Display panel and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12284865-B2
Application number	US-202217655758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2022
Priority date	Mar 24, 2021
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

A display panel and a method of manufacturing the display panel are provided. The display panel includes: a substrate including a transmission area, a display area surrounding the transmission area, and an intermediate area between the transmission area and the display area; a light emitting device; and a groove in the intermediate area and including a first opening of a metal layer including a first sublayer, a second sublayer, and a third sublayer sequentially stacked and a second opening of an inorganic layer covering the metal layer, wherein the first opening includes a first opening of the first sublayer, a second opening of the second sublayer, and a third opening of the third sublayer, which overlap each other, and an inner surface of the second sublayer includes a concave portion recessed in a direction farther away from a center of the first opening than an inner surface of the first sublayer and an inner surface of the third sublayer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display panel, wherein the display panel comprises:
a substrate including a transmission area, a display area surrounding the transmission area, and an intermediate area between the transmission area and the display area;
a light emitting device in the display area; and
a groove in the intermediate area and including a first opening of a metal layer including a first metal sublayer, a second metal sublayer, and a third metal sublayer are sequentially stacked and a second opening of an inorganic layer covering the metal layer,
wherein the first opening includes a first sub-opening of the first metal sublayer, a second sub-opening of the second metal sublayer, and a third sub-opening of the third metal sublayer, which overlap each other, and
an inner surface of the second metal sublayer includes a concave portion recessed in a direction farther away from a center of the first opening than an inner surface of the first metal sublayer and an inner surface of the third metal sublayer.

2. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an intermediate layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, and
at least one common layer included in the intermediate layer is disconnected by the groove.

3. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein an edge of an upper surface of the second metal sublayer in a center direction of the second sub-opening matches an edge of a lower surface of the third metal sublayer in a center direction of the third sub-opening, and
an edge of a lower surface of the second metal sublayer in a center direction of the second sub-opening matches an edge of an upper surface of the first metal sublayer in a center direction of the first sub-opening.

4. The display panel of claim 3 , wherein a width of the third sub-opening is greater than a width of the first sub-opening.

5. The display panel of claim 3 , wherein an edge of an upper surface of the third metal sublayer in a center direction of the third sub-opening matches an edge of a lower surface of the inorganic layer in a center direction of the second opening.

6. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the display panel further comprises a thin film transistor located in the display area and electrically connected to the light emitting device,
wherein each of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the thin film transistor includes a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and a third conductive layer, which are sequentially stacked.

7. The display panel of claim 6 , wherein the first metal sublayer and the first conductive layer include a same material,
the second metal sublayer and the second conductive layer include a same material, and
the third metal sublayer and the third conductive layer include a same material.

8. The display panel of claim 7 , wherein the inorganic layer extends to the display area to cover the source electrode and the drain electrode.

9. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the display panel further comprises an encapsulation layer covering the light emitting device and including at least one inorganic encapsulation layer,
wherein the at least one inorganic encapsulation layer extends from the display area to the intermediate area to continuously cover an upper surface of the inorganic layer, an inner surface of the inorganic layer, an inner surface of the metal layer, and a bottom surface of the groove.

10. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the display panel further comprises a partition wall in the intermediate area,
wherein the groove is at least one of between the partition wall and the display area and between the partition wall and the transmission area.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Hyungjun
• Kim Minjeong
• An Junyong
• Um Nuree

Classifications

• H10K59/873

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K59/131 Primary

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

• H10K50/84 Primary

  Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K50/844 Primary

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K71/00

  Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass · CPC title