Electroluminescence display device having a through-hole in display area

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11456437-B2
Application number	US-201916670467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2019
Priority date	Nov 1, 2018
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

An electroluminescence display device having a through-hole in a display area is discussed. The electroluminescence display device can include a substrate, a through-hole, an inner dam, and a hole-trench. The substrate includes a display area where a plurality of pixels for displaying images are arranged, and a non-display area surrounding the display area. The through-hole is arranged inside the display area. The inner dam surrounds the through-hole. The hole-trench surrounds the inner dam, and is formed as the substrate is partially recessed as much as a certain thickness.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electroluminescence display device comprising:
a substrate having a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area, the display area having a plurality of pixels for displaying images;
a pixel array layer disposed on the substrate, the pixel array layer including a thin film transistor layer formed on the substrate, and a light emitting diode electrically connected with a thin film transistor arranged in the thin film transistor layer;
an encapsulation layer disposed on the pixel array layer, the encapsulation layer including a first inorganic layer, an organic layer on the first inorganic layer and a second inorganic layer on the organic layer;
a through-hole arranged inside the display area, the through-hole penetrating the substrate, the pixel array layer and the encapsulation layer;
a first inner dam surrounding the through-hole; and
a hole-trench surrounding the first inner dam,
wherein the hole-trench includes:
a bottom surface defined at a position recessed at a certain depth from an upper surface of the substrate;
an upper surface defined at a bottom surface of the first inner dam; and
a sidewall for connecting the bottom surface of the hole-trench with the upper surface of the hole-trench,

wherein the first inorganic layer is configured to be deposited on the upper surface, the sidewall and the bottom surface of the hole-trench, and to cover the inner dam,
wherein a light emitting layer of the light emitting diode is arranged on the bottom surface of the hole-trench and the upper surface of the hole-trench, except for the sidewall of the hole-trench, so that the hole-trench includes a remaining interior portion that excludes the light emitting layer and the first inorganic layer,
wherein the organic layer is disposed in the hole-trench to fill-in the remaining interior portion of the hole-trench, and to be in contact with a portion of an inner wall of the inner dam, and
wherein the second inorganic layer is configured to be deposited on the organic layer, and to be in contact with the first inorganic layer on an upper surface and an outer sidewall of the inner dam.

2. The electroluminescence display device of claim 1 , wherein the position of the bottom surface of the hole-trench defined at any selected one position in a range of from 20% of a thickness of the substrate to 70% of the thickness of the substrate from the upper surface of the substrate.

3. The electroluminescence display device of claim 1 , wherein the hole-trench is arranged between the first inner dam and a group of adjacent pixels arranged closest to the first inner dam among the plurality of pixels.

4. The electroluminescence display device of claim 1 , wherein the hole-trench has a closed curve shape corresponding to a shape of the through-hole.

5. The electroluminescence display device of claim 1 , wherein the hole-trench has any one of a polygonal shape, a circular shape and an oval shape, which surrounds the through-hole.

6. The electroluminescence display device of claim 1 , wherein the hole-trench has a width narrower than a width of the first inner dam.

7. The electroluminescence display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second inner dam surrounding the first inner dam,
wherein the hole-trench is surrounding the second inner dam.

8. The electroluminescence display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second inner dam surrounding the first inner dam,
wherein the hole-trench is arranged between the first inner dam and the second inner dam.

9. The electroluminescence display device of claim 1 , wherein the pixel array layer further includes:
a planarization layer covering the thin film transistor layer;
an anode electrode of the light emitting diode electrically connected with the thin film transistor and arranged on the planarization layer; and
a bank defining a light emitting area in the anode electrode,
wherein the hole-trench passes through the planarization layer and the thin film transistor layer, and is recessed into the substrate with a certain thickness less than a thickness of the substrate.

10. The electroluminescence display device of claim 9 , wherein the first inner dam further includes a spacer arranged on the planarization layer and the bank, the spacer surrounding the through-hole.

11. The electroluminescence display device of claim 9 , further comprising:
an outer dam arranged in the non-display area, surrounding the display area;
the light emitting layer covering the pixels, the first inner dam and the hole-trench on the substrate between the outer dam and the through-hole;
a cathode electrode of the light emitting diode arranged on the light emitting layer; and
the encapsulation layer covering the cathode electrode.

12. The electroluminescence display device of claim 11 , wherein the light emitting layer is exposed from a sidewall of the through-hole.

13. The electroluminescence display device of claim 1 , wherein the first inorganic layer is disposed within the hole-trench.

14. The electroluminescence display device of claim 1 , wherein the pixel array layer and the substrate are exposed at a sidewall of the through-hole.

15. The electroluminescence display device of claim 3 , wherein the light emitting layer that is arranged on the bottom surface of the hole-trench is located below the upper surface of the substrate.

16. The electroluminescence display device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pixels are arranged to encircle the through-hole.

17. An electroluminescence display device comprising:
a substrate having a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area, the display area having a plurality of pixels for displaying images;
an encapsulation layer on the substrate, the encapsulation layer including a first inorganic layer, an organic layer on the first inorganic layer and a second inorganic layer on the organic layer;
a pixel array layer disposed on the substrate, and having a light emitting layer;
a through-hole arranged inside the display area and encircled by the plurality of pixels, the through-hole penetrating the substrate and the pixel array layer including the light emitting layer;
an inner dam surrounding the through-hole; and
a hole-trench surrounding the inner dam,
wherein the hole-trench includes:
a bottom surface defined at a position recessed at a certain depth from an upper surface of the substrate;
an upper surface defined at a bottom surface of the inner dam; and
a sidewall for connecting the bottom surface of the hole-trench with the upper surface of the hole-trench,

wherein the first inorganic layer is configured to be deposited on the upper surface, the sidewall and the bottom surface, and to cover the inner dam,
wherein the light emitting layer is arranged on the bottom surface of the hole-trench and the upper surface of the hole-trench, except for the sidewall of the hole-trench, so that the hole-trench includes a remaining interior portion that excludes the light emitting layer and the first inorganic layer,
wherein the organic layer is disposed in the hole-trench to fill-in the remaining interior portion of the hole-trench, and to be in contact with a portion of an inner wall of the inner dam, and
wherein the second inorganic layer is configured to be deposited on the organic layer, and to be in contact with the first inorganic layer on an upper surface and an outer sidewall of the inner dam.

Assignees

• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Junggi

Classifications

• H10K50/844

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K50/84

  Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K59/873

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K59/87

  Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K59/122 Primary

  Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks · CPC title