KR102328680B1 - Organic light emitting display apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention is a first substrate; a display unit defining a display area on the first substrate and including an insulating layer; a second substrate disposed on the display unit; a signal line formed outside the display area on the insulating layer; and a sealant formed between the first substrate and the second substrate and bonding the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the sealant covers an outer edge of the signal line and a top surface of the signal line and an organic light emitting diode display in direct contact with an outer surface thereof.

Description

Organic light emitting display apparatus

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an organic light emitting diode display.

In general, a display device such as an organic light emitting display device having a thin film transistor (TFT) is a smart phone, a tablet personal computer, an ultra-thin notebook, a digital camera, a video camera, and a portable information terminal. It is in the spotlight because it can be applied to display devices for mobile devices, such as mobile devices, and electronic/electrical products such as ultra-thin televisions.

In the organic light emitting display device, sealing is required between upper and lower substrates in order to protect the organic light emitting diode from the outside. To this end, the upper and lower substrates are bonded by applying a sealing member between the upper and lower substrates and curing the sealing member. In this case, the lifespan and reliability of the display are determined by the degree of bonding of the upper and lower substrates by the sealing member.

SUMMARY Embodiments of the present invention provide an organic light emitting diode display.

One embodiment of the present invention is a first substrate; a display unit defining a display area on the first substrate and including an insulating layer; a second substrate disposed on the display unit; a signal line formed outside the display area on the insulating layer; and a sealant formed between the first substrate and the second substrate and bonding the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the sealant covers an outer edge of the signal line and a top surface of the signal line and an organic light emitting diode display in direct contact with an outer surface thereof.

In the present embodiment, the display unit includes an organic light emitting device including a first electrode, a second electrode, and an intermediate layer provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the signal wiring includes the second electrode and the second electrode. can be electrically connected.

In this embodiment, a passivation layer formed on the insulating layer; and a metal layer formed on the passivation layer and electrically connecting the second electrode and the signal line by making contact with the signal line.

In this embodiment, the metal layer may be formed of the same material as the first electrode.

In the present embodiment, the metal layer may expose the outer edge of the signal line, and the sealant may directly contact the signal line at the exposed outer edge.

In this embodiment, the metal layer and the sealant may be spaced apart from each other.

In the present embodiment, the method further includes a pixel defining layer covering the metal layer and having a contact hole formed therein, wherein the second electrode is formed on the pixel defining layer and is in contact with the metal layer through the contact hole. can

In the present embodiment, between the metal layer and the sealant, the pixel defining layer may be in direct contact with the signal wiring.

In the present embodiment, the pixel defining layer may be spaced apart from the sealant.

In the present embodiment, a first hole may be formed in the insulating layer, and the sealant may be filled in the first hole.

Other aspects, features and advantages other than those described above will become apparent from the following drawings, claims, and detailed description of the invention.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve the lifespan and reliability of the organic light emitting display device by improving the bonding force between the upper and lower substrates.

1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a part of an organic light emitting diode display according to an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II′ of the organic light emitting diode display of FIG. 1 .
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion P1 of FIG. 2 .
4 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a portion of an organic light emitting diode display according to another exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a portion P2 of FIG. 4 .

Since the present invention can apply various transformations and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. Effects and features of the present invention, and a method of achieving them, will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various forms.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and when described with reference to the drawings, the same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals, and the overlapping description thereof will be omitted. .

In the following embodiments, terms such as first, second, etc. are used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another, not in a limiting sense.

In the following examples, the singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the following embodiments, terms such as include or have means that the features or components described in the specification are present, and the possibility of adding one or more other features or components is not excluded in advance.

In the following embodiments, when it is said that a part such as a film, region, or component is on or on another part, it is not only when it is directly on the other part, but also another film, region, component, etc. is interposed therebetween. Including cases where there is

In the drawings, the size of the components may be exaggerated or reduced for convenience of description. For example, since the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily indicated for convenience of description, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the illustrated bar.

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

1 is a schematic plan view illustrating an organic light emitting display device 1 according to an exemplary embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II′ of the organic light emitting display device 1 of FIG. 1 . And, FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion P1 of FIG. 2 .

1 to 2 , an organic light emitting diode display 1 according to an exemplary embodiment includes a first substrate 101 and a display defining a display area AA on the first substrate 101 . The unit 200 , the signal wiring 300 formed outside the display area AA , and the second substrate 102 and the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102 disposed on the display unit 200 . and a sealant 500 for bonding the .

The first substrate 101 may be a flexible substrate and may be made of plastic having excellent heat resistance and durability. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the first substrate 101 may be made of various materials such as metal or glass.

The display unit 200 defines an active area (AA) on the first substrate 101 and includes a thin film transistor (TFT) and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) electrically connected to each other. Meanwhile, the pad unit 10 is disposed around the display area AA to transmit an electrical signal from a power supply device (not shown) or a signal generator (not shown) to the display area AA.

Hereinafter, the display unit 200 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2 .

A buffer layer 103 may be formed directly on the first substrate 101 . The buffer layer 103 may be formed on the entire surface of the first substrate 101 , that is, both the display area AA and the outside of the display area AA. The buffer layer 103 prevents penetration of impurity elements through the first substrate 101 and provides a flat surface on the first substrate 101 , and may be formed of various materials capable of performing such a role.

An insulating layer (first insulating layer, 20 ) may be formed on the first substrate. The insulating layer 20 may include a gate insulating layer 203 and an interlayer insulating layer 205 .

A thin film transistor (TFT) may be formed on the buffer layer 103 . The thin film transistor TFT may include an active layer 202 , a gate electrode 204 , a source electrode 206 , and a drain electrode 207 .

The active layer 202 may be formed of an inorganic semiconductor such as amorphous silicon or polysilicon, an organic semiconductor, or an oxide semiconductor and includes a source region, a drain region, and a channel region.

A gate insulating layer 203 is formed on the active layer 202 . The gate insulating layer 203 may be formed to correspond to the entire first substrate 101 . That is, the gate insulating layer 203 may be formed to correspond to both the display area AA and the periphery of the display area AA on the first substrate 101 . The gate insulating layer 203 is used to insulate the active layer 202 and the gate electrode 204 and may be formed of an organic material or an inorganic material such as SiNx or SiO2.

A gate electrode 204 is formed on the gate insulating film 203 . The gate electrode 204 may contain Au, Ag, Cu, Ni, Pt, Pd, Al, Mo, and may include an alloy such as Al:Nd, Mo:W alloy, etc., but is not limited thereto, and design conditions are not limited thereto. Considering that, it can be formed of various materials.

An interlayer insulating film 205 is formed on the gate electrode 204 . The interlayer insulating layer 205 may be formed to correspond to the entire surface of the first substrate 101 . That is, it may be formed to correspond to both the display area AA and the periphery of the display area AA.

The interlayer insulating film 205 is disposed between the gate electrode 204 and the source electrode 206 and between the gate electrode 204 and the drain electrode 207 to insulate them, and may be formed of an inorganic material such as SiNx or SiO2. can

The signal wiring 300 may be formed on the interlayer insulating layer 205 . The signal wiring 300 may be formed outside the display area AA. The signal wire 300 may be electrically connected to the second electrode 215 to supply a signal to the second electrode 215 . The signal line 300 may be a cathode power line ELVSS. When the signal wiring 300 is a cathode power line ELVSS, the cathode power line ELVSS may be connected to a cathode power having a voltage lower than a common power voltage, for example, a ground voltage or a negative voltage. The signal wiring 300 may be formed of the same material as the source electrode 206 or the drain electrode 207 in the same process.

A first hole H1 may be formed in the insulating layer 20 . The first hole H1 may be formed outside the display area AA. A plurality of first holes H1 may be formed. A first hole H1 is formed in the insulating layer 20 , and the sealant 500 is formed on the insulating layer 20 to fill the first hole H1 , so that the contact area of the sealant 500 may be increased. Accordingly, bonding strength between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102 may be improved.

A source electrode 206 and a drain electrode 207 are formed on the interlayer insulating film 205 . Specifically, the interlayer insulating film 205 and the gate insulating film 203 are formed to expose the source region and the drain region of the active layer 202, and the source electrode ( 206 and a drain electrode 207 are formed.

Meanwhile, FIG. 2 illustrates a top gate type thin film transistor (TFT) sequentially including an active layer 202 , a gate electrode 204 , and source and drain electrodes 206 and 207 , but the present invention does not provide for this. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the gate electrode 204 may be disposed under the active layer 202 .

The thin film transistor TFT is electrically connected to the organic light emitting diode OLED to drive the organic light emitting diode OLED, and is covered and protected by a passivation layer (the second insulating layer 208 ).

The passivation layer 208 may use an inorganic insulating film and/or an organic insulating film.

The passivation layer 208 may cover a portion of the metal layer.

A metal layer 400 may be formed on the passivation layer 208 . The metal layer 400 may contact the signal wiring 300 . When the metal layer 400 contacts the signal line 300 , the second electrode 215 and the signal line 300 may be electrically connected. The metal layer 400 may be formed of the same material as the first electrode in the same process.

An organic light emitting device (OLED) is formed on the passivation layer 208 , and the organic light emitting device (OLED) may include a first electrode 211 , an intermediate layer 214 , and a second electrode 215 .

The first electrode 211 is formed on the passivation layer 208 . More specifically, the passivation layer 208 may be formed to expose a predetermined region without covering the entire drain electrode 207 , and the first electrode 211 may be formed to be connected to the exposed drain electrode 207 . .

In this embodiment, the first electrode 211 may be a reflective electrode.

The second electrode 215 disposed to face the first electrode 211 may be a transparent or semi-transparent electrode.

Accordingly, the second electrode 215 may transmit light emitted from the organic emission layer included in the intermediate layer 214 . That is, light emitted from the organic light emitting layer may be directly or reflected by the first electrode 211 configured as a reflective electrode, and may be emitted toward the second electrode 215 .

However, the organic light emitting diode display 1 of the present exemplary embodiment is not limited to a top emission type, and may be a bottom emission type in which light emitted from the organic emission layer is emitted toward the first substrate 101 . In this case, the first electrode 211 may be configured as a transparent or translucent electrode, and the second electrode 215 may be configured as a reflective electrode. Also, the organic light emitting diode display 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment may be a double-sided emission type that emits light in both front and rear directions.

Meanwhile, on the first electrode 211 , a pixel defining layer 213 is formed of an insulating material.

The pixel defining layer 213 may be formed on the signal line 300 . The pixel defining layer 213 may cover the metal layer 400 . A contact hole H0 may be formed in the pixel defining layer 213 . The second electrode 215 is formed on the pixel defining layer 213 and may contact the metal layer 400 through the contact hole H0. The second electrode 215 may be electrically connected to the signal wire 300 through the metal layer 400 .

The pixel defining layer 213 exposes a predetermined region of the first electrode 211 , and the intermediate layer 214 is positioned in the exposed region.

The intermediate layer 214 includes an organic light emitting layer. As another optional example, the intermediate layer includes an organic emission layer, in addition to a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer, an electron transport layer and an electron injection layer. It may further include at least one of (electron injection layer). The present embodiment is not limited thereto, and the intermediate layer 214 includes an organic light emitting layer and may further include various other functional layers.

The second substrate 102 is disposed on the second electrode 215 . The second substrate 102 may be a flexible substrate and may be made of plastic having excellent heat resistance and durability. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the second substrate 102 may be made of various materials such as metal or glass.

The sealant 500 is provided between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102 . The sealant 500 bonds the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102 to each other. The sealant 500 may be formed outside the display area AA. The sealant 500 may include a frit. The sealant 500 may serve as a main blocking layer that prevents deformation of the organic material of the display unit 200 from impurities such as external oxygen and moisture.

The sealant 500 may be formed on the insulating layer 20 . The sealant 500 may be formed to fill the hole 21 formed in the insulating layer 20 . Accordingly, bonding strength between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102 may be improved.

The sealant 500 covers at least a portion of the signal wiring 300 . Accordingly, the area where the sealant 500 is formed is extended to the area where the signal wiring 300 is formed. Accordingly, bonding strength between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102 may be improved. When the sealant 500 is formed on the pixel-defining layer 231 , the sealant 500 may be spaced apart from the pixel-defining layer 231 because the sealant 500 and the pixel-defining layer 231 have poor bonding. can

Hereinafter, a region where the sealant 500 is formed will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , the sealant 500 is formed to cover at least a portion of the signal line 300 . A portion of the signal wiring 300 is in contact with the metal layer 400 . The metal layer 400 is covered by the pixel defining layer 213 . As the sealant 500 is formed to cover at least a portion of the signal wiring 300 , the area where the sealant 500 is formed is expanded to improve bonding strength between substrates, and thus, reliability of the device may be improved. The sealant 500 may be spaced apart from the pixel defining layer 213 by a predetermined distance D1 . As the sealant 500 is spaced apart from the pixel defining layer 213 , a contact failure occurring when the sealant 500 is formed on the pixel defining layer 213 may be prevented.

4 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a portion of an organic light emitting diode display according to another exemplary embodiment. FIG. 5 is a plan view of a portion P2 of FIG. 4 .

Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with a focus on differences from the above-described embodiment of FIG. 2 . Here, the same reference numerals as in the drawings shown above indicate the same members having the same functions.

Referring to FIG. 4 , an organic light emitting diode display according to another exemplary embodiment includes a first substrate 101 , a display unit 2200 defining a display area AA on the first substrate 101 , and a display. The signal wiring 300 formed outside the area AA, the second substrate 102 disposed on the display unit 2200 , and the sealant 2500 bonding the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102 to each other. ) is included.

A pixel defining layer 2213 is formed with an insulating material on the first electrode 211 .

The pixel defining layer 2213 may be formed on the metal layer 400 . A contact hole H0 may be formed in the pixel defining layer 2400 . The second electrode 215 is formed on the pixel defining layer 2213 and may contact the metal layer 400 through the contact hole H0. The second electrode 215 may be electrically connected to the signal wire 300 through the metal layer 400 .

A second hole H2 may be formed in the pixel defining layer 2213 . Accordingly, a portion of the signal line 300 may be exposed.

The sealant 2500 covers at least a portion of the signal line 300 . Accordingly, the area where the sealant 2500 is formed is extended to the area where the signal wiring 300 is formed. Accordingly, bonding strength between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102 may be improved. Furthermore, the sealant 2500 may be formed on the pixel defining layer 2231 . The sealant 2500 may fill the second hole H2 and may be formed on the pixel defining layer 2231 . The sealant 2500 and the signal line 300 may contact each other through the second hole H2 . Accordingly, although the bonding force between the sealant 2500 and the pixel defining layer 2231 is not good, the area where the sealant 2500 is formed can be extended to the area where the pixel defining layer 2231 is formed. Accordingly, the bonding strength between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102 may be improved. To prevent damage to the second electrode 215 , the sealant 2500 may be spaced apart from the second electrode 215 .

Hereinafter, a region where the sealant 2500 is formed will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , the sealant 2500 is formed to cover at least a portion of the signal line 300 . A portion of the signal wiring 300 is in contact with the metal layer 400 . A pixel defining layer 2213 is formed on the metal layer 400 . A second hole H2 is formed in the pixel defining layer 2213 . Accordingly, the sealant 2500 may contact the signal line 300 through the second hole H2 . Accordingly, a region where the sealant 2500 is formed may extend over the pixel defining layer 2213 . As the area where the sealant 2500 is formed is expanded, bonding strength between substrates may be improved, and thus, reliability of the mechanism may be improved. The sealant 2500 may be spaced apart from the second electrode 215 by a predetermined distance D2 . As the sealant 2500 is spaced apart from the second electrode 215 , damage to the second electrode 215 that occurs when the sealant 2500 comes into contact with the second electrode 215 may be prevented.

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to one embodiment shown in the drawings, but it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations of the embodiments are possible therefrom. Accordingly, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

101: first substrate AA: display area
20: insulating layer 200: display unit
102: second substrate 300: signal wiring
500: sealant

Claims (10)

a first substrate;
a display unit defining a display area on the first substrate and including a first insulating layer;
a second substrate disposed on the display unit;
a signal line formed outside the display area on the first insulating layer; and
a sealant formed between the first substrate and the second substrate and bonding the first substrate and the second substrate;
The display unit,
an organic light emitting device including a first electrode, a second electrode, and an intermediate layer provided between the first electrode and the second electrode;
a metal layer electrically connecting the second electrode and the signal line; and
a pixel defining layer covering a portion of the metal layer and having a contact hole formed therein;
the sealant covers an outer edge of the signal line and is in direct contact with upper and outer surfaces of the signal line;
Between the metal layer and the sealant, the pixel defining layer is in direct contact with the signal line. delete The method of claim 1,
Further comprising a second insulating layer formed on the first insulating layer,
The metal layer is formed on the second insulating layer. The method of claim 1,
The metal layer is formed of the same material as the first electrode. According to claim 1,
The metal layer exposes the outer edge of the signal line, and the sealant directly contacts the signal line at the exposed outer edge. According to claim 1,
The metal layer and the sealant are spaced apart from each other. The method of claim 1,
The second electrode is formed on the pixel defining layer and is in contact with the metal layer through the contact hole formed in the pixel defining layer. delete The method of claim 1,
The pixel defining layer is spaced apart from the sealant. The method of claim 1,
A first hole is formed in the first insulating layer, and the sealant is filled in the first hole.

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