Display panel including a plurality of grooves for separating organic material layers and electrodes and a display apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12274135-B2
Application number	US-202418432548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2024
Priority date	May 13, 2019
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

A display panel includes: a substrate including a first area, a second area, and a third area between the first area and the second area; a first structure located in the second area and including a pixel electrode, an opposite electrode, an intermediate layer between the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode, and at least one organic material layer; and a plurality of grooves located in the third area and separating the at least one organic material layer and the opposite electrode, wherein a first groove of the plurality of grooves is provided in a multi-layered film including a lower layer and an upper layer, wherein the upper layer includes an inorganic material layer and a first step adjacent to the first groove, the first step having an elevation higher than an upper surface of the lower layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display panel comprising:
a substrate comprising a first area, a second area, and a third area between the first area and the second area;
a first structure located in the second area and comprising a pixel electrode, an opposite electrode, an intermediate layer between the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode, and at least one organic material layer; and
a plurality of grooves located in the third area and separating the at least one organic material layer and the opposite electrode, wherein
a first groove of the plurality of grooves is provided in a multi-layered film comprising a lower layer and an upper layer,
the first groove comprises a first hole penetrating the upper layer and a second hole or recess in the lower layer, and
a first width of the first hole is less than the a second width of the second hole or recess in a cross-sectional view.

2. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein
the second width is a distance between a first portion and a second portion of an edge of an upper surface of the lower layer, which face each other with respect to the second hole or recess, in a cross-sectional view.

3. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein
the upper layer comprises a tip protruding toward a center of the first hole, and
a distance between a first portion and a second portion of the tip, which face each other with respect to the first hole, is less than the second width in a cross-sectional view.

4. The display panel of claim 3 , wherein
an undercut structure is between the tip and the lower layer, and
a third width of the undercut structure is greater than the second width in a cross-sectional view.

5. The display panel of claim 3 , wherein
an undercut structure is between the tip and the lower layer, and
a third width of the undercut structure is a same as the second width in a cross-sectional view.

6. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein
the upper layer comprises an inorganic material layer.

7. The display panel of claim 6 , wherein
the upper layer comprises a conductive oxide layer, a metal layer, or an inorganic insulating layer.

8. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein
the lower layer comprises an inorganic insulating film.

9. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first opening located in the first area and penetrating the display panel.

10. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a thin-film encapsulation layer located above the first structure and comprising an inorganic encapsulation layer and an organic encapsulation layer,
wherein the inorganic encapsulation layer is continuously arranged along an inner surface of the first groove.

11. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
an opposite electrode pattern located in the first groove,
wherein the opposite electrode pattern comprises a same material as the opposite electrode and is disconnected from the opposite electrode at a boundary of the first groove.

12. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
an organic material layer pattern located in the first groove,
wherein the organic material layer pattern comprises a same material as the at least one organic material layer and is disconnected from the at least one organic material layer at a boundary of the first groove.

13. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein
the intermediate layer comprises an light-emitting layer, and
the at least one organic material layer comprises an first functional layer between the pixel electrode and the light-emitting layer and/or a second functional layer between the light-emitting layer and the opposite electrode.

14. The display panel of claim 13 , further comprising;
a pattern structure, in which a plurality of layers are stacked in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, the pattern structure being located in the first groove,
wherein
the pattern structure comprises layers respectively comprising same materials as the first functional layer, the second functional layer, and the opposite electrode, and
the pattern structure is disconnected from the first functional layer, the second functional layer, and the opposite electrode at a boundary of the first groove.

15. A display panel comprising:
a substrate comprising a first area, a second area, and a third area between the first area and the second area;
a first structure located in the second area and comprising a pixel electrode, an opposite electrode, an intermediate layer between the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode, and at least one organic material layer; and
a plurality of grooves located in the third area and separating the at least one organic material layer and the opposite electrode, wherein
a first groove of the plurality of grooves is provided in a multi-layered film comprising a lower layer and an upper layer,
the first groove comprises a first hole penetrating the upper layer and a second hole or recess in the lower layer, and
a first edge of the upper layer in contact with a boundary surface of the first hole protrudes further toward a center of the first groove than a second edge of the lower layer in contact with a boundary surface of the second hole or recess.

16. The display panel of claim 15 , wherein
a first distance between two portions of the first edge, which face each other with respect to the first hole, is less than a second distance between two portions, which face each other with respect to the second hole or recess, in a cross-sectional view.

17. The display panel of claim 16 , wherein
an undercut structure is between the upper layer and the lower layer, and
a third distance between two portions of the undercut structure, which face each other with respect to the first groove, is greater than the second distance in a cross-sectional view.

18. The display panel of claim 16 , wherein
an undercut structure is between the upper layer and the lower layer, and
a third distance between two portions of the undercut structure, which face each other with respect to the first groove, is a same as the second distance in a cross-sectional view.

19. The display panel of claim 15 , wherein
the upper layer comprises a conductive oxide layer, a metal layer, or an inorganic insulating layer.

20. The display panel of claim 15 , wherein
the lower layer comprises an inorganic insulating film.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Wonsuk
• Kim Hyunchul
• Lee Seongryong
• Jung Eunae
• Choi Yoonsun

Classifications

• H10K59/60

  OLEDs integrated with inorganic light-sensitive elements, e.g. with inorganic solar cells or inorganic photodiodes · CPC title

• H10K59/131

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

• H10K59/8731

  multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers · CPC title

• H10K59/1216

  the pixel elements being capacitors · CPC title

• H10K59/1213

  the pixel elements being TFTs · CPC title