Display panel, display device, and method of manufacturing the display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12336380-B2
Application number	US-202418432425-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2024
Priority date	Nov 6, 2020
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A display panel including a corner includes: a substrate including a display area including a front display area, and a peripheral area outside the display area; an insulating layer on the substrate in the display area and the peripheral area, where an outer groove or an outer through hole is defined in the insulating layer in the peripheral area; an upper inorganic pattern layer on the insulating layer, where the upper inorganic pattern layer includes a protruding tip protruding toward a center of the outer groove or a center of the outer through hole; and a front display element on the insulating layer and overlapping the front display area. The upper inorganic pattern layer is apart from the front display element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising:
a substrate;
a display area disposed on the substrate and comprising a front display area and a corner display area bent at a corner of the substrate;
a peripheral area outside the display area, wherein the peripheral area includes:
a first portion outside the front display area;
a second portion outside the corner display area; and
a third portion between the first and second portions;

an insulating layer disposed on the substrate and having an outer groove or an outer through hole disposed in the first to third portions;
a first display element disposed on the insulating layer and in the front display area;
a second display element disposed on the insulating layer and in the corner display area;
a first and second upper inorganic pattern layers disposed on the insulating layer and spaced apart from each other in the first to third portions; and
a first and second organic pattern layers respectively disposed on the first and second upper inorganic pattern layers and spaced apart from each other.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second upper inorganic pattern layers extend between the front display area and the corner display area.

3. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second display elements respectively comprise:
a first electrode disposed on the insulating layer;
an intermediate layer disposed on the first electrode and including a light-emitting layer and a functional layer; and
a second electrode disposed on the intermediate layer, and
wherein the functional layer is disposed on upper surfaces of the first and second organic pattern layers in the third portion, and is not disposed on upper surfaces of the first and second organic pattern layers in the first portion.

4. The display device of claim 3 , wherein
the functional layer is disposed in the outer groove or the outer through hole between the first and second organic pattern layers in the third portion, and
the functional layer disposed in the outer groove or the outer through hole is discontinuous with the functional layer disposed on the upper surfaces of the first and second organic pattern layers.

5. The display device of claim 3 , wherein
the functional layer is not disposed on the upper surfaces of the first and second organic pattern layers in the second portion.

6. The display device of claim 3 , wherein
the second electrode is disposed on the upper surfaces of the first and second organic pattern layers in the third portion, and is not disposed on the upper surfaces of the first and second organic pattern layers in the first portion.

7. The display device of claim 6 , wherein
the second electrode is disposed in the outer groove or the outer through hole between the first and second organic pattern layers in the third portion, and
the second electrode disposed in the outer groove or the outer through hole is discontinuous with the second electrode disposed on the upper surfaces of the first and second organic pattern layers.

8. The display device of claim 6 , wherein
the second electrode is disposed on the upper surfaces of the first and second organic pattern layers in the second portion.

9. The display device of claim 1 , wherein
the first organic pattern layer is disposed farther from the front display area than the second organic pattern layer, and
a thickness of the first organic pattern layer is greater than a thickness of the second organic pattern layer.

10. The display device of claim 9 , further comprising an encapsulation layer on the second electrode and covering the display area, wherein
the encapsulation layer comprises a first inorganic encapsulation layer, a second inorganic encapsulation layer, and an organic encapsulation layer between the first and second inorganic encapsulation layers, and
the first and second inorganic encapsulation layers are in direct with each other on an upper surface of the first organic pattern layer in the first to third portions.

11. The display device of claim 10 , wherein
the first and second inorganic encapsulation layers extend from the upper surface of the first organic pattern layer toward an edge of the substrate.

12. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the insulating layer comprises an organic material.

13. The display device of claim 12 , further comprising:
an inorganic insulating layer disposed between the substrate and the insulating layer; and
a wiring disposed between the insulating layer and the inorganic insulating layer, and
wherein the wiring is electrically connected to an opposite electrodes of the first and second display elements.

14. A display device comprising:
a substrate;
a front display area disposed on the substrate;
a corner display area bent at a corner of the substrate;
a middle display area disposed between the front display area and the corner display area;
an encapsulation layer encapsulating the front display area and the middle display area;
a first dam surrounding the front display area and the middle display area and comprising a first organic pattern; and
a second dam outside the first dam, surrounding the first dam, and comprising a second organic pattern, wherein
the front display area and the middle display area comprise a first display element,
the first display element comprises a first electrode, an intermediate layer on the first electrode, and second electrode on the intermediate layer, the intermediate including a light-emitting layer and a functional layer;
the encapsulation layer comprises a first inorganic encapsulation layer, a second inorganic encapsulation layer, and an organic encapsulation layer between the first and second inorganic encapsulation layers,
the first inorganic encapsulation layer is in direct contact with upper surfaces of the first and second dams between the front display area and an edge of the substrate, the first inorganic encapsulation layer being connected to each other between the first and second dams, and
the functional layer is in direct contact with the upper surfaces of the first and second dams between the middle display area and an edge of the substrate, the functional layer being disconnected between the first and second dams.

15. The display device of claim 14 , wherein
the first and second inorganic encapsulation layers contact each other on the upper surfaces of the first and second dams between the front display area and the edge of the substrate and between the middle display area and the edge of the substrate, and
the first and second inorganic encapsulation layers extend toward the edge of the substrate.

16. The display device of claim 14 , wherein
the second electrode is disposed over the upper surfaces of the first and second dams between the middle display area and the edge of the substrate, and the second electrode being disconnected between the first and second dams.

17. The display device of claim 14 , wherein
the functional layer is direct contact with the upper surfaces of the first and second dams between the middle display area and the corner display area, and the functional layer being disconnected between the first and second dams.

18. The display device of claim 14 , further comprising;
an inorganic insulating layer disposed between the substrate and the first organic pattern and between the substrate and the second organic pattern; and
a wiring disposed between the inorganic insulating layer and the first organic pattern and between the inorganic insulating lay

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Junhyeong
• Kim Sangwoo
• Won Byeonghee
• Kim Kyungmin
• Seo Jiyeon
• Shin Jaemin

Classifications

• 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

• H10K2102/311

  Flexible OLED · CPC title

• H10K59/1201 Primary

  Manufacture or treatment · CPC title

• H10K77/111

  Flexible substrates · CPC title