KR20230065220A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a display device capable of minimizing a bezel area of a display device in which four corners of a curved cover glass each have multiple curvatures. A display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a display module including a flexible substrate, a display area and a non-display area on the flexible substrate, a thin film transistor layer on the flexible substrate, a light emitting device layer on the thin film transistor layer, and an encapsulation layer on the light emitting device layer. , A substrate including a flat portion and at least one curved portion extending from the flat portion on the display module, an adhesive layer disposed between the display module and the substrate, and a heat dissipation layer disposed below the display module.

Description

Display device {DISPLAY DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a display device.

As the information society develops, demands for display devices for displaying images are increasing in various forms. Accordingly, recently, non-light emitting display devices such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and plasma display panels (PDPs), organic light emitting displays (OLEDs), and quantum dot light emitting devices have been developed. Various display devices such as an electroluminescence display such as a quantum dot light emitting display (QLED) have been used.

Recently, an organic light emitting display device has been developed as a curved display device in which both edges of the flexible display device or four edges of the upper, lower, left, and right sides of the display device are bent. A curved display device refers to a display device in which a flexible display module having flexibility is attached to a curved cover glass.

1 is an exemplary view showing a curved cover glass in which four sides of the upper, lower, left, and right sides are bent. Referring to FIG. 4 , the upper side of the curved cover glass (CCG) has a first curvature having a first direction, the left side has a second curvature having a second direction, the right side has a third curvature having a third direction, and the lower side has a fourth direction. It can be bent with a fourth curvature having . Each of the four side edges C1 to C4 of the curved cover glass CCG is formed to have multiple curvatures including curvatures having different directions. For example, the upper left corner C1 of the curved cover glass CCG may be formed to have multiple curvatures including a first curvature having a first direction and a second curvature having a second direction. The upper right corner C2 of the curved cover glass CCG may be formed to have multiple curvatures including a first curvature having a first direction and a third curvature having a third direction. The lower right corner C3 of the curved cover glass CCG may be formed to have multiple curvatures including a second curvature having a second direction and a fourth curvature having a fourth direction. The lower right corner C1 of the curved cover glass CCG may be formed to have multiple curvatures including a third curvature having a third direction and a fourth curvature having a fourth direction.

Since each of the four corners of the curved cover glass CCG has multiple curvatures, when the flexible display module FDP is disposed, there may be interference with the curved cover glass CCG. Accordingly, the flexible display module FDP is not disposed on the lower surface of the four side edges C1 to C4 of the curved cover glass CCG. In this case, the flexible display module FDP is not disposed above and below the curved cover glass CCG as shown in FIG. 1 . Therefore, there is a problem in that the distances D1 and D2 from the upper or lower end of the cover glass CCG to the display area DA of the flexible display module FDP become longer. That is, there is a problem in that the bezel area of the curved display device is widened.

An object of the present invention is to provide a display device capable of minimizing a bezel area of a display device in which four corners of a curved cover glass each have multiple curvatures.

A display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a display module including a flexible substrate, a display area and a non-display area on the flexible substrate, a thin film transistor layer on the flexible substrate, a light emitting device layer on the thin film transistor layer, and an encapsulation layer on the light emitting device layer. , A substrate including a flat portion and at least one curved portion extending from the flat portion on the display module, an adhesive layer disposed between the display module and the substrate, and a heat dissipation layer disposed below the display module.

A display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a flexible substrate, a thin film transistor layer on the flexible substrate, a light emitting element layer including a light emitting element on the thin film transistor layer, an encapsulation layer on the light emitting element layer, a touch sensing layer on the encapsulation layer, and a touch and a substrate including a flat portion on the sensing layer and at least one curvature portion extending from the flat portion.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the flexible display module is disposed not only on the flat portion and the first to fourth curvature portions of the curved substrate, but also on the first to fourth multiple curvature portions. As a result, in an embodiment of the present invention, the non-display area of the flexible display module may be arranged in the first to fourth multi-curvature parts. Accordingly, the embodiment of the present invention can reduce the distance from the upper or lower end of the cover glass to the display area of the flexible display module, thereby minimizing the bezel area of the curved display device.

Also, according to an embodiment of the present invention, corners of the support substrate of the flexible display module and the flexible substrate are formed in an obliquely cut shape in consideration of the multiple curvatures of the first multi-curvature portion. As a result, the embodiment of the present invention can prevent the support substrate from interfering with the curved substrate.

Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the length of the flexible substrate that may not interfere with the curved substrate may be calculated in the first multi-curvature part according to the thickness from the flexible substrate to the curved substrate. As a result, the embodiment of the present invention can prevent the flexible substrate from interfering with the curved substrate by cutting the edge of the flexible substrate obliquely according to the calculated length of the flexible substrate.

1 is an exemplary view showing a curved cover glass in which four sides of the upper, lower, left, and right sides are bent.
2 is a perspective view of a curved display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a plan view of a curved display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a bottom view of a curved display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
5 is an enlarged bottom view showing a first corner portion of FIG. 4 in detail.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I' of FIG. 5 .
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing II-II' of FIG. 5 .
8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the flexible display module of FIGS. 6 and 7 .
9 is a cross-sectional view showing a display area of the flexible display module of FIG. 8 in detail.
FIG. 10 is an enlarged bottom view showing details of a second corner portion of FIG. 4 .

Like reference numbers throughout the specification indicate substantially the same elements. In the following description, detailed descriptions of components and functions not related to the core components of the present invention and known in the art may be omitted. The meaning of terms described in this specification should be understood as follows.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and methods of achieving them, will become clear with reference to the detailed description of the following embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but will be implemented in various different forms, only these embodiments make the disclosure of the present invention complete, and common knowledge in the art to which the present invention belongs. It is provided to fully inform the holder of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims.

The shapes, sizes, ratios, angles, numbers, etc. disclosed in the drawings for explaining the embodiments of the present invention are illustrative, so the present invention is not limited to the details shown. Like reference numbers designate like elements throughout the specification. In addition, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known technologies may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

When 'includes', 'has', 'consists', etc. mentioned in this specification is used, other parts may be added unless 'only' is used. In the case where a component is expressed in the singular, the case including the plural is included unless otherwise explicitly stated.

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

In the case of a description of a positional relationship, for example, 'on top of', 'on top of', 'at the bottom of', 'next to', etc. Or, unless 'directly' is used, one or more other parts may be located between the two parts.

In the case of a description of a temporal relationship, for example, 'immediately' or 'directly' when a temporal precedence relationship is described in terms of 'after', 'following', 'next to', 'before', etc. It can also include non-continuous cases unless is used.

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

"X-axis direction", "Y-axis direction", and "Z-axis direction" should not be interpreted only as a geometric relationship in which the relationship between each other is made upright, and may be broader within the range in which the configuration of the present invention can function functionally. It can mean having a direction.

The term “at least one” should be understood to include all possible combinations from one or more related items. For example, "at least one of the first item, the second item, and the third item" means not only the first item, the second item, or the third item, respectively, but also two of the first item, the second item, and the third item. It may mean a combination of all items that can be presented from one or more.

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

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

2 is a perspective view of a curved display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a plan view of a curved display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a bottom view of a curved display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

2 to 4 , a curved display device (CDIS) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a curved substrate 10, a first adhesive layer 20, a flexible display module 30, and a heat dissipation substrate 40. ), etc.

The curved substrate 10 may be formed of a plastic film or a glass substrate. As shown in FIG. 2 , the curved substrate 10 includes a flat portion FA, first to fourth curvature portions CA1 to CA4 , and first to fourth multiple curvature portions DCA1 to DCA4 .

The flat portion FA corresponds to a central region of the curved substrate 10 .

The first curvature CA1 may be a first side area of the curved substrate 10 and an upper area of the curved substrate 10 as shown in FIG. 3 . The first curvature portion CA1 is an area bent with a first curvature having a first direction, and may be an area extending from the first side of the flat portion FA.

The second curvature CA2 may be a second side area of the curved substrate 10 and a left area of the curved substrate 10 as shown in FIG. 3 . The second curvature portion CA2 is an area bent with the second curvature and having a second direction, and may be an area extending from the second side of the flat portion FA.

The third curvature CA3 may be a third side area of the curved substrate 10 and a right area of the curved substrate 10 as shown in FIG. 3 . The third curvature portion CA3 is an area bent with a third curvature having a third direction, and may be an area extending from the third side of the flat portion FA.

The fourth curvature CA4 may be a fourth side area of the curved substrate 10 and a lower area of the curved substrate 10 as shown in FIG. 3 . The fourth curvature CA4 is an area bent with a fourth curvature having a fourth direction, and may be an area extending from the fourth side of the flat portion FA.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the first multi-curvature portion DCA1 may be a region bent with multiple curvatures by overlapping the first and second curvature portions CA1 and CA2 . The first multi-curvature portion DCA1 may be located at the first corner portion C1 corresponding to the upper left corner portion of the curved substrate 10 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the second multi-curvature portion DCA2 may be a region bent with multiple curvatures by overlapping the first and third curvature portions CA1 and CA3 . The second multi-curvature portion DCA2 may be located at the second corner portion C2 corresponding to the upper right corner portion of the curved substrate 10 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the third multiple curvature DCA3 may be a region bent with multiple curvatures by overlapping the second curvature CA2 and the fourth curvature CA4 . The third multiple curvature portion DCA2 may be located at the third corner portion C3 corresponding to the lower left corner portion of the curved substrate 10 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the fourth multi-curvature portion DCA4 may be a region bent with multiple curvatures by overlapping the third and fourth curvature portions CA3 and CA4 . The fourth multi-curvature portion DCA4 may be located at the fourth corner portion C4 corresponding to the lower right corner portion of the curved substrate 10 .

Meanwhile, in FIGS. 2 to 4, for convenience of description, the curved substrate 10 includes four curvature portions CA1 to CA4 and four multi-curvature portions DCA1 to DCA4, but is not limited thereto. don't That is, the curved substrate 10 may include only one multi-curvature portion formed by overlapping at least two curvature portions.

Also, the first to fourth curvatures of the curved substrate 10 may be different from each other. Alternatively, the first and fourth curvatures may be equal to each other and the second and third curvatures may be equal to each other. Alternatively, the first and fourth curvatures may be the same, but the second and third curvatures may be different from each other. Alternatively, the second and third curvatures may be the same, but the first and fourth curvatures may be different from each other.

A decor layer having a predetermined pattern may be formed on the lower surface of the curved substrate 10 . The decor layer may be a layer on which a pattern is formed that can be displayed to a user even when the flexible display module 30 does not display an image. For example, a company logo may be formed on the decor layer. Alternatively, the decor layer may include a color layer formed in an area corresponding to the bezel area of the flexible display module. For example, the decoration layer may include a color layer having a black color. In this case, the color layer of the decoration layer is different from the display area of the flexible display module 30 when the flexible display module 30 does not display an image. can be expressed in the same color. Accordingly, the screen of the flexible display module 30 may appear wide to the user.

The flexible display module 30 may be disposed on the lower surface of the curved substrate 10 . As shown in FIG. 4 , the flexible display module 30 includes the flat portion FA of the curved substrate 10 , first to fourth curvature portions CA1 to CA4 , and first to fourth multiple curvature portions DCA1 to DCA4 . ) can be placed.

The flexible display module 30 is a display device that displays a predetermined image. For example, the flexible display module 30 may be an organic light emitting display or a quantum dot light emitting display, but is not limited thereto. A detailed description of the flexible display module 30 will be described later in conjunction with FIGS. 5 to 10 .

A heat dissipation layer 40 may be disposed on a lower surface of the flexible display module 30 . The heat dissipation layer 40 may include a metal layer having high thermal conductivity to effectively dissipate heat generated from the flexible display module 30 . In addition, the heat dissipation layer 40 may include a foam that serves as a buffer to protect the flexible display module 30 from external impact.

The touch circuit board 60 may be attached to the upper surface of the flexible display module 30 , bent to the lower surface of the flexible display module 30 , and disposed on the lower surface of the heat dissipation layer 40 .

As described above, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the flexible display module 30 includes not only the flat portion FA and the first to fourth curvature portions CA1 to CA4 of the curved substrate 10, but also the first to the fourth multi-curvature parts DCA1 to DCA4. As a result, in an embodiment of the present invention, the non-display area of the flexible display module 30 may be arranged in the first to fourth multi-curvature parts DCA1 to DCA4 . Therefore, the embodiment of the present invention can reduce the distance from the upper or lower end of the cover glass CCG to the display area DA of the flexible display module FDP, thereby reducing the bezel area of the curved display device. ) can be minimized.

5 is an enlarged bottom view showing a first corner portion of FIG. 4 in detail. 5 shows an enlarged bottom view of the first corner portion C1 of the curved substrate 10 where the first multiple curvature portion DCA1 is located.

5 illustrates only the curved substrate 10, the support substrate 31 of the display module 30, the heat dissipation layer 40, the first adhesive layer 20, and the touch circuit board 60 for convenience of explanation. . Since the first adhesive layer 20 is a layer that adheres the display module 30 to the curved substrate 10 and is not visible from a bottom view, it is shown as a dotted line.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the curved substrate 10 has a first curvature CA1 bent with a first curvature in the y-axis direction from the flat portion FA, and a second curvature in the x-axis direction from the flat portion FA. The bent second curvature CA2 and the first multiple curvature DCA1 bent with multiple curvatures including the first curvature and the second curvature in the overlapping region of the first curvature CA1 and the second curvature CA2 ). 5 illustrates that the second curvature is greater than the first curvature.

The support substrate 31 of the display module 30 is disposed on the lower surface of the curved substrate 10 . The support substrate 31 of the display module 30 may be disposed on the flat portion FA, the first curvature portion CA1 , the second curvature portion CA2 , and the first multiple curvature portion DCA1 . The edge of the support substrate 31 and the edge of the flexible substrate 32 supported by the support substrate 31 (see FIGS. 6 and 7 ) may be disposed on the first multi-curvature portion DCA1 as shown in FIG. 5 . In this case, in order to prevent the support substrate 31 from interfering with the curved substrate 10, the corners of the support substrate 31 and the flexible substrate 32 are formed in consideration of the multiple curvatures of the first multiple curvature portion DCA1. It may be formed in an obliquely cut form. For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , if the second curvature bent in the x-axis direction is greater than the first curvature bent in the y-axis direction, the cut length in the x-axis direction (a ) may be shorter than the cutting length (b) in the y-axis direction. In FIG. 5 , it is illustrated that the edges of the support substrate 31 and the flexible substrate 32 are formed in oblique lines, but it is not limited thereto and may be formed in a curved shape (elliptical shape).

The heat dissipation layer 40 is disposed on the lower surface of the support substrate 31 of the display module 30 . The heat dissipation layer 40 may be disposed on the flat portion FA, the first curvature portion CA1 , the second curvature portion CA2 , and the first multiple curvature portion DCA1 . A corner of the heat dissipation layer 40 may be disposed at the first multi-curvature portion DCA1 as shown in FIG. 5 . Corners of the heat dissipation layer 40 may be formed in an obliquely cut shape similar to the corners of the support substrate 31 and the flexible substrate 32 .

The first adhesive layer 20 is disposed between the lower surface of the curved substrate 10 and the upper surface of the display module 30 and adheres the lower surface of the curved substrate 10 to the upper surface of the display module 30 . The first adhesive layer 20 may be disposed on the flat portion FA, the first curvature portion CA1 , and the second curvature portion CA2 . Due to this, based on the y-axis direction, the distance D3 from the first adhesive layer 20 to the end of the curved substrate 10 from the first curvature CA1 is the first multiple It may be shorter than the distance D4 from the curvature portion DCA1 to the end of the curved substrate 10 . In addition, based on the x-axis direction, the distance D5 from the first adhesive layer 20 to the end of the curved substrate 10 from the second curvature portion CA2 is the first multiple curvature from the first adhesive layer 20. It may be shorter than the distance D6 from the portion DCA1 to the end of the curved substrate 10 .

In addition, since the first multi-curvature portion DCA1 is bent with multiple curvatures including the first curvature and the second curvature, the display module 30 in the first multi-curvature portion DCA1 using the first adhesive layer 20 ) When fixing, problems such as overlapping of the first adhesive layer 20 may occur. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the first adhesive layer 20 is not disposed on the first multi-curvature portion DCA1.

Meanwhile, an enlarged bottom view of the second corner portion C2 of the curved substrate 10 where the second multi-curvature portion DCA2 is located is substantially the same as that shown in FIG. 5 symmetrically with respect to the y-axis. Therefore, an enlarged bottom view of the second corner portion C2 of the curved substrate 10 is omitted.

As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the edges of the support substrate 31 and the flexible substrate 32 of the flexible display module 30 are cut obliquely in consideration of the multiple curvatures of the first multi-curvature portion DCA1. form in the form of As a result, the embodiment of the present invention can prevent the support substrate 31 from interfering with the curved substrate 10 .

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I' of FIG. 5 . FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing II-II' of FIG. 5 .

6 and 7 , a curved display device (CDIS) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a curved substrate 10, a first adhesive layer 20, a display module 30, and a heat radiation layer 40. , a flexible film 50, and a touch circuit board 60.

Since the curved substrate 10 has been described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 , a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The flexible display module 30 may be disposed on the lower surface of the curved substrate 10 . As shown in FIG. 4 , the flexible display module 30 includes the flat portion FA of the curved substrate 10 , first to fourth curvature portions CA1 to CA4 , and first to fourth multiple curvature portions DCA1 to DCA4 . ) can be placed.

The flexible display module 30 is a display device that displays a predetermined image. For example, the flexible display module 30 may be an organic light emitting display or a quantum dot light emitting display, but is not limited thereto. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, description will be given focusing on the flexible display module 30 implemented as an organic light emitting display device.

The display module 30 may include a support substrate 31 , a flexible substrate 32 , a pixel array layer 33 , a barrier film 34 , and a polarizing film 35 .

The support substrate 31 is a substrate for supporting the flexible substrate 32 and may be formed of plastic or glass. For example, the support substrate 31 may be formed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

The flexible substrate 32 may be disposed on the upper surface of the support substrate 31 and may be formed of a flexible plastic film. For example, the flexible substrate 32 may be formed of a polyimide film.

The pixel array layer 33 may be formed on the upper surface of the flexible substrate 32 . The pixel array layer 33 is a layer that displays an image by means of a plurality of pixels. The pixel array layer 33 may include a thin film transistor layer, a light emitting device layer, and an encapsulation layer. A detailed description of the pixel array layer of the display module 30 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 .

The barrier film 34 may be disposed to cover the pixel array layer 33 to protect the pixel array layer 33 from oxygen or moisture. That is, the barrier film 34 may be disposed on the pixel array layer 33 . The barrier film 34 may include a touch sensing layer for sensing a user's touch.

The polarizing film 35 may be attached to the upper surface of the barrier film 34 to prevent deterioration in visibility due to reflection of external light. The polarizing film 35 may be disposed to overlap the pixel array layer 33 .

The first adhesive layer 20 is disposed between the curved substrate 10 and the display module 30 to adhere the curved substrate 10 to the polarizing film 35 of the display module 30 . The first adhesive layer 20 may be an optically transparent resin (OCR) or an optically transparent adhesive film (OCA film).

The heat dissipation layer 40 may be disposed on the lower surface of the support substrate 31 of the display module 30 . The heat dissipation layer 40 may include a metal layer 41 having high thermal conductivity to effectively dissipate heat generated from the flexible display module 30 . For example, the metal layer 41 may be copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), or aluminum nitride (AlN). In addition, the heat dissipation layer 40 may include a foam 42 that serves as a buffer to protect the display module 30 from external impact. When the heat dissipation layer 40 includes the metal layer 41 and the foam 42, the foam 42 is disposed on the lower surface of the support substrate 31, and the metal layer 41 is on the lower surface of the foam 42. can be placed.

The flexible film 50 may be a chip on film (COF) on which the driving IC 51 is mounted. The driving IC 51 may be a source driver IC for supplying driving signals to the data lines of the pixel array layer 33 .

The flexible film 50 may be attached in a bent form as shown in FIG. 6 . One side of the flexible film 50 is attached to the upper surface of the flexible substrate 32 by using a first anisotropic conductive film 71, and the other side is attached to the heat dissipation layer 40 through the second adhesive layer 73. ) It can be attached on the lower surface of the metal layer 41. Specifically, one side of the flexible film 50 may be attached to pads provided on an upper surface of the flexible substrate 32 not covered by the barrier film 34 . Since the pads provided on the upper surface of the flexible substrate 32 are connected to the data lines of the pixel array layer 33, the driving signals of the source drive IC pass through the flexible film 50 and the pads to the data lines of the pixel array layer 33. lines can be supplied.

The touch circuit board 60 may include a touch sensing circuit 61 for supplying touch signals to the touch sensing layer of the barrier film 34 and sensing a user's touch input. The touch circuit board 60 may be a flexible printed circuit board having flexibility.

The touch circuit board 60 may be attached in a bent form as shown in FIG. 6 . One side of the touch circuit board 60 is attached to the upper surface of the barrier film 34 through the second anisotropic conductive film 72, and the other side is attached to the other side of the flexible film 50 through the third adhesive layer 74. can be attached to the side. Specifically, one side of the touch circuit board 60 may be attached to pads provided on an upper surface of the barrier film 34 not covered by the polarizing film 35 . Since the pads provided on the upper surface of the barrier film 34 are connected to the touch sensing layer of the barrier film 34, the touch signals of the touch sensing circuit 61 of the touch circuit board 60 are transmitted through the touch circuit board 60 and the pad. Through them, it may be supplied to the touch sensing layer of the barrier film 34 .

Meanwhile, the first adhesive layer 20 may cover one side of the touch circuit board 60 attached to the upper surface of the barrier film 34 . In this case, since one side of the touch circuit board 60 attached to the upper surface of the barrier film 34 is fixed by the first adhesive layer 20, the damage of the touch circuit board 60 due to collision or the like during transportation of the product. Even when an external force is applied to the attachment region, one side of the touch circuit board 60 may be prevented from being unstuck or sagging from the barrier film 34 .

The upper or lower surface of the other side of the flexible film 50 may be attached to the main circuit board on which the control circuit is mounted using an anisotropic conductive film. Also, the upper or lower surface of the other side of the touch circuit board 60 may be attached to the main circuit board through an adhesive layer. The main circuit board may be attached to and fixed to the lower surface of the metal layer 41 of the heat dissipation layer 40 . The main circuit board may be a flexible printed circuit board or a printed circuit board having flexibility.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 7 , a point corresponding to the boundary BD of the first multiple curvature DCA1 on the lower surface of the curved substrate 10 is A, and a point corresponding to the boundary BD in the flexible substrate 32 is Assuming that B and a point corresponding to the curved substrate 10 closest to the flexible substrate 32 are C, a triangle can be formed by connecting A, B, and C. At this time, if the distance from A to B is X, the distance from B to C is Y, and the angle at C is θ, X is the thickness from the flexible substrate 32 to the curved substrate 10, Y is It may be referred to as the sum of the length Y1 from the first multi-curvature portion DCA1 to the end of the flexible substrate 32 and the distance Y2 between the end of the flexible substrate 32 and the curved substrate 10 . Therefore, when the flexible substrate 32 contacts the curved substrate 10, the length of the flexible substrate 32 contacting the curved substrate 10 at the first multiple curvature portion DCA1 is Y. can X, Y, and θ may be defined as in Equation 1.

In order for the flexible substrate 32 not to interfere with the curved substrate 10 in the first multi-curvature portion CA1, the length of the flexible substrate 32 in the first multi-curvature portion CA1 is calculated by Equation 1 It can be set smaller than Y. That is, the corner of the flexible substrate 32 may be cut obliquely as shown in FIG. 5 according to Y calculated by Equation 1.

Meanwhile, when the length Y1 of the flexible substrate 32 in the first multi-curvature portion CA1 is Y, the flexible substrate 32 may contact the curved substrate 10, in which case the curved substrate ( 10), a buffer member for protecting the flexible substrate 32 from damage may be formed on a side surface of the flexible substrate 32.

As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, according to the thickness from the flexible substrate 32 to the curved substrate 10, the first multi-curvature portion CA1 may not interfere with the curved substrate 10. The length of the flexible substrate 32 can be calculated. As a result, the embodiment of the present invention obliquely cuts the edge of the flexible substrate 32 according to the calculated length of the flexible substrate 32, thereby preventing the flexible substrate 32 from interfering with the curved substrate 10. can do.

8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the flexible display module of FIGS. 6 and 7 . 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a display area of the flexible display module of FIG. 8 in detail.

In FIGS. 8 and 9 , description has been given focusing on the display module 30 implemented as an organic light emitting display device. In addition, in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the light emitting device layer 120 has been described based on the top emission method in which light is emitted in the direction in which the barrier film 34 is disposed, that is, in the upward direction.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9 , the display area AA indicates an area where the light emitting device layer 120 is formed to display an image, and the non-display area NAA indicates an area around the display area.

The display module 30 includes a support substrate 31, a flexible substrate 32, a pixel array layer 33 including a thin film transistor layer 110, a light emitting device layer 120 and an encapsulation layer 130, a barrier film ( 34), and a polarizing film 35.

Since the support substrate 31, the flexible substrate 32, the barrier film 34, and the polarizing film 35 have been described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

A thin film transistor layer 110 is formed on the flexible substrate 32 . The thin film transistor layer 110 includes thin film transistors 210 , a gate insulating film 220 , an interlayer insulating film 230 , a protective film 240 , and a planarization film 250 .

A buffer layer may be formed on the flexible substrate 32 . The buffer film may be formed on the flexible substrate 32 to protect the thin film transistors 210 and the light emitting devices from moisture penetrating through the support substrate 31 and the flexible substrate 32 , which are vulnerable to moisture permeation. The buffer layer may include a plurality of inorganic layers alternately stacked. For example, the buffer layer may be formed of a multilayer in which one or more inorganic layers of a silicon oxide layer (SiO _x ), a silicon nitride layer (SiN _x ), and SiON are alternately stacked. The buffer film may be omitted.

A thin film transistor 210 is formed on the buffer layer. The thin film transistor 210 includes an active layer 211 , a gate electrode 212 , a source electrode 213 and a drain electrode 214 . 5 illustrates that the thin film transistor 210 is formed in a top gate (top gate) method in which the gate electrode 212 is positioned above the active layer 211, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the thin film transistor 210 is a bottom gate (bottom gate) method in which the gate electrode 212 is positioned below the active layer 211 or the gate electrode 212 is located above and below the active layer 211. It may be formed in a double gate method located in both.

An active layer 211 is formed on the buffer layer. The active layer 211 may be formed of a silicon-based semiconductor material or an oxide-based semiconductor material. A light blocking layer may be formed between the buffer layer and the active layer 211 to block external light incident on the active layer 211 .

A gate insulating layer 220 may be formed on the active layer 211 . The gate insulating layer 220 may be formed of an inorganic layer, for example, a silicon oxide layer (SiO _x ), a silicon nitride layer (SiN _x ), or a multilayer thereof.

A gate electrode 212 and a gate line may be formed on the gate insulating layer 220 . The gate electrode 212 and the gate line are made of any one of molybdenum (Mo), aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), gold (Au), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd), and copper (Cu). It may be formed as a single layer or multiple layers made of one or an alloy thereof.

An interlayer insulating layer 230 may be formed on the gate electrode 212 and the gate line. The interlayer insulating layer 230 may be formed of an inorganic layer, for example, a silicon oxide layer (SiO _x ), a silicon nitride layer (SiN _x ), or a multilayer thereof.

A source electrode 213 , a drain electrode 214 , and a data line may be formed on the interlayer insulating layer 230 . Each of the source electrode 213 and the drain electrode 214 may be connected to the active layer 211 through a contact hole passing through the gate insulating layer 220 and the interlayer insulating layer 230 . The source electrode 213, the drain electrode 214, and the data line are made of molybdenum (Mo), aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), gold (Au), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), or neodymium (Nd). And copper (Cu) may be formed of a single layer or multiple layers made of any one or an alloy thereof.

A protective layer 240 may be formed on the source electrode 223 , the drain electrode 224 , and the data line to insulate the thin film transistor 220 . The protective layer 240 may be formed of an inorganic layer, for example, a silicon oxide layer (SiO _x ), a silicon nitride layer (SiN _x ), or a multilayer thereof.

A planarization layer 250 may be formed on the passivation layer 240 to flatten a level difference caused by the thin film transistor 210 . The planarization layer 250 may be formed of an organic layer such as acryl resin, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, polyamide resin, or polyimide resin. there is.

A light emitting element layer 120 is formed on the thin film transistor layer 110 . The light emitting device layer 120 includes light emitting devices and a bank 264 .

The light emitting elements and the bank 264 are formed on the planarization film 250 . The light emitting device may include a first electrode 261 , a light emitting layer 262 , and a second electrode 263 . The first electrode 261 may be an anode electrode, and the second electrode 263 may be a cathode electrode.

The first electrode 261 may be formed on the planarization layer 250 . The first electrode 261 may be connected to the source electrode 213 of the thin film transistor 210 through a contact hole passing through the passivation layer 240 and the planarization layer 250 . The first electrode 261 may include a stacked structure of aluminum and titanium (Ti/Al/Ti), a stacked structure of aluminum and ITO (ITO/Al/ITO), an APC alloy, and a stacked structure of APC alloy and ITO (ITO/APC /ITO) may be formed of a metal material with high reflectivity. An APC alloy is an alloy of silver (Ag), palladium (Pd), and copper (Cu).

The bank 264 may be formed to cover an edge of the first electrode 261 on the planarization layer 250 to partition pixels. That is, the bank 264 serves as a pixel defining film defining pixels.

In each of the pixels, a first electrode 261 corresponding to an anode electrode, a light emitting layer 262, and a second electrode 263 corresponding to a cathode electrode are sequentially stacked, and holes from the first electrode 261 and second electrodes 261 are formed. This indicates a region where electrons from the electrode 263 are coupled to each other in the light emitting layer 262 to emit light.

A light emitting layer 262 is formed on the first electrode 261 and the bank 264 . The light emitting layer 262 may be an organic light emitting layer. In this case, the light emitting layer 262 is a common layer commonly formed in pixels and may be a white light emitting layer emitting white light. The light emitting layer 262 may be formed in a tandem structure of two or more stacks. Each of the stacks may include a hole transporting layer, at least one light emitting layer, and an electron transporting layer.

Also, when the emission layer 262 is formed in a tandem structure of two or more stacks, a charge generation layer may be formed between the stacks. The charge generation layer may include an n-type charge generation layer positioned adjacent to the lower stack and a p-type charge generation layer formed on the n-type charge generation layer and positioned adjacent to the upper stack. The n-type charge generation layer injects electrons into the lower stack, and the p-type charge generation layer injects holes into the upper stack. The n-type charge generation layer may be an organic layer in which an organic host material capable of transporting electrons is doped with an alkali metal such as Li, Na, K, or Cs, or an alkaline earth metal such as Mg, Sr, Ba, or Ra. The p-type charge generating layer may be an organic layer doped with a dopant in an organic host material having hole transport capability.

The second electrode 263 is formed on the light emitting layer 262 . The second electrode 263 may be formed to cover the light emitting layer 262 . The second electrode 263 may be a common layer commonly formed in pixels.

The second electrode 263 is a transparent conductive material (TCO) such as ITO or IZO capable of transmitting light, or magnesium (Mg), silver (Ag), or magnesium (Mg) and silver (Ag). It may be formed of a semi-transmissive conductive material such as an alloy of. When the second electrode 140 is formed of a transflective metal material, light emission efficiency may be increased by microcavities. A capping layer may be formed on the second electrode 263 .

An encapsulation layer 130 is formed on the light emitting device layer 120 . The encapsulation layer 130 includes an encapsulation film 270 .

The encapsulation film 270 serves to prevent oxygen or moisture from penetrating the light emitting layer 262 and the second electrode 263 . To this end, the encapsulation film 270 may include at least one inorganic film. The inorganic layer may be formed of silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, zirconium nitride, titanium nitride, hafnium nitride, tantalum nitride, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, or titanium oxide.

In addition, the encapsulation film 270 may further include at least one organic film. The organic layer may be formed to a thickness sufficient to prevent particles from penetrating the encapsulation layer 270 and being injected into the light emitting layer 262 and the second electrode 263 .

A color filter layer may be formed on the encapsulation layer 130 . The color filter layer includes color filters and a black matrix. Each of the color filters may be arranged to correspond to pixels. A black matrix may be disposed between color filters to prevent color mixing from occurring when light from one pixel propagates to a color filter of an adjacent pixel. The black matrix may be arranged to correspond to the bank 264 . An overcoat layer may be formed on the color filters to flatten a level difference between the color filters and the black matrix.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged bottom view showing details of a fourth corner portion of FIG. 4 .

10 shows an enlarged bottom view of the fourth corner portion C4 of the curved substrate 10 where the fourth multiple curvature portion DCA4 is located.

In FIG. 10 , only the curved substrate 10 , the support substrate 31 of the display module 30 , the heat dissipation layer 40 , and the first adhesive layer 20 are illustrated for convenience of description. Since the first adhesive layer 20 is a layer that adheres the display module 30 to the curved substrate 10 and is not visible from a bottom view, it is shown as a dotted line.

Since FIG. 10 is substantially the same as the touch circuit board 60 removed from FIG. 5 , the curved substrate 10 shown in FIG. , And a detailed description of the first adhesive layer 20 will be omitted.

In addition, an enlarged bottom view of the third corner portion C3 of the curved substrate 10 where the third multiple curvature portion DCA3 is located is substantially the same as that shown in FIG. 10 symmetrically with respect to the y-axis. Therefore, an enlarged bottom view of the third corner portion C3 of the curved substrate 10 is omitted.

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

10: curved substrate 20: first adhesive layer
30: display module 31: support substrate
32: flexible substrate 33: pixel array layer
34: barrier film 35: polarizing film
40: heat dissipation layer 41: metal layer
42: foam 50: flexible film
51: driving IC 60: touch circuit board
61: touch sensing circuit 71: first anisotropic conductive film
72: second anisotropic conductive film 73: second adhesive layer
74: third adhesive layer FL: flat portion
CA1: first curvature CA2: second curvature
CA3: third curvature CA4: fourth curvature
DCA1: first multi-curvature part DCA2: second multi-curvature part
DCA3: Third multi-curvature unit DCA4: Fourth multi-curvature unit
C1: first corner portion C2: second corner portion
C3: third corner portion C4: fourth corner portion

Claims (44)

flexible substrate;
a display area and a non-display area on the flexible substrate;
a thin film transistor layer on the flexible substrate and a light emitting element layer on the thin film transistor layer;
a display module including an encapsulation layer on the light emitting element layer;
a substrate including a flat portion on the display module and at least one curvature portion extending from the flat portion;
an adhesive layer disposed between the display module and the substrate; and
A display device including a heat dissipation layer disposed under the display module According to claim 1,
The adhesive layer is disposed inside from an end of the display module and has a shape different from that of the display module. According to claim 1,
Wherein the heat dissipation layer is disposed inside the display module at a lower portion of the display module. According to claim 1,
An edge of the heat dissipation layer does not overlap with the adhesive layer. According to claim 1,
Wherein the substrate includes a plastic material or a glass material. According to claim 1,
The display module,
a barrier film under the adhesive layer; and
A display device comprising a polarizing film disposed between the barrier film and the adhesive layer. According to claim 1,
wherein the adhesive layer overlaps the flat portion and does not overlap the curvature portion. According to claim 1,
The display device, wherein the display module does not contact the curved portion of the substrate. According to claim 1,
The display module includes a pixel array layer formed on an upper surface of the flexible substrate;
The flexible substrate includes a pad electrically connected to the pixel array layer. According to claim 1,
An end of the heat dissipation layer is disposed between an end of the display module and the adhesive layer on a plane. According to claim 1,
The heat dissipation layer includes at least one corner overlapping the curvature portion,
At least one edge of the heat dissipation layer has a diagonal or curved shape, the display device. According to claim 1,
The at least one curvature part,
a first curvature portion bent from a first side of the flat portion; and
and a second curvature portion bent from a second side of the flat portion. According to claim 12,
The first curvature part and the second curvature part have different curvatures. According to claim 12,
The at least one curvature part further comprises a multi-curvature part in which the first curvature part and the second curvature part overlap. 15. The method of claim 14,
An end of the flexible substrate does not contact the multi-curvature portion, the display device. 15. The method of claim 14,
The display module includes a barrier film under the adhesive layer,
The display device, wherein the barrier film partially overlaps the multi-curvature portion in a thickness direction of the display module. 15. The method of claim 14,
The display module,
a pixel array layer formed on an upper surface of the flexible substrate; and
Further comprising a polarizing film disposed on the pixel array layer,
The display device, wherein the polarizing film and the pixel array layer do not overlap the multi-curvature portion in a thickness direction of the display module. 15. The method of claim 14,
The display device, wherein the heat dissipation layer partially overlaps the multi-curvature portion in a thickness direction of the display module. According to claim 18,
The heat dissipation layer includes an edge overlapping the multi-curvature portion,
An edge of the heat dissipation layer has a diagonal shape, the display device. 15. The method of claim 14,
The display module overlaps with at least one of the first curvature part and the second curvature part, and overlaps with the multi-curvature part. 15. The method of claim 14,
The adhesive layer does not overlap the multi-curvature portion in the thickness direction of the display module. 15. The method of claim 14,
The first curvature portion extends from the first side of the flat portion in a first direction and is bent;
Based on the first direction, a distance from the adhesive layer from the first curvature portion to an end of the substrate is shorter than a distance from the adhesive layer from the multi-curvature portion to an end of the substrate. 15. The method of claim 14,
The second curvature portion extends from the second side of the flat portion in a second direction and is bent;
Based on the second direction, a distance from the adhesive layer from the second curvature portion to an end of the substrate is shorter than a distance from the adhesive layer from the multi-curvature portion to an end of the substrate. 15. The method of claim 14,
The display module further includes a barrier film under the adhesive layer and a polarizing film disposed between the adhesive layer,
An end of the polarizing film in the flat portion adjacent to the first curvature portion or the second curvature portion is located inside the adhesive layer,
wherein an end of the polarizing film and an end of the adhesive layer are disposed parallel to each other in the flat part adjacent to the multi-curvature part. 15. The method of claim 14,
The display device, wherein the flexible substrate partially overlaps the multi-curvature portion in a thickness direction of the display module. 15. The method of claim 14,
The display module further includes a support substrate supporting the flexible substrate;
The display device, wherein the support substrate partially overlaps the multi-curvature part in a thickness direction of the display module. 27. The method of claim 26,
The support substrate includes a corner overlapping the multi-curvature portion,
An edge of the support substrate has an oblique or curved shape. 27. The method of claim 26,
The display device, wherein the substrate covers at least a portion of a side surface of the support substrate in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the display module. 27. The method of claim 26,
The heat dissipation layer is disposed under the support substrate,
The size of the heat dissipation layer is smaller than or equal to the size of the support substrate. flexible substrate;
a thin film transistor layer on the flexible substrate;
a light emitting element layer including a light emitting element on the thin film transistor layer;
an encapsulation layer on the light emitting element layer;
a touch sensing layer on the encapsulation layer; and
A display device comprising a substrate including a flat portion on the touch sensing layer and at least one curvature portion extending from the flat portion. 31. The method of claim 30,
A display device comprising an adhesive layer disposed between the touch sensing layer and the substrate. 31. The method of claim 30,
A display device comprising a heat dissipation layer disposed under the flexible substrate. 32. The method of claim 31,
Further comprising a touch circuit board electrically connected to the touch sensor layer,
The adhesive layer covers one side of the touch circuit board, the display device. 34. The method of claim 33,
The display device, wherein the touch circuit board partially contacts the substrate. 32. The method of claim 31,
The adhesive layer is disposed inside from an end of the flexible substrate and has a shape different from that of the flexible substrate. 33. The method of claim 32,
The heat dissipation layer is disposed inside the flexible substrate at a lower portion of the flexible substrate. 33. The method of claim 32,
An adhesive layer disposed between the touch sensing layer and the substrate,
An edge of the heat dissipation layer does not overlap with the adhesive layer. 31. The method of claim 30,
Wherein the substrate includes a plastic material or a glass material. 31. The method of claim 30,
Further comprising a polarizing film between the touch sensor layer and the substrate, the display device. 40. The method of claim 39,
An adhesive layer disposed between the touch sensing layer and the substrate,
The polarizing film is located inside the adhesive layer, the display device. 33. The method of claim 32,
a barrier film covering the pixel array layer disposed on the flexible substrate;
a support substrate disposed between the flexible substrate and the heat dissipation layer; and
A flexible film spaced apart from the barrier film and partially attached to the upper surface of the flexible substrate;
The flexible film surrounds side surfaces of each of the flexible substrate, the support substrate, and the heat dissipation layer and is bent to a lower surface of the heat dissipation layer. 42. The method of claim 41,
Further comprising a polarizing film disposed on the barrier film,
A touch circuit board spaced apart from the polarizing film and partially attached to an upper surface of the barrier film;
The touch circuit board is bent to the lower surface of the flexible film while surrounding the side surface of the barrier film and the flexible film. 43. The method of claim 42,
The at least one curvature part,
a first curvature portion bent from a first side of the flat portion;
a second curvature portion bent from a second side of the flat portion; and
A multi-curvature portion in which the first curvature portion and the second curvature portion overlap,
The flexible film and the touch circuit board partially overlap the first curvature portion in a thickness direction of the flexible substrate. 44. The method of claim 43,
The flexible film and the touch circuit board are non-overlapping with the multi-curvature portion in a thickness direction of the flexible substrate.

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