KR102283342B1 - Flexible organic light emitting display device - Google Patents

Abstract

A flexible organic light emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a lower substrate having flexibility, a lower substrate including a display area, a wiring area surrounding the display area, and a dummy area surrounding the wiring area, on the lower substrate; on the upper insulating layer, the upper insulating layer disposed on the lower substrate and disposed in the display area, the wiring area and the dummy area, to surround the touch wiring, the touch wiring conveying the touch sensing preference, and the touch wiring, disposed in the display area and the wiring area , an upper buffer layer disposed in the display area, the wiring area, and the dummy area, and an upper substrate disposed on the upper buffer layer and having flexibility, wherein, in the dummy area, a hole pattern is formed in at least one of the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer It is characterized in that it is arranged. In the flexible organic light emitting diode display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, cracks may be less likely to occur in the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer made of a material having weak ductility.

Description

Flexible organic light emitting display device {FLEXIBLE ORGANIC LIGHT EMITTING DISPLAY DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a flexible organic light emitting diode display, and more particularly, to a flexible flexible display capable of blocking the propagation of cracks generated at the edges of the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer while minimizing the occurrence of cracks in the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer. An organic light emitting diode display is provided.

The organic light emitting diode display (OLED) is a self-emission type display device, and unlike a liquid crystal display (LCD), it does not require a separate light source, so it can be manufactured in a lightweight and thin form. In addition, the organic light emitting diode display is being studied as a next-generation display because it is advantageous in terms of power consumption due to low voltage driving, and has excellent color realization, response speed, viewing angle, and contrast ratio (CR).

In a typical organic light emitting display device, a touch screen is implemented by attaching a touch screen panel on an upper substrate. In such an organic light emitting display device, since the touch screen panel is separately manufactured and attached to the outer surface of the organic light emitting display device, the overall thickness of the organic light emitting display device is increased, and there is a possibility that the visibility of an image may deteriorate due to the increased thickness. there is.

Recently, an in-cell type touch screen integrated organic light emitting display device in which a touch screen panel is integrated into an organic light emitting display device has been developed in order to solve the above-mentioned problems.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional in-cell type touch screen-integrated organic light emitting display device.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a conventional organic light emitting diode display 100 includes a lower substrate 110 , a lower buffer layer 111 , a gate insulating layer 112 , an interlayer insulating layer 113 , a thin film transistor 120 , and a lower planarization layer. layer 125 , bank layer 126 , organic light emitting device 134 , protective layer 138 , adhesive layer 139 , touch electrode 140 , upper planarization layer 142 , touch wiring 144 , upper insulation It includes a layer 150 , an upper buffer layer 160 , an upper substrate 180 , and a polarizing plate 190 .

In the organic light emitting display device 100 of FIG. 1 , for example, when the user's finger contacts the polarizing plate 180 , the user's finger, the touch electrode 140 , the upper insulating layer 150 , and the upper buffer layer 160 . , the upper substrate 180 and the polarizing plate 190, the capacitance is generated by the capacitor, and the capacitance value of the touch electrode 140 due to the capacitance of the capacitor is changed in a way that detects the user Recognizes touch of

However, as efforts to implement the organic light emitting display device as a flexible display device capable of displaying an image even when bent like paper continue, the upper insulating layer 150 for insulating the touch wiring 144 and the upper substrate 180 are formed. The occurrence of cracks in the upper buffer layer 160 for preventing the penetration of moisture or impurities through the surface has been highlighted as an important issue. This is because the upper insulating layer 150 and the upper buffer layer 160 are generally made of an inorganic material such as silicon oxide (SiOx) or silicon nitride (SiNx). This is because cracks are easily generated in the insulating layer 150 and the upper buffer layer 160 .

According to various experimental results, it is reported that cracks occur with a high probability, particularly near the edges of the upper insulating layer 150 and the upper buffer layer 160 , due to the repetitive bending operation. Cracks generated near the edges of the upper insulating layer 150 and the upper buffer layer 160 propagate to the touch electrode 140 or the touch wiring 144 , making it impossible to recognize a touch, and therefore, it is necessary to be minimized.

[Related technical literature]

1. Light emitting display device and manufacturing method thereof (Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0090457)

The inventors of the present invention have studied a technique capable of minimizing the above-described problems, that is, a problem in which cracks are generated near the edges of the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer composed of the inorganic material layer. As a result, when the hole pattern is formed near the edges of the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of cracks in the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer, as well as propagation of cracks unavoidably generated in the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer. found that it can also be blocked.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a flexible organic light emitting diode display capable of reducing the possibility of cracks occurring at the edges of the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a flexible organic light emitting diode display capable of minimizing the propagation of cracks generated at the edges of the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer to adjacent components.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a flexible organic light emitting diode display having excellent lifespan characteristics and bending reliability.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

A flexible organic light emitting display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-described problems includes a display area, a wiring area surrounding the display area, and a dummy area surrounding the wiring area, and has flexibility. a lower substrate having, on the lower substrate, a touch wire disposed in the display area and the wiring area to convey a touch sensing preference, disposed on the lower substrate to surround the touch wiring, and disposed in the display area, the wiring area and the dummy area an upper insulating layer disposed on the upper insulating layer, an upper buffer layer disposed in the display region, the wiring region, and the dummy region, and an upper substrate having flexibility disposed on the upper buffer layer, wherein in the dummy region, the upper insulating layer and a hole pattern disposed on at least one of the upper buffer layer. In the flexible organic light emitting diode display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, cracks may be less likely to occur in the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer made of a material having weak ductility.

According to another feature of the present invention, the minimum width of the dummy region may be 120 to 200 μm.

According to another feature of the present invention, the upper insulating layer is aluminum oxide (AlOx), aluminum oxynitride (AlOxNy), titanium oxide (TiOx), silicon oxide (SiOx), zinc oxide (ZnOx) and zirconium oxide (ZrOx), It may be made of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride (SiNx).

According to another feature of the present invention, the thickness of the upper insulating layer may be 3000 to 7000 A.

According to another feature of the present invention, the upper buffer layer may be formed of silicon nitride (SiNx), silicon oxide (SiOx), or a combination thereof.

According to another feature of the present invention, the thickness of the upper buffer layer may be 2000 to 6000 A.

According to another feature of the present invention, the lower substrate extends in one direction and further includes a bending area overlapping a part of the display area, a part of the wiring area, and a part of the dummy area, and the hole pattern includes the bending area and the dummy area. It can be arranged in this overlapping area.

According to another feature of the present invention, the hole pattern may include a concave pattern and a convex pattern disposed on the edge of the lower substrate.

According to another feature of the present invention, each of the concave pattern and the convex pattern may be disposed in succession to both the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer.

According to another feature of the present invention, the height of the convex pattern may be 30 to 100 μm.

According to another feature of the present invention, the flexible organic light emitting diode display may be bendable.

According to another feature of the present invention, the hole pattern may include an elongated pattern disposed inside the dummy area.

According to another feature of the present invention, the elongated pattern may extend in one direction.

According to another feature of the present invention, the elongated pattern may be disposed to continue to both the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer.

According to another feature of the present invention, the minimum width of the elongated pattern may be 30 to 100 μm.

According to another feature of the present invention, a plurality of elongated patterns may be disposed between one side of the wiring region of the lower substrate and one side of the edge of the lower substrate.

According to another feature of the present invention, the elongated pattern may extend to surround the display area.

The details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

The present invention has an effect of minimizing the occurrence of cracks at the edges of the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer due to repeated bending.

The present invention has the effect of blocking the propagation of cracks that are inevitably generated at the edges of the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer to the touch electrode or the touch wiring.

The present invention is effective in providing a flexible organic light emitting diode display that can be used for a long time with high reliability.

Effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional in-cell type touch screen-integrated organic light emitting display device.
2 is a schematic plan view illustrating regions of a lower substrate of a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to an exemplary embodiment taken along line III-III′ of FIG. 2 .
4 is a plan view illustrating a hole pattern in an upper buffer layer of a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to an exemplary embodiment.
5 is a perspective view illustrating hole patterns in an upper insulating layer and an upper buffer layer of a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to an exemplary embodiment.
6 is a schematic plan view illustrating regions and a hole pattern of a lower substrate of a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention taken along lines VII-VII' of FIG. 6 .
8 is a diagram for explaining an effect of a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to another exemplary embodiment.
9 is a schematic plan view illustrating regions and hole patterns of a lower substrate of a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to another exemplary embodiment.
10 is a schematic plan view illustrating regions and a hole pattern of a lower substrate of a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but will be implemented in a variety of different forms, and only these embodiments allow the disclosure of the present invention to be complete, and common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs It is provided to fully inform those who have the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims.

Reference to a device or layer “on” another device or layer includes any intervening layer or other device directly on or in the middle of another device.

Although first, second, etc. are used to describe various elements, these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. Accordingly, the first component mentioned below may be the second component within the spirit of the present invention.

Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

The size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are illustrated for convenience of description, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to the size and thickness of the illustrated component.

Each feature of the various embodiments of the present invention may be partially or wholly combined or combined with each other, technically various interlocking and driving are possible, and each of the embodiments may be implemented independently of each other or may be implemented together in a related relationship. may be

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a schematic plan view illustrating regions of a lower substrate, a touch wire, and an upper pad of a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to an exemplary embodiment taken along line III-III′ of FIG. 2 .

2 and 3 , the flexible organic light emitting diode display 200 includes a lower substrate 210 , a lower buffer layer 211 , a thin film transistor 220 , a lower planarization layer 225 , an organic light emitting diode 234 , Protective layer 238 , adhesive layer 239 , touch electrode 240 , upper planarization layer 242 , touch wiring 244 , upper pad 246 , upper insulating layer 250 , upper buffer layer 260 , upper portion It includes a substrate 280 and a polarizing plate 290 .

The lower substrate 210 serves to support and protect various components of the flexible organic light emitting diode display 200 . The lower substrate 210 has flexibility to enable bending, and may be made of, for example, a polyimide-based material.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the lower substrate 210 includes a display area DA, a wiring area WA, a dummy area MA, and a pad area TA. The display area DA refers to an area in which an image is displayed in the flexible organic light emitting diode display 200 . The wiring area WA and the dummy area MA are areas where no image is displayed. The wiring area WA is an area where the touch wiring 244 is disposed, and the dummy area MA is the wiring area WA and the lower portion. Refers to a region between the edges of the substrate 210 . 2 , the wiring area WA is disposed to surround the display area DA, and the dummy area MA is disposed to surround the wiring area WA. The pad area TA is an area in which the pad part of the flexible organic light emitting diode display 200 is disposed. An integrated circuit may be formed in the pad area TA or a flexible printed circuit board may be connected to the pad area TA.

The minimum width of the dummy area MA may be 120 to 200 μm, but is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the lower substrate 210 further includes a bending area BA. The bending area BA is an area in which only components having flexibility are disposed so that repeated bending is possible. 2 , the bending area BA extends in one direction and overlaps a portion of the display area DA, a portion of the wiring area WA, and a portion of the dummy area MA. In order to clearly understand the bending area BA, the boundary of the bending area BA is illustrated with a solid line in FIG. 2 and the following drawings.

A lower buffer layer 211 is disposed on the lower substrate 210 . The lower buffer layer 211 prevents penetration of moisture or impurities through the lower substrate 210 and planarizes the upper portion of the lower substrate 210 . The lower buffer layer 211 may be made of silicon nitride (SiNx), but is not limited thereto.

The thin film transistor 220 is disposed on the lower buffer layer 211 . 3 , the thin film transistor 220 is disposed in the display area DA and includes an active layer 221 , a gate electrode 222 , a source electrode 223 , and a drain electrode 224 . Specifically, an active layer 221 is formed on the lower buffer layer 211 , and a gate insulating layer 212 for insulating the active layer 221 and the gate electrode 222 is formed on the active layer 221 , , a gate electrode 222 is formed on the gate insulating layer 212 to overlap the active layer 221 , and an interlayer insulating layer 213 is formed on the gate electrode 222 and the gate insulating layer 212 , A source electrode 223 and a drain electrode 224 are formed on the interlayer insulating layer 213 . The source electrode 223 and the drain electrode 224 are electrically connected to the active layer 221 . In this specification, only the driving thin film transistor among various thin film transistors that may be included in the flexible organic light emitting diode display 200 is illustrated for convenience of description. In addition, although the thin film transistor 220 is described as having a coplanar structure in this specification, a thin film transistor having an inverted staggered structure may also be used.

A lower planarization layer 225 is disposed on the thin film transistor 220 . The lower planarization layer 225 planarizes an upper portion of the thin film transistor 220 . The lower planarization layer 225 includes a contact hole for electrically connecting the thin film transistor 220 and the anode 231 of the organic light emitting device 234 .

An organic light emitting diode 234 is disposed on the lower planarization layer 225 . The organic light emitting device 234 is disposed in the display area DA, and an anode 231 electrically connected to the thin film transistor 220 , an organic light emitting layer 232 disposed on the anode 231 , and an organic light emitting layer 232 . and a cathode 233 disposed thereon. The anode 231 may be formed of a transparent conductive material having a high work function and a reflector, but in FIG. 3 , the anode 231 is expressed as a single layer for convenience of illustration. The organic emission layer 232 is an organic layer for emitting light of a specific color, and may be one of a red organic emission layer, a green organic emission layer, a blue organic emission layer, and a white organic emission layer. The organic emission layer 232 may be formed over the entire lower substrate 210 , and in this case, the organic emission layer 232 may be a white organic emission layer. Although the thickness of the organic light-emitting device 234 is shown to be excessive in FIG. 3 , the thickness of the organic light-emitting device 234 is considerably thinner than the thickness of the adhesive layer.

A bank layer 226 is disposed on the lower planarization layer 225 and the anode 231 . The bank layer 226 defines a sub-pixel area in a manner that divides adjacent sub-pixel areas in the display area DA. Also, the bank layer 226 may define a pixel region including a plurality of sub-pixel regions.

On the organic light emitting diode 234 , a passivation layer 238 is disposed in the display area DA, the wiring area WA, and the dummy area MA. The protective layer 238 is disposed over the entire lower substrate 210 between the lower substrate 210 and the upper substrate 280 to cover the organic light emitting diode 234 . 3 , the protective layer 238 is disposed on the first encapsulation layer 235 , the foreign material compensation layer 236 disposed on the first encapsulation layer 235 , and the foreign material compensation layer 236 . and a second encapsulation layer 237 . The first encapsulation layer 235 and the second encapsulation layer 237 serve to protect the organic light emitting diode 234 from moisture or oxygen from outside the flexible organic light emitting diode display 200 . The first encapsulation layer 235 and the second encapsulation layer 237 may be made of the same material, for example, a material having excellent barrier properties and transparency, such as silicon nitride (SiNx). The foreign material compensation layer 236 may serve to planarize the step of the first encapsulation layer 235 and compensate for the foreign material. The foreign material compensation layer 236 may be made of an acrylic-based resin or an epoxy-based resin.

An adhesive layer 239 is disposed on the protective layer 238 . The adhesive layer 239 is interposed between the lower substrate 210 and the upper substrate 280 and serves to surface-bond the lower substrate 210 and the upper substrate 280 . The adhesive layer 239 may seal the organic light emitting device 234 disposed on the lower substrate 210 to protect the organic light emitting device 234 from infiltration of moisture or oxygen from the outside. Various materials may be used as the adhesive layer 239 , and for example, an adhesive material such as Optical Clear Adhesive (OCA) or Optical Clear Resin (OCR) may be used. 3 , the adhesive layer 239 is disposed on all of the display area DA, the wiring area WA, and the dummy area MA. In addition, the adhesive layer 239 fills a space between the upper insulating layer 250 and the lower substrate 210 in the wiring area WA and the dummy area MA.

A touch electrode 240 is disposed on the adhesive layer 239 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the touch electrode 240 is disposed in the display area DA of the lower substrate 210 and serves to sense a touch from the outside. The touch electrode 240 may operate, for example, in a manner of detecting a change in capacitance as a touch is applied from the outside. The touch electrode 240 may include indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), indium tin zinc oxide (ITZO), zinc oxide (Zinc oxide), and tin oxide. It may be composed of a transparent conductive material such as (Tin Oxide).

An upper planarization layer 242 is disposed on the adhesive layer 239 . The upper planarization layer 242 is made of an organic material and serves to planarize the lower portion of the upper insulating layer 250 . 3 , the upper planarization layer 242 is disposed to surround the touch electrode 240 in the display area DA and the wiring area WA. The upper planarization layer 242 is formed of an acrylic resin (polyacrylates resin), an epoxy resin (epoxy resin), a phenolic resin (phenolic resin), a polyamide-based resin (polyamides resin), a polyimide-based resin (polyimides rein), an unsaturated polyester-based resin Consists of at least one organic material selected from the group consisting of unsaturated polyesters resin, poly-phenyleneethers resin, poly-phenylenesulfides resin, and benzocyclobutene. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be made of various materials.

A touch wiring 244 is disposed on the upper planarization layer 242 . 3 , the touch wiring 244 is disposed in the display area DA and the wiring area WA, and the touch wiring 244 disposed in the display area DA is disposed on the upper insulating layer 250 . It may be connected to the touch electrode 240 through the formed contact hole. The touch wire 244 is electrically connected to the touch electrode 240 to drive the touch electrode 240 or to transmit a touch sensing signal. The touch wiring 244 is made of a material having excellent conductivity, for example, a metal such as aluminum (Al), an aluminum (Al) alloy, copper (Cu), a copper (Cu) alloy, molybdenum (Mo), or chromium (Cr). can be configured.

2 , the touch wiring 244 is connected to the upper pad 246 disposed in the wiring area WA. The touch wiring 244 may be electrically connected to circuits disposed in the pad area TA through the upper pad 246 .

An upper insulating layer 250 is disposed on the upper planarization layer 242 to surround the touch wiring 244 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the upper insulating layer 250 is disposed in all of the display area DA, the wiring area WA, and the dummy area MA of the lower substrate 210 , so as to connect the touch wiring 244 to the outside. It acts as an insulator from The upper insulating layer 250 is a transparent insulating material, for example, aluminum oxide (AlOx), aluminum oxynitride (AlOxNy), titanium oxide (TiOx), silicon oxide (SiOx), zinc oxide (ZnOx), zirconium oxide (ZrOx) ) and one or more inorganic materials selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride (SiNx), preferably silicon nitride (SiNx). The upper insulating layer 250 may have a thickness of 3000 to 7000 Å to sufficiently insulate the touch wiring 244 while ensuring flexibility.

An upper buffer layer 260 is disposed on the upper insulating layer 250 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the upper buffer layer 260 is disposed in all of the display area DA, the wiring area WA, and the dummy area MA of the lower substrate 210 to provide moisture through the upper substrate 280 . Or it serves to inhibit the penetration of impurities. 3 , the upper buffer layer 260 is illustrated as being composed of a single layer, but the upper buffer layer 260 is made of silicon oxide (SiOx) to minimize penetration of moisture or impurities through the upper substrate 280 . It may have a structure in which two unit buffer layers and two unit buffer layers made of silicon nitride (SiNx) are alternately stacked. Here, each of the plurality of unit buffer layers may have a thickness of 500 to 1500 Å. Under the criterion that the upper buffer layer includes four unit buffer layers, the upper buffer layer 260 may have a thickness of 2000 to 6000 Å.

3 , in the dummy area MA, a hole pattern 270 may be formed in the upper insulating layer 250 and the upper buffer layer 260 . The hole pattern 270 serves to distribute stress applied to the upper insulating layer 250 and the upper buffer layer 260 when the upper insulating layer 250 and the upper buffer layer 260 are bent.

4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining hole patterns formed in an upper buffer layer and an upper insulating layer of a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to an exemplary embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating a hole pattern in an upper buffer layer of a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to an exemplary embodiment. 5 is a perspective view illustrating hole patterns in an upper insulating layer and an upper buffer layer of a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to an exemplary embodiment.

4 and 5 , the upper insulating layer 250 and the upper buffer layer 260 are hole patterns 270 , and include a plurality of convex patterns 272 and a plurality of concave patterns disposed on the edge of the lower substrate 210 . pattern 274 . 4 , the convex pattern 272 refers to a relatively protruding portion, and the concave pattern 274 refers to a relatively non-protruded portion.

Each of the convex pattern 272 and the concave pattern 274 is disposed to continue to both the upper insulating layer 250 and the upper buffer layer 260 . In other words, each of the convex pattern 272 and the concave pattern 274 is continuously disposed over the upper insulating layer 250 and the upper buffer layer 260 .

The convex pattern 272 and the concave pattern 274 as the hole pattern 270 serve to reduce stress due to bending, and thus do not need to be disposed in an area other than the bending area BA. Also, when the concave pattern 274 extends beyond the dummy area MA to the wiring area WA, damage may be caused to the touch wiring 244 disposed in the wiring area WA by the concave pattern 274 . can Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the convex pattern 272 and the concave pattern 274 are disposed only in the area where the dummy area MA and the bending area BA overlap.

Since the minimum width of the dummy area MA is limited to 120 to 200 μm, the height L1 of the convex pattern 272 disposed in the dummy area MA is also 120 μm or less, for example, 30 to 100 μm. may be limited.

The force required to bend a particular component is proportional to the bending length of the particular component. Based on this point, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , when the convex pattern 272 and the concave pattern 274 are formed on the upper insulating layer 250 and the upper buffer layer 260 , they are symmetrical to each other. Since the bending length between the concave patterns 274 is reduced, it can be seen that the user can bend the bending area BA with a very high probability with less force.

An upper substrate 280 is disposed on the upper buffer layer 260 . The upper substrate 280 is disposed to face the lower substrate 210 and serves to support various components of the flexible organic light emitting diode display 200 . The upper substrate 280 is made of a material that can satisfy both high transparency and excellent flexibility. For example, the upper substrate 280 may be made of transparent polyimide having high transparency and excellent flexibility. The upper substrate 280 is configured to overlap the display area DA, the wiring area WA, and the dummy area MA of the lower substrate.

A polarizing plate 290 is disposed on the upper substrate 280 . The polarizing plate 290 is a component for minimizing reflection of external light by the reflective material of the flexible organic light emitting diode display 200 , and may be disposed on the upper surface of the upper substrate 280 . However, the polarizing plate 290 may not be included in the flexible organic light emitting diode display 200 , and in this case, other components for reducing external light reflection may be included in the flexible organic light emitting diode display 200 , or the existing flexible organic light emitting diode display 200 may not include the polarizing plate 290 . Some components of the organic light emitting diode display 200 may be changed.

The upper insulating layer that insulates the touch wiring and the upper buffer layer that prevents moisture or impurities from penetrating through the upper substrate are generally made of an inorganic material such as silicon oxide (SiOx) or silicon nitride (SiNx). However, since inorganic materials generally have low ductility, cracks may easily occur in the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer due to repeated bending operations. When cracks generated in the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer propagate to the touch wiring, the reliability of the flexible organic light emitting diode display may be greatly reduced, and thus cracks occurring in the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer due to repeated bending are suppressed. New technologies that can do this are required.

In the flexible organic light emitting diode display 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the upper insulating layer 250 is compared to the case in which the hole pattern 270 is not formed in the upper insulating layer 250 and the upper buffer layer 260 . And since the upper insulating layer 250 and the upper buffer layer 260 can be bent even with less force by the hole pattern 270 formed in the upper buffer layer 260 , the stress caused by the repetitive bending operation is increased in the upper insulating layer. (250) and relatively less applied to the upper buffer layer (260). Accordingly, the occurrence of cracks in the upper insulating layer 250 and the upper buffer layer 260 due to the repetitive bending operation can be reduced, and it is possible to secure excellent bending reliability.

Meanwhile, in FIGS. 2 and 3 , it is illustrated that the hole pattern 270 is formed in both the upper insulating layer 250 and the upper buffer layer 260 , but only one of the upper insulating layer 250 and the upper buffer layer 260 has a hole. A pattern 270 may be formed.

6 is a schematic plan view illustrating regions and hole patterns of a lower substrate of a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention taken along lines VII-VII' of FIG. 6 . 6 and the following drawings, hole patterns are shown with thick solid lines for convenience of illustration.

Compared to the flexible organic light emitting diode display 200 of FIG. 2 , the flexible organic light emitting display device 600 of FIG. 6 has a configuration in which a bending area is not particularly limited and a configuration in which a hole pattern is disposed inside the dummy area MA This is different, and since the rest of the configuration is substantially the same, the overlapping description will be omitted.

6 and 7 , the lower substrate 610 of the flexible organic light emitting diode display 600 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a display area DA, a wiring area WA, a dummy area MA, and The pad area TA is included, and a separate limited bending area BA is not included. In other words, the flexible organic light emitting diode display 600 of FIG. 6 is configured to be bendable.

6 and 7 , in the flexible organic light emitting diode display 600 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, hole patterns are formed in the upper insulating layer 650 and the upper buffer layer 660 in the dummy area MA. As an elongated elongated pattern 676 is disposed. As shown in FIG. 6 , the elongated pattern 676 extends long in one direction and is symmetrically disposed with the display area DA and the wiring area WA interposed therebetween.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the elongated pattern 676 is disposed to continue to both the upper insulating layer 650 and the upper buffer layer 660 . In other words, the elongated pattern 676 is continuously disposed over the upper insulating layer 650 and the upper buffer layer 660 .

Since the minimum width of the dummy area MA is limited to 120 to 200 μm, the minimum width of the elongated pattern 676 disposed inside the dummy area MA is also 120 μm or less, for example, 30 to 100 μm. may be limited.

8 is a diagram for explaining an effect of a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to another exemplary embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8 , when the elongated pattern 676 is formed on the upper insulating layer 650 and the upper buffer layer 660 in the dummy area MA, the upper insulating layer 650 and the upper buffer layer 660 are formed. ), the upper insulating layer 650 disposed inside the dummy area MA by the elongated pattern 676 even when bending with the same radius of curvature R1 compared to the case where the elongated pattern 676 is not formed on the ) and the upper buffer layer 660 are separated, the separated upper insulating layer 652 and the upper buffer layer 662 in the dummy area MA are bent with a very large radius of curvature R2 . Accordingly, a relatively small stress is applied to the edges of the upper insulating layer 650 and the upper buffer layer 660 in the dummy area MA even when the repetitive bending operation is performed, and cracks occur with a lower probability.

Furthermore, in the conventional organic light emitting diode display, since the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer are disposed as one continuous layer instead of being separated from each other on the entire surface of the lower substrate, the upper insulating layer outside the dummy region is insulated by repeated bending operations. There is a problem in that cracks generated in the layer and the upper buffer layer are easily propagated to the touch wiring along the continuous upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer.

However, in the flexible organic light emitting diode display 600 according to another embodiment of the present invention, since the upper insulating layer 650 and the upper buffer layer 660 are separated from each other in the dummy area MA, the upper insulation Even if cracks are unavoidably generated at the edges of the layer 650 and the upper buffer layer 660 , the propagation path is initially blocked, so that the generated crack cannot easily propagate to the touch wiring 642 . Accordingly, the flexible organic light emitting diode display 600 according to another embodiment of the present invention can further secure excellent lifespan characteristics and bending reliability.

In addition, in the flexible organic light emitting diode display 600 according to another embodiment of the present invention, even when bending is performed, less stress is applied to the edges of the upper insulating layer 650 and the upper buffer layer 660 , and thus the bezel area is minimized. In order to do this, an edge bending technique of bending the edge of the lower substrate 610 may also be advantageously applied.

9 is a schematic plan view illustrating regions and hole patterns of a lower substrate of a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to another exemplary embodiment.

Compared to the flexible organic light emitting diode display 600 of FIG. 6 , the flexible organic light emitting diode display 900 of FIG. 9 has an elongated pattern ( ) between one side of the wiring area WA and one edge of the lower substrate 610 . 976) differs only in the configuration in which a plurality of them are disposed, and the remaining configurations are substantially the same, so the overlapping description will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 9 , in the flexible organic light emitting diode display 900 according to another embodiment of the present invention, an elongated pattern 976 as a hole pattern is disposed inside the dummy area MA. A plurality of elongated patterns 976 are disposed between one side of the wiring area WA and one side of the edge of the lower substrate 610 . As illustrated in FIG. 9 , the elongated pattern extends in one direction and is symmetrically disposed with the display area DA and the wiring area WA interposed therebetween.

Since the minimum width of the dummy area MA is limited to 120 to 200 μm, the minimum width of the plurality of elongated patterns 976 disposed in the dummy area MA is 60 μm or less, for example, 15 to 40 μm. It may be limited to μm. The interval between the elongated patterns 976 may be 10 to 30 μm, but is not limited thereto.

In the flexible organic light emitting diode display 900 according to another embodiment of the present invention, due to the plurality of elongated patterns 976 , less stress is applied to the edges of the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer due to the repetitive bending operation. Therefore, the probability of occurrence of cracks at the edges of the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer is greatly reduced. Also, it is difficult for cracks generated in the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer outside the dummy area MA to propagate to the touch electrode or the touch wiring. Accordingly, the flexible organic light emitting diode display 900 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention has very excellent lifespan characteristics and bending reliability. In addition, in order to minimize the bezel area, it may be widely used for edge bending technology for bending the edge of the lower substrate 610 .

10 is a schematic plan view illustrating regions and a hole pattern of a lower substrate of a flexible organic light emitting diode display according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The flexible organic light emitting diode display 1000 of FIG. 10 differs from the flexible organic light emitting display device 600 of FIG. 6 in that the elongate pattern 1078 extends to surround the display area DA, and the remaining components are different. are substantially the same, and thus overlapping descriptions will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 10 , in the flexible organic light emitting diode display 1000 according to another embodiment of the present invention, an elongated elongated pattern 1078 as a hole pattern is disposed inside the dummy area MA. The elongated pattern 1078 does not extend long in one direction, but extends to surround the display area DA. Specifically, the elongated pattern has a “C” shape and extends to surround all of the remaining portions except for one side of the wiring area WA adjacent to the pad area TA. Although not shown in FIG. 10 , a plurality of elongated patterns 1078 extending to surround the display area DA may be disposed inside the dummy area MA.

In the flexible organic light emitting diode display 1000 according to another embodiment of the present invention, less cracks are generated at the edges of the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer in the entire area except the pad area TA, and the already generated cracks are reduced. It has an advantage that it cannot easily propagate to a touch electrode or a touch wiring.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not necessarily limited to these embodiments, and various modifications may be made within the scope without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. . Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical spirit of the present invention, but to explain, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The protection scope of the present invention should be construed by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

100: organic light emitting display device
110, 210, 610: lower substrate
111, 211: lower buffer layer
112, 212: gate insulating layer
113, 213: interlayer insulating layer
120, 220: thin film transistor
125, 225: lower planarization layer
126, 226: bank layer
134, 234: organic light emitting device
138, 238: protective layer
139, 239: adhesive layer
140, 240: touch electrode
142, 242: upper planarization layer
144, 244: touch wiring
150, 250, 650: upper insulating layer
160, 260, 660: upper buffer layer
180, 280: upper substrate
190, 290: polarizer
200, 600, 900, 1000: flexible organic light emitting display device
221: active layer
222: gate electrode
223: source electrode
224: drain electrode
231: anode
232: organic light emitting layer
233: cathode
235: first encapsulation layer
236: foreign body compensation layer
237: second encapsulation layer
246: upper pad
270: hole pattern
272: convex pattern
274: concave pattern
676, 976, 1078: elongated pattern
DA: display area
WA: wiring area
MA: dummy area
TA: pad area
BA: bending area

Claims (17)

a lower substrate including a display area, a wiring area surrounding the display area, and a dummy area surrounding the wiring area, the lower substrate having flexibility;
a touch wiring disposed on the lower substrate in the display area and the wiring area to transmit a touch sensing signal;
an upper insulating layer disposed on the lower substrate to surround the touch wiring and disposed in the display area, the wiring area, and the dummy area;
an upper buffer layer disposed on the upper insulating layer, the display area, the wiring area, and the dummy area; and
It is disposed on the upper buffer layer and includes an upper substrate having flexibility,
In the dummy area, a hole pattern is disposed on at least one of the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer. According to claim 1,
The flexible organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the minimum width of the dummy area is 120 μm to 200 μm. According to claim 1,
The upper insulating layer is a group consisting of aluminum oxide (AlOx), aluminum oxynitride (AlOxNy), titanium oxide (TiOx), silicon oxide (SiOx), zinc oxide (ZnOx), zirconium oxide (ZrOx) and silicon nitride (SiNx) A flexible organic light emitting diode display comprising at least one material selected from According to claim 1,
The thickness of the upper insulating layer is 3000 to 7000 Å. According to claim 1,
The upper buffer layer is formed of silicon nitride (SiNx), silicon oxide (SiOx), or a combination thereof. According to claim 1,
The upper buffer layer has a thickness of 2000 to 6000 Å. According to claim 1,
The lower substrate further includes a bending area extending in one direction and overlapping a portion of the display area, a portion of the wiring area, and a portion of the dummy area;
and the hole pattern is disposed in a region where the bending region and the dummy region overlap. 8. The method of claim 7,
The hole pattern may include a concave pattern and a convex pattern disposed on an edge of the lower substrate. 9. The method of claim 8,
and each of the concave pattern and the convex pattern is continuously disposed on both the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer. 9. The method of claim 8,
The flexible organic light emitting display device, characterized in that the height of the convex pattern is 30 to 100 μm. According to claim 1,
The flexible organic light emitting display device is characterized in that the front side is bendable. 12. The method of claim 11,
and the hole pattern includes an elongated pattern disposed inside the dummy area. 13. The method of claim 12,
The flexible organic light-emitting display device, characterized in that the elongated pattern extends in one direction. 13. The method of claim 12,
The flexible organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the elongated pattern is continuously disposed on both the upper insulating layer and the upper buffer layer. 13. The method of claim 12,
The flexible organic light emitting display device, characterized in that the minimum width of the elongated pattern is 30 to 100 μm. 13. The method of claim 12,
The flexible organic light emitting display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of elongated patterns are disposed between one side of the wiring region of the lower substrate and one side of the edge of the lower substrate. 13. The method of claim 12,
The flexible organic light emitting display device, wherein the elongated pattern extends to surround the display area.

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