Display device and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11747924-B2
Application number	US-202016951441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2020
Priority date	Dec 17, 2019
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A display device includes a display panel with a light emitting area from which a light exits and an input sensor disposed on the display panel. The input sensor includes a first conductive layer, a first insulating layer disposed on the first conductive layer and provided with a diffraction grating defined therein to correspond to the light emitting area, and a second conductive layer disposed on the first insulating layer and connected to the first conductive layer. The first insulating layer includes an organic layer covering the first conductive layer and an inorganic layer disposed on the organic layer. The organic layer and the inorganic layer include a plurality of holes defined therein to define the diffraction grating.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising:
a display panel with a light emitting area from which a light exits is defined; and
an input sensor disposed on the display panel, the input sensor comprising:
a first conductive layer;
a first insulating layer disposed on the first conductive layer and provided with a diffraction grating defined therein to correspond to the light emitting area; and
a second conductive layer disposed on the first insulating layer and connected to the first conductive layer, the first insulating layer comprising:
an organic layer covering the first conductive layer; and
an inorganic layer disposed on the organic layer, wherein the organic layer and the inorganic layer comprise a plurality of holes defined therein to define the diffraction grating,
wherein the plurality of holes extend entirely through the organic layer and the inorganic layer with respect to a widthwise direction of the first insulating layer.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of holes comprises a first hole penetrating through the inorganic layer and a second hole penetrating through the organic layer, and the first hole and the second hole are aligned with each other.

3. The display device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of holes has a depth that is substantially the same as a thickness of the first insulating layer.

4. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the second conductive layer comprises a sensing pattern through which an opening is defined, and the opening overlaps the diffraction grating when viewed in a plane.

5. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the input sensor further comprises a second insulating layer that covers the second conductive layer, and the second insulating layer is filled in the plurality of holes.

6. The display device of claim 5 , wherein the second insulating layer has a refractive index different from a refractive index of the first insulating layer.

7. The display device of claim 5 , wherein the second insulating layer is provided with an opening defined therethrough to expose the diffraction grating, and the input sensor further comprises a third insulating layer that covers the first and second insulating layers and is filled in the plurality of holes.

8. The display device of claim 7 , wherein a refractive index of the first insulating layer, a refractive index of the second insulating layer, and a refractive index of the third insulating layer are different from each other.

9. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the input sensor further comprises a base insulating layer, and the first conductive layer makes contact with the base insulating layer.

10. The display device of claim 9 , wherein the base insulating layer is an organic layer.

11. The display device of claim 9 , wherein the display panel comprises:
a base layer;
a circuit element layer disposed on the base layer;
a display element layer disposed on the circuit element layer; and
an encapsulation layer disposed on the display element layer, and the base insulating layer is disposed directly on the encapsulation layer.

12. The display device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of holes are arranged at regular intervals, and at least one of the plurality of holes extends to a portion of the base insulating layer after penetrating through the inorganic layer and the organic layer.

13. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic layer has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the organic layer.

14. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the organic layer is provided with a first through hole defined therethrough to expose a portion of the first conductive layer, and the inorganic layer extending to the first through hole to cover a portion of the first conductive layer is provided with a second through hole to expose another portion of the first conductive layer.

15. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic layer has a refractive index different from a refractive index of the organic layer.

16. The display device of claim 15 , wherein the refractive index of the organic layer is equal to or greater than about 0.7 and equal to or smaller than about 3, and the refractive index of the inorganic layer is equal to or greater than about 0.3 and equal to or smaller than about 1.

17. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the organic layer comprises a non-photosensitive material.

18. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising a base insulating layer that is disposed under the organic layer,
wherein the plurality of holes extend through the organic layer and the inorganic layer to the base insulating layer.

19. A method of manufacturing a display device, comprising:
forming a display panel in which a light emitting area emitting a light is defined; and
forming an input sensor disposed on the display panel, the forming of the input sensor comprising:
forming a first conductive layer;
forming a first insulating layer comprising an organic layer covering the first conductive layer and an inorganic layer disposed on the organic layer;
forming a second conductive layer disposed on the first insulating layer and connected to the first conductive layer through a contact hole;
forming a plurality of holes defining a diffraction grating in the first insulating layer; and
forming a second insulating layer covering the second conductive layer and the first insulating layer,
wherein the plurality of holes extend entirely through the organic layer and the inorganic layer with respect to a widthwise direction of the first insulating layer.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the forming of the first insulating layer comprises:
forming the organic layer through which a first through hole is defined to expose a portion of the first conductive layer;
forming the inorganic layer on the organic layer to cover an inner wall of the first through hole;
forming a photoresist layer on the inorganic layer;
forming a first photoresist pattern layer comprising a base portion through which an opening is defined and a protrusion portion protruded from the base portion from the photoresist layer using a mask;
forming a second through hole through the inorganic layer; and
forming a second photoresist pattern layer comprising patterns corresponding to the protrusion portion from the first photoresist pattern layer.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the forming of the first insulating layer comprises:
forming the organic layer to cover the first conductive layer;
forming the inorganic layer on the organic layer;
forming a photoresist layer on the inorganic layer;
forming a first photoresist pattern layer comprising a base portion through which an opening is defined and a protrusion portion protruded from the base portion from the photoresist layer using a mask;
forming a contact hole through the inorganic layer and the organic layer to expose a portion of the first conductive layer; and
forming a second photoresist pattern layer comprising patterns corresponding to the protrusion portion from the first photoresist pattern layer.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the forming of the plurality of holes comprises:
patterning the organic layer and the inorganic layer using the second photoresist pattern layer, and the patterning of the inorganic layer and the organic layer comprises:
etching an area of the inorganic layer, which is not covered by the second photoresist pattern layer, to expos

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jungi
• Lee Jaehun
• JEON Bogeon
• Jung Yang-Ho

Classifications

• G06F2203/04103

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• G06F3/0412 Primary

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• H10K59/124

  Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements · CPC title

• H10K59/123 Primary

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