Metasurface, light-emitting device including the metasurface, display device including the light-emitting device, and method of fabricating the metasurface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11980052-B2
Application number	US-202117154165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2021
Priority date	Jul 17, 2020
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

A metasurface includes a substrate with a first surface area having first surface energy, and a second surface area formed to surround the first surface area and having second surface energy less than the first surface energy, a polymer layer provided on the substrate at a position corresponding to the first surface area and including a polymer material and a metal reflective layer provided on the polymer layer and having a phase modulation surface including metal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A metasurface comprising:
a substrate including a first surface area having first surface energy, and a second surface area surrounding the first surface area and having second surface energy less than the first surface energy;
a polymer layer provided on the first surface area of the substrate and not provided on the second surface area, the polymer layer including a polymer material; and
a metal reflective layer provided on the polymer layer and having a phase modulation surface including a metal material,
wherein the first surface energy is hydrophilic and the second surface energy is hydrophobic, and
wherein the polymer layer comprises a plurality of first columnar nanostructures and the metal reflective layer comprises a plurality of second columnar nanostructures.

2. The metasurface of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first columnar nanostructures are polymer nanostructures made of the polymer material.

3. The metasurface of claim 2 , wherein the polymer nanostructures include a UV-curable resin.

4. The metasurface of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of second columnar nanostructures are metal nanostructures corresponding to the polymer nanostructures.

5. The metasurface of claim 4 , wherein the metal reflective layer includes silver (Ag) or an alloy containing Ag.

6. The metasurface of claim 1 , wherein the first surface area includes a first sub-surface area and a second sub-surface area, which are spaced apart from each other by the second surface area.

7. The metasurface of claim 6 ,
wherein the polymer layer includes a first polymer layer provided on the first sub-surface area and a second polymer layer provided on the second sub-surface area,
wherein the first polymer layer includes a plurality of first polymer nanostructures arranged according to a first rule, and the second polymer layer includes a plurality of second polymer nanostructures arranged according to a second rule different from the first rule, and
wherein the plurality of first polymer nanostructures and the plurality of second polymer nanostructures are made of the polymer material.

8. The metasurface of claim 7 , wherein
the metal reflective layer includes a first metal reflective layer covering the first polymer layer and a second metal reflective layer covering the second polymer layer, and
a first phase modulation surface of the first metal reflective layer includes a plurality of first metal nanostructures corresponding to the plurality of first polymer nanostructures, and a second phase modulation surface of the second metal reflective layer includes a plurality of second metal nanostructures corresponding to the plurality of second polymer nanostructures.

9. The metasurface of claim 8 , wherein
the first surface area further includes a third sub-surface area,
the polymer layer further includes a third polymer layer provided on the third sub-surface area, and
the metal reflective layer further includes a third metal reflective layer provided on the third polymer layer and including a flat third phase modulation surface.

10. The metasurface of claim 1 , wherein a first width of each of the plurality of first columnar nanostructures is less than a second width of each of the plurality of second columnar nanostructures.

11. A light emitting device comprising:
a polymer layer including a polymer material;
a metal reflective layer provided on the polymer layer and having a phase modulation surface including a metal material;
a first electrode provided on the metal reflective layer;
a light emitting structure provided on the first electrode; and
a second electrode provided on the light emitting structure,
wherein the polymer layer comprises a plurality of first columnar nanostructures and the metal reflective layer comprises a plurality of second columnar nanostructures,
wherein a first width of a planar upper surface of each of the plurality of first columnar nanostructures is less than a second width of a planar upper surface of each of the plurality of second columnar nanostructures, and
wherein the planar upper surface of each of the plurality of second columnar nanostructures is provided directly above the planar upper surface of a respective one of the plurality of second columnar nanostructures.

12. The light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of first columnar nanostructures are polymer nanostructures, and the plurality of second columnar nanostructures are metal nanostructures corresponding to the polymer nanostructures.

13. The light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein the light emitting structure comprises:
a hole injection layer provided on the first electrode;
a hole transfer layer provided on the hole injection layer;
an organic emission layer provided on the hole transfer layer;
an electron transfer layer provided on the organic emission layer; and
an electron injection layer provided on the electron transfer layer.

14. The light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein the first electrode is a transparent electrode, and the second electrode is a transflective electrode configured to reflect a portion of light and allow another portion of the light to pass through.

15. A display device providing a substrate including a first surface area including a first sub-surface area and a second sub-surface area having first surface energy, and a second surface area surrounding the first surface area and having second surface energy less than the first surface energy,
the display device comprising:
a first pixel configured to emit light of a first wavelength provided on the first sub-surface area; and
a second pixel configured to emit light of a second wavelength provided on the second sub-surface area, the second wavelength being different from the first wavelength and is provided on the second sub-surface area,
wherein each of the first pixel and the second pixel comprises:
a polymer layer having a plurality of polymer columnar nanostructures;
a metal reflective layer provided on the polymer layer and having a phase modulation surface including a plurality of metal columnar nanostructures corresponding to the plurality of polymer nanostructures;
a first electrode provided on the metal reflective layer;
a light emitting structure provided on the first electrode; and
a second electrode provided on the light emitting structure,
wherein the first surface energy is hydrophilic and the second surface energy is hydrophobic.

16. The display device of claim 15 , wherein
the first pixel and the second pixel are provided on the same plane of the substrate, and
the first pixel and the second pixel are spaced apart from each other by the second surface area such that the polymer layer and the metal reflective layer included in the first pixel and the polymer layer and the metal reflective layer included in the second pixel are electrically insulated from each other.

17. The display device of claim 15 , wherein
the metal reflective layer and the second electrode form a micro-cavity having a resonance wavelength,
a first diameter and a first height of each of the plurality of metal columnar nanostructures included in the first pixel, and first arrangement intervals of the plurality of metal columnar nanostructures are configured based on a resonance wavelength of a first micro-cavity of the first pixel corresponds to the first wavelength, and
a second diameter and a second height of each of the plurality of metal columnar nanostructures included in the second pixel, and second arrangement intervals of the plural

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Sunghoon
• Kwon Myongjong
• Joo Wonjae

Classifications

• G02F1/13363

  Birefringent elements, e.g. for optical compensation · CPC title

• H10K59/8791

  Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light · CPC title

• G02B5/3016

  involving passive liquid crystal elements (optical properties of liquid crystals G02F1/0063; polarising elements associated with active liquid crystal devices G02F1/133528) · CPC title

• G02B5/3083

  Birefringent or phase retarding elements (G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence; systems for polarisation control G02B27/286; manufacturing phase modulating patterns by lithographic processes G03F7/001) · CPC title

• H10K59/878

  comprising reflective means · CPC title