Display apparatus with bridge electrode that varies in thickness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12069892-B2
Application number	US-202016930944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2020
Priority date	Oct 23, 2019
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a substrate, a first display area, a first pixel area, a second pixel area spaced apart from the first pixel area, and a transmission area, and a second display area, a first pixel on the first pixel area including a first pixel electrode, a first opposite electrode, and a first intermediate layer between the first pixel electrode and the first opposite electrode, a second pixel on the second pixel area and including a second pixel electrode, a second opposite electrode, and a second intermediate layer between the second pixel electrode and the second opposite electrode, and a bridge electrode electrically connecting the first opposite electrode to the second opposite electrode, a thickness of the bridge electrode varies in a direction from one of the first opposite electrode and the second opposite electrode toward the other one of the first opposite electrode and the second opposite electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display apparatus comprising:
a substrate including:
a first display area including a first pixel area, a second pixel area spaced apart from the first pixel area, and a transmission area; and
a second display area adjacent to the first display area;
a first pixel disposed on the first pixel area and including:
a first pixel electrode;
a first opposite electrode; and
a first intermediate layer disposed between the first pixel electrode and the first opposite electrode;
a second pixel disposed on the second pixel area and including:
a second pixel electrode;
a second opposite electrode; and
a second intermediate layer disposed between the second pixel electrode and the second opposite electrode; and
a bridge electrode electrically connecting the first opposite electrode to the second opposite electrode, wherein
a thickness of the bridge electrode varies in a direction from one of the first opposite electrode and the second opposite electrode toward the other one of the first opposite electrode and the second opposite electrode,
the first opposite electrode, the second opposite electrode, and the bridge electrode are integral with each other such that the first opposite electrode, the second opposite electrode, and the bridge electrode are together made of a single, continuous electrode,
the thickness of the bridge electrode varies such that a top surface of the bridge electrode forms an alternating concave-convex pattern while a bottom surface of the bridge electrode directly below the alternating concave-convex pattern is flat.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of a portion of the bridge electrode is greater than a thickness of another portion of the bridge electrode.

3. The display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a pixel definition layer disposed on the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode and including a first opening and a second opening each exposing a center portion of each of the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode, wherein
the bridge electrode is disposed on the pixel definition layer.

4. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of a thickest portion of the bridge electrode is substantially equal to a greatest thickness of the first opposite electrode or a greatest thickness of the second opposite electrode.

5. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the bridge electrode decreases gradually from a thickest portion of the bridge electrode to a thinnest portion of the bridge electrode.

6. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a light transmittance of the first display area is different from a light transmittance of the second display area.

7. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a resolution of an image in the first display area is lower than a resolution of an image in the second display area.

8. The display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a component disposed in the first display area.

9. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the bridge electrode varies in an area where a bottom surface of the bridge electrode makes direct contact with an electrically insulating layer.

10. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transmission area is disposed between the first opposite electrode, the second opposite electrode, and the bridge electrode.

11. A display apparatus comprising:
a substrate including:
a first display area including a plurality of pixel areas spaced apart from each other, and a transmission area; and
a second display area adjacent to the first display area;
a pixel disposed on each of the plurality of pixel areas and including:
a pixel electrode;
an opposite electrode; and
an intermediate layer disposed between the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode of each of the plurality of pixels; and
a bridge electrode electrically connecting the opposite electrodes of two immediately adjacent pixels of the plurality of pixels disposed in corresponding two pixel areas among the plurality of pixel areas spaced apart from each other, wherein
a thickness of the bridge electrode varies between the opposite electrodes electrically connected to each other by the bridge electrode,
the opposite electrodes of the two immediately adjacent pixels and the bridge electrode are integral with each other such that the opposite electrodes of the two immediately adjacent pixels and the bridge electrode are together made of a single, continuous electrode, and
the thickness of the bridge electrode varies such that a top surface of the bridge electrode forms an alternating concave-convex pattern while a bottom surface of the bridge electrode directly below the alternating concave-convex pattern is flat.

12. The display apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a thickest portion of the bridge electrode is disposed between the opposite electrodes electrically connected to each other by the bridge electrode.

13. The display apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the bridge electrode electrically connects adjacent opposite electrodes among the opposite electrodes of the plurality of pixels.

14. The display apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a component disposed in the first display area.

15. The display apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a light transmittance of the first display area is different from a light transmittance of the second display area.

16. A display apparatus comprising:
a substrate including:
a first display area including a plurality of pixel areas spaced apart from each other, and a transmission area;
a bridge electrode electrically connecting opposite electrodes of two immediately adjacent pixel areas among the plurality of pixel areas spaced apart from each other, wherein
the bridge electrode and the opposite electrodes of the two immediately adjacent pixels are together made of a single, continuous electrode,
a thickness of the bridge electrode varies between the opposite electrodes electrically connected to each other by the bridge electrode with each other,
the thickness of the bridge electrode varies in an area where a bottom surface of the bridge electrode makes direct contact with an electrically insulating layer, and
the thickness of the bridge electrode varies such that a top surface of the bridge electrode forms an alternating concave-convex pattern while a bottom surface of the bridge electrode directly below the alternating concave-convex pattern is flat.

17. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the first pixel area is immediately adjacent to the transmission area along a first direction,
the second pixel area is immediately adjacent to the transmission area along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and
the bridge electrode electrically extends along a direction diagonal to the first direction.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jeongkuk
• Moon Youngmin
• Hwang Kyuhwan

Classifications

• H10K50/813

  characterised by their shape · CPC title

• H10K59/805

  Electrodes · CPC title

• H10K59/1213 Primary

  the pixel elements being TFTs · CPC title

• H10K59/65 Primary

  OLEDs integrated with inorganic image sensors · CPC title

• H10K59/131

  Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals · CPC title