacent region; an optical functional layer disposed on the display panel; a first protection member disposed on the bending region and spaced apart from the optical functional region in a first direction from the display region toward the bending region; and a second protection member arranged to fill a gap between the optical functional layer and the first protection member, wherein a modulus of the second protection member is smaller than a modulus of the first protection member.

In an embodiment, the modulus of the second protective member may be about 10 megapascals (MPa) or greater and less than about 80MPa at-20 ℃.

In an embodiment, the modulus of the second protective member may be greater than about 0MPa and less than about 1MPa at 25 ℃.

In an embodiment, the second protection member may include a resin including silicon (Si).

In an embodiment, the viscosity of the second protective member may be about 50 centipoise (cps) or more and less than about 1000cps.

In an embodiment, the second protection member may be in contact with the optical functional layer in a plan view without overlapping the optical functional layer.

In an embodiment, the second protection member may be in contact with the first protection member in a plan view without overlapping the first protection member.

In an embodiment, the thickness of the second protection member may be smaller than the thickness of the optical functional layer.

In an embodiment, the thickness of the second protection member may be 1/4 or more and less than 4/4 of the thickness of the optical functional layer.

In an embodiment, the thickness of the first protection member may be smaller than the thickness of the optical functional layer.

In an embodiment, a portion of the first protection member may overlap with a cover window disposed on the optical functional layer in a plan view.

In an embodiment, the second protection member may overlap a portion of the first protection member in a plan view.

In an embodiment, the thickness of the second protection member may be less than the maximum thickness of the first protection member.

In an embodiment, the second protection member may entirely cover the first protection member.

In an embodiment, the display device may be foldable about a folding axis extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the bending region may be spaced apart from the folding axis in the first direction, and the optical function layer may press the second protection member in the first direction when the display device is folded.

According to one or more embodiments, a method of manufacturing a display device includes: preparing a display panel including a display region, an adjacent region surrounding the display region, and a curved region extending from one side of the adjacent region; providing an optical functional layer on the display panel; providing a first protective member spaced apart from the optically functional layer over the curved region; and providing a second protection member filling a gap between the optical function layer and the first protection member, wherein a modulus of the second protection member is smaller than a modulus of the first protection member.

In an embodiment, the modulus of the second protective member may be about 10MPa or more and less than about 80MPa at-20 ℃.

In an embodiment, the viscosity of the second protective member may be about 50cps or more and less than about 1000cps.

In an embodiment, providing the second protection member may include: the second protection member is provided by using the optical function layer as a barrier in such a manner that the second protection member does not overlap with the optical function layer in a plan view.

In an embodiment, providing the second protection member may include: a second protection member having a thickness smaller than that of the optical functional layer is provided.

In an embodiment, providing the second protection member may include: a second protection member having a thickness of 1/4 or more and less than 4/4 of the thickness of the optical functional layer is provided.

In an embodiment, providing the second protection member may include: a second protective member is provided that completely covers the first protective member.

In an embodiment, providing the second protection member may include: coating a material for forming the second protective member through a nozzle; and curing the material for forming the second protective member by radiating ultraviolet rays.

In an embodiment, providing the first protective member may include: coating a material for forming the first protective member through a nozzle; and curing the material for forming the first protective member by radiating ultraviolet rays.

Drawings

The above and other features of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

fig. 1 and 2 are perspective views each schematically illustrating a display device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III' of FIG. 1, schematically illustrating a display panel according to an embodiment;

fig. 4 is a plan view schematically illustrating a part of a display device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a side view schematically illustrating a display device including the assembly shown in FIG. 4;

fig. 6 is an enlarged view of region VI of fig. 5, schematically illustrating a display device according to an embodiment;

fig. 7 is a side view schematically illustrating a display apparatus according to an alternative embodiment;

fig. 8 is a side view schematically illustrating a display apparatus according to another alternative embodiment;

fig. 9 is a side view schematically illustrating a display apparatus according to another alternative embodiment; and

fig. 10 to 15 are diagrams schematically illustrating a method of manufacturing a display device according to an embodiment.

Detailed Description

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various embodiments are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Throughout this disclosure, the expression "at least one of a, b and c" or "at least one selected from a, b and c" indicates a only, b only, c only, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, all of a, b and c, or variants thereof.

As the present disclosure is susceptible of various modifications and alternative embodiments, specific embodiments have been shown in the drawings and will be described in detail in the written description. The effects and features of the present disclosure and methods of implementing the same will be apparent with reference to the embodiments and drawings described in detail below. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

It will be understood that, although the terms "first," "second," "third," etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, a "first element," "first component," "first region," "first layer," or "first section" discussed below could be termed a second element, a second component, a second region, a second layer, or a second section without departing from the teachings herein.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, "a," "an," "the," and "at least one" do not denote a limitation of quantity, and are intended to include both singular and plural, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. For example, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, "an element" has the same meaning as "at least one element. The term "at least one" shall not be construed as limiting "a" or "an". "or" means "and/or". As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may be present therebetween. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" another element, there are no intervening elements present.

The dimensions of the components in the figures may be exaggerated for convenience of explanation. In other words, since the sizes and thicknesses of components in the drawings are arbitrarily illustrated for convenience of explanation, the following embodiments are not limited thereto.

In the following description, the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis are not limited to three axes of a rectangular coordinate system, and can be interpreted in a broader sense. For example, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis may be perpendicular to each other, or may represent different directions that are not perpendicular to each other. The directions of the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis may be referred to herein as +x-direction, +y-direction, and +z-direction, respectively, and the directions opposite thereto may be referred to as-x-direction, -y-direction, and-z-direction, respectively.

Further, relative terms such as "lower" or "bottom" and "upper" or "top" may be used herein to describe one element's relationship to another element as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elements described as being on the "lower" side of other elements would then be oriented on the "upper" side of the other elements. Thus, the term "lower" can include both "lower" and "upper" orientations, depending on the particular orientation of the figure. Similarly, if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements would then be oriented "above" the other elements. Thus, the term "below" or "under" can include both an orientation above and below.

While an embodiment may be implemented differently, the specific process sequence may be performed differently than as described. For example, two processes described in succession may be executed substantially concurrently or the processes may be executed in the reverse order of the description.

In view of the errors associated with the measurements and with the particular number of measurements (i.e., limitations of the measurement system), as used herein "about" or "approximation" includes the stated values and is meant to be within an acceptable range of deviation from the particular values as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, "about" can mean within one or more standard deviations, or within ±30%, ±20%, ±10% or ±5% of the stated value.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

Embodiments are described herein with reference to cross-sectional illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, the embodiments described herein should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions as illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, a region illustrated or described as flat may generally have rough and/or nonlinear features. Furthermore, the sharp corners illustrated may be rounded. Accordingly, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 and 2 are perspective views each schematically illustrating a display device 1 according to an embodiment. In particular, fig. 1 illustrates the display device 1 in an unfolded state, and fig. 2 illustrates the display device 1 in a folded state.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a display apparatus 1 is an apparatus that displays video or still images, and the display apparatus 1 may be a portable electronic device such as a Mobile phone, a smart phone, a desktop Personal Computer (PC), a Mobile communication terminal, an electronic notebook, an electronic book, a Portable Multimedia Player (PMP), a navigation device, an Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC), etc., and may also be used as a display screen of various products such as a television, a notebook computer, a monitor, a billboard, an internet of things (IoT) device, etc. Further, embodiments of the display apparatus 1 may be used as wearable devices such as smart watches, watch phones, glasses type displays, and Head Mounted Displays (HMDs). In an embodiment, the display apparatus 1 may be used as an instrument panel of a vehicle, a center instrument panel of a vehicle or a Center Information Display (CID) arranged on the instrument panel, an indoor mirror display replacing a side view mirror of a vehicle, and a display arranged on a rear surface of a front seat as an entertainment device for a rear seat of a vehicle.

As shown in fig. 1, the display device 1 may have an approximately rectangular shape in a plan view. In an embodiment, for example, as shown in fig. 1, the display apparatus 1 may have a substantially rectangular planar shape having a short side extending in a first direction (e.g., a +x direction or a-x direction) and a long side extending in a second direction (e.g., a +y direction or a-y direction). In an embodiment, a portion where a short side extending in a first direction (e.g., a +x direction or a-x direction) and a long side extending in a second direction (e.g., a +y direction or a-y direction) intersect may have a right angle shape or a circular shape having a certain curvature. The planar shape of the display device 1 is not limited to a rectangular shape, and may be other polygonal shapes, elliptical shapes, or irregular shapes.

The display device 1 may include a lower cover LC, a display panel 10, and a cover window CW.

The lower cover LC may form the appearance of the lower surface of the display device 1. The lower cover LC may include plastic, metal, or both plastic and metal. The lower cover LC may include a first portion P1 and a second portion P2 each supporting the display panel 10. The lower cover LC may be folded about a folding axis FAX defined between the first and second portions P1 and P2. In an embodiment, the lower cover LC may further include a hinge portion HP, and the hinge portion HP may be provided between the first and second portions P1 and P2.

The display panel 10 may include a display area DA and a peripheral area PA. The display area DA may display an image. In an embodiment, a plurality of pixels PX may be arranged in the display area DA. The display panel 10 may provide an image by using light emitted from a plurality of pixels PX. Each of the plurality of pixels PX may emit light by using a display element. In an embodiment, each of the plurality of pixels PX may emit red light, green light, or blue light. In an embodiment, each of the plurality of pixels PX may emit red light, green light, blue light, or white light.

The peripheral area PA may be a non-display area that does not provide an image. The peripheral area PA may at least partially surround the display area DA. In an embodiment, for example, the peripheral area PA may entirely surround the display area DA. In the peripheral area PA, a driver that supplies an electric signal to a plurality of pixels PX or a power supply line configured to supply power may be arranged. In an embodiment, for example, a scan driver configured to apply a scan signal to a plurality of pixels PX may be arranged in the peripheral area PA. In addition, a data driver configured to apply data signals to a plurality of pixels PX may be arranged in the peripheral area PA.

The display area DA may include a first display area DA1 and a second display area DA2 respectively arranged on both sides of a folding axis FAX intersecting the display area DA. The first display area DA1 and the second display area DA2 may be on the first portion P1 and the second portion P2 of the lower cover LC, respectively. The display panel 10 may provide the first image and the second image by using light emitted from the plurality of pixels PX arranged in the first display region DA1 and the second display region DA2. In an embodiment, the first image and the second image may be portions of one image provided through the display area DA of the display panel 10. Alternatively, in an embodiment, the display panel 10 may provide the first image and the second image independent of each other.

The display panel 10 can be folded about a folding axis FAX. In an embodiment, when the display panel 10 is folded, the first display area DA1 and the second display area DA2 of the display panel 10 may face each other. In an alternative embodiment, the first display area DA1 and the second display area DA2 of the display panel 10 may face opposite directions when the display panel 10 is folded.

That is, in the embodiment, the display panel 10 may be folded in or out around the folding axis FAX. Here, the display panel 10 folded inside may mean that the display panel 10 is folded around the folding axis FAX in the +z direction, and the display panel 10 folded outside may mean that the display panel 10 is folded around the folding axis FAX in the-z direction. In other words, the inner folding may mean that the upper surfaces of the cover windows CW disposed on the display panel 10 are folded to face each other, and the outer folding may mean that the lower surfaces of the cover windows CW are folded to face each other. Here, the lower surface of the cover window CW may mean a surface closer to the substrate 100 (refer to fig. 3) than the upper surface of the cover window CW in the-z direction.

Although fig. 1 and 2 illustrate an embodiment in which the folding axis FAX extends in the second direction (e.g., the +y direction or the-y direction), the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In alternative embodiments, the folding axis FAX may extend in a first direction (e.g., a +x direction or a-x direction) intersecting a second direction (e.g., a +y direction or a-y direction). Alternatively, on the xy plane, the folding axis FAX may extend in a direction intersecting the first direction (e.g., the +x direction or the-x direction) and the second direction (e.g., the +y direction or the-y direction).

Further, fig. 1 and 2 illustrate an embodiment in which a single folding axis FAX is defined, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In an embodiment, the display panel 10 may be folded about two folding axes FAX each intersecting the display area DA. In the embodiment, for example, when the display panel 10 is folded about two folding axes FAX, the display panel 10 may be folded inside about one folding axis FAX and may be folded outside about the other folding axis FAX. Alternatively, the display panel 10 may be folded inside or outside about each of the two folding axes FAX. In an embodiment, the display panel 10 may be folded about a plurality of folding axes FAX each intersecting the display area DA. In such an embodiment, the display panel 10 may be folded inside or outside about each of the plurality of folding axes FAX.

The cover window CW may be disposed on the display panel 10 and cover the display panel 10. The cover window CW may be folded by an external force without occurrence of a crack or the like. When the display panel 10 is folded about the folding axis FAX, the cover window CW may also be folded and cover the display panel 10.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III' of fig. 1, schematically illustrating the display panel 10 according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 3, an embodiment of the display panel 10 may include a substrate 100, a buffer layer 111, a pixel circuit layer PCL, a display element layer DEL, and an encapsulation layer 300.

The substrate 100 may include glass or a polymer resin such as polyethersulfone, polyarylate, polyetherimide, polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyphenylene sulfide, polyimide, polycarbonate, cellulose triacetate, cellulose acetate propionate, and the like. In an embodiment, the substrate 100 may have a multi-layered structure including a base layer and a barrier layer (not shown), wherein the base layer includes the polymer resin described above. The substrate 100 including the polymer resin may be flexible, crimpable, or bendable.

The buffer layer 111 may be disposed on the substrate 100. The buffer layer 111 may include an inorganic insulating material such as silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, and silicon oxide, and may be defined by a single layer or multiple layers, each layer including at least one selected from the inorganic insulating materials set forth above.

The pixel circuit layer PCL may be disposed on the buffer layer 111. The pixel circuit layer PCL may include a thin film transistor TFT, an inorganic insulating layer IIL, a first planarization layer 115, and a second planarization layer 116 included in the pixel circuit, wherein the inorganic insulating layer IIL, the first planarization layer 115, and the second planarization layer 116 are disposed below and/or above components of the thin film transistor TFT. The inorganic insulating layer IIL may include a first gate insulating layer 112, a second gate insulating layer 113, and an interlayer insulating layer 114.

The thin film transistor TFT may include a semiconductor layer a, and the semiconductor layer a may include polysilicon. Alternatively, the semiconductor layer a may include amorphous silicon, an oxide semiconductor, an organic semiconductor, or the like. The semiconductor layer a may include a channel region, a drain region, and a source region, wherein the drain region and the source region are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the channel region. The gate electrode G may overlap the channel region.

The gate electrode G may include a low-resistance metal material. The gate electrode G may include a conductive material including molybdenum (Mo), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), or the like, and may be defined by a plurality of layers or a single layer, each layer including at least one selected from the materials set forth above.

The first gate insulating layer 112 between the semiconductor layer a and the gate electrode G may include an inorganic insulating material such as silicon oxide (SiO) ₂ ) Silicon (Si)Nitride (SiN) _X ) Silicon oxynitride (SiON), aluminum oxide (Al) ₂ O ₃ ) Titanium oxide (TiO) ₂ ) Tantalum oxide (Ta) ₂ O ₅ ) Hafnium oxide (HfO) ₂ ) Zinc oxide (ZnO) _X ) Etc. Here, zinc oxide (ZnO _X ) Can be zinc oxide (ZnO) and/or zinc peroxide (ZnO) ₂ )。

The second gate insulating layer 113 may cover the gate electrode G. Similar to the first gate insulating layer 112, the second gate insulating layer 113 may include an inorganic insulating material such as silicon oxide (SiO) ₂ ) Silicon nitride (SiN) _X ) Silicon oxynitride (SiON), aluminum oxide (Al) ₂ O ₃ ) Titanium oxide (TiO) ₂ ) Tantalum oxide (Ta) ₂ O ₅ ) Hafnium oxide (HfO) ₂ ) Zinc oxide (ZnO) _X ) Etc. Here, zinc oxide (ZnO _X ) Can be zinc oxide (ZnO) and/or zinc peroxide (ZnO) ₂ )。

The upper electrode CE2 of the storage capacitor Cst may be disposed on the second gate insulating layer 113. The upper electrode CE2 may overlap the gate electrode G under the upper electrode CE 2. In such an embodiment, the gate electrode G and the upper electrode CE2 overlapped with each other with the second gate insulating layer 113 therebetween may form the storage capacitor Cst. That is, the gate electrode G may serve as the lower electrode CE1 of the storage capacitor Cst. In this way, the storage capacitor Cst and the thin film transistor TFT may overlap each other. In some embodiments, the storage capacitor Cst may not overlap the thin film transistor TFT.

The upper electrode CE2 may include Al, platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), magnesium (Mg), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd), iridium (Ir), chromium (Cr), calcium (Ca), mo, ti, tungsten (W), and/or copper, and may be defined by a single layer or multiple layers, each layer including at least one selected from the materials set forth above.

The interlayer insulating layer 114 may cover the upper electrode CE2. The interlayer insulating layer 114 may include an inorganic insulating material such as silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) Silicon nitride (SiN) _X ) Silicon oxynitride (SiON), aluminum oxide (Al) ₂ O ₃ ) Titanium oxide (TiO) ₂ ) Tantalum oxide (Ta) ₂ O ₅ ) Hafnium oxide (HfO) ₂ ) Zinc oxide (ZnO) _X ) Etc. Here, zinc oxide (ZnO _X ) Can be zinc oxide (ZnO) and/or zinc peroxide (ZnO) ₂ ). The interlayer insulating layer 114 may be defined by a single layer or multiple layers, each layer including at least one selected from the inorganic insulating materials described above.

The drain electrode D and the source electrode S may each be on the interlayer insulating layer 114. The drain electrode D and the source electrode S may each include a material having good conductivity. The drain electrode D and the source electrode S may each include a conductive material including Mo, al, cu, ti or the like, and may be defined by a plurality of layers or a single layer, each layer including at least one selected from the above materials. In an embodiment, the drain electrode D and the source electrode S may each have a multi-layered structure of Ti/Al/Ti.

The first planarization layer 115 may cover the drain electrode D and the source electrode S. The first planarization layer 115 may include an organic insulating layer. The first planarization layer 115 may include: common commercial polymers such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or Polystyrene (PS); a polymer derivative having a phenol group; or an organic insulating material such as an acrylic polymer, an imide polymer, an arylene ether polymer, an amide polymer, a fluoropolymer, a paraxylene polymer, a vinyl alcohol polymer, or a mixture thereof.

The connection electrode CML may be disposed on the first planarization layer 115. In such an embodiment, the connection electrode CML may be connected to the drain electrode D or the source electrode S by passing through a contact hole defined by the first planarization layer 115. The connection electrode CML may include a material having good conductivity. The connection electrode CML may include a conductive material including Mo, al, cu, ti and the like, and may be defined by a plurality of layers or a single layer, each layer including at least one selected from the above materials. As an embodiment, the connection electrode CML may have a Ti/Al/Ti multilayer structure.

The second planarization layer 116 may cover the connection electrode CML. The second planarization layer 116 may include an organic insulating layer. The second planarization layer 116 may include: common commercial polymers such as PMMA or PS; a polymer derivative having a phenol group; or an organic insulating material such as an acrylic polymer, an imide polymer, an arylene ether polymer, an amide polymer, a fluoropolymer, a paraxylene polymer, a vinyl alcohol polymer, or a mixture thereof.

The display element layer DEL may be disposed on the pixel circuit layer PCL. The display element layer DEL may include display elements DE. The display element DE may be an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED). The pixel electrode 211 of the display element DE may be electrically connected to the connection electrode CML through a contact hole defined through the second planarization layer 116.

In an embodiment, the pixel electrode 211 may include a conductive oxide such as Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), indium Zinc Oxide (IZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), indium oxide (In ₂ O ₃ ) Indium Gallium Oxide (IGO) or zinc aluminum oxide (AZO). In an alternative embodiment, the pixel electrode 211 may include a reflective film including Ag, mg, al, pt, pd, au, ni, nd, ir, cr or a compound thereof. In another alternative embodiment, the pixel electrode 211 may further include a substrate containing ITO, IZO, znO or In ₂ O ₃ Is disposed above/below the reflective film.

A pixel defining layer 118 defining an opening 118OP exposing a central portion of the pixel electrode 211 may be disposed on the pixel electrode 211. The pixel defining layer 118 may include an organic insulating material and/or an inorganic insulating material. The opening 118OP may define an emission area EA of light emitted from the display element DE. In an embodiment, for example, the width of the opening 118OP may correspond to the width of the emission area EA of the display element DE.

In an embodiment, the pixel defining layer 118 may include a light blocking material, and may be provided in black. The light blocking material may include carbon black, carbon nanotubes, resins or pastes including black dyes, metal particles (such as nickel, aluminum, molybdenum, and alloys thereof), metal oxide particles (e.g., chromium oxide), metal nitride particles (e.g., chromium nitride), and the like. In embodiments in which the pixel defining layer 118 includes a light blocking material, reflection of external light due to a metal structure disposed on a lower portion of the pixel defining layer 118 may be reduced.

The spacers 119 may be disposed on the pixel defining layer 118. The spacers 119 may be configured to prevent damage to the substrate 100 in the method of manufacturing the display device 1. In an embodiment, a mask plate may be used when manufacturing the display panel 10. In such embodiments, the spacers 119 may prevent defects in which portions of the substrate 100 are damaged by the mask plate when the mask plate enters the openings 118OP of the pixel defining layer 118 or comes into close contact with the pixel defining layer 118 to deposit a deposition material on the substrate 100.

The spacer 119 may include an organic insulating material such as polyimide. Alternatively, the spacer 119 may include an inorganic insulating material (such as silicon nitride or silicon oxide), or may include an organic insulating material and an inorganic insulating material.

In an embodiment, the spacer 119 may include a material different from that of the pixel defining layer 118. In alternative embodiments, the spacers 119 may comprise the same material as the pixel defining layer 118. In such an embodiment, the pixel defining layer 118 and the spacer 119 may be formed together in a masking operation using a halftone mask or the like.

The intermediate layer 212 may be disposed on the pixel defining layer 118. The intermediate layer 212 may include an emission layer 212b arranged in the opening 118OP of the pixel defining layer 118. The emission layer 212b may include a polymer organic material or a low molecular weight organic material that emits light of a certain color.

The first functional layer 212a and the second functional layer 212c may be disposed below and above the emission layer 212b, respectively. The first functional layer 212a may include, for example, a Hole Transport Layer (HTL), or an HTL and a Hole Injection Layer (HIL). The second functional layer 212c may be optional as a component disposed on the emissive layer 212b. The second functional layer 212c may include an Electron Transport Layer (ETL) and/or an Electron Injection Layer (EIL). Similar to the opposite electrode 213, which will be described below, the first functional layer 212a and/or the second functional layer 212c may be a common layer entirely covering the substrate 100.

The opposite electrode 213 may include a conductive material having a low work function. In an embodiment, for example, the counter electrode 213 may comprise a (semi) transparent layer comprising Ag, mg, al, pt, pd, au, ni, nd, ir, cr, lithium (Li), ca, combinations thereofGold, etc. Alternatively, the counter electrode 213 may also comprise a layer comprising for example ITO, IZO, znO or In, above a (semi-) transparent layer comprising the materials set forth above ₂ O ₃ Etc.

In some embodiments, a cap layer (not shown) may be further disposed on the opposite electrode 213. The cap layer may include an inorganic material such as lithium fluoride (LiF) or/and an organic material.

The encapsulation layer 300 may be disposed on the opposite electrode 213. In some embodiments, the encapsulation layer 300 includes at least one inorganic encapsulation layer and at least one organic encapsulation layer. Fig. 3 illustrates an embodiment in which the encapsulation layer 300 includes a first inorganic encapsulation layer 310, an organic encapsulation layer 320, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer 330 sequentially stacked one on top of the other.

The first and second inorganic encapsulation layers 310 and 330 may each include at least one inorganic material selected from aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, tantalum oxide, hafnium oxide, zinc oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride. The organic encapsulation layer 320 may include a polymer-based material. The polymer-based material may include acrylic, epoxy, polyimide, polyethylene, and the like. In an embodiment, the organic encapsulation layer 320 may include an acrylate.

Although not illustrated in fig. 3, a touch sensor layer may be disposed on the encapsulation layer 300. The touch sensor layer may obtain coordinate information according to an external input (e.g., a touch event). Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the display panel 10 includes a touch sensor layer will be mainly described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the touch sensor layer may be omitted.

Fig. 4 is a plan view schematically illustrating a part of the display device 1 according to the embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a side view schematically illustrating the display device 1 including the components shown in fig. 4. In particular, fig. 5 is a diagram of the display device 1 viewed in the V direction of fig. 4. Further, fig. 5 illustrates that the display panel 10 is flexible and has a shape in which the display panel 10 is bent in the bending area BA.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5, an embodiment of the display apparatus 1 may include a display panel 10, an optical function layer 60, a cover window CW, a display driver 30, a display circuit board 40, a touch sensor driver 50, a buffer layer 20, a protective film PTF, a first protective member 510, and a second protective member 520.

The display panel 10 may display information processed by the display device 1. In an embodiment, for example, the display panel 10 may display running screen information of an application driven by the display device 1, or User Interface (UI) or Graphic User Interface (GUI) information according to the running screen information.

The display panel 10 may include a display element. In an embodiment, for example, the display panel 10 may be an organic light emitting display panel using organic Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), a micro LED display panel using micro LEDs, a quantum dot light emitting display panel using quantum dot LEDs including a quantum dot emission layer, or an inorganic light emitting display panel using inorganic LEDs including inorganic semiconductors. Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the display panel 10 is an organic light emitting display panel using organic LEDs as display elements will be mainly described in detail.

In an embodiment, as described above, the display panel 10 may include the display area DA and the peripheral area PA. The peripheral area PA may include: an adjacent area AA adjacent to and surrounding the display area DA; a bending area BA extending from one side of the adjacent area AA and being bendable; and a pad area PDA connected to the bending area BA and may be arranged with a driver configured to apply a scan signal or a data signal.

In an embodiment, the curved area BA may extend from a side of the adjacent area AA surrounding the display area DA, wherein the side is not penetrated by the folding axis FAX. In an embodiment, for example, as shown in fig. 4, the bending region BA may extend in the +x direction from one side of the adjacent region AA. In such an embodiment, the bending area BA may be arranged to be spaced apart from the folding axis FAX in the first direction (e.g., the-x direction of fig. 4).

The display panel 10 may be bent in the bending area BA. In an embodiment, at least some regions in the lower surface of the display panel 10 may face each other, and the pad region PDA of the display panel 10 may be positioned lower (in the-z direction of fig. 5) than other portions of the display panel 10. Accordingly, the area of the peripheral area PA identified by the user can be reduced.

The optical function layer 60 may be disposed on the display panel 10. The optical function layer 60 may reduce the reflectivity of light (external light) incident from the outside toward the display device 1 and/or improve the color purity of light emitted from the display device 1. In an embodiment, the optical functional layer 60 may include a retarder and/or a polarizer. The retarder may be a film type or a liquid crystal coating type, and may include a lambda/2 retarder and/or a lambda/4 retarder. The polarizer may also be of the film type or of the liquid crystal coating type. The film type polarizer may include a flexible synthetic resin film, and the liquid crystal coated type polarizer may include liquid crystal in a certain arrangement. The retarder and the polarizer may further include a protective film.

The cover window CW may be disposed on the optical function layer 60. The cover window CW may protect the display panel 10 and the optical function layer 60. In an embodiment, the cover window CW may be a flexible window. The cover window CW can protect the display panel 10 and the optical function layer 60 while being easily bent by an external force without occurrence of a crack or the like. The cover window CW may include at least one selected from glass, sapphire, and plastic. The cover window CW may be, for example, ultra-thin glass (UTG) or colorless polyimide. In an embodiment, the cover window CW may have a structure in which a flexible polymer layer is disposed on one surface of the glass substrate, or may include only the polymer layer.

The cover window CW may be attached to the optical function layer 60 by an adhesive layer (not shown). The adhesive layer may be a Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA). The adhesive layer may be provided or formed on the optical function layer 60 by various methods (e.g., formed in the form of a film and attached to the upper portion of the optical function layer 60, formed in the form of a resin and coated on the upper portion of the optical function layer 60, etc.).

The display driver 30 may be arranged in the pad area PDA (e.g., in a plan view). The display driver 30 may receive the control signal and the power voltage, and generate and output a signal and the power voltage for driving the display panel 10. The display driver 30 may include an Integrated Circuit (IC).

The display circuit board 40 may be electrically connected to the display panel 10. In an embodiment, for example, the display circuit board 40 may contact and be connected to the pad area PDA of the display panel 10, or may be electrically connected to the pad area PDA through an anisotropic conductive film.

The display circuit board 40 may be a Flexible Printed Circuit Board (FPCB) or a Rigid Printed Circuit Board (RPCB). Alternatively, in some cases, the display circuit board 40 may be a composite printed circuit board including both FPCB and RPCB.

In an embodiment, the touch sensor driver 50 may be disposed on the display circuit board 40. The touch sensor driver 50 may include an IC. The touch sensor driver 50 may be attached to the display circuit board 40. The touch sensor driver 50 may be electrically connected to sensor electrodes in the touch sensor layer of the display panel 10 through the display circuit board 40.

In an embodiment, the power supply unit may be further disposed above the display circuit board 40. The power supply unit may supply driving voltages for driving the pixels of the display panel 10 and the display driver 30.

In an embodiment, the protective film PTF may be patterned and attached to the lower surface of the display panel 10. In such an embodiment, the protective film PTF may be attached to a portion of the display panel 10 that does not include the bending area BA. When the display panel 10 is bent in the bending area BA, a portion of the protective film PTF and another portion of the protective film PTF may be arranged to face each other.

In an embodiment, the buffer layer 20 may be arranged between the one portion and the other portion of the protective film PTF. The buffer layer 20 may absorb external impact to prevent the display panel 10 from being damaged. The buffer layer 20 may include a polymer resin such as polyurethane, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polyethylene, etc., or may include an elastic material such as rubber, sponge formed by foam molding a urethane material or an acrylic material, etc.

The first protective member 510 may be arranged (e.g., in a plan view) in the bending area BA of the display panel 10. In an embodiment, the first protection member 510 may be arranged to be spaced apart from the optical function layer 60 in a first direction (e.g., an-x direction of fig. 5). Accordingly, a gap may be formed between the optical function layer 60 and the first protective member 510, and the second protective member 520 may be arranged to fill the gap. The first and second protection members 510 and 520 may protect the display panel 10, particularly, the bending region BA and the adjacent region AA adjacent to the bending region BA, from external impact and electrostatic discharge (ESD). In the display panel 10, a plurality of signal lines may be arranged in the adjacent area AA, the bending area BA, and the pad area PDA, and each of the plurality of signal lines may face the display circuit board 40. In such an embodiment, a plurality of signal lines may be damaged due to ESD generated from the outside. Here, ESD is a phenomenon in which a charged object and another object having a potential different from that of the charged object are in contact with each other to cause charge transfer in a short time. Leakage current due to ESD may cause malfunction or defect of the display panel 10 and the display circuit board 40. According to an embodiment, ESD may be effectively prevented by the second protection member 520.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the region VI of fig. 5, schematically illustrating the display device 1 according to an embodiment. Fig. 6 illustrates the bending area BA in an unfolded state without bending for convenience of illustration and description.

Referring to fig. 6, as described above, the display panel 10 may include a multi-layered structure in which the pixel circuit layer PCL (refer to fig. 3), the display element layer DEL (refer to fig. 3), and the encapsulation layer 300 (refer to fig. 3) are disposed on the substrate 100 (refer to fig. 3). In an embodiment, the touch sensor layer may be disposed over the encapsulation layer 300. Here, an embodiment of the display apparatus 1 in which the display apparatus 1 is foldable and has the folding axis FAX as described above will be mainly described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and may also be applied in the case where the display apparatus 1 is a display apparatus having no folding axis FAX.

The optical function layer 60 may be disposed on the display panel 10. In an embodiment, the optical function layer 60 may be disposed on the display panel 10 to correspond to the display area DA. The optical function layer 60 disposed to correspond to the display area DA may mean that the optical function layer 60 is arranged in the display area DA (e.g., in a plan view), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and may mean that the optical function layer 60 is also arranged in a portion of the adjacent area AA and the display area DA (e.g., in a plan view). Hereinafter, for convenience of description, an embodiment in which the optical functional layer 60 is also arranged in a portion of the adjacent area AA will be mainly described.

The first protection member 510 may be disposed on the display panel 10 to correspond to the bending area BA. The first protection member 510 arranged to correspond to the bending region BA may mean that the first protection member 510 is arranged in the bending region BA (e.g., in a plan view), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and may mean that the first protection member 510 may also be arranged in a part of the adjacent region AA and the bending region BA (e.g., in a plan view). Hereinafter, for convenience of description, an embodiment in which the first protection member 510 is also arranged in a portion of the adjacent area AA will be mainly described.

The first protection member 510 may protect the bending area BA. In an embodiment, the first protection member 510 may be disposed on a surface of the display panel 10 (e.g., directly on the same surface as the surface on which the optical function layer 60 is directly disposed) to cover the bending area BA. In an embodiment, one end portion of the first protection member 510 may extend from the bending area BA to an adjacent area AA adjacent to the bending area BA to cover the display panel 10, and the other end portion of the first protection member 510 may extend from the bending area BA to the pad area PDA to cover the display panel 10. In an embodiment, the first protection member 510 may include a photo-curable resin. The first protection member 510 may protect the bending area BA against external impact and relieve stress in the bending area BA. Further, the position of the neutral plane may be adjusted by arranging the first protective member 510 on the display panel 10 (particularly, the bending area BA) to minimize stress applied to the bending area BA.

In such an embodiment, the first protection member 510 may be arranged to be spaced apart from the optical function layer 60 in the first direction (e.g., the-x direction of fig. 6). The first direction in which the first protective member 510 is spaced apart from the optical function layer 60 may be the same direction as the direction from the display area DA toward the bending area BA. Accordingly, a gap may be formed between the first protection member 510 and the optical function layer 60. When the optical function layer 60 is arranged in the display area DA (e.g., in a plan view) and the first protective member 510 is arranged in the bending area BA, the gap may correspond to a pitch of the adjacent areas AA in the first direction. Alternatively, when the optical function layer 60 is also arranged in a portion of the adjacent area AA (e.g., in a plan view) and the first protection member 510 is also arranged in a portion of the adjacent area AA, the gap may be smaller than the pitch of the adjacent area AA in the first direction.

It may be particularly desirable that a gap between the optical functional layer 60 and the first protective member 510 is provided in the foldable display device 1. That is, in general, in the case of a non-folding display device that is not folded about the folding axis FAX on the display area DA, the optical function layer 60 and the first protective member 510 may be arranged to contact each other, i.e., the optical function layer 60 and the first protective member 510 may be arranged to have no gap therebetween. However, in the case of the foldable display device 1, particularly the display device 1 (refer to fig. 1) folded about the folding axis FAX intersecting the display area DA and extending in, for example, the +y direction or the-y direction of fig. 6, layers (particularly the optical function layer 60) stacked on a substrate (for example, the display panel 10 or the substrate 100 in fig. 3) may be pushed and slid in the first direction (for example, the +x direction of fig. 6) while being folded inside about the folding axis FAX. In this case, when the optical function layer 60 and the first protection member 510 are arranged to contact each other as in the non-folding display device, the first protection member 510 may be pressed in the first direction due to the sliding of the optical function layer 60, and accordingly, the first protection member 510 or the optical function layer 60 may be separated from the display panel 10, or the display panel 10 may be damaged such that defects may occur in the display panel 10 and the display device 1.

Accordingly, in an embodiment, the optical function layer 60 and the first protection member 510 may be spaced apart from each other to form a gap therebetween. Accordingly, even when the optical function layer 60 is pushed in the first direction by folding the display device 1, the first protection member 510 may not be pressed, thereby effectively preventing the display device 1 from being damaged.

In an embodiment, the second protective member 520 may be arranged to fill a gap between the optical function layer 60 and the first protective member 510. The second protection member 520 may shield an upper surface (a surface in the +z direction of fig. 6) of the display panel 10 in the gap to prevent the display panel 10 from being damaged when ESD occurs in the gap.

In such an embodiment, the second protective member 520 may include a material having a low modulus. In an embodiment, for example, the modulus of the second protective member 520 may be about 10 megapascals (MPa) or more and less than about 80MPa, particularly about 30MPa, at low temperatures (-20 ℃). Table 1 shows evaluation results regarding Low Temperature Operating Life (LTOL) and ESD according to various embodiments 520-1, 520-2, and 520-3 of the second protective member 520, wherein different moduli at low temperature (-20 ℃) are used in the various embodiments 520-1, 520-2, and 520-3. Referring to table 1, when the modulus of the second protective member 520 is about 80MPa or more at a low temperature (-20 ℃), tilting may occur in the evaluation of LTOL, and thus, the display panel 10 may be damaged.

TABLE 1

In an embodiment, the modulus of the second protective member 520 may be less than the modulus of the first protective member 510. As described above, the modulus of the second protective member 520 may be about 10MPa or more and less than about 80MPa, particularly about 30MPa, at a low temperature (-20 ℃). The modulus of the first protective member 510 may be about 800MPa or more and less than about 1300MPa at low temperatures (-20 ℃).

In an embodiment, the modulus of the second protective member 520 may be greater than about 0MPa and less than about 25MPa (e.g., greater than about 0MPa and less than about 1 MPa), or may be about 0.02MPa at room temperature (25 ℃). The modulus of the first protective member 510 can be about 150MPa or greater and less than about 300MPa at room temperature (25 ℃).

In such an embodiment, in the case where the second protective member 520 has a low modulus that is much smaller than that of the first protective member 510, even when the display panel 10 is folded in around the folding axis FAX, the interference with the optical functional layer 60 can be minimized. That is, since the second protective member 520 has a relatively very small modulus, the repulsive force is small and the movement is exhibited even when the optical function layer 60 is pressed in the first direction (e.g., the-x direction of fig. 6), and based thereon, the optical function layer 60 may not be separated from the display panel 10. Further, the second protective member 520 is also in contact with the first protective member 510, but has a modulus like that of the optical functional layer 60, and thus, damage to the display panel 10, such as separation of the first protective member 510 from the display panel 10 by pressing the first protective member 510, can be prevented. In such an embodiment, since the first protection member 510 has a modulus (i.e., a relatively large modulus) that is larger than that of the second protection member 520, the first protection member 510 may be adapted to disperse the stress in the bending region BA and protect the bending region BA.

In the case where only the first protective member 510 is arranged to be in contact with the optical function layer 60 without providing the second protective member 520 between the first protective member 510 and the optical function layer 60, the display panel 10 may be damaged due to sliding of the optical function layer 60. In the case where only the second protection member 520 is arranged from the optical function layer 60 to the bending area BA without providing the first protection member 510, the bending area BA may not be effectively protected because the modulus of the second protection member 520 is low.

In the embodiment, as described above, the second protective member 520 having the above properties may effectively prevent ESD. In such an embodiment, the display panel 10 may not be damaged even at a threshold value 4 to 7 times that of the threshold value that normally allows ESD.

In an embodiment, the viscosity of the second protective member 520 may be less than the viscosity of the first protective member 510. In an embodiment, for example, the viscosity of the second protective member 520 may be about 50 centipoise (cps) or more and less than about 1000cps. The viscosity of the first protective member 510 may be about 1000cps or more. As such, since the viscosity of the second protection member 520 is relatively low, the repulsive force may be small and flexible.

In an embodiment, the second protective member 520 may include a resin having silicon (Si) as a base. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and may include resins such as epoxy resins, etc. without departing from the teachings herein.

Referring back to fig. 6, the second protective member 520 may be formed by using the optical functional layer 60 as a barrier to be coated on the display panel 10. Accordingly, the second protective member 520 may have a shape having a thickness h2, the thickness h2 being greater at a side adjacent to the optical function layer 60 than at the center.

In an embodiment, the thickness h2 of the second protection member 520 may be smaller than the thickness h3 of the optical function layer 60, so that an adhesive layer (not shown) that may be disposed on an upper portion (e.g., in the +z direction of fig. 6) of the optical function layer 60 and/or on the cover window CW may be effectively prevented from interfering with the second protection member 520.

In such an embodiment, the thickness h2 of the second protection member 520 may be a minimum thickness for shielding ESD, for example, about 20 micrometers (μm) or more. This may be a thickness corresponding to 1/4 or more of the thickness h3 of the optical functional layer 60 in the embodiment. Accordingly, the thickness h2 of the second protective member 520 may be 1/4 or more and less than 4/4 of the thickness h3 of the optical functional layer 60.

In an embodiment, the second protective member 520 may be formed by using the first protective member 510 as a barrier to be coated on the display panel 10 at a side opposite to the optical function layer 60. Accordingly, the second protective member 520 may have a shape having a thickness h2, the thickness h2 being greater at a side adjacent to the first protective member 510 than at the center.

In an embodiment, in the case where the second protective member 520 is arranged by using the first protective member 510 as a barrier, the thickness h2 having the minimum value at the point where the thickness h2 of the second protective member 520 is minimum may be smaller than the thickness h1 having the minimum value at the point where the thickness h1 of the first protective member 510 is minimum. The first protection member 510 must maintain a certain degree of modulus and thickness to protect the bending area BA and disperse stress. In contrast, the second protective member 520 may be formed to have a thickness for preventing ESD, and for convenience in manufacturing, the second protective member 520 may be formed by using each of the optical functional layer 60 and the first protective member 510 as a barrier to be coated on the display panel 10 to have a thickness smaller than that of each of the optical functional layer 60 and the first protective member 510.

In an embodiment, the thickness h1 of the first protection member 510 may be smaller than the thickness h3 of the optical function layer 60 to prevent an adhesive layer (not shown) that may be disposed on an upper portion (e.g., in the +z direction of fig. 6) of the optical function layer 60 and/or the cover window CW from interfering with the first protection member 510 when the adhesive layer and/or the cover window CW extend beyond the display area DA to an adjacent area AA and/or the bending area BA. Since the modulus of the first protection member 510 is greater than the modulus of the second protection member 520 (i.e., the modulus of the first protection member 510 is a relatively large modulus), the thickness h1 of the first protection member 510 may be relatively small. In the case where the first protection member 510 is replaced with the second protection member 520 having a small modulus, the thickness of the second protection member 520 may be desirably large enough to protect the bending area BA, and may interfere with the cover window CW.

In the embodiment of the display device 1 as described above, the second protective member 520 may not overlap with the optical function layer 60 in a plan view (i.e., when the display device 1 is viewed in the-z direction of fig. 6). In such an embodiment, the second protective member 520 may not overlap the first protective member 510. In such an embodiment, since the thickness h2 of the second protection member 520 is smaller than the thickness h3 of the optical function layer 60, the whole of the second protection member 520 or a portion of the second protection member 520 may overlap the cover window CW disposed on the upper portion of the optical function layer 60. Since the thickness h1 of the first protection member 510 is also smaller than the thickness h3 of the optical function layer 60, the whole of the first protection member 510 or a portion of the first protection member 510 may overlap the cover window CW.

Fig. 7 is a side view schematically illustrating a display apparatus according to an alternative embodiment, and corresponds to fig. 6. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, features of the display device of fig. 7 different from those of the display device 1 described above will be mainly described.

Referring to fig. 7, in a plan view, a portion of the second protective member 520 may overlap a portion of the first protective member 510. In such an embodiment, a portion of the second protection member 520 may be disposed on an upper portion (e.g., in the +z direction of fig. 7) of a portion of the first protection member 510. In an embodiment, the thickness h1 of the first protection member 510 may increase from both ends to the center thereof in the first direction (e.g., the +x direction and the-x direction of fig. 7). As will be described below, the first protection member 510 may be in the form of a resin, and may have a shape according to coating the resin on the display panel 10.

In such an embodiment, as described above, the second protective member 520 may be formed by using the first protective member 510 as a barrier to be coated on the display panel 10 from one side (e.g., one side in the-x direction of fig. 7). The thickness h1 of the first protective member 510 at opposite ends thereof in the first direction (e.g., the +x direction and the-x direction of fig. 7) may be smaller than the thickness h2 of the second protective member 520. The thickness h1 having the maximum value at the point where the thickness h1 of the first protection member 510 is maximum (e.g., the thickness of the first protection member 510 at the center in the first direction (e.g., the +x direction or the-x direction of fig. 7)) may be greater than the thickness h2 of the second protection member 520.

Fig. 8 is a side view schematically illustrating a display apparatus according to another alternative embodiment, and corresponds to fig. 6. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, features of the display device of fig. 8 different from those of the display device 1 described above will be mainly described.

Referring to fig. 8, similar to the display device of fig. 7, a portion of the second protective member 520 may overlap a portion of the first protective member 510 in a plan view. In such an embodiment, a portion of the second protection member 520 may be disposed on an upper portion (e.g., in the +z direction of fig. 8) of a portion of the first protection member 510.

In such an embodiment, the second protective member 520 may not be coated by using the first protective member 510 as a barrier. That is, the second protective member 520 may fill a gap between the optical function layer 60 and the first protective member 510, and may be arranged to cover a portion of the first protective member 510. Accordingly, the thickness h2 of the second protection member 520 may be greater than the thickness h1 of the first protection member 510.

Fig. 9 is a side view illustrating a display apparatus according to another alternative embodiment, and corresponds to fig. 6. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, features of the display device of fig. 9 different from those of the display device 1 described above will be mainly described.

Referring to fig. 9, the second protective member 520 may entirely cover the first protective member 510. In such an embodiment, a portion of the second protective member 520 may be disposed on an upper portion (e.g., in the +z direction of fig. 9) of the entire first protective member 510. Further, in a plan view, the entire first protective member 510 may overlap with the second protective member 520. In such an embodiment, the first protection member 510 may be arranged inside the outer periphery of the second protection member 520 in a plan view. Accordingly, the thickness h2 of the second protection member 520 may be greater than the thickness h1 of the first protection member 510. In such an embodiment, the second protective member 520 may cover the first protective member 510, and may be integrally formed from the adjacent area AA to the bending area BA and/or to a portion of the pad area PDA. Accordingly, the second protective member 520 may continuously appear smooth and may form a continuous surface, as compared to a case where the first protective member 510 is not completely covered by the second protective member 520. In addition, the second protection member 520 may entirely cover the first protection member 510 to reinforce the first protection member 510 to protect the bending area BA.

Fig. 10 to 15 are diagrams schematically illustrating a method of manufacturing the display device 1 according to the embodiment. The method of manufacturing the display apparatus 1 according to the embodiment may be the method of manufacturing the embodiment of the display apparatus 1, but is not limited thereto.

Referring to fig. 10, a side view of the display panel 10 is shown. As described above, the display panel 10 may include the display area DA, the adjacent area AA adjacent to the display area DA, the bent area BA connected to the adjacent area AA, and the pad area PDA connected to the bent area BA.

Referring to fig. 11, an optical function layer 60 may be provided or formed on the display panel 10. The optical function layer 60 may be arranged to correspond to the display area DA. In such an embodiment, a portion of the optical functional layer 60 may also be arranged in the adjacent area AA.

Referring to fig. 12, a first protective member 510 may be provided or formed on the display panel 10. In an embodiment, the first protective member 510 may be in a form of a resin (that is, a material for forming the first protective member 510 may be in a form of a resin), and may be coated on the display panel 10 through the nozzle 610. The nozzle 610 may coat the first protective member 510 by moving in a first direction (e.g., the +x direction and/or the-x direction of fig. 12) and a second direction (e.g., the +y direction and/or the-y direction of fig. 12) crossing the first direction and discharging droplets (i.e., the material used to form the first protective member 510). In such an embodiment, the first protection member 510 may be coated to correspond to the bending region BA. Accordingly, the first protection member 510 may be arranged to be spaced apart from the optical function layer 60 in the first direction (e.g., the-x direction of fig. 12). As described above, the first protection member 510 may be coated to have a thickness h1 smaller than the thickness h3 of the optical function layer 60. Further, depending on the method of coating the first protection member 510, the thickness h1 of the first protection member 510 may be substantially constant as shown in fig. 6, or may decrease toward both ends of the first protection member 510 in a first direction (+x direction and-x direction) as shown in fig. 7.

Referring to fig. 13, the coated first protective member 510 may be cured (that is, the coated material used to form the first protective member 510 may be cured). In an embodiment, the first protection member 510 may include a photo-curable resin, and may be cured by the curing member 620. The curing member 620 may include a light emitting member (such as an LED module) to radiate ultraviolet rays, for example. The curing member 620 may radiate ultraviolet rays while moving in a first direction (e.g., a +x direction and/or a-x direction of fig. 13) and a second direction (e.g., a +y direction and/or a-y direction of fig. 13) crossing the first direction.

Referring to fig. 14, a second protection member 520 filling a gap between the optical function layer 60 and the first protection member 510 may be provided or formed. In an embodiment, the second protective member 520 may be in a form of a resin (that is, a material for forming the second protective member 520 may be in a form of a resin), and may be coated on the display panel 10 through the nozzle 610. The nozzle 610 may apply the second protective member 520 while moving in a first direction (e.g., the +x direction and/or the-x direction of fig. 14) and a second direction (e.g., the +y direction and/or the-y direction of fig. 14) crossing the first direction. In an embodiment, the second protective member 520 may be coated by using each of the optical functional layer 60 and the first protective member 510 as a barrier. Accordingly, the thickness h2 of the second protection member 520 may be smaller than each of the thickness h1 of the first protection member 510 and the thickness h3 of the optical function layer 60. However, the second protective member 520 is not limited to the coating as shown in fig. 14, and as shown in fig. 8, the second protective member 520 may be coated so as to partially overlap with the first protective member 510 in a plan view, or may be coated by using the optical functional layer 60 as a barrier and coated without using the first protective member 510 as a barrier. Alternatively, as shown in fig. 9, the second protective member 520 may be coated to entirely cover the first protective member 510. In the embodiment in which the second protective member 520 is coated as shown in fig. 8 and 9, the thickness h2 of the second protective member 520 may be greater than the thickness h1 of the first protective member 510.

Referring to fig. 15, the coated second protective member 520 may be cured (that is, the coated material for forming the second protective member 520 may be cured). In an embodiment, similar to the first protective member 510, the second protective member 520 may include a photo-curable resin, and may be cured by the curing member 620. The curing member 620 may include a light emitting member (such as an LED module) to radiate ultraviolet rays, for example. The curing member 620 may radiate ultraviolet rays while moving in a first direction (e.g., a +x direction and/or a-x direction of fig. 15) and a second direction (e.g., a +y direction and/or a-y direction of fig. 15) crossing the first direction. After curing the coated second protective member 520, the bending area BA of the display panel 10 may be bent as shown in fig. 5. Further, the display device 1 may be manufactured by disposing the cover window CW on the optical function layer 60.

According to an embodiment, the second protection member may be arranged to cover an open area (e.g., an adjacent area AA) of the display panel to prevent ESD of the display panel. In such an embodiment, since the second protective member has a low modulus, damage to the display panel due to interference with other layers can be effectively prevented.

The present invention should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a display panel including a display region, an adjacent region surrounding the display region, and a curved region extending from one side of the adjacent region;

an optical functional layer disposed on the display panel;

a first protection member disposed on the curved region and spaced apart from the optically functional layer in a first direction from the display region toward the curved region; and

a second protection member arranged to fill a gap between the optically functional layer and the first protection member,

Wherein the modulus of the second protective member is less than the modulus of the first protective member.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the modulus of the second protective member is 10MPa or more and less than 80MPa at-20 ℃.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the modulus of the second protective member is greater than 0MPa and less than 1MPa at 25 ℃.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the second protective member comprises a resin containing silicon.

5. The display device of claim 1, wherein the second protective member has a viscosity of 50cps or more and less than 1000cps.

6. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the second protective member is in contact with the optical functional layer in plan view without overlapping the optical functional layer.

7. The display device according to claim 6, wherein the second protective member is in contact with the first protective member in plan view without overlapping with the first protective member.

8. The display device according to claim 6, wherein a thickness of the second protective member is smaller than a thickness of the optical functional layer.

9. The display device according to claim 8, wherein the thickness of the second protective member is 1/4 or more and less than 4/4 of the thickness of the optical functional layer.

10. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the first protective member is smaller than a thickness of the optically functional layer.

11. The display device according to claim 10, wherein a portion of the first protective member overlaps with a cover window arranged on the optical functional layer in a plan view.

12. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the second protective member overlaps a portion of the first protective member in a plan view.

13. The display device of claim 12, wherein a thickness of the second protective member is less than a maximum thickness of the first protective member.

14. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the second protective member completely covers the first protective member.

15. The display device of claim 1, wherein the display device is foldable about a folding axis extending in a second direction that intersects the first direction,

The bending region is spaced apart from the folding axis in the first direction, and

when the display device is folded, the optical function layer presses the second protection member in the first direction.

16. A method of manufacturing a display device, the method comprising:

preparing a display panel including a display region, an adjacent region surrounding the display region, and a curved region extending from one side of the adjacent region;

providing an optical functional layer on the display panel;

providing a first protective member spaced apart from the optically functional layer on the curved region; and

providing a second protection member filling a gap between the optically functional layer and the first protection member,

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the modulus of the second protective member is 10MPa or greater and less than 80MPa at-20 ℃.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the modulus of the second protective member is greater than 0MPa and less than 1MPa at 25 ℃.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the second protective member comprises a resin comprising silicon.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the second protective member has a viscosity of 50cps or more and less than 1000cps.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the providing the second protective member comprises: the second protection member is provided by using the optical function layer as a barrier in such a manner that the second protection member does not overlap with the optical function layer in a plan view.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the providing the second protective member comprises: the second protection member having a thickness smaller than that of the optical functional layer is provided.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the providing the second protective member comprises: providing the second protection member having the thickness of 1/4 or more and less than 4/4 of the thickness of the optical functional layer.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the providing the second protective member comprises: providing the second protective member entirely covering the first protective member.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the providing the second protective member comprises:

Coating a material for forming the second protective member through a nozzle; and

the material for forming the second protective member is cured by radiating ultraviolet rays.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the providing the first protective member comprises:

coating a material for forming the first protective member through a nozzle; and

the material for forming the first protective member is cured by radiating ultraviolet rays.