KR20170114223A - Display apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention is a substrate having a bending region located between a first region and a second region and being bended about a first bending axis extending in a first direction; An inorganic insulating layer disposed on the substrate; A first conductive layer extending from the first region to the second region via the bending region and disposed on the inorganic insulating layer; And an organic material layer disposed between the inorganic insulating layer and the first conductive layer, the organic material layer including a center portion which is a region overlapping the bending region and a peripheral portion extending from the center portion, Is larger than the average thickness.

Description

[0001]

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a display device, and more particularly, to a display device capable of ensuring a long life of a display device and minimizing the occurrence of defects such as disconnection during a manufacturing process.

The display device is a device for visually displaying data. Such a display device includes a substrate partitioned into a display area and a non-display area. In the display region, a gate line and a data line are mutually insulated, and the gate line and the data line intersect to define a plurality of pixel regions in the display region. The display region is provided with a thin film transistor corresponding to each of the pixel regions and a pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor. The non-display area is provided with various conductive layers such as wires for transmitting electrical signals to the display area.

By bending at least a part of such a display device, visibility at various angles can be improved or the area of the non-display area can be reduced. A method of minimizing defects and reducing the process cost in the process of manufacturing the bending display device is being sought.

Embodiments of the present invention are intended to provide a display device capable of ensuring a long life of a display device and minimizing the occurrence of defects such as disconnection in a manufacturing process, and a manufacturing method thereof.

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

In one embodiment of the present invention,

A substrate having a bending region located between a first region and a second region and being bended about a first bending axis extending in a first direction;

An inorganic insulating layer disposed on the substrate;

A first conductive layer extending from the first region to the second region via the bending region and disposed on the inorganic insulating layer; And

And an organic material layer disposed between the inorganic insulating layer and the first conductive layer, the organic material layer including a center portion which is a region overlapping the bending region and a peripheral portion extending from the center portion,

And the average thickness of the center portion is larger than the average thickness of the peripheral portion.

In one embodiment, the inorganic insulating layer may have a flat upper surface in a region overlapping the organic material layer.

In one embodiment, the central portion may have a substantially uniform thickness.

In one embodiment, the peripheral portion includes a region having a substantially uniform thickness, and the thickness of the peripheral portion may decrease in a direction away from the center portion.

In one embodiment, the thickness of the peripheral portion may gradually decrease as the distance from the center portion increases.

In one embodiment, the organic layer comprises a first organic layer having a first width and a second organic layer disposed on the first organic layer and having a second width less than the first width, May be greater than the width of the bending region.

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

In one embodiment, the organic layer may have the uneven surface at the central portion.

In one embodiment, the shape of the upper surface of the first conductive layer on the organic material layer may correspond to the shape of the upper surface of the organic material layer.

In one embodiment, the inorganic insulating layer may have a groove in a region overlapping the organic material layer.

In one embodiment, the area of the groove may be wider than the area of the bending region.

In one embodiment, the organic layer may cover the inner surface of the groove.

In one embodiment, the height of the organic layer from the top surface of the substrate may be greater than the height of the inorganic insulating layer from the top surface of the substrate.

In one embodiment, the height of the peripheral portion from the upper surface of the substrate may gradually decrease as the distance from the central portion increases.

In one embodiment, the height of the organic layer from the upper surface of the substrate may be smaller than the height of the inorganic insulating layer from the upper surface of the substrate.

In one embodiment, the area of the uneven surface may be wider than the area of the central portion.

In one embodiment, the apparatus may further include a protective film disposed on a surface of the substrate opposite to the positioning direction of the inorganic insulating layer and having an opening corresponding to the bending region.

In one embodiment, the area of the opening may be wider than the area of the bending area.

In one embodiment, an encapsulation layer covering a display element on the first region; And a touch electrode for a touch screen disposed on the sealing layer. The first conductive layer may include the same material as the touch electrode.

In one embodiment, the touch sensing device may further include a touch protection layer covering the touch electrode and the first conductive layer.

In one embodiment, the thin film transistor includes a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode, the thin film transistor being disposed in the first region or the second region. And a planarization layer covering the thin film transistor and containing an organic material, wherein the organic material layer may include the same material as the planarization layer.

In one embodiment, the organic light emitting device includes an intermediate layer disposed in the first region and including a pixel electrode, a counter electrode facing the pixel electrode, and an organic light emitting layer interposed between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode. And a pixel defining layer having an opening exposing a center portion of the pixel electrode and defining a pixel region in the display region, and the organic layer may include the same material as the pixel defining layer.

In one embodiment, the display device includes a first inorganic encapsulation layer, a second inorganic encapsulation layer, and an organic encapsulation layer interposed between the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer, And a sealing layer covering the device, wherein the organic layer may include the same material as the organic sealing layer.

In one embodiment, the first conductive layer may further include a second conductive layer disposed in the first region or the second region and electrically connected to the first conductive layer so as to be located in a layer different from the layer in which the first conductive layer is located have.

In one embodiment, the elongation of the first conductive layer may be greater than the elongation of the second conductive layer.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the thin film transistor further includes a thin film transistor disposed in the first region or the second region and including a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode, wherein the first conductive layer includes a source electrode, And the second conductive layer may be located on the same layer as the gate electrode.

In an exemplary embodiment, the stress neutralization layer may be disposed on the first conductive layer.

Other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, claims and drawings.

According to one embodiment of the present invention as described above, it is possible to realize a display device capable of minimizing the occurrence of defects such as disconnection during manufacture while securing the longevity of the display device. Of course, the scope of the present invention is not limited by these effects.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a part of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of the display device of Fig. 1;
3A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
3B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
3C is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
3D is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5C is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5D is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5E is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
9A is a plan view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
9B is a plan view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
9C is a plan view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is capable of various modifications and various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. The effects and features of the present invention and methods of achieving them will be apparent with reference to the embodiments described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, but may be implemented in various forms.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like or corresponding components throughout the drawings, and a duplicate description thereof will be omitted .

In the following embodiments, when various components such as layers, films, regions, plates, and the like are referred to as being " on " other components, . For example, the size and thickness of each component shown in the figures are arbitrarily shown for convenience of description, and therefore, the present invention is not limited thereto. It is not limited.

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

If certain embodiments are otherwise feasible, the particular process sequence may be performed differently from the sequence described. For example, two processes that are described in succession may be performed substantially concurrently, and may be performed in the reverse order of the order described.

The display device is an apparatus for displaying an image, and includes a liquid crystal display, an electrophoretic display, an organic light emitting display, an inorganic light emitting display, A field emission display, a surface-conduction electron-emitter display, a plasma display, a cathode ray tube (Cathode Ray) display, or the like.

Hereinafter, a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to an organic light emitting display device, but the display device of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various types of display devices can be used.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a part of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of the display device of FIG. 1, a part of the substrate 100, which is a part of the display device, is bent so that a part of the display device has a bent shape like the substrate 100. [ However, in FIG. 2, the display device is shown without bending for convenience of illustration. For the sake of convenience, the display device is not bent in cross-sectional views, plan views, and the like of the embodiments to be described later.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the substrate 100 included in the display device according to the present embodiment has a bending area BA extending in the first direction (+ y direction). This bending area BA is located between the first area 1A and the second area 2A in the second direction (+ x direction) intersecting with the first direction. The substrate 100 is bent around a bending axis BAX extending in a first direction (+ y direction) as shown in FIG. Such a substrate 100 may comprise a variety of materials having flexible or ben-double characteristics, such as polyethersulphone (PES), polyacrylate (PAR), polyetherimide (PEI) (PEN), polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyallylate, polyimide (PI), polycarbonate (PC) PC) or a cellulose acetate propionate (CAP). The substrate 100 may have a single layer or a multi-layer structure of the material, and in the case of a multi-layer structure, it may further include an inorganic layer.

The first area 1A includes a display area DA. Of course, the first area 1A includes a part of the non-display area outside the display area DA in addition to the display area DA as shown in Fig. The second area 2A also includes a non-display area.

A plurality of pixels are arranged in the display area DA of the substrate 100 to display an image. The display region DA may include a display element 300, a thin film transistor (TFT) 210, and a capacitor (Cst). The display area DA may further include signal lines such as a gate line for transmitting a gate signal and a data line for transmitting a data signal, a driving power line for transmitting power, and a common power line. The gate line, the data line, Pixels can be formed by electrical coupling of the thin film transistor 210, the capacitor, the display element 300, and the like connected to the lines, and an image can be displayed. The pixel can emit light at a luminance corresponding to the driving current through the display device 300 corresponding to the data signal in accordance with the driving power and the common power supplied to the pixel. The pixels may be configured in a complex manner, and the plurality of pixels may be arranged in various forms such as a stripe arrangement, a penta array, and the like.

In FIG. 2, an organic light emitting device as a display device 300 is located in a display area DA. The fact that the organic light emitting diode is electrically connected to the thin film transistor 210 can be understood as the pixel electrode 310 is electrically connected to the thin film transistor 210. Of course, a thin film transistor (not shown) may be disposed in a peripheral region outside the display region DA of the substrate 100 as needed. The thin film transistor located in this peripheral region may be part of a circuit portion for controlling an electrical signal applied in the display region DA, for example.

The thin film transistor 210 may include a semiconductor layer 211 including an amorphous silicon, a polycrystalline silicon, an oxide semiconductor or an 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 wiring (not shown) for applying an on / off signal to the thin film transistor 210, and may be formed 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 including 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 having a good conductivity and may be connected to a source region and a drain region of the semiconductor layer 211, respectively. For example, the source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b may be a single film or a multilayer film made of a conductive material including aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), and / or titanium (Ti)

The source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b may be connected to the semiconductor layer 211 through the contact holes C1 and C2. The contact holes C1 and C2 can be formed by etching the interlayer insulating film 130 and the gate insulating film 120 at the same time.

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

A gate insulating film 120 including an inorganic material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride and / or silicon oxynitride is formed on the semiconductor layer 211 and the gate electrode 213 in order to ensure the insulating property between the semiconductor layer 211 and the gate electrode 213. [ The gate electrode 213 may be interposed. An interlayer insulating layer 130 including an inorganic material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and / or silicon oxynitride may be disposed on the gate electrode 213. A source electrode 215a and a drain electrode 215b may be formed on the gate electrode 213, May be disposed on such an interlayer insulating film 130. [ The insulating film containing an inorganic material may be formed through CVD or ALD (atomic layer deposition). This also applies to the following embodiments and modifications thereof.

A buffer layer 110 including an inorganic material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and / or silicon oxynitride may be interposed between the thin film transistor 210 and the substrate 100 having such a structure. The 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 from penetrating into the semiconductor layer 211 of the thin film transistor 210 . The buffer layer 110 may include an inorganic material such as an oxide or a nitride, an organic material, or an organic material, and may be a single layer or a multi-layer structure of an inorganic material and an organic material. In some embodiments, the buffer layer 110 may have a triple layer structure of silicon oxide / silicon nitride / silicon oxide.

A planarization layer 140 may be disposed on the thin film transistor 210. For example, when the organic light emitting diode is disposed on the thin film transistor 210 as shown in FIG. 2, the planarization layer 140 may substantially flatten the upper surface of the protective film covering the thin film transistor 210. The planarization layer 140 may be formed of an organic material such as acrylic, BCB (benzocyclobutene), or HMDSO (hexamethyldisiloxane). Although the planarization layer 140 is shown as a single layer in FIG. 2, the planarization layer 140 may be multilayered and various modifications are possible. 2, the planarization layer 140 has an opening outside the display area DA, and a portion of the planarization layer 140 of the display area DA and a planarization layer 140 of the second area 2A May be physically separated. This is to prevent impurities or the like penetrating from the outside through the inside of the planarization layer 140 to reach inside the display area DA.

An organic light emitting device having a pixel electrode 310, an opposing electrode 330 and an intermediate layer 320 interposed therebetween and including a light emitting layer is formed on the planarization layer 140 in the display region DA of the substrate 100. [ Can be located. The pixel electrode 310 is electrically connected to the thin film transistor 210 through contact with any one of the source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b through an opening formed in the planarization layer 140 or the like as shown in FIG. .

The pixel defining layer 150 may be disposed on the planarization layer 140. The pixel defining layer 150 serves to define a pixel by having an opening corresponding to each of the sub-pixels, that is, at least a central portion of the pixel electrode 310 is exposed. 2, the pixel defining layer 150 is formed by increasing the distance between the edge of the pixel electrode 310 and the counter electrode 330 on the pixel electrode 310, And prevents the occurrence of an arc or the like at the edge of the substrate. The pixel defining layer 150 may be formed of an organic material such as polyimide or hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO).

The intermediate layer 320 of the organic light emitting device may include a low molecular weight or a high molecular weight material. (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), an emission layer (EML), an electron transport layer (ETL), and an electron injection layer (EIL) : Electron Injection Layer) may be laminated in a single or a composite structure, and may have a structure of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc), N, N-di (naphthalen-1-yl) -N, N-diphenyl-benzidine (NPB), tris-8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq3), and the like, As well as various organic materials. These layers may be formed by a method of vacuum deposition.

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

Of course, the intermediate layer 320 is not necessarily limited to this, and may have various structures. The intermediate layer 320 may include a layer that is integrated over the plurality of pixel electrodes 310 and may include a patterned layer corresponding to each of the plurality of pixel electrodes 310.

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

Since the organic light emitting device can be easily damaged by moisture or oxygen from the outside, the sealing layer 400 covers and protects the organic light emitting device. The sealing layer 400 may cover the display area DA and extend to the outside of the display area DA. The sealing layer 400 may include a first inorganic sealing layer 410, an organic sealing layer 420, and a second inorganic sealing layer 430 as shown in FIG.

The first inorganic sealing layer 410 covers the counter electrode 330 and may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and / or silicon oxynitride. Of course, other layers such as a capping layer may be interposed between the first inorganic encapsulating layer 410 and the counter electrode 330 as necessary. Since the first inorganic encapsulating layer 410 is formed along the underlying structure, the top surface of the first inorganic encapsulating layer 410 is not flat as shown in FIG. The organic sealing layer 420 covers the first inorganic sealing layer 410. Unlike the first inorganic sealing layer 410, the organic sealing layer 420 may have a substantially flat upper surface. Specifically, the top surface of the organic sealing layer 420 may be substantially flat at a portion corresponding to the display area DA. The organic sealing 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. have. 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 may contact the first inorganic encapsulation layer 410 at a position of the second encapsulation layer 410 located outside the display area DA to prevent the organic encapsulation layer 420 from being exposed to the outside.

The sealing layer 400 includes a first inorganic encapsulating layer 410, an organic encapsulating layer 420 and a second inorganic encapsulating layer 430. The encapsulating layer 400 may be cracked It is possible to prevent such a crack from being connected 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. [ Accordingly, it is possible to prevent or minimize the formation of a path through which moisture, oxygen, etc. from the outside penetrates into the display area DA.

The polarizing plate 520 may be positioned on the sealing layer 400 by an optically clear adhesive (OCA) 510. The polarizer 520 may reduce the reflection of external light. For example, when external light passes through the polarizing plate 520 and then passes through the polarizing plate 520 after being reflected from the upper surface of the counter electrode 330, the phase of the external light can be changed as it passes through the polarizing plate 520 twice. As a result, the phase of the reflected light is made different from the phase of the external light entering the polarizing plate 520, so that extinction interference is generated. As a result, visibility can be improved by reducing external light reflection. The translucent adhesive 510 and the polarizing plate 520 may cover the opening of the planarization layer 140, for example, as shown in Fig. Of course, the display device according to this embodiment does not always have the polarizer 520, and the polarizer 520 may be omitted or replaced with other configurations as necessary. For example, the polarizing plate 520 may be omitted and the reflection of external light may be reduced by using a black matrix and a color filter.

On the other hand, the buffer layer 110 including the inorganic material, the gate insulating film 120, and the interlayer insulating film 130 may collectively be referred to as an inorganic insulating layer. 2, the inorganic insulating layer has a flat upper surface in a region overlapping with the organic layer 160 to be described later.

The display device according to the present embodiment includes a first conductive layer 215c disposed on the inorganic insulating layer over and a first conductive layer 215c is formed on the bending region BA in the first region 1A. To the second region 2A. The first conductive layer 215c may function as a wiring for transmitting an electrical signal to the display area DA. The first conductive layer 215c may be formed of the same material as the source electrode 215a or the drain electrode 215b.

The display device according to the present embodiment includes an organic layer 160. The organic layer 160 is disposed between the inorganic insulating layer and the first conductive layer 215c and has a region overlapping the bending region BA, And a peripheral portion 160b extending from the center portion 160a. That is, the peripheral portion 160b means an area not overlapping with the bending area BA. The average thickness t1 of the center portion 160a of the organic material layer 160 is greater than the average thickness t2 of the peripheral portion 160b. The average thickness t1 of the center portion 160a may be an average of the thickness t1 of the center portion 160a and the average thickness t2 of the peripheral portion 160b. May mean a value obtained by averaging the thickness t2 of each point of the peripheral portion 160b.

The organic material layer 160 is disposed to overlap with the bending region BA and may extend to a portion of the non-bending region. In other words, the organic material layer 160 may be formed on the inorganic insulating layer with a predetermined width (ORW), and the organic material layer 160 may overlap the bending area BA. Here, the width (ORW) of the organic material layer 160 is defined as the distance between the upper surface of the organic material layer 160 and the boundary between the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer and the upper surface. Referring to FIG. 2, the width ORW of the organic material layer 160 is wider than the width of the bending area BA.

 As shown in FIG. 2, the display device according to the present embodiment is actually bent in a bending area BA as shown in FIG. 1, Respectively. For this, in the manufacturing process, as shown in FIG. 2, the display device is manufactured in a state in which the substrate 100 is in a substantially flat state, and then the substrate 100 is bent in the bending area BA, So as to have the same shape. In this case, tensile stress may be applied to the first conductive layer 215c while the substrate 100 is bent in the bending area BA. In the display device according to the present embodiment, however, It is possible to prevent or minimize the occurrence of defects in the magnetic field 215c.

If the organic layer 160 is not present between the first conductive layer 215c and the inorganic insulating layer and the first conductive layer 215c in the bending area BA is disposed on the inorganic insulating layer, A large tensile stress is applied to the first conductive layer 215c. Since the hardness of the inorganic insulating layer is higher than that of the organic material layer, the probability of occurrence of cracks or the like in the inorganic insulating layer in the bending area BA is very high. When cracks are generated in the inorganic insulating layer, the first conductive layer 215c A crack or the like is generated and the probability of occurrence of defects such as disconnection of the first conductive layer 215c is extremely high.

However, in the display device according to the present embodiment, the organic layer 160 is disposed between the first conductive layer 215c and the inorganic insulating layer in the bending area BA, The tensile stress transmitted to the first conductive layer 215c can be minimized by buffering or absorbing the stress. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a crack or the like from occurring in the bending area BA of the first conductive layer 215c located on the organic layer 160, or to minimize the occurrence probability.

2, the average thickness t1 of the central portion 160a of the organic material layer 160 is greater than the average thickness t2 of the peripheral portion 160b. The organic material layer 160 may be formed with a predetermined width ORW and the width ORW of the organic material layer 160 may be formed wider than the width of the bending region BA. The organic material layer 160 may be formed in a bank shape having a gentle inclination.

In some embodiments, the central portion 160a of the organic layer 160 may have a substantially uniform thickness t1. The thickness t1 of the center portion 160a may be set in consideration of the tensile stress applied to the substrate 100 and the inorganic insulating layer in accordance with the bending.

The peripheral portion 160b may be formed such that the thickness t2 is reduced in the direction away from the center portion 160a and the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b is formed to have a gentle slope with respect to the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer. 2, at least a part of the peripheral portion 160b is formed to have a uniform thickness t2 smaller than the thickness t1 of the central portion 160a.

As described above, the first conductive layer 215c may be formed of the same material as the source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b. For this purpose, a conductive layer is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 100 The source electrode 215a, the drain electrode 215b and the first conductive layer 215c may be formed by patterning the source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b. If the inclination of the boundary region where the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer meets the upper surface of the organic layer 160 is not gentle, the conductive material may remain in the corresponding portion without being removed from the boundary region in the process of patterning the conductive layer. If so, the remaining conductive material may cause a short between the other conductive layers.

Therefore, when the organic material layer 160 is formed, it is preferable that the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b is formed to have a gentle slope with respect to the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer. Accordingly, in the process of patterning the conductive layer to form the source electrode 215a, the drain electrode 215b, and the first conductive layer 215c, it is possible to effectively prevent the conductive material of the portion to be removed from being left without being removed .

The organic layer 160 may be formed through various methods. A photolithographic material may be used to form the organic layer 160 and a slit mask or a halftone mask may be formed on the center portion 160a and the peripheral portion 160b of the organic layer 160, By varying the exposure dose, the specific portion can be etched (removed) relatively more than the other portions. Therefore, the thicknesses of the central portion 160a and the peripheral portion 160b can be formed differently. In addition, the inclination angle of the edge region of the organic material layer 160 can be adjusted by flowing the organic material layer 160 down through the thermal reflow process. Of course, the method used in manufacturing the display device according to the present embodiment is not limited to such a method. For example, the organic layer 160 having a substantially flat top surface may be formed, and only a specific portion may be removed by a dry etching method or the like. Meanwhile, the organic material layer 160 may include, for example, polyimide, acrylic, BCB (benzocyclobutene), or HMDSO (hexamethyldisiloxane).

The display device according to the present embodiment may include the second conductive layers 213a and 213b in addition to the first conductive layer 215c. The second conductive layers 213a and 213b are disposed in the first region 1A or the second region 2A so as to be located in a layer different from the layer in which the first conductive layer 215c is located, As shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the second conductive layers 213a and 213b are formed on the same layer, that is, on the gate insulating layer 120, using the same material as the gate electrode 213 of the thin film transistor 210. And the first conductive layer 215c contacts the second conductive layers 213a and 213b through contact holes formed in the interlayer insulating layer 130. [ The second conductive layer 213a is located in the first region 1A and the second conductive layer 213b is located in the second region 2A.

The second conductive layer 213a located in the first region 1A may be electrically connected to a thin film transistor or the like in the display region DA so that the first conductive layer 215c is electrically connected to the second conductive layer 213a, To be electrically connected to a thin film transistor or the like in the display area DA. Of course, the second conductive layer 213b located in the second region 2A may be electrically connected to the thin film transistor in the display area DA by the first conductive layer 215c. The second conductive layers 213a and 213b may be electrically connected to the components located outside the display area DA while being positioned outside the display area DA and may be electrically connected to the display area DA DA) so that at least a part thereof may be located in the display area DA.

As shown in FIG. 2, the display device according to the present embodiment is actually bent in a bending area BA as shown in FIG. 1, Respectively. For this, in the manufacturing process, as shown in FIG. 2, the display device is manufactured in a state in which the substrate 100 is in a substantially flat state, and then the substrate 100 is bent in the bending area BA, So as to have the same shape. At this time, tensile stress may be applied to the components located in the bending area BA in the course of bending the substrate 100 in the bending area BA.

The first conductive layer 215c traversing the bending area BA includes a material having a high elongation such that cracks are generated in the first conductive layer 215c or the first conductive layer 215c is broken It is possible to prevent defects from occurring. In addition, in the first region 1A or the second region 2A, the second conductive layer 215c may be formed of a material having an elongation lower than that of the first conductive layer 215c but having an electrical / physical property different from that of the first conductive layer 215c 213a, and 213b, the efficiency of electrical signal transmission in the display device can be increased, or the rate of failure occurrence in the manufacturing process can be reduced. For example, the second conductive layers 213a and 213b may include molybdenum, and the first conductive layer 215c may include aluminum. Of course, the first conductive layer 215c and the second conductive layers 213a and 213b may have a multi-layer structure if necessary.

In the case of the second conductive layer 213b located in the second region 2A, at least a part of the upper portion of the second conductive layer 213b is not covered with the planarization layer 140, It can be electrically connected to a device or a printed circuit board.

Meanwhile, a stress neutralization layer 600 (SNL) may be located outside the display area DA. That is, the stress-neutralizing layer 600 may be positioned on the first conductive layer 215c corresponding to at least the bending area BA.

When a laminate is bent, a stress neutral plane exists in the laminate. If the stress neutralizing layer 600 is not present, excessive tensile stress or the like may be applied to the first conductive layer 215c in the bending area BA according to the bending of the substrate 100 or the like. This is because the position of the first conductive layer 215c may not correspond to the stress neutral plane. However, by controlling the thickness, modulus, and the like of the stress-neutralizing layer 600, it is possible to reduce stress neutrality in the laminate including both the substrate 100, the first conductive layer 215c, and the stress neutralization layer 600 The position of the plane can be adjusted. Thus, by placing the stress neutral plane in the vicinity of the first conductive layer 215c through the stress neutralization layer 600, the tensile stress applied to the first conductive layer 215c can be minimized.

This stress neutralization layer 600 may extend to the edge of the substrate 100 of the display device, unlike that shown in Fig. The first conductive layer 215c, the second conductive layer 213b, and / or other conductive layers electrically connected to the first conductive layer 215c and / or the second conductive layer 213b in the second region 2A may be formed at least partially in the interlayer insulating layer 130 or the planarization layer 140, and the like, and can be electrically connected to various electronic elements, a printed circuit board, and the like. Accordingly, the first conductive layer 215c, the second conductive layer 213b, and / or other conductive layers electrically connected to the first conductive layer 215c and the second conductive layer 213b are electrically connected to each other with various electronic elements or printed circuit boards. At this time, it is necessary to protect the electrically connected portion from impurities such as external moisture, and by allowing the stress neutralizing layer 600 to cover such an electrically connected portion, You can even play roles. For this purpose, the stress-neutralizing layer 600 may be extended to the edge of the substrate 100 of the display device, for example.

2, the upper surface of the stress neutrality layer 600 in the display area DA direction (-x direction) corresponds to the upper surface of the polarizer 520 in the + z direction, but the present invention is limited thereto It is not. The end of the stress neutrality layer 600 in the direction of the display area DA (-x direction) may cover a part of the upper surface of the edge of the polarizing plate 520. Or the end of the stress neutrality layer 600 in the display area DA direction (-x direction) may not be in contact with the polarizing plate 520 and / or the light transmitting adhesive 510. Particularly in the latter case, the gas generated in the stress neutralization layer 600 moves in the display area DA direction (-x direction) during or after the formation of the stress neutrality layer 600, It is possible to prevent degradation of the same display element 300 or the like.

2, the upper surface of the stress neutrality layer 600 in the display area DA direction (-x direction) coincides with the upper surface of the polarizer 520 in the + z direction, or the upper surface of the stress neutrality layer 600 The end of the display area DA direction (-x direction) covers a part of the upper surface of the edge of the polarizer 520 or the end of the stress neutralization layer 600 in the display area DA direction (-x direction) The thickness of the portion of the stress neutralizing layer 600 in the display area DA direction (-x direction) may be thicker than the thickness of the other portions of the stress neutralizing layer 600. [ When the stress neutralizing layer 600 is formed, a liquid or a paste-like material can be applied and cured, and the volume of the stress neutralizing layer 600 can be reduced during the curing process. When the portion of the stress neutrality layer 600 in the direction of the display area DA (-x direction) is in contact with the polarizer 520 and / or the light transmitting adhesive 510, the position of the corresponding portion of the stress neutrality layer 600 The volume of the remaining portion of the stress neutralizing layer 600 is reduced. As a result, the thickness of the portion of the stress neutralizing layer 600 in the direction of the display area DA (-x direction) can be made thicker than the thickness of the other portions of the stress neutralizing layer 600.

3A to 3D are sectional views showing a portion of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, a cross-sectional view schematically showing the vicinity of the bending area BA.

3A, the width ORW of the organic material layer 160 is wider than the width of the bending area BA, and the organic material layer 160 is formed in a bank shape having a gentle inclination. The thickness t2 of the peripheral portion 160b of the organic material layer 160 may be gradually decreased as the distance from the center portion 160a increases. In addition, the thickness t1 of the center portion 160a may be gradually decreased from the central region to the peripheral portion 160b. On the other hand, the thickness t1 of the central portion 160a is formed substantially uniformly, and the thickness t2 of the peripheral portion 160b is gradually decreased as the distance from the central portion 160a is increased . Accordingly, the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b can be formed to have a gentle inclination. In some embodiments, the angle formed by the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer and the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b may be 45 degrees or less.

The organic layer 160 may be formed through various methods. A photolithographic material may be used to form the organic layer 160 and a slit mask or a halftone mask may be formed on the center portion 160a and the peripheral portion 160b of the organic layer 160, By varying the exposure dose, the specific portion can be etched (removed) relatively more than the other portions. Therefore, the thickness of the central portion 160a and / or the peripheral portion 160b may be gradually changed. In addition, the inclination angle of the edge region of the organic material layer 160 can be adjusted by flowing the organic material layer 160 down through the thermal reflow process.

In this way, since the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b has a gentle inclination, in the process of patterning the conductive layer to form the first conductive layer 215c, the conductive material to be removed is not removed, Can be effectively prevented.

3B, the organic material layer 160 includes a first organic material layer 161 having a first width ORW1 and a second organic material layer 163 having a second width ORW2 smaller than the first width ORW1. Gt; structure. ≪ / RTI > At this time, the second width ORW2 may be wider than the width BW of the bending area BA. Accordingly, the central portion 160a can have a substantially uniform thickness t1, and the first organic layer 161 and the second organic layer 163 can form a step, and the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b can be gradually You can have one slope. In FIG. 3B, the organic layer 160 is formed of two layers. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The organic material layer 160 may be formed such that a plurality of layers having different widths are stacked so that the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b has a gentle inclination. In some embodiments, the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b may have an inclination of about 45 degrees or less with respect to the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer.

In this way, since the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b has a gentle inclination, in the process of patterning the conductive layer to form the first conductive layer 215c, the conductive material to be removed is not removed, Can be effectively prevented.

Referring to FIGS. 3c and 3d, the organic layer 160 may have an uneven surface 160s on at least a part of the upper surface (in the + z direction). 3C, a case where the uneven surface 160s is formed only in the central portion 160a of the organic material layer 160 will be illustrated. 3D, a case in which the uneven surface 160s is formed entirely on the upper surface of the organic material layer 160 is illustrated. The region where the uneven surface 160s is formed can be variously modified.

As the organic layer 160 has the uneven surface 160s, the upper surface and / or the lower surface of the first conductive layer 215c located on the organic layer 160 is formed on the uneven surface 160s of the organic layer 160 May have a corresponding shape.

The tensile stress can be applied to the first conductive layer 215c by bending the substrate 100 in the bending area BA during the manufacturing process and the upper surface of the first conductive layer 215c and / Or the lower surface has a shape corresponding to the uneven surface 160s of the organic material layer 160, the amount of tensile stress applied to the first conductive layer 215c can be minimized. In other words, the tensile stress that may occur in the bending process can be reduced by deforming the shape of the organic material layer 160 having a low strength. At this time, at least the shape of the first conductive layer 215c, It is possible to effectively prevent defects such as disconnection in the first conductive layer 215c from occurring.

The surface area of the upper surface of the organic material layer 160 and the surface area of the first conductive layer 215c in the first opening can be reduced by forming the uneven surface 160s on at least a part of the upper surface of the organic material layer 160 The surface area of the upper and lower surfaces can be widened. The reason why the surface area is large on the top surface of the organic material layer 160 and on the top surface and the bottom surface of the first conductive layer 215c is that the shape of the substrate 100 can be deformed in order to reduce tensile stress due to bending of the substrate 100, .

The lower surface of the first conductive layer 215c has a shape corresponding to the uneven surface 160s of the organic material layer 160 because the first conductive layer 215c is located on the organic material layer 160. [ However, the upper surface of the first conductive layer 215c may have an uneven surface, and may have an uneven surface having a unique shape that does not correspond to the uneven surface 160s of the organic material layer 160. [

For example, a conductive material layer is formed on the organic material layer 160, and then a photoresist is coated on the conductive material layer. The photoresist is applied to the photoresist layer using a slit mask or a halftone mask, The exposed conductive material layer is etched, and then the photoresist is removed to form the first conductive layer 215c. The exposure amount varies depending on the portion of the photoresist using a slit mask or a halftone mask, so that the degree of etching of the conductive material layer varies depending on the portion. In this case, the upper surface of the first conductive layer 215c corresponds to the irregular surface 160s of the organic layer 160, and the upper surface of the first conductive layer 215c corresponds to the upper surface of the first conductive layer 215c. It is possible to have an uneven surface having a unique shape. This also applies to the following embodiments and modifications thereof. Although the process of artificially forming the uneven surface on the upper surface of the first conductive layer 215c may be performed as described above, the uneven surface may correspond to the uneven surface 160s of the organic material layer 160. [

4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Although the inorganic insulating layer has been described as having a flat upper surface in the region where the inorganic insulating layer overlaps with the organic insulating layer, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the inorganic insulating layer may have a groove at a position corresponding to the bending area BA.

Referring to FIG. 4, the buffer layer 110 may be continuous over the first area 1A, the bending area BA, and the second area 2A. The gate insulating film 120 may have an opening 120a corresponding to the bending region BA and the interlayer insulating film 130 may have an opening 130a corresponding to the bending region BA. Accordingly, it can be understood that the inorganic insulating layer including the buffer layer 110, the gate insulating film 120, and the interlayer insulating film 130 has a groove corresponding to the bending region BA. Of course, the inorganic insulating layer may also include grooves in a variety of different forms. A part of the upper surface of the buffer layer 110 in the (+ z direction) may be removed, or the lower surface of the gate insulating layer 120 may remain without being removed (-z direction). The groove may be formed simultaneously in the patterning process for forming the contact holes C1 and C2 for connecting the source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b of the thin film transistor 210 to the semiconductor layer 211 .

This groove corresponds to the bending area BA, it can be understood that the groove overlaps the bending area BA. At this time, the area of the groove may be wider than the area of the bending area BA. To this end, in FIG. 4, the width GW of the groove is shown to be wider than the width of the bending area BA. The area of the groove may be defined as the area of the opening of the narrowest area among the openings 120a and 130a of the gate insulating film 120 and the interlayer insulating film 130. In FIG 4, The area of the groove is defined by the area of the groove.

In the display device according to this embodiment, the organic layer 160 is disposed between the inorganic insulating layer and the first conductive layer 215c, and has a central portion 160a, which is a region overlapping the bending region BA, And a peripheral portion 160b extending from the center portion 160a. That is, the peripheral portion 160b means an area not overlapping with the bending area BA. The average thickness t1 of the center portion 160a of the organic material layer 160 is greater than the average thickness t2 of the peripheral portion 160b. Since the groove overlaps the bending area BA, it means that the organic material layer 160 fills the groove. Even if the average thickness <t1> of the center portion 160a is larger than the average thickness <t2> of the peripheral portion 160b because the organic material layer 160 fills the groove, The height h1 of the peripheral portion 160a may be lower than the height h2 of the peripheral portion 160b from the upper surface of the substrate 100. [

In FIG. 4, although the display device is shown as being unbent for convenience, the display device according to the present embodiment actually has a state in which the substrate 100 is bent in the bending area BA as shown in FIG. For this, in the manufacturing process, as shown in FIG. 4, the substrate 100 is manufactured in a substantially flat state, and then the substrate 100 is bent in the bending area BA, So as to have the same shape. In this case, tensile stress may be applied to the first conductive layer 215c while the substrate 100 is bent in the bending area BA. However, in the case of the display device according to the present embodiment, , And the portion of the bending area BA of the first conductive layer 215c is located on the organic layer 160 filling at least a part of the groove of the inorganic insulating layer. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a crack or the like from occurring in the bending area BA of the first conductive layer 215c located on the organic layer 160, or to minimize the occurrence probability.

The inorganic insulating layer has a higher probability of cracking in the inorganic insulating layer in the bending region BA because the hardness thereof is higher than that of the organic layer and the probability of crack propagation in the first conductive layer 215c when cracks are generated in the inorganic insulating layer . Of course, it is possible to block the propagation of cracks by the organic material layer 160. However, as the grooves are formed in the inorganic insulating layer, the probability of occurrence of cracks in the inorganic insulating layer can be further reduced. Therefore, concentration of tensile stress on the first conductive layer 215c can be minimized.

On the other hand, it may be considered that the organic material layer 160 covers the inner surface of the groove of the inorganic insulating layer as shown in FIG. In order to form various wirings of the display device, various wirings may be formed by forming a conductive material layer on the entire surface of the substrate 100 and then patterning the conductive material layer. If the organic material layer 160 does not cover the inner surface of the opening 120a of the gate insulating layer 120 or the inner surface of the opening 130a of the interlayer insulating layer 130, May remain on 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 without being removed. If so, the remaining conductive material may cause a short between the other 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 groove of the inorganic insulating layer.

The height h1 of the organic layer 160 of FIG. 4 from the upper surface of the substrate 100 may be greater than the height H of the inorganic insulating layer from the upper surface of the substrate 100. In this case, it is possible to adjust the thickness t2 of the peripheral portion 160b so that the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b has a gentle slope with respect to the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer. 4, the thickness t2 of the peripheral portion 160b decreases in the direction away from the central portion 160a. At least a part of the peripheral portion 160b may be formed with a uniform thickness t2 that is smaller than the thickness t1 of the central portion 160a. In some embodiments, the angle of the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b with the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer may be less than 45 degrees.

As described above, the first conductive layer 215c may be formed of the same material as the source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b. For this purpose, a conductive layer is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 100 The source electrode 215a, the drain electrode 215b and the first conductive layer 215c may be formed by patterning the source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b. If the inclination of the boundary region where the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer meets the upper surface of the organic layer 160 is not gentle, the conductive material may remain in the corresponding portion without being removed from the boundary region in the process of patterning the conductive layer. If so, the remaining conductive material may cause a short between the other conductive layers.

Therefore, when the organic material layer 160 is formed, it is preferable that the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b is formed to have a gentle slope with respect to the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer. Accordingly, in the process of patterning the conductive layer to form the source electrode 215a, the drain electrode 215b, and the first conductive layer 215c, it is possible to effectively prevent the conductive material of the portion to be removed from being left without being removed .

5A to 5D are cross-sectional views showing a portion of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, a cross-sectional view schematically showing the vicinity of the bending area BA.

5A, the height h1 of the organic material layer 160 from the upper surface of the substrate 100 is higher than the height H of the inorganic insulating layer from the upper surface of the substrate 100, Layer is formed higher than the upper surface of the layer. That is, the organic material layer 160 is formed in a bank shape having a gentle inclination.

The height h2 of the peripheral portion 160b of the organic material layer 160 from the upper surface of the substrate 100 may be gradually decreased as the distance from the central portion 160a increases. The height h1 of the center portion 160a from the upper surface of the substrate 100 may be gradually decreased from the center region toward the peripheral portion 160b. On the other hand, the height h1 of the center portion 160a is formed substantially uniformly, and the height h2 of the peripheral portion 160b is gradually decreased as the distance from the center portion 160a is increased . Accordingly, the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b can be formed to have a gentle slope with respect to the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer. In some embodiments, the angle formed by the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer and the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b may be 45 degrees or less.

The organic layer 160 may be formed through various methods. A photolithographic material may be used to form the organic layer 160 and a slit mask or a halftone mask may be formed on the center portion 160a and the peripheral portion 160b of the organic layer 160, By varying the exposure dose, the specific portion can be etched (removed) relatively more than the other portions. Therefore, the height of the center portion 160a and / or the peripheral portion 160b can be gradually changed. In addition, the inclination angle of the edge region of the organic material layer 160 can be adjusted by flowing the organic material layer 160 down through the thermal reflow process.

As described above, since the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b has a gentle slope with respect to the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer, in the process of patterning the conductive layer to form the first conductive layer 215c, It is possible to effectively prevent the conductive material from remaining without being removed.

5B, the height h1 of the organic material layer 160 from the upper surface of the substrate 100 may be lower than the height H of the inorganic insulating layer from the upper surface of the substrate 100. [ Further, the peripheral portion 160b covers the inner surface of the groove and can extend to the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer. The height h2 of the peripheral portion 160b from the upper surface of the substrate 100 is smaller than the height h1 of the central portion 160a in the portion where the peripheral portion 160b covers the inner surface of the groove or the portion formed on the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer, The thickness t2 of the peripheral portion 160b is smaller as the distance from the central portion 160a increases.

Accordingly, the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b can be formed to have a gentle slope with respect to the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer. In some embodiments, the angle formed by the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer and the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b may be 45 degrees or less.

As described above, since the upper surface of the peripheral portion 160b has a gentle slope with respect to the upper surface of the inorganic insulating layer, in the process of patterning the conductive layer to form the first conductive layer 215c, It is possible to effectively prevent the conductive material from remaining without being removed.

5C and 5D, the organic layer 160 may have an uneven surface 160s on at least a part of the upper surface (in the + z direction). 5C, a case where the uneven surface 160s is formed only in the central portion 160a of the organic material layer 160 will be illustrated. In the case of Fig. 5D, the case where the uneven surface 160s is formed around the central portion 160a and the area where the uneven surface 160s is formed is larger than the area of the central portion 160a is illustrated. In Fig. 5D, the width UEW of the uneven surface 160s is larger than the width of the bending area BA. The area where the uneven surface 160s is formed may be variously modified such that it is formed entirely on the upper surface of the organic material layer 160. [

As the organic layer 160 has the uneven surface 160s, the upper surface and / or the lower surface of the first conductive layer 215c located on the organic layer 160 is formed on the uneven surface 160s of the organic layer 160 May have a corresponding shape.

The tensile stress can be applied to the first conductive layer 215c by bending the substrate 100 in the bending area BA during the manufacturing process and the upper surface of the first conductive layer 215c and / Or the lower surface has a shape corresponding to the uneven surface 160s of the organic material layer 160, the amount of tensile stress applied to the first conductive layer 215c can be minimized. In other words, the tensile stress that may occur in the bending process can be reduced by deforming the shape of the organic material layer 160 having a low strength. At this time, at least the shape of the first conductive layer 215c, It is possible to effectively prevent defects such as disconnection in the first conductive layer 215c from occurring.

The surface area of the upper surface of the organic material layer 160 and the surface area of the first conductive layer 215c in the first opening can be reduced by forming the uneven surface 160s on at least a part of the upper surface of the organic material layer 160 The surface area of the upper and lower surfaces can be widened. The reason why the surface area is large on the top surface of the organic material layer 160 and on the top surface and the bottom surface of the first conductive layer 215c is that the shape of the substrate 100 can be deformed in order to reduce tensile stress due to bending of the substrate 100, .

The lower surface of the first conductive layer 215c has a shape corresponding to the uneven surface 160s of the organic material layer 160 because the first conductive layer 215c is located on the organic material layer 160. [ However, the upper surface of the first conductive layer 215c may have an uneven surface, and may have an uneven surface having a unique shape that does not correspond to the uneven surface 160s of the organic material layer 160. [

Referring to FIG. 5E, the buffer layer 110 may include a structure in which a first buffer layer 111 and a second buffer layer 112 are stacked. The first buffer layer 111 is continuous over the first area 1A, the bending area BA and the second area 2A and the second buffer layer 112 is continuous from the upper surface + z direction) can be partially removed. The gate insulating layer 120 may have an opening 120a corresponding to the bending region BA and the interlayer insulating layer 130 may have an opening 130a corresponding to the bending region BA. Accordingly, it can be understood that the inorganic insulating layer including the buffer layer 110, the gate insulating film 120, and the interlayer insulating film 130 has a groove corresponding to the bending region BA.

Such a structure may be etched to a part of the second buffer layer 112 in the etching process of forming the openings 120a and 130a of the gate insulating film 120 and the interlayer insulating film 130. [

Of course, the inorganic insulating layer may also include grooves in a variety of different forms. For example, the lower surface (-z direction) of the gate insulating film 120 may remain without being removed, and so on. The groove may be formed simultaneously in the patterning process for forming the contact holes C1 and C2 for connecting the source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b of the thin film transistor 210 to the semiconductor layer 211 .

Hereinafter, only the case where the inorganic insulating layer has a flat upper surface in a region where the inorganic insulating layer overlaps with the organic material layer 160 will be described below. However, it goes without saying that the following description can be applied even when the inorganic insulating layer has grooves.

6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, the display device may further include a protective film 170 for protecting the substrate 100. This protective film 170 is a lower protective film for protecting the lower surface of the substrate 100, and may have an opening 170OP as shown in Fig. The opening 170OP corresponds to the bending area BA, and the area of the opening 170OP can be made wider than the area of the bending area BA. In Fig. 6, the width of the opening 170OP is shown to be wider than the width of the bending area BA.

The protective film 170 serves to protect the lower surface of the substrate 100, and may have its own rigidity. Accordingly, when 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, by causing the protective film 170 to have the opening 170OP corresponding to the bending area BA as shown in Fig. 6, it is possible to effectively prevent such peeling from occurring. To this end, it is preferable that the area of the opening portion 170OP of the protective film 170 is larger than the area of the bending region BA as described above.

On the other hand, it is necessary to minimize the area of the opening 170OP of the protective film 170 in terms of protecting the protective film 170 as much as possible on the bottom surface of the substrate 100. For this, it is preferable that the area of the opening 170OP of the protective film 170 is larger than the area of the bending area BA, but narrower than the area of the organic material layer 160. [ 6 shows that the width of the opening 170OP is wider than the width of the bending area BA but narrower than the width ORW of the organic layer 160. [ It goes without saying that the protective film 170 having such a shape can be applied to the display devices described above or below.

In some cases, the protective film 170 may not cover the edge of the substrate 100, unlike the case shown in Fig. That is, the protective film 170 may not be present in the second region 2A.

The case where the first conductive layer 215c is formed of the same material as that of the source electrode 215a and the drain electrode 215b of the thin film transistor 210 has been described so far but the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, which is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention, various patterns of touch electrodes 710 for a touch screen function are formed on an encapsulation layer 400, This location can be. When the touch electrode 710 is formed, the first conductive layer 215c may be formed of the same material at the same time. In order to protect the touch electrode 710, a protective layer covering the first conductive layer 215c may be formed at the same time when the touch protection layer 720 is formed to cover the touch electrode 710. If necessary, The touch protection layer 720 may be integrally extended from the display area DA to at least the bending area BA. It is needless to say that the structure for forming the first conductive layer 215c at the same time when the touch electrode 710 is formed may be applied to the display devices described above or below. Alternatively, when forming the counter electrode 330, the first conductive layer 215c may be formed of the same material at the same time.

In this case, the organic material layer 160 may be formed of the same material when forming the organic material layer included in the display area DA. For example, the organic material layer 160 may be formed of the same material at the same time when the planarization layer 140 is formed of an organic material. As another example, the organic material layer 160 may be formed of the same material at the same time when the pixel defining layer 150 is formed. As another example, the organic material layer 160 may be formed of the same material when the organic sealing layer 420 of the sealing layer 400 is formed.

In addition, when the interlayer insulating layer 130 is formed of an insulating organic material, the organic layer 160 may be formed of the same material at the same time when forming the interlayer insulating layer 130. If necessary, the organic material layer 160 may be formed by a separate process regardless of the planarization layer 140.

It is needless to say that the structure in which the organic material layer 160 is formed simultaneously with the organic material layer included in the display region DA can be applied to the display devices described above or below.

At this time, the first conductive layer 215c may be formed of the same material when the touch electrode 710 is formed. In this case, the first conductive layer 215c may be covered with the touch protection layer 720. Alternatively, an organic insulating layer other than the touch protection layer 720 may be required for the touch screen function. For example, there is another additional touch electrode in addition to the touch electrode 710, and an organic insulating layer may be interposed between the touch electrode 710 and the additional touch electrode. In this case, such an organic insulating layer may extend to cover the first conductive layer 215c, or a layer formed simultaneously with the same organic insulating layer may cover the first conductive layer 215c.

Of course, the first conductive layer 215c may be formed of the same material when forming the source electrode 215a or the drain electrode 215b instead of the touch electrode 710, and may be modified in various ways. And in such a case, the first conductive layer 215c may be covered by the planarization layer 140 or covered by another insulating layer.

8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 8, the substrate 100 of the display device may have a multi-layer structure. The substrate 100 may include a structure in which the first resin layer 101, the barrier layer 102, the intermediate layer 103, and the second resin layer 104 are laminated.

The first resin layer 101 and the second resin layer 104 may be formed of polyethersulphone (PES), polyacrylate (PAR), polyetherimide (PEI), polyethyelenen naphthalate , PEN), polyethyeleneterephthalate (PET), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyallylate, polyimide (PI), polycarbonate (PC) or cellulose acetate pro And a polymer resin such as cellulose acetate propionate (CAP).

The barrier layer 102 may be interposed between the first resin layer 101 and the second resin layer 104 to prevent permeation of water or oxygen. The barrier layer 102 may be formed of an inorganic material such as a metal oxide, silicon nitride, or silicon oxide. The barrier layer 102 may be formed of a single layer film or may be laminated with a multilayer film.

An intermediate layer 103 may be interposed between the barrier layer 102 and the second resin layer 104 to enhance adhesion between the barrier layer 102 and the second resin layer 104. The intermediate layer 103 may include an amorphous material such as amorphous silicon, indium tin oxide (ITO), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), and / or molybdenum (Mo) The intermediate layer 103 may be applied to the present invention as long as the intermediate layer 103 is a material that improves the adhesion between the barrier layer 102 and the second resin layer 104. The substrate 100 may further include a resin layer, Layer and an intermediate layer can be further laminated.

Thus, when the substrate 100 has a multi-layer structure, it is possible to prevent the display device 300 from being defective or to minimize defects by efficiently blocking the path through which water or oxygen is permeated, as compared with the case of the single-layer structure. The substrate 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention employs the intermediate layer 103 to prevent the peeling of the barrier layer 102 and the second resin layer 104. In the embodiments The first conductive layer 215c extends in the second direction (+ x direction) to intersect with the first direction (+ y direction) in which the projection of the irregular surface 160s of the upper surface of the organic material layer 160 extends, can do. The crossing angle may be 90 degrees as shown in FIG. 9A which is a plan view conceptually showing a part of the display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, or may be an angle other than 90 degrees as shown in FIG. 9B. 9A and 9B, reference numeral GD denotes a direction in which the uneven surface 160s of the upper surface of the organic material layer 160 extends. In FIG. 9B, the direction in which the uneven surface 160s of the upper surface of the organic layer 160 is extended is inclined with respect to the second direction (+ x direction) in comparison with FIG. 9A, but the present invention is not limited thereto . The direction in which the uneven surface 160s of the upper surface of the organic material layer 160 extends is the first direction (+ y direction), and the extending direction of the first conductive layer 215c is the second direction x direction), but may be a direction inclined at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the second direction (+ x direction) with respect to the second direction (+ x direction) other than the + Of course, when a plurality of first conductive layers 215c are present, a part of the plurality of first conductive layers 215c may have a different angle with respect to the second direction (+ x direction) May be different from the angle formed with respect to the surface of the substrate.

In FIGS. 9A and 9B, the first conductive layer 215c is illustrated as having a shape extending straight in the second direction (+ x direction), but the present invention is not limited thereto. 9C, the first conductive layer 215c is formed not to extend in the second direction (+ x direction) but to intersect with the first direction (+ y direction) and the second direction (+ x direction) It is possible to have a zigzag shape or a wave shape on the left and right sides in the plane (xy plane).

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . Therefore, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims.

1A: first region 2A: second region
BA: Bending area BAX: Bending axis
100: substrate 110: buffer layer
120: Gate insulating film 130: Interlayer insulating film
120a, 130a: aperture 140: planarization layer
150: pixel defining layer 160: organic layer
160a: center portion 160b: peripheral portion
160s: uneven surface
210: thin film transistor 211: semiconductor layer
213: gate electrodes 213a and 213b: second conductive layer
215a: source electrode 215b: drain electrode
215c: first conductive layer 300: display element
310: pixel electrode 320: middle layer
330: opposing electrode

Claims (30)

A substrate having a bending region located between a first region and a second region and being bended about a first bending axis extending in a first direction;
An inorganic insulating layer disposed on the substrate;
A first conductive layer extending from the first region to the second region via the bending region and disposed on the inorganic insulating layer; And
And an organic material layer disposed between the inorganic insulating layer and the first conductive layer, the organic material layer including a center portion which is a region overlapping the bending region and a peripheral portion extending from the center portion,
Wherein an average thickness of the central portion is larger than an average thickness of the peripheral portion. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the inorganic insulating layer has a flat upper surface in a region overlapping with the organic material layer. The method according to claim 1,
And the central portion has a substantially uniform thickness. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the peripheral portion includes a region having a substantially uniform thickness, and the thickness of the peripheral portion decreases in a direction away from the center portion. The method according to claim 1,
And the thickness of the peripheral portion gradually decreases as the distance from the center portion increases. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the organic material layer includes a first organic material layer having a first width and a second organic material layer disposed on the first organic material layer and having a second width smaller than the first width,
Wherein the second width is greater than the width of the bending region. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the organic material layer has an uneven surface on at least a part of the upper surface. 8. The method of claim 7,
And the organic material layer has the uneven surface at the central portion. 8. The method of claim 7,
And the shape of the upper surface of the organic layer of the first conductive layer corresponds to the shape of the upper surface of the organic layer. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the inorganic insulating layer has a groove in a region overlapping with the organic material layer. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the area of the groove is wider than the area of the bending area. 11. The method of claim 10,
And the organic layer covers the inner surface of the groove. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the height of the organic layer from the upper surface of the substrate is larger than the height of the inorganic insulating layer from the upper surface of the substrate. 11. The method of claim 10,
And the height of the peripheral portion from the upper surface of the substrate gradually decreases as the distance from the central portion increases. 11. The method of claim 10,
And the height of the organic material layer from the upper surface of the substrate is smaller than the height of the inorganic insulating layer from the upper surface of the substrate. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the organic material layer has an uneven surface on at least a part of the upper surface. 17. The method of claim 16,
And the organic material layer has the uneven surface at the central portion. 17. The method of claim 16,
And the area of the uneven surface is wider than the area of the central portion. 11. The method of claim 10,
And the shape of the upper surface of the organic layer of the first conductive layer corresponds to the shape of the upper surface of the organic layer. The method according to claim 1,
And a protective film disposed on a surface of the substrate opposite to the positioning direction of the inorganic insulating layer and having an opening corresponding to the bending region. 21. The method of claim 20,
And the area of the opening is wider than the area of the bending area. The method according to claim 1,
A sealing layer covering the display element on the first region; And
A touch electrode for a touch screen positioned on the sealing layer;
Wherein the first conductive layer comprises the same material as the touch electrode. 23. The method of claim 22,
And a touch protection layer covering the touch electrode and the first conductive layer. The method according to claim 1,
A thin film transistor disposed in the first region or the second region and including a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode; And
A planarization layer covering the thin film transistor and containing an organic material;
And the organic material layer includes the same material as the planarizing film. The method according to claim 1,
An organic light emitting element disposed in the first region and including an intermediate layer including a pixel electrode, a counter electrode facing the pixel electrode, and an organic light emitting layer interposed between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode; And
And a pixel defining layer having an opening exposing a center portion of the pixel electrode and defining a pixel region,
Wherein the organic layer comprises the same material as the pixel defining layer. The method according to claim 1,
A first inorganic encapsulating layer, and an organic encapsulating layer interposed between the first inorganic encapsulating layer and the second inorganic encapsulating layer, the encapsulating layer including a first encapsulating layer, a second encapsulating layer, Further comprising:
Wherein the organic material layer comprises the same material as the organic sealing layer. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a second conductive layer disposed in the first region or the second region and electrically connected to the first conductive layer so as to be located in a layer different from the layer in which the first conductive layer is located. 28. The method of claim 27,
Wherein an elongation of the first conductive layer is larger than an elongation of the second conductive layer. 28. The method of claim 27,
And a thin film transistor disposed in the first region or the second region and including a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode,
Wherein the first conductive layer is located on the same layer as the source electrode and the drain electrode, and the second conductive layer is located on the same layer as the gate electrode. The method according to claim 1,
And a stress neutralization layer disposed over the first conductive layer.

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