KR102639568B1 - Display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, a display element is provided and divided into a display area where an image is displayed and a non-display area around the display area, and the non-display area includes a bending area bent around a bending axis. Board; an encapsulation layer disposed on the display area; a touch electrode disposed on the encapsulation layer; a touch wire connected to the touch electrode and extending to the non-display area; and a fan-out wire connected to a signal wire for applying an electrical signal to the display area and at least partially disposed in the bending area; Disclosed is a display device including, wherein the fan-out wiring is made of the same material as the touch wiring.

Description

Display device and method of manufacturing the same {DISPLAY APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME}

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a display device and a method of manufacturing the same.

A display device is a device that visually displays data. This display device includes a substrate divided into a display area and a non-display area. In the display area, gate lines and data lines are insulated from each other, and the gate lines and data lines intersect to define a plurality of pixel areas in the display area. Additionally, the display area is provided with a thin film transistor corresponding to each of the pixel areas and a pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor. A pad portion and a fan-out portion are disposed in the non-display area. Here, the fan-out part is a part provided with wires that connect the pad part and the display area and transmit signals from the driver IC mounted on the pad part.

By bending at least a portion of such a display device, visibility from various angles can be improved or the area of the non-display area can be reduced. In the process of manufacturing such bent display devices, methods are being sought to minimize defects and reduce process costs.

Embodiments of the present invention are intended to provide a display device and a manufacturing method thereof that can ensure the long life of the display device, minimize defects such as disconnection during the manufacturing process, and reduce process costs.

The problems to be solved by 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 description of the present invention.

One embodiment of the present invention is,

A display device is provided and divided into a display area on which an image is displayed and a non-display area around the display area, wherein the non-display area includes a substrate including a bending area bent around a bending axis;

an encapsulation layer disposed on the display area;

a touch electrode disposed on the encapsulation layer;

a touch wire connected to the touch electrode and extending into the non-display area; and

a fan-out wire connected to a signal wire for applying an electrical signal to the display area and at least partially disposed in the bending area;

The fan-out wiring is made of the same material as the touch wiring, and the display device is provided.

In one embodiment, the signal wire is connected to the fan-out wire through a via hole, and the via hole may be disposed outside the bending area.

In one embodiment, the fan-out wire is made of the same material as the signal wire, and the resistivity of the fan-out wire may have a different value from the resistivity of the signal wire.

In one embodiment, the fan-out wire is made of the same material as the signal wire, and the thickness of the fan-out wire may have a different value from the thickness of the signal wire.

In one embodiment, the fan-out wire is made of the same material as the signal wire, and the grain size of the fan-out wire may have a different value from the grain size of the signal wire.

In one embodiment, the fan-out wire may be made of a different material than the signal wire.

In one embodiment, the organic material layer may be disposed on at least a portion of the bending area between the fan-out wiring and the substrate.

In one embodiment, a thin film transistor disposed in the display area; and a planarization layer covering the thin film transistor and including an organic material, wherein the organic material layer may include the same material as the planarization layer.

In one embodiment, the display device includes a pixel electrode, a counter electrode facing the pixel electrode, and an intermediate layer interposed between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode,

The display area may further include a pixel defining layer defining a pixel area and having an opening exposing a central portion of the pixel electrode, and the organic material layer may include the same material as the pixel defining layer.

In one embodiment, the encapsulation layer includes an organic encapsulation layer, and the organic material layer may include the same material as the organic encapsulation layer.

In one embodiment, the touch buffer layer is disposed between the encapsulation layer and the touch electrode and includes an organic material, and the organic material layer may include the same material as the touch buffer layer.

In one embodiment, the touch electrode includes a first touch conductive layer, a first insulating layer, a second touch conductive layer, and a second insulating layer sequentially stacked, and the first touch conductive layer and the second touch conductive layer are electrically The touch wiring may be made of the same material as the second touch conductive layer, and the organic material layer may include the same material as the first insulating layer.

In one embodiment, the fan-out wiring may have a structure in which a first layer made of the same material as the first touch conductive layer and a second layer made of the same material as the second touch conductive layer are stacked. .

In one embodiment, the organic material layer may have an uneven surface on at least a portion of its upper surface.

In one embodiment, the protruding surface of the uneven surface extends in the direction of the bending axis, and the fan-out wiring may extend while intersecting the protruding surface.

In one embodiment, the device further includes an inorganic insulating layer disposed between the substrate and the fan-out wiring, wherein the inorganic insulating layer may have an opening or groove corresponding to the bending area.

In one embodiment, it may further include an organic material layer disposed in at least a portion of the opening or groove.

In one embodiment, the organic layer covers the inner surface of the opening and may extend to a portion of the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer.

In one embodiment, the touch electrode may be made of the same material as the touch wire.

In one embodiment, the touch electrode includes a first touch conductive layer, a first insulating layer, a second touch conductive layer, and a second insulating layer sequentially stacked, and the first touch conductive layer and the second touch conductive layer are electrically and the touch wire may be made of the same material as the first touch conductive layer or the second touch conductive layer.

In one embodiment, the touch electrode includes a first touch conductive layer, a first insulating layer, a second touch conductive layer, and a second insulating layer sequentially stacked, and the first touch conductive layer and the second touch conductive layer are electrically The touch wiring may be stacked with a first layer made of the same material as the first touch conductive layer and a second layer made of the same material as the second touch conductive layer.

In one embodiment, the fan-out wiring may have a structure in which a first layer made of the same material as the first touch conductive layer and a second layer made of the same material as the second touch conductive layer are stacked. .

In one embodiment, a thin film transistor disposed in the display area or the non-display area and including a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode; and an additional conductive layer at least partially disposed in the bending area, wherein the additional conductive layer may be made of the same material as the source electrode, drain electrode, or gate electrode and may be provided on the same layer.

In one embodiment, the additional conductive layer may be disposed to be spaced apart from the fan-out wiring.

In one embodiment, the additional conductive layer may be disposed to overlap at least a portion of the bottom of the fan-out wiring and be electrically connected to the additional conductive layer.

In one embodiment, an insulating layer may be interposed between the additional conductive layer and the fan-out wiring.

In one embodiment, the additional conductive layer and the fan-out wire may be electrically connected through a via hole provided on the insulating layer.

In one embodiment, the via hole may not be located in the bending area.

In one embodiment, a first thin film transistor disposed in the display area or the non-display area and including a first semiconductor layer, a first source electrode, a first drain electrode, and a first gate electrode, a second semiconductor layer, a second thin film transistor including a second source electrode, a second drain electrode, and a second gate electrode; and a first additional conductive layer made of the same material as the first gate electrode, and a second additional conductive layer made of the same material as the second gate electrode, wherein the first gate electrode and the second Gate electrodes are disposed on different layers, and at least one of the first additional conductive layer and the second additional conductive layer may be disposed at least partially in the bending area.

In one embodiment, the first additional conductive layer may be disposed to at least partially overlap the second additional conductive layer in the bending area.

In one embodiment, an insulating layer may be interposed between the first additional conductive layer and the second additional conductive layer in the bending area.

In one embodiment, at least one of the first additional conductive layer and the second additional conductive layer may be disposed below the fan-out wire and electrically connected to it.

In one embodiment, an insulating layer may be disposed between at least one of the fan-out wiring and the first additional conductive layer and between the fan-out wiring and the second additional conductive layer.

In one embodiment, a bending protection layer disposed on top of the fan-out wiring in the bending area may be further provided.

In one embodiment, the bending protection layer may cover at least a portion of the display area.

In one embodiment, a cover layer that covers the touch electrode and protects the touch electrode may be further provided.

In one embodiment, the cover layer extends from the top of the touch electrode to the bending area to cover at least a portion of the fan-out wiring.

In one embodiment, a protective film disposed on the lower surface of the substrate may be provided, and the protective film may have an opening or groove that at least partially overlaps the bending area.

In one embodiment, the touch wire extends in the direction of the bending area along one side of the encapsulation layer, and one side of the encapsulation layer may be provided with a step shape.

Another embodiment of the present invention is,

A display device is provided and divided into a display area on which an image is displayed and a non-display area around the display area, wherein the non-display area includes a substrate including a bending area bent around a bending axis;

an encapsulation layer disposed on the display area;

a touch electrode disposed on the encapsulation layer;

a touch wire connected to the touch electrode and extending into the non-display area;

a signal wire disposed between the bending area and the display area to apply an electrical signal;

a terminal disposed on one side of the non-display area; and

a fan-out wire disposed at least partially in the bending area, one side of which is connected to the signal wire through a via hole, and the other side of which is connected to the terminal;

The fan-out wiring is made of the same material as the touch wiring, and the display device is provided.

In one embodiment, the thin film transistor is disposed in the display area or the non-display area and includes a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode, and the terminal is connected to the source electrode, the drain electrode, or the gate electrode. It is made of the same material and can be connected to the fan-out wire through a via hole.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a method of manufacturing the display device,

A method of manufacturing a display device in which the fan-out wiring is formed simultaneously with the touch wiring is disclosed.

In one embodiment, the display device may further include an organic material layer disposed between the substrate and the fan-out wiring in the bending area.

In one embodiment, the display device further includes a thin film transistor disposed in the display area, and a planarization layer covering the thin film transistor and containing an organic material, wherein the organic material layer is formed simultaneously with the same material as the planarization layer. can do.

In one embodiment, the display device is an organic light emitting device including a pixel electrode, a counter electrode facing the pixel electrode, and an intermediate layer including an organic light emitting layer interposed between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode, wherein the display device The area has an opening exposing a central portion of the pixel electrode and further includes a pixel defining layer defining the pixel area, and the organic material layer may be formed simultaneously with the same material as the pixel defining layer.

In one embodiment, the touch wire may be formed of the same material as the touch electrode.

In one embodiment, the touch electrode includes a first touch conductive layer, a first insulating layer, a second touch conductive layer, and a second insulating layer sequentially stacked, and the first touch conductive layer and the second touch conductive layer are They are electrically connected, and the touch wiring can be formed simultaneously with the same material as the first touch conductive layer.

In one embodiment, the touch electrode includes a first touch conductive layer, a first insulating layer, a second touch conductive layer, and a second insulating layer sequentially stacked, and the first touch conductive layer and the second touch conductive layer are They are electrically connected, and the touch wiring can be formed simultaneously with the same material as the second touch conductive layer.

Other aspects, features, and advantages other than those described above will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings for carrying out the invention below.

According to the embodiments of the present invention as described above, it is possible to implement a display device that can ensure the long life of the display device, minimize the occurrence of defects such as disconnection during the manufacturing process, and reduce process costs by reducing process steps. You can. Of course, the scope of the present invention is not limited by this effect.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a part of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2A is a perspective view schematically showing a part of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2b is a plan view schematically showing a part of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a portion of the display device of FIG. 2A.
Figure 3A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3b is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4b is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4c is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4d is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4e is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4f is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4g is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4h is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4i is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5b is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5C is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5D is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5e is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5f is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5g is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5h is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5i is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5j is a plan view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5k is a plan view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a portion of a display device according to embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a portion of a display device according to embodiments of the present invention.
7A to 7I are cross-sectional views sequentially showing a method of manufacturing a display device according to embodiments of the present invention.

Since the present invention can be modified in various ways and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. The effects and features of the present invention, and methods for achieving them, will become clear by referring to the embodiments described in detail below along with the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and can be implemented in various forms. It can be implemented.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. When describing with reference to the drawings, identical or corresponding components will be assigned the same reference numerals and redundant description thereof will be omitted. .

In the following embodiments, when various components such as layers, films, regions, plates, etc. are said to be “on” other components, this does not only mean that they are “directly on” the other components, but also when other components are interposed between them. Also includes cases where Additionally, for convenience of explanation, the sizes of components may be exaggerated or reduced in the drawings. For example, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily indicated for convenience of explanation, so the present invention is necessarily as shown. It is not limited.

In the following embodiments, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis are not limited to the three axes in the Cartesian coordinate system, but can be interpreted in a broad sense including these. For example, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis may be orthogonal to each other, but may also refer to different directions that are not orthogonal to each other.

In cases where an embodiment can be implemented differently, a specific process sequence may be performed differently from the described sequence. For example, two processes described in succession may be performed substantially at the same time, or may be performed in an order opposite to that in which they are described.

A display device is a device that displays an image, including a liquid crystal display, an electrophoretic display, an organic light emitting display, an inorganic light emitting display, It may be a field emission display, a surface-conduction electron-emitter display, a plasma display, a cathode ray display, etc.

Hereinafter, a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking an organic light emitting display device as an example. However, the display device of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various types of display devices may be used.

1 and 2A are perspective views schematically showing a part of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2B is a plan view schematically showing the display device of FIG. 2A, and FIG. 2C is a view of the display device of FIG. 2A. This is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part. In the display device according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a portion of the substrate 100, which is a part of the display device, is bent, so that a portion of the display device has a bent shape similar to the substrate 100. However, for convenience of illustration, the display device is shown in an unbent state in FIG. 2C. For reference, in cross-sectional views and plan views of embodiments described later, the display device is shown in an unbent state for convenience of illustration.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 2C, the substrate 100 provided in the display device according to this embodiment has a display area DA on which a display element is provided and an image is displayed, and a non-display area around the display area DA. It is divided into areas, and the non-display area includes a bending area (BA) bent around the bending axis (BAX). The bending area (BA) may refer to an area that has a radius of curvature after bending.

The bending area BA extends in a first direction (+y direction), and the bending area BA extends in a second direction (+x direction) intersecting the first direction, so that the first area 1A and the second It is located between areas 2A. And the substrate 100 is bent around a bending axis BAX extending in the first direction (+y direction) as shown in FIG. 1. This substrate 100 may include various materials having flexible or bendable properties, such as polyethersulphone (PES), polyacrylate (PAR), polyetherimide (PEI), Polyethylene napthalate (PEN), polyethyeleneterepthalate (PET), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyallylate, polyimide (PI), polycarbonate, It may include a polymer resin such as PC) or cellulose acetate propionate (CAP).

The first area 1A includes a display area DA. Of course, as shown in FIG. 2, the first area 1A includes a non-display area around or outside the display area DA in addition to the display area DA. Includes some. The second area 2A also includes a non-display area.

A plurality of pixels may be arranged in the display area DA of the substrate 100 to display an image. The display area DA may be equipped with devices such as a display device 300, a thin film transistor (TFT), and a capacitor (Cst).

Referring to FIGS. 2A to 2C , the display area DA includes pulse signals such as gate lines for transmitting gate signals and data lines for transmitting data signals, and signals for transmitting direct current signals such as driving power lines and common power lines. Wiring may be further included, and a pixel may be formed by electrical coupling of a thin film transistor, a capacitor, a display element, etc. connected to the gate line, data line, and driving power line to display an image. The pixel may emit light with a luminance corresponding to the driving current flowing through the display element in response to the data signal according to the driving power and common power supplied to the pixel. The signal wires may be connected to a driving circuit (not shown) connected to the terminal unit 20 through fan-out wires 720a. That is, the fan-out wire 720a can transmit pulse signals such as gate signals and data signals, and direct current such as power. A pixel may be composed of complex elements, and a plurality of pixels may be arranged in various forms such as a stripe arrangement or a pentile arrangement.

A terminal unit 20, a fan-out wire 720a, an additional conductive layer 215d, and a touch wire 720 may be disposed in the non-display area. In addition, although not shown, a common power line, a driving power line, a gate driver, a data driver, etc. may be further disposed in the non-display area.

The terminal unit 20 is disposed at one end of the non-display area and may include a signal terminal 21 and a touch terminal 22. The terminal portion 20 may be exposed without being covered by an insulating layer and may be electrically connected to a driving circuit (not shown) such as a flexible printed circuit board or driver IC. The control unit can provide data signals, gate signals, driving voltage (ELVDD), common voltage (ELVSS), etc. Additionally, the control unit may provide a signal to the touch screen layer 700 through the touch wire 720 or receive a signal detected by the touch screen layer 700.

The fan-out wire 720a is disposed in the non-display area and is connected to a signal wire that applies an electrical signal to the thin film transistor 210 or the display element 300 disposed in the display area DA. As described above, the signal wiring may correspond to various wiring arranged inside the display area DA, such as a gate line, a data line, a driving power line, and a common power line. The fan-out wire 720a may be disposed at least partially in the bending area BA. In some embodiments, the fan-out wire 720a extends from the first area 1A and may be disposed to a portion of the bending area BA, or may be disposed across the bending area BA to the second area 2A. there is. That is, the fan-out wire 720a may extend to intersect the bending axis BAX. For example, the fan-out wiring 720a can be variously modified, such as extending obliquely at a predetermined angle with the bending axis BAX. Additionally, the fan-out wiring 720a may have various shapes, such as a curved shape rather than a straight shape, a zigzag shape, etc. The fan-out wire 720a is connected to the signal terminal 21 of the terminal unit 20 and can transmit an electrical signal to the display area DA.

Meanwhile, an additional conductive layer 215d may be further provided in the non-display area. The additional conductive layer 215d may be connected to a signal line that applies an electrical signal to the thin film transistor 210 or the display element 300 disposed in the display area DA, like the fan-out wire 720a. The additional conductive layer 215d may be made of a different material from the fan-out wiring 720a. For example, the additional conductive layer 215d may be made of the same material as the gate line or data, which are signal lines inside the display area DA. The additional conductive layer 215d may be placed on a different layer from the fan-out wiring 720a, and may be placed horizontally spaced apart as shown in FIG. 2B. However, it is not limited to this. The additional conductive layer 215d may be disposed to at least partially overlap the fan-out wiring 720a. For example, the additional conductive layer 215d may be electrically connected to the fan-out wiring 720a at a lower portion of the fan-out wiring 720a and may serve to apply an electrical signal to the display area DA. Embodiments regarding the arrangement of the additional conductive layer 215d and the fan-out wiring 720a will be described later.

The display device according to this embodiment may include a signal wire 213b connected to the fan-out wire 720a in addition to the fan-out wire 720a. This signal wire 213b is disposed in the first area 1A or the second area 2A so as to be located on a different layer from the floor where the fan-out wire 720a is located, and may be electrically connected to the fan-out wire 720a. there is.

The signal wire 213b may be electrically connected to a thin film transistor, etc. in the display area DA, and accordingly, the fan-out wire 720a is electrically connected to a thin film transistor, etc. in the display area DA through the signal wire 213b. It can be done as much as possible. In this way, the signal wire 213b may be located outside the display area DA and electrically connected to components located within the display area DA, or may be located outside the display area DA and extend in the direction of the display area DA. It may be extended and at least part of it may be located within the display area DA.

The display area DA may be sealed by the encapsulation layer 400 . The encapsulation layer 400 may cover the display device 300 disposed in the display area DA and protect the display device 300 from external moisture or oxygen. The encapsulation layer 400 covers the display area DA and may partially extend to the outside of the display area DA.

A touch screen layer 700 including touch electrodes 710 of various patterns for a touch screen function is provided on the encapsulation layer 400. The touch electrode 710 is connected to a touch wire 720 for transmitting a signal detected by the touch electrode 710, and the touch wire 720 extends from the top of the encapsulation layer 400 to the encapsulation layer 400. It may extend into the non-display area along one side of . The touch wire 720 is connected to the touch screen layer 700, extends from the top of the encapsulation layer 400, and may be at least partially disposed in the bending area BA. The touch wire 720 may be connected to the touch terminal 22.

FIG. 2C shows that an organic light emitting device as the display device 300 is located in the display area DA. This organic light emitting device is electrically connected to the thin film transistor 210, meaning that the pixel electrode 310 is a thin film. It can be understood as being electrically connected to the transistor 210. Of course, if necessary, a thin film transistor (not shown) may be disposed in the peripheral area outside the display area DA of the substrate 100. The thin film transistor located in this peripheral area may, for example, be part of a circuit unit for controlling an electrical signal applied to the display area DA.

The thin film transistor 210 may include a semiconductor layer 211 including amorphous silicon, polycrystalline silicon, oxide semiconductor, or organic semiconductor material, a gate electrode 213, a source electrode 215a, and a drain electrode 215b.

The gate electrode 231 may be connected to a gate wire (not shown) that applies an on/off signal to the thin film transistor 210, and may be made of a low-resistance metal material. For example, the gate electrode 231 may be a single film or a multilayer film made of a conductive material containing molybdenum (Mo), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), and/or titanium (Ti).

The source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b may be a single film or a multilayer film made of a conductive material with good conductivity, and may be connected to the source region and drain region of the semiconductor layer 211, respectively. For example, the source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b may be a single layer or a multilayer layer made of a conductive material including aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), and/or titanium (Ti).

The thin film transistor 210 according to one embodiment is a top gate type in which the gate electrode 231 is disposed on top of the semiconductor layer 211, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the thin film transistor 210 according to another embodiment is The thin film transistor 210 may be a bottom gate type in which the gate electrode 231 is disposed below the semiconductor layer 211.

In order to ensure insulation between the semiconductor layer 211 and the gate electrode 213, a gate insulating film 120 containing an inorganic material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and/or silicon oxynitride is formed between the semiconductor layer 211 and the gate electrode 213. It may be interposed between the gate electrodes 213. In addition, an interlayer insulating film 130 containing an inorganic material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride and/or silicon oxynitride may be disposed on the top of the gate electrode 213, and the source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b may be disposed on such interlayer insulating film 130. In this way, an insulating film containing an inorganic material may be formed through CVD or ALD (atomic layer deposition). This also applies to the embodiments and modifications thereof described later.

A buffer layer 110 containing an inorganic material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and/or silicon oxynitride may be interposed between the thin film transistor 210 of this structure and the substrate 100. This buffer layer 110 may serve to increase the smoothness of the upper surface of the substrate 100 or to prevent or minimize impurities from the substrate 100 or the like from penetrating into the semiconductor layer 211 of the thin film transistor 210. . The buffer layer 110 may have a single-layer or multi-layer structure.

And a planarization layer 140 may be disposed on the thin film transistor 210. For example, when an organic light emitting device is disposed on the thin film transistor 210 as shown in FIG. 2C, the planarization layer 140 may serve to substantially planarize the upper part of the protective film covering the thin film transistor 210. This planarization layer 140 may be formed of an organic material such as polyimide, acrylic, BCB (Benzocyclobutene), or HMDSO (hexamethyldisiloxane). In FIG. 2C, the planarization layer 140 is shown as a single layer, but various modifications are possible, such as a multi-layer structure.

In the display area DA of the substrate 100, on the planarization layer 140, an organic light emitting device having a pixel electrode 310, a counter electrode 330, and an intermediate layer 320 interposed therebetween and including a light emitting layer. can be located. The pixel electrode 310 is electrically connected to the thin film transistor 210 by contacting either the source electrode 215a or the drain electrode 215b through an opening formed in the planarization layer 140, etc., as shown in FIG. 2C. .

A pixel definition film 150 may be disposed on the planarization layer 140. This pixel definition film 150 serves to define a pixel by having an opening corresponding to each subpixel, that is, an opening that exposes at least the central portion of the pixel electrode 310. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2C, the pixel defining film 150 increases the distance between the edge of the pixel electrode 310 and the counter electrode 330 on the top of the pixel electrode 310, thereby ) can play a role in preventing arcs, etc. from occurring at the edges. The pixel defining layer 150 may be formed of an organic material such as polyimide, acrylic, benzocyclobutene (BCB), or hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO).

The intermediate layer 320 of the organic light emitting device may include a low molecule or high molecule material. When containing low molecular materials, a Hole Injection Layer (HIL), Hole Transport Layer (HTL), Emission Layer (EML), Electron Transport Layer (ETL), and Electron Injection Layer (EIL) : Electron Injection Layer) can have a single or complex laminated structure, including copper phthalocyanine (CuPc: copper phthalocyanine), N,N-di(naphthalen-1-yl)-N,N'-diphenyl -Benzidine (N,N'-Di(naphthalene-1-yl)-N,N'-diphenyl-benzidine: NPB), tris-8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq3), etc. It may contain various organic substances, including: These layers can be formed by vacuum deposition.

When the intermediate layer 320 includes a polymer material, it may generally have a structure including a hole transport layer (HTL) and an emission layer (EML). At this time, the hole transport layer may include PEDOT, and the light-emitting layer may include a polymer material such as poly-phenylenevinylene (PPV)-based or polyfluorene-based. This intermediate layer 320 can be formed by screen printing, inkjet printing, laser induced thermal imaging (LITI), or the like.

Of course, the middle layer 320 is not necessarily limited to this, and may have various structures. Additionally, the middle layer 320 may include a layer that is integrated across the plurality of pixel electrodes 310, or it may include a layer patterned to correspond to each of the plurality of pixel electrodes 310.

The counter electrode 330 is disposed on the display area DA, and may be arranged to cover the display area DA as shown in FIG. 2 . That is, the counter electrode 330 may be formed integrally with the plurality of organic light emitting elements and correspond to the plurality of pixel electrodes 310.

Since these organic light emitting devices can be easily damaged by moisture or oxygen from the outside, the encapsulation layer 400 can cover these organic light emitting devices to protect them. The encapsulation layer 400 covers the pixel area DA and may extend to the outside of the pixel area DA. This encapsulation layer 400 may include a first inorganic encapsulation layer 410, an organic encapsulation layer 420, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer 430, as shown in FIG. 2C.

The first inorganic encapsulation layer 410 covers the counter electrode 330 and may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and/or silicon oxynitride. Of course, if necessary, other layers such as a capping layer may be interposed between the first inorganic encapsulation layer 410 and the counter electrode 330. Since this first inorganic encapsulation layer 410 is formed along the structure below it, its upper surface is not flat, as shown in FIG. 2C. The organic encapsulation layer 420 covers the first inorganic encapsulation layer 410, and unlike the first inorganic encapsulation layer 410, its upper surface can be substantially flat. Specifically, the organic encapsulation layer 420 may have a substantially flat top surface in a portion corresponding to the display area DA. This organic encapsulation layer 420 may include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, polyimide, polyethylene sulfonate, polyoxymethylene, polyarylate, and hexamethyldisiloxane. there is. The second inorganic encapsulation layer 430 covers the organic encapsulation layer 420 and may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and/or silicon oxynitride. The second inorganic encapsulation layer 430 contacts the first inorganic encapsulation layer 410 at its magnetic field located outside the display area DA, thereby preventing the organic encapsulation layer 420 from being exposed to the outside.

As such, the encapsulation layer 400 includes a first inorganic encapsulation layer 410, an organic encapsulation layer 420, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer 430. Through this multilayer structure, cracks are formed within the encapsulation layer 400. Even if this occurs, it is possible to prevent such cracks from connecting between the first inorganic encapsulation layer 410 and the organic encapsulation layer 420 or between the organic encapsulation layer 420 and the second inorganic encapsulation layer 430. Through this, it is possible to prevent or minimize the formation of a path through which moisture or oxygen from the outside penetrates into the display area DA.

A touch screen layer 700 including a touch electrode 710 is disposed on the encapsulation layer 400, and a cover layer 730 that protects the touch screen layer 700 may be disposed on the touch screen layer 700. there is.

For example, the touch screen layer 700 is a capacitive type, and when the cover layer 730 is touched, a change in the mutual capacitance formed between the touch electrodes 710 of the touch screen layer 700 occurs. And by detecting this, it is possible to determine whether or not the relevant part is in contact. Alternatively, the touch screen layer 700 can determine whether or not there is contact in various ways, such as by detecting a change in capacitance between the touch electrode 710 and the counter electrode 330 and determining whether or not the relevant part is in contact. You can.

The touch electrode 710 is connected to a touch wire 720 for transmitting a signal detected by the touch electrode 710, and the touch wire 720 extends from the top of the encapsulation layer 400 to the encapsulation layer 400. It may extend into the non-display area along one side of . The touch wire 720 is connected to the touch screen layer 700, extends from the top of the encapsulation layer 400, and may be at least partially disposed in the bending area BA. In some embodiments, the touch wire 720 may be disposed across the bending area BA. The touch wire 720 extends from the top of the encapsulation layer 400 along one side of the encapsulation layer 400, and at this time, one side of the encapsulation layer 400 may be curved. The curve may be formed by forming a step between the planarization layer 140 and the pixel definition layer 150, as shown in FIG. 2C. Due to the bending, the touch wire 720 may extend from the top of the encapsulation layer 400 to the unsealed area with a gentle slope.

The touch electrode 710 and the touch wire 720 may be a single layer or a multilayer layer made of a conductive material with good conductivity. For example, the touch electrode 710 and the touch wire 720 may be a single layer or a multilayer layer made of a conductive material including aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), and/or titanium (Ti). The touch electrode 710 may include the same material as the touch wire 720.

The cover layer 730 has flexible characteristics and is made of polymethyl methacrylate, polydimethylsiloxane, polyimide, acrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, It may be formed of polyethylene naphthalate, etc. The cover layer 730 may be disposed on the touch screen layer 700 to protect the touch screen layer 700.

A touch buffer layer 610 may be provided between the encapsulation layer 400 and the touch screen layer 700. The touch buffer layer 610 prevents damage to the encapsulation layer 400 and may serve to block interference signals that may occur when the touch screen layer 700 is driven. The touch buffer layer 610 may contain an inorganic material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, titanium oxide, or titanium nitride, or an organic material such as polyimide, polyester, or acrylic. and may be formed of a plurality of laminates among the exemplified materials.

The touch buffer layer 610 is formed directly on the encapsulation layer 400 by deposition, etc., and the touch screen layer 700 is also formed directly on the touch buffer layer 610, so a separate adhesive layer is formed on the encapsulation layer 400. does not require Accordingly, the thickness of the display device may be reduced.

The non-display area includes a bending area (BA), and a fan-out wire 720a crossing the bending area (BA) is disposed in the non-display area. The fan-out wire 720a is electrically connected to the signal wires 213b, 213c, and 215c that apply electrical signals to the thin film transistor 210 or the display element 300 disposed in the display area DA. In this specification, the fan-out wire 720a and the signal wires 213b, 213c, and 215c are electrically connected to each other, meaning that the fan-out wire 720a is directly connected to the first signal wire 213b through a contact hole as shown in FIG. 2C. It includes not only being connected, but also being indirectly connected to the second signal wire 213c or the third signal wire 215c through the first signal wire 213b.

The first signal wire 213b may be electrically connected to the second signal wire 213c or the third signal wire 215c inside the display area DA. In some embodiments, the second signal wire 213c or the third signal wire 215c may be a gate line that applies a signal to the gate electrode 213. In some embodiments, the second signal wire 213c or the third signal wire 215c may be a data line that applies a signal to the source electrode 215a or the drain electrode 215b. In some embodiments, the first signal wire 213b may be connected to the second signal wire 213c through a via hole.

In some embodiments, the first signal wire 213b and the second signal wire 213c may be made of the same material as the gate electrode 213. The third signal wire 215c may be made of the same material as the source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b.

The fan-out wire 720a is made of the same material as the touch wire 720. The fan-out wiring 720a may be formed simultaneously with the touch wiring 720 under the same process conditions. In some embodiments, the fan-out wire 720a and the touch wire 720 may include aluminum (Al). In some embodiments, the fan-out wire 720a and the touch wire 720 may be made of Ti/Al/Ti.

In some embodiments, the fan-out wire 720a is made of the same material as the touch wire 720, while the fan-out wire 720a is formed of the signal wires 213b, 213c, and 215c, the source electrode 215a, or the drain wire. It may be made of a different material from the electrode 215b.

In some embodiments, the fan-out wire 720a may include the same material as that included in the signal wires 213b, 213c, and 215c, the source electrode 215a, or the drain electrode 215b.

The fan-out wiring 720a and the touch wiring 720 may be formed through a low-temperature film forming process of about 90 degrees or less. This may be to protect the already formed display element 300, etc. On the other hand, the signal wires 213b, 213c, and 215c, the source electrode 215a, and the drain electrode 215b are formed before the display element 300 or the encapsulation layer 400 is formed, and are formed at an angle of 90 degrees or more, e.g. For example, it can be formed through a high temperature film forming process of about 150 degrees.

Accordingly, even when the fan-out wire 720a is formed of the same material as the signal wires 213b, 213c, and 215c, the source electrode 215a, or the drain electrode 215b, the resistivity values and grain sizes are different from each other. may be different. For example, when formed of the same material, the resistivity value of the fan-out wire 720a may be about 25% higher than the resistivity value of the signal wires 213b, 213c, and 215c. In this case, the grain size of the fan-out wire 720a may be smaller than the grain size of the signal wires 213b, 213c, and 215c.

In some embodiments, the fan-out wire 720a and the signal wires 213b, 213c, and 215c may have different thicknesses. For example, the thickness of the fan-out wire 720a may be smaller than the thickness of the third signal wire 215c, which is formed of the same material as the source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b. In some embodiments, the thickness of the fan-out wire 720a may be about 50% of the thickness of the third signal wire 215c.

The organic material layer 160 is provided in at least a portion of the bending area BA between the fan-out wire 720a and the substrate 100. The organic material layer 160 may serve to prevent cracks from occurring in the fan-out wiring 720a disposed on the bending area BA when the display device is bent. The organic material layer 160 can absorb tensile stress generated by bending of the substrate 100, etc., thereby effectively minimizing the concentration of tensile stress on the fan-out wiring 720a.

The organic layer 160 may be formed simultaneously with the planarization layer 140, the pixel defining layer 150, the organic encapsulation layer 420 of the encapsulation layer 400, or the touch buffer layer 610 of the same material. That is, the organic material layer 160 can be formed simultaneously in the mask process of forming the planarization layer 140, the pixel definition film 150, the organic encapsulation layer 420 of the encapsulation layer 400, or the touch buffer layer 610. , a separate mask process for forming the organic material layer 160 can be reduced. Meanwhile, the buffer layer 110, the gate insulating film 120, or the interlayer insulating film 130 may also include an organic material. In this case, the organic material layer 160 is the buffer layer 110, the gate insulating film 120, or the interlayer insulating film. Of course, it can be formed simultaneously with (130) and the same material.

If the fan-out wire 720a is formed at the same time as the signal wires 213b, 213c, 215c, the source electrode 215a, or the drain electrode 215b, a separate mask must be used to form the organic layer 160. do. In embodiments of the present invention, by forming the fan-out wiring 720a simultaneously with the touch wiring 720, the organic material layer 160 is formed simultaneously with the layer containing an organic material disposed in the display area DA, thereby performing a mask process. It has a reducing effect.

Meanwhile, the buffer layer 110, the gate insulating film 120, and the interlayer insulating film 130 containing an inorganic material can be collectively referred to as an inorganic insulating layer. This inorganic insulating layer may have an opening corresponding to the bending area BA, as shown in FIG. 2C. That is, the buffer layer 110, the gate insulating film 120, and the interlayer insulating film 130 may each have openings 110a, 120a, and 130a corresponding to the bending area BA. The fact that this opening corresponds to the bending area (BA) may be understood as the opening overlapping the bending area (BA). At this time, the area of the opening may be larger than the area of the bending area (BA). For this purpose, in Figure 2c, the width of the opening (OW) is shown to be wider than the width of the bending area (BA). Here, the area of the opening may be defined as the area of the narrowest opening among the openings 110a, 120a, and 130a of the buffer layer 110, the gate insulating film 120, and the interlayer insulating film 130. In Figure 2c, the buffer layer ( It is shown that the area of the opening 110a is defined by the area of the opening 110a (110).

The display device according to this embodiment includes an organic material layer 160 that fills at least a portion of the opening of the inorganic insulating layer. In Figure 2c, the organic material layer 160 is shown filling the entire opening. The fan-out wire 720a extends from the first area 1A to the second area 2A through the bending area BA, and is located on the organic material layer 160. Of course, in places where the organic material layer 160 does not exist, the fan-out wiring 720a may be located on an inorganic insulating layer such as the interlayer insulating film 130.

Since the hardness of the inorganic insulating layer is higher than that of the organic material layer 160, the probability of cracks occurring in the inorganic insulating layer in the bending area (BA) is very high. If a crack occurs in the inorganic insulating layer, the crack propagates to the fan-out wiring 720a. The probability of it happening increases. Of course, the propagation of cracks can be blocked by the organic material layer 160, but by forming openings in the inorganic insulating layer, the probability of cracks occurring in the inorganic insulating layer can be further reduced. Accordingly, concentration of tensile stress on the fan-out wiring 720a can be minimized.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 2C, it may be considered that the organic material layer 160 covers the inner surface of the opening of the inorganic insulating layer. In order to form various wires of a display device, a conductive material layer can be formed on the entire surface of the substrate 100 and then patterned to form various wires. If the organic material layer 160 does not cover the inner surface of the opening 110a of the buffer layer 110, the inner surface of the opening 120a of the gate insulating film 120, or the inner surface of the opening 130a of the interlayer insulating film 130. If not, in the process of patterning the conductive material layer, the conductive material is applied to the inner surface of the opening 110a of the buffer layer 110, the inner surface of the opening 120a of the gate insulating film 120, or the opening of the interlayer insulating film 130. It may not be removed from the inner surface of (130a) and may remain there. In such a case, the remaining conductive material may cause a short circuit between different conductive layers. Therefore, when forming the organic material layer 160, it is preferable that the organic material layer 160 covers the inner surface of the opening of the inorganic insulating layer. For reference, in FIG. 2C, the organic material layer 160 is shown as having a uniform thickness, but unlike this, it has different thicknesses depending on the location, such as the inner surface of the opening 110a of the buffer layer 110 or the opening of the gate insulating film 120 ( The slope of the curvature of the upper surface of the organic material layer 160 may be made gentle near the inner surface of 120a) or the inner surface of the opening 130a of the interlayer insulating film 130.

The display device according to this embodiment may further include a protective film 170 that protects the substrate 100. This protective film 170 is a lower protective film that protects the lower surface of the substrate 100, and may have an opening 170OP as shown in FIG. 2C. This opening 170OP corresponds to the bending area BA, and the area of the opening 170OP can be larger than the area of the bending area BA. In FIG. 2C, the width of the opening 170OP is shown to be wider than the width of the bending area BA.

Since the protective film 170 serves to protect the lower surface of the substrate 100, it may have its own rigidity. Accordingly, if the flexibility of the protective film 170 is low, peeling may occur between the protective film 170 and the substrate 100 as the substrate 100 is bent. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2C, by having the protective film 170 have an opening 170OP corresponding to the bending area BA, such peeling can be effectively prevented. To this end, as described above, it is preferable that the area of the opening 170OP of the protective film 170 be larger than the area of the bending area BA. In FIG. 2C, the protective film 170 is shown as being removed from the bending area BA, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The protective film 170 is not completely removed from the bending area BA and can be modified in various ways, such as being formed to be thinner than the first area 1A or the second area 2A.

Meanwhile, a bending protection layer (BPL) 600 may be located outside the display area DA. That is, the bending protection layer 600 can be positioned on the fan-out wiring 720a at least corresponding to the bending area BA.

When bending a laminate, a stress neutral plane exists within the laminate. If the bending protection layer 600 does not exist, excessive tensile stress, etc. may be applied to the fan-out wiring 720a within the bending area BA as the substrate 100 is bent. This is because the location of the fan-out wire 720a may not correspond to the stress neutral plane. However, by allowing the bending protection layer 600 to exist and controlling its thickness and modulus, a stress-neutral plane is achieved in the laminate including the substrate 100, the fan-out wiring 720a, and the bending protection layer 600. The position of can be adjusted. Therefore, by positioning the stress neutral plane near the fan-out wiring 720a through the bending protection layer 600, the tensile stress applied to the fan-out wiring 720a can be minimized.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 2C, the upper surface of the bending protection layer 600 in the display area DA direction (-x direction) is shown to coincide with the upper surface of the cover layer 730 (+z direction), but the present invention is limited to this. It doesn't work. For example, an end of the bending protection layer 600 in the display area DA direction (-x direction) may cover a portion of the upper surface of the edge of the cover layer 730. Alternatively, the end of the bending protection layer 600 in the display area (DA) direction (-x direction) may not contact the cover layer 730, and the bending protection layer 600 extends to the top of the display area (DA). Various modifications are possible, such as covering the touch electrode 710.

The bending protection layer 600 can be formed by applying a liquid or paste-type material and curing it. In this case, the volume of the bending protection layer 600 may decrease during the curing process. At this time, when the part of the bending protection layer 600 in the display area (DA) direction (-x direction) is in contact with the cover layer 730, the position of the corresponding part of the bending protection layer 600 is fixed, thereby protecting the bending. A volume reduction occurs in the remaining portion of layer 600. As a result, the thickness of the portion of the bending protection layer 600 in the display area DA direction (-x direction) may be thicker than the thickness of other portions of the bending protection layer 600.

The bending protection layer 600 may expose the terminal 21 (see FIG. 2B) of the second area 2A. In the second area 2A, the terminal 21 may be for connection to a control unit such as various electronic devices or a printed circuit board.

Figure 3A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3A , the cover layer 730 may extend from the top of the touch screen layer 700 to the non-display area and cover the fan-out wire 720a. Accordingly, the cover layer 730 may serve to protect the touch screen layer 700 and the fan-out wiring 720a at the same time. As shown in FIG. 3A, the cover layer 730 may be provided to extend integrally from the display area DA to at least the bending area BA. In this case, the cover layer 730 may function as a bending protection layer 600 (see FIG. 2C). That is, the cover layer 730 can adjust the position of the stress neutral plane in the bending area BA. By allowing a stress-neutral plane to be located near the fan-out wiring 720a through the cover layer 730, tensile stress applied to the fan-out wiring 720a can be minimized.

Figure 3b is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3B, the cover layer 730 may extend from the top of the touch screen layer 700 to the non-display area and cover the fan-out wire 720a. That is, the cover layer 730 may be provided to extend integrally from the display area DA to at least the bending area BA. Additionally, a bending protection layer 600 may be further provided on the cover layer 730 in the non-display area. As described above, the bending protection layer 600 may be introduced to minimize the tensile stress applied to the fan-out wiring 720a by positioning the stress neutral plane near the fan-out wiring 720a.

In the drawings of the embodiments to be described later, the case where the cover layer 730 extends to the bending area BA is shown, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. As described above, the bending protection layer 600 may be disposed in the bending area BA instead of the cover layer 730, and the cover layer 730 and the bending protection layer 600 may be disposed at the same time or may not be disposed at all. Various modifications are possible, including:

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4A, the touch electrode 710 is formed by sequentially stacking a first touch conductive layer 711, a first insulating layer 712, a second touch conductive layer 713, and a second insulating layer 714, The first touch conductive layer 711 and the second touch conductive layer 713 may have an electrically connected structure. In some embodiments, the first insulating layer 712 includes a via hole that exposes the top surface of the first touch conductive layer 711, and the first touch conductive layer 711 and the second touch conductive layer are connected through the via hole. Layers 713 may be connected.

As the first touch conductive layer 711 and the second touch conductive layer 713 are used in this way, the resistance of the touch electrode 710 is reduced, and the response speed of the touch screen layer 700 can be improved.

In some embodiments, the fan-out wire 720a and the touch wire 720 may be made of the same material as the first touch conductive layer 711 or the second touch conductive layer 713. In some embodiments, the fan-out wiring 720a and the touch wiring 720 are made of the same material as the first and second touch conductive layers 713 and the first touch conductive layer 711. The second layer may be provided in a laminated structure.

The first touch conductive layer 711 and the second touch conductive layer 713 may each be a single layer or a multilayer layer made of a conductive material with good conductivity. For example, the first touch conductive layer 711 and the second touch conductive layer 713 are each a single film made of a conductive material containing aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), and/or titanium (Ti), etc. It may be a multilayer film. In some embodiments, the first touch conductive layer 711 and the second touch conductive layer 713 may each have a stacked structure of Ti/Al/Ti.

The first insulating layer 712 may be made of an inorganic or organic material. The inorganic material may include silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, zirconium nitride, titanium nitride, hafnium nitride, tantalum nitride, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, tin oxide, It may be at least one of cerium oxide or silicon oxynitride. The organic material may be at least one of acrylic resin, methacrylic resin, polyisoprene, vinyl resin, epoxy resin, urethane resin, cellulose resin, and perylene resin.

The second insulating layer 714 may be formed of an organic material. The second insulating layer 714 may include at least one of acrylic resin, methacrylic resin, polyisoprene, vinyl resin, epoxy resin, urethane resin, cellulose resin, and perylene resin.

In this case, the organic material layer 160 may be formed simultaneously with the first insulating layer 712 or the second insulating layer 714 of the same material.

Until now, the organic material layer 160 has been composed of the planarization layer 140, the pixel definition layer 150, the organic encapsulation layer 420 of the encapsulation layer 400, the touch buffer layer 610, the first insulating layer 712, or the second insulating layer 712. It has been explained that it can be formed simultaneously with the same material as the insulating layer 714. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the organic layer 160 includes the planarization layer 140, the pixel definition layer 150, the organic encapsulation layer 420 of the encapsulation layer 400, the touch buffer layer 610, the first insulating layer 712, or the second insulating layer. It may be formed in a separate process from the process of forming the layer 714.

Additionally, the buffer film 110, the gate insulating film 120, and/or the interlayer insulating film 130 may be formed of an organic material. In this case, the organic material layer 160 may be formed of the buffer film 110, the gate insulating film 120, or It may be formed of the same material as the interlayer insulating film 130.

4B and 4C are cross-sectional views schematically showing a portion of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The difference between the display device according to this embodiment and the display device according to the above-described embodiment is that an additional conductive layer 215d is further provided below the fan-out wiring 720a. As described above, if the fan-out wire 720a is formed simultaneously with the touch wire 720 and the same material, the additional conductive layer 215d may be formed simultaneously with the source electrode 215a or the drain electrode 215b. You can. This additional conductive layer 215d may be located below the fan-out wiring 720a at least in the bending area BA so as to be electrically connected to the fan-out wiring 720a.

In the case of the display device according to this embodiment, the fan-out wire 720a and the additional conductive layer 215d exist in the bending area BA, so the conductive layer in the bending area BA has a multilayer structure. . Therefore, even if a defect such as a crack occurs in the fan-out wiring 720a in the bending area BA, the electrical signal can be transmitted to the display area DA without a problem by the additional conductive layer 215d. Alternatively, even if a defect such as a crack occurs in the additional conductive layer 215d, the electric signal can be transmitted to the display area DA without a problem through the fan-out wiring 720a.

In this embodiment, the fan-out wire 720a and the touch wire 720 are made of the same material as the first touch conductive layer 711, as shown in FIG. 4B, or are made of the second touch conductive layer 713, as shown in FIG. 4C. It may be provided with the same material.

Figure 4D is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The difference between the display device according to this embodiment and the display device according to the embodiment described above with reference to FIG. 4B is that the fan-out wiring 720a is a first layer made of the same material as the first touch conductive layer 711. The second layer 723a, which is made of the same material as 721a and the second touch conductive layer 713, is provided in a stacked structure.

In this embodiment, the touch wiring 720 is made of the same material as the first touch conductive layer 711, and the second wiring layer is made of the same material as the second touch conductive layer 713. (723) may be provided in a stacked structure.

In the case of the display device according to this embodiment, the conductive layer has a multi-layer structure in the bending area (BA), so even if a crack occurs in one conductive layer, the electrical signal can be transmitted to the display area (DA) without problem. You can.

Figure 4e is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4E, an additional conductive layer 215d is disposed below the fan-out wiring 720a. The additional conductive layer 215d may be formed by extending the signal wire 213b through the bending area BA. That is, the additional conductive layer 215d may be made of the same material as the gate electrode 213. In this embodiment, the additional conductive layer 215d forms a multi-layer structure by directly contacting the fan-out wiring 720a in the bending area BA.

In the case of the display device according to this embodiment, the fan-out wire 720a and the additional conductive layer 215d exist in the bending area BA, so the conductive layer in the bending area BA has a multilayer structure. . Therefore, even if a defect such as a crack occurs in the fan-out wiring 720a in the bending area BA, the electrical signal can be transmitted to the display area DA without a problem by the additional conductive layer 215d. Alternatively, even if a defect such as a crack occurs in the additional conductive layer 215d, the electric signal can be transmitted to the display area DA without a problem through the fan-out wiring 720a.

As described above, the fan-out wiring 720a may be made of the same material as the first touch conductive layer 711 or the second touch conductive layer 713. In addition, the fan-out wiring 720a has a structure in which a first layer made of the same material as the first touch conductive layer 711 and a second layer made of the same material as the second touch conductive layer 713 are stacked. It can be.

4F and 4G are cross-sectional views schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4F, the display device according to this embodiment includes an additional conductive layer 215d below the fan-out wiring 720a in the bending area BA, and the fan-out wiring 720a and the additional conductive layer 215d. ) and an insulating layer 180 is provided between them.

As described above, the fan-out wiring 720a may be formed simultaneously with the touch wiring 720 and the same material, and the additional conductive layer 215d may be formed of the source electrode 215a, the drain electrode 215b, or the gate electrode ( 213) and can be formed simultaneously from the same material. This additional conductive layer 215d may be connected through a via hole provided in the insulating layer 180 to be electrically connected to the fan-out wiring 720a. The via hole is connected to the first area 1A and/or the second area ( 2A) can be placed.

The additional conductive layer 215d and the fan-out wire 720a may be arranged entirely over the bending area BA, as in the above-described embodiments, or may be arranged overlapping only in some areas, and various modifications are possible.

The insulating layer 180 may be made of an organic or inorganic material. The insulating layer 180 is made of the same material as the planarization film 140, the pixel defining film 150, the inorganic encapsulation layer 410, 430, the organic encapsulation layer 420, and the touch buffer layer 610 of the encapsulation layer 400. can be formed simultaneously.

Referring to FIG. 4g, the additional conductive layer 215d may exist only in a portion of the bending area BA. For example, the additional conductive layer 215d may be present at both ends of the bending area BA and contact the fan-out wire 720a. Alternatively, various modifications are possible, such as the additional conductive layer 215d being present only at one end of the bending area BA.

Referring to FIG. 4H, in the bending area BA, the fan-out wire 720a may exist only in a portion of the bending area BA. For example, the fan-out wiring 720a may be present at both ends of the bending area BA and be in contact with the additional conductive layer 215d. Alternatively, various modifications are possible, such as the fan-out wiring 720a being present only at one end of the bending area BA.

Figure 4i is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The display device according to this embodiment includes a thin film transistor 210' in addition to the thin film transistor 210 in the display area DA. The thin film transistor 210' includes a semiconductor layer 211', a source electrode 215a', a drain electrode 215b', and a gate electrode 213'. At this time, the semiconductor layer 211' includes the same material as the semiconductor layer 211 and may be located on the same layer, and the source electrode 215a' and the drain electrode 215b' are also formed by the source electrode 215a and the drain electrode ( It contains the same material as 215b) and can be located in the same layer. However, the gate electrode 213' may be located on a different layer from the gate electrode 213. The fact that the gate electrode 213' and the gate electrode 213 are located in different layers may mean that the gate electrode 213' and the gate electrode 213 are not formed at the same time, but are formed through different process steps. .

Specifically, the gate insulating film 120' is located on the gate insulating film 120, and the source electrode 215a, the drain electrode 215b, the source electrode 215a', and the drain electrode 215b' are located on the gate insulating film 120'. ) may be located on the interlayer insulating film 130 covering the layer. In addition, the gate electrode 213 may be located on the gate insulating film 120, the gate insulating film 120' may cover the gate electrode 213, and the gate electrode 213' may be located on the gate insulating film 120'. there is.

Meanwhile, in some embodiments, a wiring disposed on the same layer as the gate electrode 213' and/or an electrode of a capacitor (not shown) disposed on the same layer as the gate electrode 213' may be additionally disposed. . Additionally, in this case, the thin film transistor 210' can be modified in various ways, such as being omitted.

In this embodiment, the display device may further include a first additional conductive layer 215d' and/or a second additional conductive layer 215d'' in the bending area BA. The first additional conductive layer 215d' may be made of the same material as the gate electrode 213 and may be disposed on the same layer, and the second additional conductive layer 215d'' may be made of the same material as the gate electrode 213' and may be disposed on the same layer. can be placed in

The first additional conductive layer 215d' and/or the second additional conductive layer 215d'' may extend through the bending area BA and be disposed below the fan-out wire 720a in the bending area BA. there is. In FIG. 4I, in the bending area BA, the first additional conductive layer 215d', the second additional conductive layer 215d'', and the fan-out wiring 720a are sequentially stacked to form a multi-layer structure. Accordingly, even if a defect such as a crack occurs in the fan-out wiring 720a in the bending area BA, the first additional conductive layer 215d' and/or the second additional conductive layer 215d'' This allows the electrical signal to be transmitted to the display area DA without problems. Alternatively, even if a defect such as a crack occurs in the first additional conductive layer 215d' and/or the second additional conductive layer 215d'', the electric signal is transmitted to the display area DA without any problem due to the fan-out wiring 720a. ), of course, can be transmitted.

However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the first additional conductive layer 215d', the second additional conductive layer 215d'', and/or the fan-out wiring 720a are all disposed over the bending area BA, as in the above-described embodiments. , can be placed overlapping only in some areas.

In some embodiments, in the bending area BA, some areas are formed by overlapping the first additional conductive layer 215d' and the fan-out wiring 720a, and some areas are formed by the second additional conductive layer 215d'' and The fan-out wires 720a may be arranged to overlap. Alternatively, in some bending areas BA, only the first additional conductive layer 215d' and/or the second additional conductive layer 215d'' may be disposed without overlapping the fan-out wiring 720a. possible.

Meanwhile, an insulating layer 180 (see FIG. 4H) may be disposed between each layer of the first additional conductive layer 215d', the second additional conductive layer 215d'', and the fan-out wiring 720a. FIG. 5A to 5I are cross-sectional views showing a portion of a display device according to other embodiments of the present invention. Specifically, it is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the vicinity of the bending area (BA).

Referring to FIG. 5A, the height h1 of at least a portion of the organic material layer 160 disposed in the opening of the inorganic insulating layer may be formed to be higher than the height h2 of the inorganic insulating layer. As shown in FIG. 5A, the organic material layer 160 may be formed so that the central portion of the opening is higher than both ends of the opening. The organic material layer 160 covers the inner surface of the opening to prevent a short circuit between the conductive material that may remain on the inner surface of the opening and the fan-out wiring 720a.

Referring to FIG. 5B, the height (h1) of the organic material layer 160 disposed in the opening of the inorganic insulating layer may have substantially the same level as the height (h2) of the inorganic insulating layer. Even in this case, the organic material layer 160 covers the inner surface of the opening, thereby preventing a short circuit between the conductive material that may remain on the inner surface of the opening and the fan-out wiring 720a. The height h1 of the organic material layer 160 may be modified in various ways in consideration of tensile stress due to bending.

Referring to FIG. 5C, at least a portion of the upper surface (in the +z direction) of the organic material layer 160 disposed in the opening of the inorganic insulating layer may have an uneven surface. Accordingly, the surface area of the top surface of the organic material layer 160 and the surface area of the top and bottom surfaces of the fan-out wiring 720a within the opening are increased. The large surface area on the top surface of the organic material layer 160 and the top and bottom surfaces of the fan-out wiring 720a means that there is more room for its shape to be deformed in order to reduce tensile stress caused by bending of the substrate 100, etc. means that

For reference, since the fan-out wiring 720a is located on the organic material layer 160, the lower surface of the fan-out wiring 720a may have a shape corresponding to the uneven surface 160a of the organic material layer 160.

The uneven surface 160a on the upper surface (in the +z direction) of the organic material layer 160 can be formed through various methods. For example, when forming the organic material layer 160, a photosensitive material is used, and during the manufacturing process, the exposure amount is varied using a slit mask or a halftone mask in various parts of the organic material layer 160 whose top surface is still roughly flat to determine specific Parts can be etched (removed) relatively more than other parts. Here, the portion that is more etched can be understood as a concave portion on the top surface of the organic material layer 160. Of course, the method used when manufacturing the display device according to this embodiment is not limited to this method. For example, various methods can be used, such as forming the organic material layer 160 with a substantially flat top surface and then removing only specific portions using a method such as dry etching.

Referring to FIG. 5D, the organic material layer 160 covers the inner surface of the opening and may extend to a portion of the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer. In some embodiments, the organic material layer 160 may not be disposed in at least a portion of the central portion of the opening. The organic material layer 160 covers the inner surface of the opening, thereby preventing a short circuit between the conductive material that may remain on the inner surface of the opening and the fan-out wiring 720a. In this embodiment, since there is no inorganic insulating layer in the bending area BA, the probability of cracks being transmitted to the fan-out wiring 720a may be reduced.

Referring to FIG. 5E, the inorganic insulating layer may form a groove without forming an opening exposing the substrate 100 in the bending area BA. In other words, the inorganic insulating layer may have a structure in which only a portion of the buffer layer 110, the gate insulating film 120, and the interlayer insulating film 130 are removed from the bending area BA. For example, the buffer layer 110 may be continuous across the first area 1A, the bending area BA, and the second area 2A. Additionally, the gate insulating film 120 may have an opening 120a corresponding to the bending area BA, and the interlayer insulating film 130 may also have an opening 130a corresponding to the bending area BA. Accordingly, the inorganic insulating layer including the buffer layer 110, the gate insulating film 120, and the interlayer insulating film 130 may be understood as having a groove corresponding to the bending area BA. Of course, the inorganic insulating layer may include grooves of various different shapes. For example, a portion of the upper surface (+z direction) of the buffer layer 110 may be removed, and in contrast, the lower surface (-z direction) of the gate insulating film 120 may remain without being removed, and various modifications are possible.

In the display device according to this embodiment, the organic layer 160 may fill at least a portion of the groove. Forming a groove in the inorganic insulating layer may mean lowering the probability of crack occurrence in the inorganic insulating layer, thereby lowering the probability of cracks propagating to the fan-out wiring 720a. Of course, the propagation of cracks can be blocked by the organic material layer 160, but by forming grooves in the inorganic insulating layer, the probability of cracks occurring in the inorganic insulating layer can be further reduced. Accordingly, concentration of tensile stress on the fan-out wiring 720a can be minimized.

Referring to FIG. 5F, the inorganic insulating layer does not form an opening or groove in the bending area BA, and the organic material layer 160 may be disposed on the inorganic insulating layer. That is, the inorganic insulating layer may not form an opening in the bending area. The organic material layer 160 can absorb the tensile stress received by the inorganic insulating layer and minimize the tensile stress transmitted to the fan-out wiring 720a. The height of the organic material layer 160 can be modified in various ways.

Referring to FIG. 5G, the inorganic insulating layer does not form an opening or groove in the bending area, and the organic material layer 160 may be disposed on the inorganic insulating layer. Additionally, at least a portion of the upper surface (in the +z direction) of the organic material layer 160 may have an uneven surface. Accordingly, the surface area of the top surface of the organic material layer 160 and the surface area of the top and bottom surfaces of the fan-out wiring 720a within the opening are increased. The large surface area on the top surface of the organic material layer 160 and the top and bottom surfaces of the first conductive layer 215c means that there is more room for the shape to be deformed in order to reduce tensile stress caused by bending of the substrate 100, etc. It means everything.

Referring to FIG. 5H, in the bending area BA, the buffer layer 110, the gate insulating layer 120, or the interlayer insulating layer 130 may have a concave-convex surface. In FIG. 5H, the interlayer insulating film 130 is shown to have a concavo-convex surface 130a, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, at least one of the buffer film 110, the gate insulating film 120, the interlayer insulating film 130, or other insulating films present in the bending area BA may have a convex-convex surface.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 5H, as the interlayer insulating film 130 has an uneven surface 130a, the organic material layer 160 and the fan-out wiring 720a located on the interlayer insulating film 130 are formed on its upper surface and/or Alternatively, the lower surface may have a shape corresponding to the uneven surface 130a of the interlayer insulating film 130. In some embodiments, the organic material layer 160 may be omitted. Even if the organic material layer 160 is omitted, the amount of tensile stress can be minimized because the fan-out wiring 720a has a concavo-convex shape. As described above, during the manufacturing process, the substrate 100, etc. is placed in a bending area (BA). Tensile stress may be applied to the fan-out wiring 720a as it bends, so that the upper and/or lower surfaces of the fan-out wiring 720a have a shape corresponding to the uneven surface 130a, so that the fan-out wiring (720a) The amount of tensile stress applied to 720a) can be minimized.

Referring to FIG. 5I, in the display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, an inorganic material layer 160' instead of an organic material layer 160 is disposed between the fan-out wire 720a and the substrate 100 in the bending area BA. You can. When the inorganic material layer 160' is applied, the inorganic material layer 160' includes the first inorganic encapsulation layer 410, the second inorganic encapsulation layer 430, the touch buffer film 610, the first insulating layer 712, Alternatively, it may be made of the same material as the second insulating layer 714. Of course, if the planarization film 140 or the pixel defining film 150 is formed of an inorganic material, the inorganic material layer 160' may be made of the same material as the planarization film 140 or the pixel defining film 150.

At least a portion of the upper surface (in the +z direction) of the inorganic layer 160' may have an uneven surface 160'a. Accordingly, the surface area of the top surface of the inorganic material layer 160' and the surface area of the top and bottom surfaces of the fan-out wiring 720a within the opening are increased. The large surface area on the top surface of the inorganic layer 160' and the top and bottom surfaces of the fan-out wiring 720a allows room for its shape to be deformed in order to reduce tensile stress caused by bending of the substrate 100, etc. It means that there are more.

In the embodiments described so far, the uneven surface 160a may be formed by extending the protruding surface in a certain direction. In some embodiments, the fan-out wire 720a extends in the second direction (+x direction), and the protruding surface of the uneven surface 160a extends in the first direction (+y direction), so that the fan-out wire 720a ) and the protruding surface of the uneven surface 160a may intersect each other. The intersection angle may be 90 degrees as shown in FIG. 5J, which is a plan view conceptually showing a portion of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, or may be an angle other than 90 degrees as shown in FIG. 5K. For reference, in FIGS. 5J and 5K, reference number GD refers to the direction in which the protruding surface of the uneven surface 160a of the upper surface of the organic material layer 160 extends. In FIG. 5J, when compared to FIG. 5K, the direction in which the protruding surface of the concavo-convex surface 160a of the upper surface of the organic material layer 160 extends is shown to be inclined with respect to the second direction (+x direction), but the present invention is limited to this. It doesn't work. For example, as shown in FIG. 5K, the direction in which the uneven surface 160a of the upper surface of the organic material layer 160 extends is the first direction (+y direction), and the direction in which the fan-out wire 720a extends is the second direction (+y direction). It may be a direction inclined with respect to the second direction (+x direction) rather than the x direction (for example, a direction forming an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the second direction (+x direction)). Of course, when a plurality of fan-out wires 720a exist, some of the plurality of fan-out wires 720a have different angles with respect to the second direction (+x direction). It may be different from the angle formed with respect to the

6A and 6B are cross-sectional views schematically showing a portion of a display device according to embodiments of the present invention. Specifically, this is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the vicinity of the end of the fan-out wiring 720a.

Referring to FIG. 6A, a driving circuit unit 800 may be mounted at the end of the fan-out wire 720a. The driving circuit unit 800 is electrically connected to the signal wires 213b, 213c, and 215c through the fan-out wire 720a and provides a driving signal to the display area DA. The driving signal refers to various signals that drive the display device, such as driving voltage, gate signal, and data signal.

Referring to FIG. 6B, the fan-out wire 720a may be connected to the lower fan-out wire 213d in the second area 2A. The lower fan-out wiring 213d may be disposed on the gate insulating film 120 and may be formed of the same material as the gate electrode 213. The fan-out wire 720a may be connected to the lower fan-out wire 213d through a contact hole. An upper fan-out wire 215d may be additionally disposed at the end of the lower fan-out wire 213d. The upper fan-out wiring 215d may be formed of the same material as the source electrode 215a or the drain electrode 215b, or may be formed of the same material as the fan-out wiring 720a.

Here, various modifications are possible, such as the lower fan-out wiring 213d or the upper fan-out wiring 215e being omitted.

A driving circuit unit 800 may be mounted at the end of the upper fan-out wire 215e or the lower fan-out wire 213d. The driving circuit unit 800 is electrically connected to the signal wires 213b, 213c, and 215c through the upper fan-out wire 215e or the lower fan-out wire 213d and the fan-out wire 720a, and is connected to the display area DA. Provides a driving signal. The driving signal refers to various signals that drive the display device, such as driving voltage, gate signal, and data signal.

7A to 7I are cross-sectional views sequentially showing a method of manufacturing a display device according to embodiments of the present invention. This example illustrates the manufacturing process of the display device disclosed in FIG. 2C.

Referring to FIG. 7A, after sequentially stacking the buffer layer 111 and the semiconductor material layer on the substrate 100, the semiconductor material layer may be patterned to form the semiconductor layer 211.

The substrate 100 may include various materials having flexible or bendable properties, such as polyethersulphone (PES), polyacrylate (PAR), polyetherimide (PEI), and polyethylene. Naphthalate (polyethylenen napthalate, PEN), polyethyeleneterepthalate (PET), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyallylate, polyimide (PI), polycarbonate (PC) ) or a polymer resin such as cellulose acetate propionate (CAP).

First, a buffer layer 111 and a semiconductor material are deposited over the entire surface of the substrate 100. The buffer layer 111 may include an inorganic material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and/or silicon oxynitride. The semiconductor material layer may be formed of a semiconductor including amorphous silicon, crystalline silicon, or an organic semiconductor material. The buffer layer 111 and the semiconductor material layer may be deposited by various deposition methods.

Thereafter, the semiconductor layer 211 can be formed by forming a photoresist pattern on the semiconductor material layer using a mask and then patterning the semiconductor material layer.

Referring to FIG. 7B, after forming the gate insulating film 120 covering the semiconductor layer 211 on the entire surface of the substrate 100, a first conductive material layer is deposited on the gate insulating film 120. After forming a photoresist pattern on the first conductive material layer using a mask, the gate electrode 213, the first signal wire 213b, and the second signal wire 213c are formed by patterning the first conductive material layer. can be formed. The gate electrode 213 may be formed to overlap the semiconductor layer 211.

The gate insulating film 120 may include an inorganic material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and/or silicon oxynitride, and may be deposited using various deposition methods.

The first conductive material layer may be formed of a low-resistance metal material. For example, the first conductive material layer may include molybdenum (Mo), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), and/or titanium (Ti). The first conductive material layer may be a single layer or a multilayer layer.

The first conductive material layer can be deposited by various deposition methods, and the first conductive material layer can be deposited at a high temperature of 90 degrees or more, for example, about 150 degrees to improve conductivity and lower the resistivity value. .

After forming the gate electrode 213, the first signal wire 213b, and the second signal wire 213c, the gate electrode 213, the first signal wire 213b, and the second signal wire 213c are covered. An interlayer insulating film 130 is formed. The interlayer insulating film 130 may include an inorganic material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and/or silicon oxynitride, and may be deposited using various deposition methods.

After that, a photoresist pattern is formed on the interlayer insulating film 130 using a mask, and then the interlayer insulating film 130 and the gate insulating film 120 are simultaneously etched to expose the contact hole (C1) exposing the semiconductor layer 211. , C2), a contact hole C3 exposing the first signal wire 213b, an opening 130a of the interlayer insulating film 130 in the non-display area, and an opening 120a of the gate insulating film 120 can be formed. there is. The opening 130a of the interlayer insulating film 130 and the opening 120a of the gate insulating film 120 may not be formed depending on the case.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7C, an opening 130a of the interlayer insulating film 130 and an opening 110a of the buffer layer 110 are formed inside the opening 120a of the gate insulating film 120. The opening 110a of the buffer layer 110 may be formed using a mask separate from the opening 130a of the interlayer insulating film 130 and the opening 120a of the gate insulating film 120. If the opening 110a of the buffer layer 110 is formed simultaneously with the opening 130a of the interlayer insulating film 130 and the opening 120a of the gate insulating film 120, damage may be caused to the semiconductor layer 211, etc. Because there is.

Referring to FIG. 7D, a second conductive material layer is deposited on the interlayer insulating film 130, a photoresist pattern is formed on the second conductive material layer using a mask, and then the source is patterned by patterning the second conductive material. An electrode 215a, a drain electrode 215b, and a third signal wire 215c can be formed. The source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b may be connected to the source and drain regions of the semiconductor layer 211 through contact holes C1 and C2 that expose the semiconductor layer 211, respectively. According to one embodiment, the source region and drain region may be formed by doping.

The second conductive material layer may be formed of a low-resistance metal material. For example, the second conductive material layer may include aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), and/or titanium (Ti). The second conductive material layer may be a single layer or a multilayer layer.

The second conductive material layer can be deposited by various deposition methods, and the second conductive material layer can be deposited at a high temperature of 90 degrees or more, for example, about 150 degrees, to improve conductivity and lower the resistivity value. .

Thereafter, the first organic material is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 100 through application or deposition, and then the planarization layer 140 and the organic material layer 160 are simultaneously formed through a mask process. By forming the planarization layer 140 and the organic material layer 160 simultaneously, a separate mask process for forming the organic material layer 160 can be reduced.

The first organic material may be an organic material such as polyimide, acrylic, BCB (Benzocyclobutene), or HMDSO (hexamethyldisiloxane). The first organic material may be a photosensitive organic material. Accordingly, the planarization layer 140 and the organic material layer 160 can be formed through a process of partially exposing, developing, and curing using a mask. The heights of the planarization layer 140 and the organic material layer 160 may be different from each other. This is because by varying the exposure amount using a slit mask or halftone mask, certain parts can be removed relatively more than other parts. The planarization layer 140 may include an opening OP1 exposing the source electrode 215a or the drain electrode 215b.

The organic material layer 160 may be formed simultaneously with the planarization layer 140 and the organic encapsulation layer 420 of the pixel defining layer 150 or the encapsulation layer 400, and other variations are possible.

Referring to FIG. 7E, a third conductive material is deposited on the planarization layer 140, a photoresist pattern is formed on the third conductive material layer using a mask, and then the third conductive material is etched to form a pixel electrode. It forms (310). The pixel electrode 310 fills the opening OP1 of the planarization layer 140 and is connected to the source electrode 215a or the drain electrode 215b.

The third conductive material is indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), indium oxide (In ₂ O ₃ ), and indium. It may be at least one transparent conductive oxide selected from the group including gallium oxide (IGO; indium gallium oxide) and aluminum zinc oxide (AZO). In addition to the transparent conductive oxide, silver (Ag), magnesium (Mg) ), aluminum (Al), platinum (Pt), lead (Pd), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), niobium (Nd), iridium (Ir), chromium (Cr), etc. there is.

Next, a second organic material covering the pixel electrode 310 is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 100. The second organic material may be an organic material such as polyimide, acrylic, BCB (Benzocyclobutene), or HMDSO (hexamethyldisiloxane). The second organic material may be a photosensitive organic material. Accordingly, the pixel definition film 150 that exposes the central portion of the pixel electrode 310 can be formed through a process of partially exposing, developing, and curing using a mask.

At an edge located outside the display area DA, the pixel definition film 150 may form a step with the planarization layer 140. Accordingly, the edge area outside the display area DA may be gently curved in a step shape by organic materials.

As described above, the organic material layer 160 may be formed simultaneously in the process of forming the pixel defining layer 150.

Referring to FIG. 7F, after forming the intermediate layer 320 of the organic light emitting device on the area where the pixel electrode 310 is not covered by the pixel defining film 150, the counter electrode 330 is formed on the intermediate layer 320. ) can be formed by forming the display device 300. The counter electrode 330 may be formed to extend to the top of the pixel defining film 150.

The middle layer 320 may include a low molecule or high molecule material. When containing low molecular materials, a Hole Injection Layer (HIL), Hole Transport Layer (HTL), Emission Layer (EML), Electron Transport Layer (ETL), and Electron Injection Layer (EIL) : Electron Injection Layer) can have a single or complex laminated structure, including copper phthalocyanine (CuPc: copper phthalocyanine), N,N-di(naphthalen-1-yl)-N,N'-diphenyl -Benzidine (N,N'-Di(naphthalene-1-yl)-N,N'-diphenyl-benzidine: NPB), tris-8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq3), etc. It may contain various organic substances, including: These layers can be formed by vacuum deposition.

When the intermediate layer 320 includes a polymer material, it may generally have a structure including a hole transport layer (HTL) and an emission layer (EML). At this time, the hole transport layer may include PEDOT, and the light-emitting layer may include a polymer material such as poly-phenylenevinylene (PPV)-based or polyfluorene-based. This intermediate layer 320 can be formed by screen printing, inkjet printing, laser induced thermal imaging (LITI), or the like.

The counter electrode 330 may be made of various conductive materials. For example, the counter electrode 330 is made of transparent conductive metal oxides such as indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), and indium oxide (In2O3). indium oxide), indium gallium oxide (IGO), and aluminum zinc oxide (AZO). In another embodiment, the counter electrode 330 may be formed of a thin film containing at least one material selected from Li, Ca, LiF/Ca, LiF/Al, Al, Ag, Mg, or Yb. The counter electrode 330 may be formed as a single layer or multiple layers. In the case of the bottom-emitting type, the counter electrode 330 may be a reflective electrode, and in the case of the top-emitting type, the counter electrode 330 may be a transparent or translucent electrode.

The counter electrode 330 may be formed using various deposition methods, such as a sputtering process, vacuum deposition process, chemical vapor deposition process, pulse laser deposition process, printing process, and atomic layer deposition process.

Next, an encapsulation layer 400 is formed to seal the display area. The encapsulation layer 400 may include at least one organic encapsulation layer 420 and at least one inorganic encapsulation layer 410 and 420. The encapsulation layer 400 is formed to cover the display area, and the first inorganic encapsulation layer 410, the organic encapsulation layer 420, and the second inorganic encapsulation layer 420 are sequentially formed. The second inorganic encapsulation layer 430 contacts the first inorganic encapsulation layer 410 at its magnetic field located outside the display area DA, thereby preventing the organic encapsulation layer 420 from being exposed to the outside.

The first inorganic encapsulation layer 410 and the second inorganic encapsulation layer 420 may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and/or silicon oxynitride. The first inorganic encapsulation layer 410 and the second inorganic encapsulation layer 420 may be deposited by various deposition methods such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and sputtering.

The organic encapsulation layer 420 may include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, polyimide, polyethylene sulfonate, polyoxymethylene, polyarylate, and hexamethyldisiloxane. . The second inorganic encapsulation layer 430 covers the organic encapsulation layer 420 and may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and/or silicon oxynitride. The organic encapsulation layer 420 may be applied or deposited by flash evaportation, inkjet printing, slot die coating, etc.

Referring to FIG. 7G, the touch buffer layer 610 is formed on the encapsulation layer 400, and then the touch electrode 710, the touch wire 720, and the fan-out wire 720a are formed simultaneously.

The touch buffer layer 610 is formed on the encapsulation layer 400 and may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and/or silicon oxynitride. The touch buffer layer 610 may be deposited by various deposition methods, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and sputtering.

Next, a fourth conductive material layer is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 100. The fourth conductive material layer may be formed of a low-resistance metal material. For example, the fourth conductive material layer may include aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), and/or titanium (Ti). The fourth conductive material layer may be a single layer or a multilayer layer.

The fourth conductive material layer can be deposited by various deposition methods, and the fourth conductive material layer is deposited at a low temperature that does not damage the display device 300 to prevent damage to the already formed display device 300. It can be minimized. For example, the fourth conductive material layer may be deposited using thermal evaportion deposition at a temperature of about 90 degrees or less.

The fourth conductive material layer may be formed of a different material or a different thickness than the first conductive material layer or the second conductive material layer. For example, the thickness of the fourth conductive material layer may be less than the thickness of the second conductive material layer and may be about 50% of the thickness of the second conductive material layer.

Alternatively, the fourth conductive material layer may be deposited with the same material and structure as the second conductive material layer, but the film formation conditions may be different, so the finally deposited material may exhibit different characteristics.

The second conductive material layer may be deposited at a high temperature of 90 degrees or higher, for example, about 150 degrees, and may have a large grain size and a low resistivity value.

On the other hand, the fourth conductive material layer is deposited at a low temperature of 90 degrees or less, so the grain size of the fourth conductive material layer may be smaller than the grain size of the second conductive material layer and may have a high resistivity value. For example, the resistivity value of the fourth conductive material layer may be about 25% higher than the resistivity value of the second conductive material layer.

After forming a photoresist pattern using a mask on the fourth conductive material layer, the fan-out wiring 720a, the touch wiring 720, and the touch electrode 710 are formed simultaneously by patterning the fourth conductive material. It can be.

As described above, the touch electrode 710 may have a structure of a first touch conductive layer 711, a first insulating layer 712, a second touch conductive layer 713, and a second insulating layer 714. . In this case, the fan-out wiring 720a and the touch wiring 720 may be formed simultaneously with the first touch conductive layer 711 or the second touch conductive layer 713. In some embodiments, the fan-out wire 720a and the touch wire 720 have the same structure as the stacked structure of the first touch conductive layer 711 and the second touch conductive layer 713, so that the first layer is the first touch conductive layer 711 and the second touch conductive layer 713. It is formed simultaneously with the first touch conductive layer 711, and the second layer may be formed simultaneously with the second touch conductive layer 713.

By forming the fan-out wire 720a at the same time as the touch wire 720, the organic material layer 160 is formed simultaneously with the layer containing the organic material disposed in the display area DA, which has the effect of reducing the mask process.

Referring to FIG. 7H, a cover layer 730 is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 100. The cover layer 730 has flexible characteristics and is made of polymethyl methacrylate, polydimethylsiloxane, polyimide, acrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, It may be formed of polyethylene naphthalate, etc.

Referring to FIG. 7I, a bending protection layer 600 is formed in the bending area BA. The bending protection layer 600 can be formed by applying a liquid or paste-type material and curing it.

Next, the display device is bent based on the bending axis BAX of the bending area BA so that the display device has a shape roughly as shown in FIG. 2.

As described above, in the embodiments of the present invention, when the display device is bent by the organic material layer 160 disposed between the fan-out wiring 720a and the substrate 100, the fan-out wiring 720a is disconnected. The probability of this occurring can be minimized. Additionally, embodiments of the present invention can reduce mask processing steps by forming the organic material layer 160 simultaneously with a layer containing an organic material disposed in the display area DA.

As such, the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but these are merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. . Therefore, the true scope of technical protection of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the attached claims.

1A: First area 2A: Second area
BA: bending area BAX: bending axis
100: substrate 110: buffer layer
120: Gate insulating film 130: Interlayer insulating film
110a, 120a, 130a: opening 140: planarization layer
150: Pixel definition film 160: Organic material layer
160a: uneven surface
210: thin film transistor 211: semiconductor layer
213: Gate electrode 213b, 213c, 215c: Signal wiring
215a: source electrode 215b: drain electrode
300: display element
310: Pixel electrode 320: Middle layer
330: Counter electrode
400: Encapsulation layer
700: Touch screen layer
710: Touch electrode
720: Touch wiring
720a: Fanout wiring

Claims (48)

A display device is provided and divided into a display area on which an image is displayed and a non-display area around the display area, wherein the non-display area includes a substrate including a bending area bent around a bending axis;
an encapsulation layer disposed on the display area;
a touch electrode disposed on the encapsulation layer;
a touch wire connected to the touch electrode and extending into the non-display area; and
a fan-out wire connected to a signal wire for applying an electrical signal to the display area and at least partially disposed in the bending area; and
It includes an organic material layer at least partially disposed between the substrate and the fan-out wiring in the bending area,
The fan-out wiring is made of the same material as the touch wiring,
The display device wherein the organic material layer disposed in the bending area is spaced apart from the organic material layer disposed below the touch electrode in the display area. According to paragraph 1,
The signal wire is connected to the fan-out wire through a via hole, and the via hole is disposed outside the bending area. According to paragraph 1,
The display device wherein the fan-out wire is made of the same material as the signal wire, and the resistivity of the fan-out wire has a different value from the resistivity of the signal wire. According to paragraph 1,
The display device wherein the fan-out wire is made of the same material as the signal wire, and the thickness of the fan-out wire has a different value from the thickness of the signal wire. According to paragraph 1,
The display device wherein the fan-out wire is made of the same material as the signal wire, and the grain size of the fan-out wire has a different value from the grain size of the signal wire. According to paragraph 1,
A display device, wherein the fan-out wiring is made of a different material from the signal wiring. delete According to paragraph 1,
a thin film transistor disposed in the display area; and
It further includes a planarization layer covering the thin film transistor and containing an organic material,
The display device wherein the organic material layer includes the same material as the planarization layer. According to paragraph 1,
The display element includes a pixel electrode, a counter electrode facing the pixel electrode, and an intermediate layer interposed between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode,
The display area further includes a pixel definition film defining a pixel area and having an opening exposing a central portion of the pixel electrode,
A display device, wherein the organic material layer includes the same material as the pixel defining layer. According to paragraph 1,
The encapsulation layer includes an organic encapsulation layer,
The organic material layer includes the same material as the organic encapsulation layer. According to paragraph 1,
It further includes a touch buffer layer disposed between the encapsulation layer and the touch electrode and containing an organic material,
The display device wherein the organic material layer includes the same material as the touch buffer layer. According to paragraph 1,
The touch electrode includes a first touch conductive layer, a first insulating layer, a second touch conductive layer, and a second insulating layer sequentially stacked, and the first touch conductive layer and the second touch conductive layer are electrically connected,
The touch wiring is made of the same material as the second touch conductive layer,
The organic material layer includes the same material as the first insulating layer. According to clause 12,
The fan-out wiring has a structure in which a first layer made of the same material as the first touch conductive layer and a second layer made of the same material as the second touch conductive layer are stacked. According to paragraph 1,
A display device, wherein the organic material layer has an uneven surface on at least a portion of its upper surface. According to clause 14,
The protruding surface of the uneven surface extends in the direction of the bending axis,
The fan-out wiring extends while intersecting the protruding surface. According to paragraph 1,
It further includes an inorganic insulating layer disposed between the substrate and the fan-out wiring,
The display device wherein the inorganic insulating layer has an opening or groove corresponding to the bending area. According to clause 16,
The organic material layer disposed in the bending area is disposed in at least a portion of the opening or groove. According to clause 17,
The organic material layer covers an inner surface of the opening and extends to a portion of the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer. According to paragraph 1,
A display device, wherein the touch electrode is made of the same material as the touch wire. According to paragraph 1,
The touch electrode includes a first touch conductive layer, a first insulating layer, a second touch conductive layer, and a second insulating layer sequentially stacked, and the first touch conductive layer and the second touch conductive layer are electrically connected,
The touch wire is made of the same material as the first touch conductive layer or the second touch conductive layer. According to paragraph 1,
The touch electrode includes a first touch conductive layer, a first insulating layer, a second touch conductive layer, and a second insulating layer sequentially stacked, and the first touch conductive layer and the second touch conductive layer are electrically connected,
The touch wiring is a display device in which a first layer made of the same material as the first touch conductive layer and a second layer made of the same material as the second touch conductive layer are stacked. According to clause 21,
The fan-out wiring has a structure in which a first layer made of the same material as the first touch conductive layer and a second layer made of the same material as the second touch conductive layer are stacked. According to paragraph 1,
a thin film transistor disposed in the display area or the non-display area and including a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode; and
Further comprising: an additional conductive layer disposed at least partially in the bending area,
The display device wherein the additional conductive layer is made of the same material as the source electrode, drain electrode, or gate electrode and is provided on the same layer. According to clause 23,
The additional conductive layer is arranged to be spaced apart from the fan-out wiring in a plane. According to clause 23,
The additional conductive layer is arranged to overlap at least a portion of the fan-out wiring and is electrically connected to the fan-out wiring. According to clause 24 or 25,
A display device, wherein an insulating layer is interposed between the additional conductive layer and the fan-out wiring. According to clause 26,
A display device wherein the additional conductive layer and the fan-out wire are electrically connected through a via hole provided on the insulating layer. According to clause 27,
A display device wherein the via hole is not disposed in a bending area. According to paragraph 1,
A first thin film transistor disposed in the display area or the non-display area and including a first semiconductor layer, a first source electrode, a first drain electrode, and a first gate electrode, a second semiconductor layer, a second source electrode, and a first thin film transistor. A second thin film transistor including two drain electrodes and a second gate electrode; and
It further includes a first additional conductive layer made of the same material as the first gate electrode, and a second additional conductive layer made of the same material as the second gate electrode,
The first gate electrode and the second gate electrode are disposed in different layers,
At least one of the first additional conductive layer and the second additional conductive layer is at least partially disposed in the bending area. According to clause 29,
In the bending area, the first additional conductive layer is disposed to at least partially overlap the second additional conductive layer. According to clause 30,
A display device, wherein an insulating layer is interposed between the first additional conductive layer and the second additional conductive layer in the bending area. According to clause 29,
At least one of the first additional conductive layer and the second additional conductive layer is disposed below the fan-out wiring and electrically connected to the display device. According to clause 32,
A display device, wherein an insulating layer is disposed on at least one of the fan-out wiring and the first additional conductive layer and between the fan-out wiring and the second additional conductive layer. According to paragraph 1,
A display device further comprising a bending protection layer disposed on an upper portion of the fan-out wiring in the bending area. According to clause 34,
The bending protection layer covers at least a portion of the display area. According to paragraph 1,
A display device further comprising a cover layer that covers the touch electrode and protects the touch electrode. According to clause 36,
The cover layer extends from the top of the touch electrode to the bending area to cover at least a portion of the fan-out wiring. According to paragraph 1,
It further includes a protective film disposed on the lower surface of the substrate,
The protective film has an opening or groove that at least partially overlaps the bending area. According to paragraph 1,
The touch wire extends along one side of the encapsulation layer in the direction of the bending area,
A display device wherein one side of the encapsulation layer is provided with a step shape. A display device is provided and divided into a display area on which an image is displayed and a non-display area around the display area, wherein the non-display area includes a substrate including a bending area bent around a bending axis;
an encapsulation layer disposed on the display area;
a touch electrode disposed on the encapsulation layer;
a touch wire connected to the touch electrode and extending into the non-display area;
a signal wire disposed between the bending area and the display area to apply an electrical signal;
a terminal disposed on one side of the non-display area; and
a fan-out wire disposed at least partially in the bending area, one side of which is connected to the signal wire through a via hole, and the other side of which is connected to the terminal; and
It includes an organic material layer disposed between the substrate and the fan-out wiring in the bending area,
The fan-out wiring is made of the same material as the touch wiring,
The display device wherein the organic material layer disposed in the bending area is spaced apart from the organic material layer disposed below the touch electrode in the display area. According to clause 40,
A thin film transistor disposed in the display area or the non-display area and including a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode,
The terminal is made of the same material as the source electrode, drain electrode, or gate electrode,
A display device connected to the fan-out wire through a via hole. In the method of manufacturing the display device of claim 1,
A method of manufacturing a display device in which the fan-out wiring is formed simultaneously with the touch wiring. delete According to clause 42,
The display device further includes a thin film transistor disposed in the display area, and a planarization layer covering the thin film transistor and containing an organic material,
A method of manufacturing a display device, wherein the organic layer is formed simultaneously with the same material as the planarization layer. According to clause 42,
The display device is an organic light emitting device including a pixel electrode, a counter electrode facing the pixel electrode, and an intermediate layer including an organic light emitting layer interposed between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode,
The display area further includes a pixel definition film that defines the pixel area and has an opening exposing a central portion of the pixel electrode,
A method of manufacturing a display device in which the organic material layer is formed simultaneously with the same material as the pixel defining layer. According to clause 42,
A method of manufacturing a display device in which the touch wiring is formed simultaneously with the same material as the touch electrode. According to clause 42,
The touch electrode includes a first touch conductive layer, a first insulating layer, a second touch conductive layer, and a second insulating layer sequentially stacked, and the first touch conductive layer and the second touch conductive layer are electrically connected,
A method of manufacturing a display device in which the touch wiring is formed simultaneously with the same material as the first touch conductive layer. According to clause 42,
The touch electrode includes a first touch conductive layer, a first insulating layer, a second touch conductive layer, and a second insulating layer sequentially stacked, and the first touch conductive layer and the second touch conductive layer are electrically connected,
A method of manufacturing a display device in which the touch wiring is formed simultaneously with the same material as the second touch conductive layer.

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