KR102414599B1 - Organic Light Emitting Display Device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an organic light emitting display device, in which an upper electrode positioned above an organic light emitting layer is double formed only on the outer portion to lower the resistance of the outer electrode that is not used for display to prevent heat generation and reduce its width .

Description

Organic Light Emitting Display Device {Organic Light Emitting Display Device}

The present invention relates to an organic light emitting display device, and to an organic light emitting display device capable of reducing heat generation by lowering resistance of an outer electrode that is not used for display and reducing the width thereof.

Recently, as we enter the information age in earnest, the field of display that visually expresses electrical information signals has developed rapidly. Display Device) has been developed and is rapidly replacing the existing cathode ray tube (CRT).

Specific examples of such a flat panel display device include a liquid crystal display device (LCD), a plasma display panel device (PDP), a field emission display device (FED), and an organic light emitting display device. (Organic Light Emitting Device: OLED) etc. are mentioned.

Among them, an organic light emitting diode display is considered as a competitive application for compactness and vivid color display without requiring a separate light source.

The organic light emitting diode display includes an organic light emitting device that is independently driven for each sub-pixel, and the organic light emitting device includes an anode and a cathode and an organic light emitting layer between the anode and the cathode.

On the other hand, the organic light emitting display device, for example, has an array configuration including a thin film transistor and an organic light emitting device corresponding to each sub-pixel on the lower panel side, a protective layer covering and protecting the organic light emitting device vulnerable to moisture, and a protective layer on the protective layer to provide an encapsulation substrate.

However, in the organic light emitting diode display device, the cathode adjacent to the protective layer among the anode and the cathode may be integrally formed to cover the display area. Since a voltage applying line and a large-width connection area must be provided at the outside, there is a problem in that the outside area that is not used for display increases.

The present invention has been devised to solve the above-described problems, and includes a high-conductivity auxiliary electrode connected to the upper electrode in the outer region adjacent to the pad portion to prevent heat generation in the region where voltage is applied to the wirings and at the same time The present invention relates to an organic light emitting diode display capable of reducing a bezel area.

The organic light emitting diode display of the present invention includes a pad portion crossing the lines to which a voltage signal is applied and an auxiliary electrode having high conductivity in the outer region to prevent heat generation in the outer region adjacent thereto.

In an organic light emitting diode display according to an embodiment, a substrate is divided into an active region and an outer region surrounding the active region, the active region includes a plurality of sub-pixels, and a pad portion on at least one side of the outer region and a lower electrode provided for each sub-pixel, an organic light emitting layer provided on the lower electrode, an upper electrode provided on the organic light emitting layer that integrally covers the active region, and the outer periphery adjacent to the pad part An auxiliary electrode that is in contact with the upper electrode and has higher conductivity than the upper electrode may be included in a portion of the region.

Here, the upper electrode may be a transparent electrode, and the lower electrode may include a reflective electrode.

In addition, in each sub-pixel, a lower electrode is connected to a thin film transistor, and in a region where the upper electrode and the auxiliary electrode overlap, a metal bar on the same layer as at least one electrode constituting the thin film transistor or on the same layer as the reflective electrode A pattern may be further provided.

Here, the metal bar pattern may be connected to the upper electrode or the auxiliary electrode.

In addition, the upper electrode is a metal oxide including at least one of indium, titanium, zinc, and gallium, and the auxiliary electrode is Ag, Mg, Al, Pt, Pd, Au, Ni, Nd, Ir, Cr, Mo, W or an alloy thereof.

In addition, the auxiliary electrode may cover the metal bar pattern with a larger area than the metal bar pattern, and the metal bar pattern may be connected to the pad part through a voltage application line.

An edge of the auxiliary electrode adjacent to the pad portion may be closer to the pad portion than an edge of the upper electrode or may be the same as an edge of the upper electrode.

A width of the auxiliary electrode adjacent to the pad portion in the outer region may be within 1.5 mm.

The upper electrode may protrude in the outer region adjacent to the pad portion with a first width, and may protrude in the outer region not adjacent to the pad portion with a second width smaller than the first width.

In addition, the auxiliary electrode may further include an extension portion in contact with the upper electrode at the second width, and the auxiliary electrode and the extension portion may have a shape surrounding the active region.

The metal bar pattern may be connected to the extension part or the upper electrode in the extension part with a width smaller than the second width.

Meanwhile, a plurality of link wires may be further provided between the pad part and the active region, and the metal bar pattern may be disposed across the link wires.

In this case, it is preferable that the connection between the metal bar pattern and the upper electrode or the auxiliary electrode does not overlap the link wiring.

The organic light emitting diode display of the present invention has the following effects.

First, when the upper electrode is made of a high-resistance transparent metal oxide, the resistance value of the upper electrode is large due to the shape of the upper electrode covering the active region, and as a result, a high-conductivity auxiliary metal component that can intensify heat generation of the upper electrode It is possible to prevent local heating by connecting the upper electrode to the outer region as an auxiliary electrode of

Second, it is possible to prevent heat transfer from the adjacent pad portion by the upper electrode by solving a phenomenon in which heat generated at the edge of the upper electrode is intensified.

Third, it is connected to the metal bar pattern of the lower layer in order to apply an equipotential to one side of the upper electrode. Through the structure of the auxiliary electrode in contact with the upper electrode, it is possible to supply a stable power voltage to the upper electrode only with the metal bar pattern of a small area. Accordingly, the area occupied by the metal bar pattern and the auxiliary electrode occupies a smaller area than a typical connection between the upper electrode and the metal pattern alone, and as a result, the bezel area can be reduced. Accordingly, it is possible to realize a slimmed organic light emitting display device by reducing the dead area.

1 is a plan view illustrating an organic light emitting diode display according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a circuit diagram corresponding to one sub-pixel in the organic light emitting diode display according to the present invention.
3A is a plan view illustrating a connection relationship between an upper electrode, an auxiliary electrode, and a metal bar pattern of FIG. 1 .
3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line I to I' of FIG. 1 .
4A is a plan view according to a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.
4B and 4C are cross-sectional views according to modifications of the first embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram comparing an outer region of a comparative example and an organic light emitting diode display of the present invention.
6 is a photograph illustrating deterioration of an organic light emitting diode display according to a comparative example.
7 is a plan view illustrating an organic light emitting diode display according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of area C of FIG. 7 .
9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II to II' of FIG.
10 is a plan view illustrating an organic light emitting diode display according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an organic light emitting diode display according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and a method for 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 those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. It is provided to fully inform the person of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims.

The shapes, sizes, proportions, angles, numbers, etc. disclosed in the drawings for explaining the embodiments of the present invention are exemplary, and thus the present invention is not limited to the illustrated matters. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. In addition, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

When 'including', 'having', 'consisting', etc. mentioned in this specification are used, other parts may be added unless 'only' is used. When a component is expressed in the singular, the case in which the plural is included is included unless otherwise explicitly stated.

In interpreting the components, it is construed as including an error range even if there is no separate explicit description.

In the case of a description of the positional relationship, for example, when the positional relationship of two parts is described as 'on', 'on', 'on', 'beside', etc., 'right' Alternatively, one or more other parts may be positioned between two parts unless 'directly' is used.

In the case of a description of a temporal relationship, for example, 'immediately' or 'directly' when a temporal relationship is described with 'after', 'following', 'after', 'before', etc. It may include cases that are not continuous unless this is used.

Although the 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.

The term “at least one” should be understood to include all possible combinations of one or more related items. For example, the meaning of “at least one of the first, second, and third items” means that each of the first, second, or third items as well as two of the first, second and third items It may mean a combination of all items that can be presented from more than one.

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 embodiment may be independently implemented with respect to each other or implemented together in a related relationship. may be

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

1 is a plan view illustrating an organic light emitting diode display according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram corresponding to one sub-pixel in the organic light emitting diode display according to the present invention. And, FIG. 3A is a plan view illustrating a connection relationship between the upper electrode, the auxiliary electrode, and the metal bar pattern of FIG. 1 , and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line I to I' of FIG. 1 .

1 to 3B , in the first embodiment of the organic light emitting diode display of the present invention, an active area AA and an outer area surrounding the active area are divided, and the active area includes a plurality of sub-pixels SP. a substrate 100 having a pad portion PA on at least one side of the outer region, a lower electrode 161 provided for each sub-pixel SP, and a lower electrode 161 provided on the lower electrode 161 The organic light emitting layer 162 and the active area AA are integrally covered, the upper electrode 171 provided on the organic light emitting layer 162, and a portion of the outer area adjacent to the pad part PA The auxiliary electrode 172 is in contact with the upper electrode 171 and has a conductivity 100 times higher than that of the upper electrode 171 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , each sub-pixel SP includes a gate line GL and a data line DL crossing each other, and a gate line GL and a switching gate electrode provided at the intersection of the gate line and the data line. The connected switching transistor ST, the driving voltage line VDDL parallel to the data line DL, and the output terminal of the switching transistor line are connected to the driving gate electrode, and the driving transistor DT connected to the driving voltage line VDDL ) and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) connected to an output terminal of the driving transistor DT.

Here, the output terminal of the driving transistor DT is referred to as a first node N1 , which is connected to the lower electrode (refer to 161 of FIG. 3B ) of the organic light emitting diode OLED and the upper electrode of the organic light emitting diode OLED. (refer to 171 of FIG. 3B ) is connected to the power supply voltage line VSSL through the second node N2 to receive a ground voltage signal or a power supply voltage signal of a low voltage signal.

On the other hand, the output terminal of the switching transistor ST and the connection node to the gate electrode of the driving transistor DT is referred to as a third node N3, and between the third node N3 and the first node N1 is The storage capacitor C is positioned so that a voltage input to the driving transistor DT through the switching transistor ST through the data line DL can be maintained constant for one frame.

Although the illustrated driving voltage line VDDL and the power supply voltage line VSSL are shown in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, respectively, the present invention is not limited thereto, and directions may be changed in the sub-pixel as needed. The driving voltage line VDDL applies a high voltage required for driving to the driving transistor DT, and the power voltage line VSSL is connected to the upper electrode 171 of the organic light emitting diode OLED to apply a ground voltage or a low voltage. supply The driving voltage line VDDL and the power supply voltage line VSSL may be connected to the pad part PA of the outer area together with the data line DL to receive a signal. In addition, a plurality of link wires are positioned between the pad part PA and the active area AA to transmit signals and supply signals to the data lines DL and the gate lines GL. The data link wiring for applying the data voltage Vdata to the data line is provided with the number of data lines DL provided in the active region to apply the individual data voltage to each sub-pixel. Since the driving voltage supplied to the driving voltage line VDDL has the same value in each active region, one driving voltage signal is generated in the pad part PA for each of the plurality of data lines DL. may be branched into a plurality to be connected to one end of the driving voltage line VDDL of the active area AA.

A power voltage signal of a low voltage or a ground voltage supplied to the power supply voltage line VSSL is applied to the upper electrode 171 integrally covering the active area AA. It is also possible to receive the power supply voltage signal from the pad part PA through the Similarly, a signal may be supplied to the upper electrode 171 by providing a plurality of VSSL link wires 1330 . The plurality of VSSL link wires 1330 may be on the same layer as the gate line GL or the data line DL, and may be directly connected to the upper electrode 171 or connected to the upper electrode 171 to transmit electrical signals. may be connected to the metal bar pattern 155 .

In addition, the upper electrode 171 is connected to the plurality of VSSL link wires 1330 in the outer region, and one side of the upper electrode 171 in contact with the pad part PA crosses the same direction, that is, in FIG. 1 . It is connected to the metal bar pattern 155 positioned in the horizontal direction in the outer region of . As described above, through the connection between the metal bar pattern 155 and the upper electrode 171 , the upper electrode 171 overlappingly connected to the metal bar pattern 155 may have the same potential at one side. Accordingly, the upper electrode 171 may maintain an equipotential in the active area AA. Here, the metal bar pattern 155 may be made of the same metal layer as at least one of the electrodes constituting the thin film transistor ST or DT. In addition, the metal bar pattern 155 is positioned on a layer different from the VSSL link wiring 1330 with an insulating film interposed therebetween in order to prevent electrical interference with the link wiring to which a voltage signal other than the VSSL link wiring 1330 is applied.

On the other hand, the upper electrode 171 is made of a transparent metal oxide film in a top emission method, and the lower electrode 161 includes a reflective electrode, for example, the transparent metal oxide film is indium (In), titanium (Ti), It may be a metal oxide including at least one of zinc (Zn) and gallium (Ga). However, these metal oxides have high resistance due to the oxygen component included for transparency. Accordingly, if an equipotential is supplied to one side of the upper electrode 171 only through the connection of the metal bar pattern 155 , the metal bar pattern 155 and the upper electrode 171 made of the transparent metal oxide film component have a sufficient overlapping area with a width of 2.5 mm or more. should have

Meanwhile, in the organic light emitting diode (OLED), the organic light emitting layer 162 positioned between the lower electrode 161 and the upper electrode 171 may be a single layer, and a common layer (hole transport layer and electron transport layer, etc.) It may be a unit unit provided with, or may have a stack structure in which a plurality of the above-described unit units are provided. In this case, each stack may include a light emitting layer, and a charge generating layer having an n-p junction characteristic may be provided between the stack and the stack.

In the present invention, even when the metal bar pattern 155 is reduced to have a width of 0.5 mm or less, one side of the upper electrode 171 and a metal or metal having 100 times or more conductivity than the upper electrode 171 to supply an equipotential. The auxiliary electrode 172 is connected with an alloy. Therefore, even if the upper electrode 171 does not directly cover the metal bar pattern 155 , the electrically connected high conductivity auxiliary electrode 172 is electrically connected to the metal bar pattern 155 , resulting in the required electrical signal supply. By reducing the overlapping width between the metal bar pattern 155 and the upper electrode 171 or the auxiliary electrode 172, an area that is not actually used for display can be reduced. That is, by providing the auxiliary electrode 172 , in the organic light emitting diode display of the present invention, the area occupied by the upper electrode 171 in the outer region can be reduced by 2 mm or more, and as a result, the bezel portion to be mechanically covered in the outer region. (B) means that it can be reduced. Accordingly, the organic light emitting diode display of the present invention can be slimmed down by reducing the bezel area B of the device and reducing the dead area that is not used for display. In addition, the widths of the upper electrode 171 and the metal bar pattern 155 can be reduced, thereby reducing the area between the pad part and the active area, thereby reducing the length of the link wiring to which the signal is supplied. It is possible to prevent a delay and reduce heat generation in the pad part and an area adjacent thereto. In particular, an auxiliary electrode 172 with high conductivity is positioned to cover the metal bar pattern 155 , and the metal bar pattern 155 is connected to the upper electrode 171 via the auxiliary electrode 172 to provide high resistance. Heat generation of the upper electrode 171 and the metal bar pattern 155 connected thereto can also be reduced.

In addition, the auxiliary electrode 172 and the upper electrode 171 may be directly connected by continuously performing an electrode forming process. These electrodes are performed after the formation of the organic light emitting layer 162 , and heat generated by the upper electrode 171 adjacent to the pad PAD, which cannot be solved in the lower thin film transistor array, is generated by a separate metal in the process of forming the upper electrode 171 . This was solved by providing more in the outer area. The upper electrode 171 and the auxiliary electrode 172 may be formed by sputtering, an evaporation process, or the like.

In order to apply a ground voltage or a low voltage Vss voltage signal to the upper electrode 171 , a direct signal is made through a VSS link wire (refer to 1330 of FIG. 8 ) connected to the pad electrode 135 provided in the pad PAD. The VSS link wiring 1330 is electrically connected to the metal bar pattern 155 in the thin film transistor array process, and an organic layer covering the metal bar pattern 155 in the forming process of the upper electrode 171 and the auxiliary electrode 172 . The metal bar pattern 155 and the auxiliary electrode 172 may be electrically connected to the first connection CT1 by providing a connection hole in the overcoat layer 141 of the film component.

Meanwhile, the auxiliary electrode 172 is a metal component, and may be Cu, Ag, Mg, Al, Pt, Pd, Au, Ni, Nd, Ir, Cr, Mo, W or an alloy thereof, and the upper electrode 171 . It may be a metal having 100 times or more conductivity than that. Unlike the transparent metal oxide, the metal component has light blocking or reflective properties, and is provided only in the outer region in a structure requiring transparency of the active region AA, such as a top emission method.

The cross-sectional view of FIG. 3B omits a circuit configuration such as a thin film transistor in the active region of the organic light emitting display device and omits an interlayer insulating film in the thin film transistor array, and includes an overcoat layer 141 positioned on the thin film transistor and an organic light emitting diode. (OLED) configuration is shown. In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3B , the bank 167 is positioned at the edge of the active area AA, but in some cases, the bank 167 may be omitted. The bank 167 may be provided to define the light emitting part of each sub-region, but may not be essential. Meanwhile, for a detailed configuration of the thin film transistor array under the organic light emitting diode (OLED), cross-sectional views of FIGS. 9 and 11 may be referred to.

In addition, in the outer region, only the overcoat layer 141 is located between the metal bar pattern 155 and the auxiliary electrode 172 , but in some cases, a flat film or the like may be further added in addition to the overcoat layer 141 . can Here, a layer of such an organic layer is provided between the metal bar pattern 155 and the auxiliary electrode 172 to prevent the generation of parasitic capacitance at the overlapping portion of the link wiring and the auxiliary electrode 172 in the region except for the first connection CT1. can be limited

In the example of FIGS. 3A and 3B , the auxiliary electrode 172 is shaped to cover the upper and side surfaces of the metal bar pattern 155 , and the upper electrode 171 is connected to one side of the auxiliary electrode 172 and overlaps with the auxiliary electrode 172 . ) is shown to fill the inner region. As such, when the area of the auxiliary electrode 172 in the outer region is larger than that of the upper electrode 171 , a signal is directly applied to the metal bar pattern 155 through the VSSL link wiring 1330 , and the metal bar pattern ( 155) and the upper electrode 171 connected to the auxiliary electrode 172 and the upper electrode 171 elongated from one side in a horizontal line direction, a ground voltage or a low voltage signal Vss is applied to the upper electrode 171 Therefore, it can be transmitted as an equipotential without deviation by region. In addition, by disposing the auxiliary electrode 172 with high conductivity in the outer region, the problem that the outer region is heated when the ground voltage or the low voltage signal Vss is applied can be solved.

On the other hand, when the auxiliary electrode 172 covers the metal bar pattern 155 , the width protruding outward from the edge of the metal bar pattern 155 is about 0.2 mm or less and 0.5 mm or less. In the metal bar pattern 155 , the auxiliary electrode 172 may protrude within 0.9 mm from the edge of the upper electrode 171 even considering the protrusion of both sides. Accordingly, in the organic light emitting diode display according to the present invention, the auxiliary electrode 172 is provided in the outer region, so that the bezel region B required only the upper electrode 171 covers the metal bar pattern 155 . Since the width can be reduced by 1.6 mm, the organic light emitting diode display of the present invention can reduce the resistance of the upper electrode 171 with the auxiliary electrode 172 and reduce the bezel area B at the same time.

Meanwhile, comparing the sizes of the metal bar pattern 155 and the auxiliary electrode 172 with reference to FIG. 3A , the auxiliary electrode 172 covers the metal bar pattern 155 both horizontally and vertically, and their horizontal length is It is equal to or greater than the horizontal length of the active area AA, and the vertical length corresponds to the width shown in FIG. 3B . Preferably, the metal bar pattern 155 is within 0.5 mm, and the auxiliary electrode 172 is 0.9 mm. considerable within. In some cases, the width of the auxiliary electrode 172 may be increased in consideration of the process margin, but even in this case, the width of the auxiliary electrode 172 may be adjusted within 1.5 mm to reduce the bezel area compared to the comparative example.

On the upper electrode 171 formed to cover the active area AA and the auxiliary electrode 172 formed in the outer area, a plurality of inorganic and organic layers are alternately stacked to provide a protective layer 180 having a thin film encapsulation function. can The inorganic film may use a silicon-based oxide film, a nitride film, or an oxynitride film, and the organic film may be formed using a resin-based component having a relatively thicker thickness than the inorganic film. When at least one organic layer and one inorganic layer are in contact with each other as the protective layer 180 , the protective layer 180 may include one or more layers, and preferably, the uppermost layer may be an inorganic layer.

In some cases, the encapsulation substrate 200 may be further provided on the passivation layer 180 , and an adhesive layer or a filling material (not shown) may be further provided between the passivation layer 180 and the encapsulation substrate 200 . The adhesive layer is provided in a shape to cover the protective layer 180 , and the adhesive layer itself prevents moisture permeation and has barrier properties. When the filling material is positioned on the protective layer 180 , the filling material is a non-stick material and further includes a seal pattern (not shown) in a shape surrounding the outer region between the substrate 100 and the encapsulation substrate 200 . Thus, the substrate 100 and the encapsulation substrate 200 may be bonded together. In the latter case, a getter for moisture absorption may be included in the filling material and/or the seal pattern.

In this case, the encapsulation substrate 200, the adhesive layer or filling material, and the seal pattern may be selectively provided as needed, and in the smallest unit, only the protective layer 180 on the substrate 100 may perform the encapsulation function. have.

In addition, a touch electrode array may be provided on the protective layer 180 or the encapsulation substrate 200 to perform an additional touch detection function, and a polarizing film or a protective film may be further provided on the outermost surface of the organic light emitting diode display. can

In addition, the metal bar pattern 155 may be formed on the same layer as the electrode layer constituting the thin film transistor, or may be formed on the same layer as the reflective electrode included in the lower electrode 161 in the upper emission method. In this case, the metal bar pattern 155 may be Cu, Ag, Mg, Al, Pt, Pd, Au, Ni, Nd, Ir, Cr, Mo, W, or an alloy including at least one of these metals. .

Although the metal bar pattern 155 is formed of the same or similar electrode as the auxiliary electrode 172 , the reason that the auxiliary electrode 172 of the present invention prevents heat generation in the outer area is the pad part PA of the outer area. A plurality of link wirings are disposed between the and active area AA, and since these link wirings are formed in the same process when forming the thin film transistor, even if the link wiring and the metal bar pattern 155 are on different layers, Only an interlayer insulating film or a gate insulating film made of an inorganic film component as thin as 5000 Å or less is disposed between them. If the overlap of the link wiring and the metal bar pattern is increased to a certain level or more, the parasitic capacitance is increased at the portion where the metal bar pattern 155 is disposed. there is a problem. In the organic light emitting diode display of the present invention, even when the metal bar pattern 155 has a width of 0.5 mm or less, the equipotential of the upper electrode 171 can be achieved through the auxiliary electrode 172 with high conductivity.

In addition, the auxiliary electrode 172 is formed in direct contact with the upper electrode 171 , and is formed immediately before or after the formation of the upper electrode 171 . That is, an overcoat layer or a planarization layer of an organic film component covering the thin film transistor array under the lower electrode 161 may be provided in the outer region except for the connection portion between the metal bar pattern 155 and the auxiliary electrode 172 . , like the overcoat layer (refer to 141 in FIG. 10) between the auxiliary electrode 172 and the link wiring (refer to 133 in FIG. 8) even when the auxiliary electrode 172 overlaps the link wiring in the outer region, the insulation rate This high and thick organic material is positioned to minimize the occurrence of parasitic capacitance between the link wiring and the auxiliary electrode 172 .

Meanwhile, the lower electrode 161 may be substantially connected to the output terminal (source electrode) of the driving transistor DT, that is, the first node N1 .

4A is a plan view according to a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 4B and 4C are cross-sectional views according to modifications of the first embodiment of the present invention.

4A shows an organic light emitting diode display according to a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention, which is different in that the edge of the upper electrode 171 is extended to the edge of the auxiliary electrode 172 .

4B and 4C show that the auxiliary electrode 172 is formed before and after the upper electrode 171 is formed, respectively. In both cases, the plan view of FIG. 4A corresponds to the plan view of FIG. 4A. At 155 , a triple conduction path between the auxiliary electrode 172 and the upper electrode 171 is generated, and since the auxiliary electrode 172 with high conductivity is in direct contact with one side of the upper electrode 171 , the power supply voltage signal (VSS) Prevents heat generation during transmission and can prevent line delay. In addition, in the organic light emitting diode display of the present invention, a plurality of pads 135 are provided on a pad PAD, and an edge of the auxiliary electrode 172 adjacent to the 135 in the pad 135 is formed by the upper electrode 171 . ) closer to the pad part 135 or the same as the edge of the upper electrode 171 , the bezel region may be substantially determined by the area of the auxiliary electrode 172 provided in the outer region.

5 is a diagram comparing an outer region of a comparative example and an organic light emitting diode display of the present invention.

5 shows a comparative example in which the equipotential of the upper electrode 71 is obtained by connecting the metal bar pattern 55 only to the upper electrode 71 and the metal bar pattern 155 in the organic light emitting diode display according to the first embodiment of the present invention. An example in which the connection of the upper electrode 171 and the auxiliary electrode 172 is applied is shown.

5, in the case of the comparative example, when connecting the metal bar pattern 55 only to the upper electrode 71 made of a transparent metal oxide such as ITO having high resistivity, the width of the connection portion should be 2.5 mm or more. , the organic light emitting diode display according to the first embodiment of the present invention can reduce the metal bar pattern 155 to a width of less than 0.5 mm, and includes the auxiliary electrode 172 having a width greater than that of the metal bar pattern 155 . The auxiliary electrode 172 may cover the metal bar pattern 155 to achieve the purpose of reducing the resistance of the upper electrode 171 . In addition, the auxiliary electrode 172 can be formed to have a width of less than 1.5 mm even considering the longest process margin, so the effect of reducing the bezel area B in the organic light emitting diode display of the present invention compared to the comparative example can be confirmed. can

Here, reference numerals 61 and 62, which are not described in the comparative example, respectively, indicate a lower electrode and an organic layer of the organic light emitting diode (OLED), and 67 denote a bank. omit

Looking at the comparative example, it can be understood the cause of heat generation in the portion of the upper electrode 71 adjacent to the pad portion. The upper electrode 71 having high resistance including oxygen, the metal bar pattern 55, and the connection hole CT1 ) through a small area, so the area through which the current flows is locally limited, and heat is severe in this area.

The organic light emitting diode display of the present invention includes a metal bar pattern 155 and an auxiliary electrode 171 that is a metal component having high conductivity, so that heat generation and resistance are eliminated due to the conductivity of the material even though the area of the first connection CT1 is limited. will be. This effect is also effective in the structure of the first embodiment of the present invention in which the metal bar pattern 155 and the auxiliary electrode 171 are connected, and the metal bar pattern 155 and the upper electrode 171 and the auxiliary electrode 172 are also effective. ) has the same effect in the triple connection structure.

6 is a photograph illustrating deterioration of an organic light emitting diode display according to a comparative example.

As shown in FIG. 6 , when the heat generated in the organic light emitting diode display according to the comparative example is observed, the area of the metal bar pattern connected to the outer pad part PA and the upper electrode made of transparent metal oxide generates the most heat. Severe.

If heat is severe, it may be 100° C. or higher. In this case, there is a problem in that pixels adjacent to the metal bar pattern are deteriorated or darkened, and such deterioration is irreversible, and a solution is required. The organic light emitting diode display device of the present invention connects the auxiliary electrode 172 with high conductivity to the upper electrode 171 of the outer part to solve the problems of heat generation and resistance caused by the connection between the upper electrode 171 and the metal bar pattern 155 . did it

7 is a plan view illustrating an organic light emitting diode display according to a second exemplary embodiment, and FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of region C of FIG. 7 . Also, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II to II′ of FIG. 8 .

First, looking at the area between two adjacent pad units PAD A and PAD B through FIG. 8 , each pad unit PAD A and PAD B is provided with a plurality of pad electrodes 135, and the pad electrodes ( The 135 may be respectively connected to the data line DL and the driving voltage line VDDL or the power supply voltage line VSSL in the active area AA through the link wiring 133 .

In addition, in the pad units PAD A and PAD B, a plurality of pad electrodes 135 are densely arranged in parallel to be connected to a source IC (not shown) or a COF film (not shown) for each unit unit, and active Each pad unit PAD A as it approaches the active area AA so as to be connected to the data lines DL and the driving voltage lines VDDL or the power voltage lines VSSL arranged at regular intervals in the area AA. , PAD B), the spacing between the link wires 133 is gradually narrowed.

7 to 9 , in the organic light emitting diode display according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary electrode 272 is limited to an area through which the link wiring 133 between the adjacent pad units PAD A and PAD B does not pass. is disposed and directly connected to the upper electrode 271 . In this case, there is no overlap between the auxiliary electrode 272 and the upper electrode 271 and the lower link wiring 133 is not overlapped with each other. Prevents parasitic capacitance caused by overlapping wirings to which signals are applied.

Also, as described above, the auxiliary electrode 272 may be located on a lower layer or an upper layer of the upper electrode 271 . A vertical length of the auxiliary electrode 272 may be greater than that of the metal bar pattern 155 .

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the auxiliary electrode 272 of FIG. 8 , and an overcoat layer between the transparent upper electrode 271 and the metal bar pattern 155 in the region between the link wirings 133 that are spaced apart from each other A first connection CT1 is provided through a connection hole provided in the 141 . The resistance of the upper electrode 271 is similarly reduced even when the metal bar pattern 155 and the auxiliary electrode 272 are directly connected by reversing the positions of the upper electrode 271 and the auxiliary electrode 272 as illustrated. and has the effect of preventing overheating. In addition, the metal bar pattern 155 may have a lower VSS link line 1330 and a second connection CT2 to receive a ground voltage or a low voltage VSS signal.

10 is a plan view illustrating an organic light emitting diode display according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 10 , the organic light emitting diode display according to the third exemplary embodiment includes the auxiliary electrode 372 in a shape surrounding the active area AA. Here, among the widths of the auxiliary electrode 372 at each side, the auxiliary electrode 372 located in the outer region adjacent to the pad part PA may have the largest width.

Even in this case, the width of the auxiliary electrode 372 adjacent to the pad portion in the outer region is within 1.5 mm, and the bezel area is small due to the auxiliary electrode 372 compared to the comparative example.

In addition, the upper electrode 371 protrudes with a first width a in the outer region adjacent to the pad part PA, and has the first width a in the outer region not adjacent to the pad part PA. ) may protrude with a second width (b) smaller than the second width (b). In the outer region not adjacent to the pad part PA, the second width b may be the same as or different from each other as shown in the drawings, but in any case, the second width b is equal to the first width a). smaller than

The auxiliary electrode 372 may further include an extension portion in contact with the upper electrode at the second width b, and the auxiliary electrode and the extension portion may have a shape surrounding the active region.

In addition, as described above, a metal bar pattern 155 traversing the link wirings having a smaller area than the auxiliary electrode 372 may be further provided in the lower layer where the auxiliary electrode 372 is positioned, and the metal bar pattern Reference numeral 155 may receive a power supply voltage signal Vss of a low voltage or a ground voltage from the pad part PA through a link wire. In this case, similar to the auxiliary electrode 372 , the metal bar pattern 155 may also have a closed ring shape surrounding the active region. In addition, the metal bar pattern 155 has the largest width in the outer region adjacent to the pad portion, and has a smaller width on the remaining sides.

The metal bar pattern 155 may be connected to the extension part or the upper electrode 371 in the extension part with a width smaller than the second width b.

Meanwhile, a plurality of VSS link wires 1330 are further provided between the pad part PA and the active area AA, and the metal bar pattern 155 may be disposed to cross the VSS link wire 1330 . can

Hereinafter, an organic light emitting diode display according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described by embodied in a form including a thin film transistor under the organic light emitting diode (OLED). Although the fourth embodiment will be described, also in the first to third embodiments, the configuration of the lower side of the lower electrode 161 may be the same as that of the fourth embodiment.

11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an organic light emitting diode display according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

11 , in the organic light emitting diode display according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with respect to the active area AA, each sub-pixel of the active area AA includes at least a driving transistor TFT and the driving transistor ( An overcoat layer 141 covering the TFT), and electrically connected to the driving transistor TFT on the overcoat layer 141 , and a lower electrode 161 , an organic light emitting layer 162 , and an upper electrode 471 are stacked It has an organic light emitting diode (OLED) made of Although the organic light emitting layer 471 is illustrated as a single layer, this is only an example, and it is formed as a plurality of layers by further comprising an EL layer that substantially emits light, and a hole-related layer and an electron-related layer provided below and above the organic light-emitting layer 471 . can be

Meanwhile, a bank 167 defining a light emitting part of the organic light emitting diode OLED may be further provided at the boundary of the sub-pixel SP. Here, the bank 167 may include black resin. In addition, the bank 167 may have a thickness of 1 μm to 5 μm similar to that of the overcoat layer 141 as an organic material.

In addition, the overcoat layer 141 is formed to entirely cover the active area AA except for the contact hole through which the driving transistor TFT and the lower electrode 161 are connected, and extends outside the active area to form a metal bar pattern. (155) may also be located partially overlapping.

The metal bar pattern 155 may be connected to the upper electrode 471 or the auxiliary electrode 472 in the outer region. The upper and lower positions of the upper electrode 471 and the auxiliary electrode 472 may be changed by transposing as shown in the figure. In any case, the auxiliary electrode 472 with high conductivity is disposed in the outer region, and this is the upper electrode 471 . The equipotential of the power supply voltage signal VSS can be achieved with the upper electrode 471 without heat generation with a small width by connecting to one side of the .

The lower side of the metal bar pattern 155 passes through the link wiring 133, and the metal bar pattern 155 is positioned with a width of 0.5 mm or less compared to the length of the link wiring 133, so that the parasitic capacitance of the overlapping portion is increased. can be small Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 or 8 and 9 , the metal bar pattern 155 may be directly connected to some lines of the VSS link wiring 1330 to receive a ground voltage or a low voltage power supply voltage signal Vss.

Among the components on the substrate 100 , 121 , which are not described, are buffer layers, and are provided to prevent impurities on the substrate 100 from flowing into the components formed on the substrate 100 . Alternatively, when performing a specific processing of the substrate 100, it is provided in order to prevent an effect thereon.

For reference, the driving transistor TFT includes a gate electrode 112 , a semiconductor layer 122 , a source electrode 136 connected to both sides of the semiconductor layer 122 , and a drain electrode 137 . A gate insulating layer 131 is interposed between the gate electrode 112 and the semiconductor layer 122 . The illustrated semiconductor layer 122 is an oxide semiconductor, and shows a state in which the etch stopper 132 is provided to protect the channel portion during patterning of the source electrode 136 and the drain electrode 137 . However, as an example of such a thin film transistor, the semiconductor layer 122 may be formed of amorphous silicon, polysilicon, or a plurality of silicon layers, and in this case, the etch stopper 132 may be omitted.

In addition, the drain electrode 137 is electrically connected to the lower electrode 161 of the organic light emitting diode (OLED). The first electrode 151 may include a reflective metal and may be formed in two or more layers. In the case of two layers, the reflective metal may be located on the lowermost side.

The pad electrode 135 provided in the pad part PA at the edge of the substrate 100 includes a first pad electrode 135a on the same layer as the source/drain electrodes 136 and 137 on the lower side, and the first pad electrode 135a on the upper side. In order to prevent oxidation of the pad electrode 135a, the second pad electrode 135b may be made of the same metal layer as the lower electrode 161 or the upper electrode 171 .

In the illustrated example, the metal bar pattern 155 formed on the same layer as the source/drain electrodes 136 and 137 and the link wire 133 connected to the pad electrode 135 to prevent a short circuit are connected to the gate electrode. When the metal bar pattern 155 has the same layer as the lower electrode 161 or includes a different metal layer, the pad electrode 135 and the link wire 133 are integrally formed with the same layer as 112 . It can also be formed from a layer of metal. Reference numeral 138 (not described) denotes an inorganic insulating layer that covers the driving transistor TFT except for a portion connected to the lower electrode 161 and protects the driving transistor TFT.

As described above, when the upper electrode is formed of a transparent metal oxide having high resistance and is connected only to the metal bar pattern to receive a power supply voltage signal, the connection portion between the upper electrode and the metal bar pattern is strongly heated.

If heat is severe, it may be 100° C. or higher. In this case, there is a problem in that pixels adjacent to the metal bar pattern are deteriorated or darkened, and such deterioration is irreversible. This problem is solved by providing an auxiliary electrode with high conductivity to be connected.

The organic light emitting diode display of the present invention has a structure in which an upper electrode is formed of a transparent metal oxide, and includes an auxiliary electrode having high conductivity that is directly connected to the upper electrode in an outer region adjacent to the pad portion, and the upper electrode covers the entire active region. When covering, heat is dispersed through the connection of the auxiliary electrode and the upper electrode on at least one side of the upper electrode, and the phenomenon that the heat stays in the upper electrode can be prevented. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent deterioration or darkening of pixels adjacent thereto due to heat generated in the outer region.

On the other hand, the present invention described above is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and it is understood that various substitutions, modifications and changes can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. It will be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art.

100: board 133: link wiring
135: pad electrode 161: lower electrode
162: organic light emitting layer 171: upper electrode
172: auxiliary electrode

Claims (13)

a substrate divided into an active area and an outer area surrounding the active area, the substrate including a plurality of sub-pixels in the active area, and a pad part on at least one side of the outer area;
a thin film transistor provided for each sub-pixel;
a lower electrode provided in each of the sub-pixels and connected to the thin film transistor;
an organic light emitting layer provided on the lower electrode;
an upper electrode integrally covering the active region and provided on the organic light emitting layer;
an auxiliary electrode in contact with the upper electrode in a portion of the outer region adjacent to the pad portion and having higher conductivity than the upper electrode;
a metal bar pattern on the same layer as at least one electrode constituting the thin film transistor or on the same layer as the lower electrode in a region where the upper electrode and the auxiliary electrode overlap; and
a plurality of link wires between the pad part and the active region;
The metal bar pattern is disposed to cross the link line. The method of claim 1,
The upper electrode is a transparent electrode,
and the lower electrode includes a reflective electrode. The method of claim 1,
The metal bar pattern is connected to the upper electrode or the auxiliary electrode. The method of claim 1,
The upper electrode is a metal oxide containing at least one of indium, titanium, zinc, and gallium,
The auxiliary electrode is Ag, Mg, Al, Pt, Pd, Au, Ni, Nd, Ir, Cr, Mo, W or an alloy thereof. The method of claim 1,
The auxiliary electrode covers the metal bar pattern in a larger area than the metal bar pattern,
The metal bar pattern is connected to the pad part through a voltage applying line. The method of claim 1,
An edge of the auxiliary electrode adjacent to the pad portion is closer to the pad portion than an edge of the upper electrode or is the same as an edge of the upper electrode. The method of claim 1,
A width of the auxiliary electrode adjacent to the pad portion in the outer region is within 1.5 mm. The method of claim 1,
The upper electrode is adjacent to the pad part and protrudes from the active region to the outer region by a first width;
In an area not adjacent to the pad part, the organic light emitting diode display protrudes from the active area to the outer area with a second width smaller than the first width. 9. The method of claim 8,
The auxiliary electrode further includes an extension portion in contact with the upper electrode in the second width,
The auxiliary electrode and the extension portion have a shape surrounding the active area. 10. The method of claim 9,
The metal bar pattern has a width smaller than the second width and is connected to the extension part or the upper electrode in the extension part. The method of claim 1,
An organic light emitting diode display having a connection between the metal bar pattern and the upper electrode or the auxiliary electrode in a non-overlapping manner with the link wiring. 12. The method of claim 11,
The organic light emitting diode display further comprising an organic insulating layer between the metal bar pattern and the upper electrode except for a region having a connection between the metal bar pattern and the upper electrode or the auxiliary electrode. a substrate divided into an active area and an outer area surrounding the active area, the substrate including a plurality of sub-pixels in the active area, and a pad part on at least one side of the outer area;
a lower electrode provided for each sub-pixel;
an organic light emitting layer provided on the lower electrode;
an upper electrode integrally covering the active region and provided on the organic light emitting layer;
an auxiliary electrode in contact with the upper electrode in a portion of the outer region adjacent to the pad portion and having higher conductivity than the upper electrode;
a plurality of link wires between the pad part and the active region; and
and a metal bar pattern disposed across the link wiring along an edge of the upper electrode adjacent to the pad part.

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