Display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11812641-B2
Application number	US-202318102881-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2023
Priority date	Jan 22, 2020
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A display device includes a substrate comprising a plurality of pixel areas and a non-pixel area surrounding each of the plurality of pixel areas. The non-pixel area includes a plurality of first areas and a second area surrounding the plurality of first areas. A functional layer is disposed on the substrate and includes a plurality of first holes defined through the functional layer and overlapping the plurality of first areas. An element layer is disposed on the functional layer. A pixel definition layer is disposed on the element layer and overlaps the non-pixel area. The pixel definition layer includes pixel openings defined therethrough. The pixel openings overlap the plurality of pixel areas. A plurality of light emitting elements is disposed on the element layer and is disposed in the pixel openings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising:
a display area comprising a plurality of pixel areas including a first pixel area and a second pixel area apart from the first pixel area and a non-pixel area surrounding each of the plurality of pixel areas, the non-pixel area including a first area, each of the first pixel area and the second pixel area adjacent to the first area;
a plurality of light emitting elements respectively disposed on the pixel areas, and each of the light emitting elements comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and an emitting layer between the first electrode and the second electrode;
a color filter layer disposed on the light emitting elements and comprising a first color filter overlapping the first pixel area, a second color filter overlapping the second pixel area, and a sub color filter overlapping the first area; and
a sensor layer overlapping the non-pixel area; and
wherein each of the pixel areas overlaps the first electrode, the emitting layer, and the second electrode,
wherein the sub color filter extended from the first color filter or the second color filter.

2. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising a pixel definition layer including openings defined therethrough and respectively overlapping the pixel areas and the first area.

3. The display device of claim 2 , further comprising a thin film encapsulation layer disposed between the plurality of light emitting elements and the color filter layer.

4. The display device of claim 3 , further comprising an input sensing unit disposed between the thin film encapsulation layer and the color filter layer, wherein the input sensing unit comprises a plurality of sensing electrodes apart from the pixel areas and the first area in a plan view.

5. The display device of claim 2 , wherein the pixel areas further comprises a third pixel area apart from the first and the second pixel areas, wherein the non-pixel area further comprises a second area adjacent to the second and the third pixel areas, and
wherein the second area does not overlap the openings in a plan view.

6. The display device of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of light emitting elements comprise:
a first light emitting element overlapping the first pixel area and configured to generate a light having a red color;
a second light emitting element overlapping the second pixel area and configured to generate a light having a green color; and
a third light emitting element overlapping the third pixel area and configured to generate a light having a blue color.

7. The display device of claim 6 , wherein the first area is disposed in a partial portion of an area between the first pixel area and the second pixel area.

8. The display device of claim 6 , wherein the color filter layer comprising:
a plurality of first color filter overlapping the first light emitting element, the first color filter is red color filter;
a second color filter overlapping the second light emitting element, the second color filter is green color filter;
a third color filters overlapping the third light emitting element, the third color filter is blue color filter; and
a black matrix disposed between the first, second, and third color filters and
wherein the black matrix apart from the first area and overlaps the second area in a plan view.

9. The display device of claim 5 , further comprising a spacer disposed on the pixel definition layer, the spacer overlapping at least one of the first area and the second area.

10. The display device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the pixel definition layer and the functional layer has a black color.

11. The display device of claim 2 , further comprising a functional layer overlapping the display area.

12. The display device of claim 11 , further comprising:
a substrate under the functional layer; and
wherein the sensor layer disposed under the substrate, the sensor layer comprising at least one optical fingerprint sensor.

13. The display device of claim 11 , wherein the sensor layer overlaps the pixel area.

14. The display device of claim 12 , wherein the functional layer further comprising a first hole defined through the functional layer and overlapping the first area.

15. The display device of claim 14 , wherein the openings comprising pixel openings overlapping the pixel areas and a second hole overlapping the first area, and
wherein the first hole overlapping the second hole.

16. The display device of claim 15 , wherein an area of the second hole is greater than an area of the first hole in a plan view.

17. The display device of claim 15 , wherein the second hole comprises:
a first portion positioned on a lower end of the second hole; and
a second portion positioned on an upper end of the second hole,
wherein the second portion has an area that is greater than an area of the first portion, the area of the first portion and the area of the second portion in a plan view.

18. The display device of claim 17 , wherein the second hole has a width that gradually decreases from the second portion to the first portion.

19. The display device of claim 17 , wherein a width of the first portion and a width of the second portion satisfy the following Equations 1 and 2:
W 2> W 1+2× L 1×tan(θ)  <Equation 1>

W 3> W 1+2× L 2×tan(θ)  <Equation 2>

wherein W 1 is a width of the first hole, W 2 is a width of the first portion, W 3 is a width of the second portion, L 1 is a vertical distance from the first hole to the first portion, L 2 is a vertical distance from the first hole to the second portion, and θ is a maximum angle defined by lights incident to the first hole and the vertical direction.

20. The display device of claim 15 , wherein each of the first hole and the second hole has a polygonal shape or a circular shape when viewed in a plan view.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ryu Ji-Hun
• Kim Ilnam
• Kim Jae-Kyoung
• Park Wonsang
• Sung Eunjin
• Lee Seongryong
• Lee Jonghyun

Classifications

• H10K59/38 Primary

  comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM] · CPC title

• H10K59/1213

  the pixel elements being TFTs · CPC title

• H10K59/1315

  comprising structures specially adapted for lowering the resistance · CPC title

• H10K59/123

  Connection of the pixel electrodes to the thin film transistors [TFT] · CPC title

• H10K59/40

  OLEDs integrated with touch screens · CPC title