Display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12245452-B2
Application number	US-202117644303-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2021
Priority date	Dec 14, 2020
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a substrate having an opening, a display area around the opening, and a middle area between the opening and the display area, a light-emitting element in the display area, the light-emitting element comprising a pixel electrode, an opposite electrode, and an intermediate layer between the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode, and a disconnection portion in the middle area, the disconnection portion including a first stack structure and a second stack structure on the first stack structure. A 1-1st sub-layer, a 1-2nd sub-layer, and a 1-3rd sub-layer are sequentially stacked in the first stack structure. A 2-1st sub-layer, a 2-2nd sub-layer, and a 2-3rd sub-layer are sequentially stacked in the second stack structure. The intermediate layer and the opposite electrode extend from the display area to the middle area, the intermediate layer and the opposite electrode being disconnected at the disconnection portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display apparatus comprising:
a substrate having an opening, a display area around the opening, and a middle area between the opening and the display area;
a light-emitting element in the display area, the light-emitting element comprising a pixel electrode, an opposite electrode, and an intermediate layer between the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode; and
a disconnection portion in the middle area, the disconnection portion comprising a first stack structure and a second stack structure on the first stack structure,
wherein a 1-1st sub-layer, a 1-2nd sub-layer, and a 1-3rd sub-layer are sequentially stacked in the first stack structure,
wherein a 2-1st sub-layer, a 2-2nd sub-layer, and a 2-3rd sub-layer are sequentially stacked in the second stack structure,
wherein the intermediate layer and the opposite electrode extend from the display area to the middle area, the intermediate layer and the opposite electrode being disconnected at the disconnection portion,
wherein the first stack structure has a first concave portion in which the 1-2nd sub-layer is dented toward a center of the 1-2nd sub-layer,
wherein the second stack structure has a second concave portion in which the 2-2nd sub-layer is dented toward a center of the 2-2nd sub-layer, and
wherein the intermediate layer and the opposite electrode each have a thickness that decreases toward an inner portion of the first concave portion or an inner portion of the second concave portion.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer and the opposite electrode are disconnected in the inner portion of the first concave portion or the inner portion of the second concave portion.

3. The display apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises at least one of a hole transport layer, a hole injection layer, an electron transport layer, or an electron injection layer.

4. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a width of the 1-2nd sub-layer is less than a width of the 1-1st sub-layer and a width of the 1-3rd sub-layer, and
wherein a width of the 2-2nd sub-layer is less than a width of the 2-1st sub-layer and a width of the 2-3rd sub-layer.

5. The display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a thin-film transistor in the display area, the thin-film transistor comprising a semiconductor layer, a gate electrode overlapping the semiconductor layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode that are electrically connected to the semiconductor layer,
wherein at least one of the source electrode or the drain electrode comprises a 1-1st metal layer, a 1-2nd metal layer on the 1-1st metal layer, and a 1-3rd metal layer on the 1-2nd metal layer.

6. The display apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the 1-1st sub-layer and the 1-1st metal layer comprise a same material as each other,
wherein the 1-2nd sub-layer and the 1-2nd metal layer comprise a same material as each other, and
wherein the 1-3rd sub-layer and the 1-3rd metal layer comprise a same material as each other.

7. The display apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a contact metal layer on the thin-film transistor, the contact metal layer electrically connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode,
wherein the contact metal layer comprises a 2-1st metal layer, a 2-2nd metal layer on the 2-1st metal layer, and a 2-3rd metal layer on the 2-2nd metal layer.

8. The display apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the 2-1st sub-layer and the 2-1st metal layer comprise a same material as each other,
wherein the 2-2nd sub-layer and the 2-2nd metal layer comprise a same material as each other, and
wherein the 2-3rd sub-layer and the 2-3rd metal layer comprise a same material as each other.

9. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the disconnection portion further comprises a third stack structure on the second stack structure, and
wherein a 3-1st sub-layer, a 3-2nd sub-layer, and a 3-3rd sub-layer are sequentially stacked in the third stack structure.

10. The display apparatus of claim 9 ,
wherein the third stack structure has a third concave portion in which the 3-2nd sub-layer is dented toward a center of the 3-2nd sub-layer.

11. The display apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the intermediate layer and the opposite electrode are disconnected in the inner portion of the first concave portion, the inner portion of the second concave portion, or an inner portion of the third concave portion.

12. The display apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each of the thickness of the intermediate layer and the thickness of the opposite electrode decrease toward the inner portion of the first concave portion, the inner portion of the second concave portion, and the inner portion of the third concave portion.

13. The display apparatus of claim 10 , wherein a width of the 1-2nd sub-layer is less than a width of the 1-1st sub-layer and a width of the 1-3rd sub-layer,
wherein a width of the 2-2nd sub-layer is less than a width of the 2-1st sub-layer and a width of the 2-3rd sub-layer, and
wherein a width of the 3-2nd sub-layer is less than a width of the 3-1st sub-layer and a width of the 3-3rd sub-layer.

14. The display apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the width of the 2-1st sub-layer is less than the width of the 1-3rd sub-layer.

15. The display apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the width of the 3-1st sub-layer is less than the width of the 2-3rd sub-layer.

16. The display apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the pixel electrode comprises a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer on the first electrode layer, and a third electrode layer on the second electrode layer.

17. The display apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first electrode layer and the 3-1st sub-layer comprise a same material as each other,
wherein the second electrode layer and the 3-2nd sub-layer comprise a same material as each other, and
wherein the third electrode layer and the 3-3rd sub-layer comprise a same material as each other.

18. A display apparatus comprising:
a substrate having an opening, a display area around the opening, and a middle area between the opening and the display area;
a light-emitting element in the display area, the light-emitting element comprising a pixel electrode, an opposite electrode, and an intermediate layer between the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode; and
a disconnection portion in the middle area, the disconnection portion comprising a first stack structure and a second stack structure on the first stack structure,
wherein a 1-1st sub-layer, a 1-2nd sub-layer, and a 1-3rd sub-layer are sequentially stacked in the first stack structure,
wherein a 2-1st sub-layer, a 2-2nd sub-layer, and a 2-3rd sub-layer are sequentially stacked in the second stack structure, and
wherein the intermediate layer and the opposite electrode extend from the display area to the middle area, the intermediate layer and the opposite electrode being disconnected at the disconnection portion,
wherein a width of the 2-1st sub-layer is less than a width of the 1-3rd sub-layer.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Son Youngran
• BOK Seunglyong

Classifications

• H10K59/8791

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