Organic light-emitting diode display device and method of fabricating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10811478-B2
Application number	US-201916374706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2019
Priority date	Jul 31, 2018
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

An organic light-emitting diode display device includes a pixel electrode, a pixel-defining layer, an organic emission layer, and a counter electrode. The pixel-defining layer includes an opening partially exposing the pixel electrode. The organic emission layer is disposed on the pixel electrode. The organic emission layer is disposed in the opening. The counter electrode is disposed on the organic emission layer. The counter electrode opposes the pixel electrode. The pixel-defining layer includes a first pixel-defining layer and a second pixel-defining layer. The first pixel-defining layer is disposed on the pixel electrode and includes an inorganic material. The second pixel-defining layer is disposed on the first pixel-defining layer and includes an organic material. A sidewall of the first pixel-defining layer that is closest to the opening is aligned with a sidewall of the second pixel-defining layer that is closest to the opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display device comprising:
a pixel electrode;
a pixel-defining layer comprising an opening partially exposing the pixel electrode;
an organic emission layer disposed on the pixel electrode, the organic emission layer being disposed in the opening; and
a counter electrode disposed on the organic emission layer, the counter electrode opposing the pixel electrode,
wherein the pixel-defining layer comprises:
a first pixel-defining layer disposed on the pixel electrode, the first pixel-defining layer comprising an inorganic material; and
a second pixel-defining layer disposed on the first pixel-defining layer, the second pixel-defining layer comprising an organic material, and

wherein:
a sidewall of the first pixel-defining layer that is closest to the opening is aligned with a sidewall of the second pixel-defining layer that is closest to the opening; and
the sidewall of the first pixel-defining layer that is closest to the opening is closer to the opening than the sidewall of the second pixel-defining layer that is closest to the opening.

2. The OLED display device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first pixel-defining layer is a single layer structure or a multiple layer structure; and
the inorganic material comprises at least one of a silicon oxide layer (SiO 2 ), a silicon nitride layer (SiNx), and a silicon oxynitride layer (SiO 2 Nx).

3. The OLED display device of claim 1 , wherein the organic material comprises at least one of benzocyclobutene, polyimide, polyamide, acrylic resin, and phenolic resin.

4. The OLED display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an encapsulation substrate on the counter electrode,
wherein the encapsulation substrate comprises at least one inorganic encapsulation layer and at least one organic encapsulation layer.

5. The OLED display device of claim 1 , wherein the second pixel-defining layer comprises:
a bank; and
a spacer protruding from the bank in a thickness direction.

6. The OLED display device of claim 5 , wherein a shape of the spacer is one of a truncated pyramid, a prism, a truncated cone, a cylinder, a hemisphere, and a half-oblate.

7. An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display device comprising:
a first electrode;
a pixel-defining layer comprising an opening partially exposing the first electrode;
an organic emission layer disposed on the first electrode, the organic emission layer being disposed in the opening; and
a second electrode disposed on the organic emission layer such that organic emission layer is between the second electrode and the first electrode,
wherein the pixel-defining layer comprises:
a first pixel-defining layer disposed on the first electrode, the first pixel-defining layer comprising an inorganic material; and
a second pixel-defining layer disposed on the first pixel-defining layer, the second pixel-defining layer comprising an organic material,

wherein the first pixel-defining layer comprises a first sidewall closest to the opening,
wherein the second pixel-defining layer comprises a second sidewall closest to the opening,
wherein the first pixel-defining layer comprises:
a first area overlapping with the second pixel-defining layer in a thickness direction; and
a second area protruding from the second sidewall of the second pixel-defining layer, the second area not overlapping with the second pixel-defining layer in the thickness direction, and

wherein an average thickness of the second area of the first pixel-defining layer is smaller than an average thickness of the first area.

8. The OLED display device of claim 7 , wherein a thickness of the second area of the first pixel-defining layer decreases toward the first sidewall from a portion aligned with the second sidewall.

9. The OLED display device of claim 7 , wherein:
the first sidewall overlaps with the first electrode in the thickness direction; and
the second sidewall does not overlap with the first electrode in the thickness direction.

10. The OLED display device of claim 7 , further comprising:
an encapsulation substrate,
wherein the encapsulation substrate comprises at least one inorganic encapsulation layer and at least one organic encapsulation layer.

11. The OLED display device of claim 7 , wherein the second pixel-defining layer comprises:
a bank; and
a spacer protruding from the bank in the thickness direction.

12. The OLED display device of claim 11 , wherein the bank and the spacer overlap the first area in the thickness direction.

13. The OLED display device of claim 11 , wherein:
the second pixel-defining layer further comprises a third sidewall of the spacer; and
the second sidewall is aligned with the third sidewall.

14. A method of fabricating an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display device, the method comprising:
stacking an inorganic material layer on a substrate on which a first electrode is formed;
forming an organic layer pattern on the inorganic material layer, the organic layer pattern comprising:
a first part having a first thickness,
a second part having a second thickness greater than the first thickness, and
an opening partially exposing the inorganic material layer, the opening partially overlapping with the first electrode; and

etching the inorganic material layer exposed by the organic layer pattern.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the organic layer pattern further comprises a third part between the second part and the opening; and
the third part has an average thickness smaller than the second thickness.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein a thickness of the third part decreases from a boundary with the second part toward the opening.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the etching of the inorganic material layer is performed via dry-etching the inorganic material layer.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the etching of the inorganic material layer comprises etching an organic material together with the inorganic material such that the organic material is downsized to form the organic layer pattern.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the organic layer pattern comprises at least one of benzocyclobutene, polyimide, polyamide, acrylic resin, and phenolic resin.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein forming the organic layer pattern comprises:
positioning a transflective mask over the inorganic material layer, the transflective mask comprising a transmissive portion, a transflective portion having a lower transmittance than the transmissive portion, and a light-blocking portion; and
performing an exposure and development process using the transflective mask.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Dae Won
• Kang Tae Wook
• Ko Kyeong Su
• Kim Sang Gab
• Kim Tae Sung
• Lee Joon Geol
• Cho Hyun Min

Classifications

• H10K71/00

  Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass · CPC title

• H10K50/844

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K50/8428

  Vertical spacers, e.g. arranged between the sealing arrangement and the OLED · CPC title

• H10K59/8731

  multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers · CPC title

• H10K59/8723

  Vertical spacers, e.g. arranged between the sealing arrangement and the OLED · CPC title