Electronic device comprising optical sensor and encapsulation layers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12364097-B2
Application number	US-202217968314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2022
Priority date	Apr 21, 2020
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a display panel and at least one optical sensor. The display panel is disposed in an internal space of a housing so as to be visible from the outside and includes a display region and a sensor region. The at least one optical sensor may correspond, below the display panel, to the sensor region. The display panel includes a plurality of pixels disposed on a substrate, a plurality of driving circuit units for driving the plurality of pixels, a first encapsulation unit for encapsulating the sensor region, and a second encapsulation unit for encapsulating the display region. The first encapsulation unit and the second encapsulation unit may be different in terms of the stacked structure of layers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a display panel disposed in an inner space of a housing to be visible from an outside, the display panel comprising:
a display area,
a sensor area, wherein the sensor area comprises a pixel area in which a plurality of first pixels are disposed and a non-pixel area in which pixels are not disposed,
a plurality of pixels disposed over a substrate,
a plurality of drive circuits configured to drive the plurality of pixels,
a first encapsulation portion configured to encapsulate the sensor area, wherein the first encapsulation portion comprises a pixel area encapsulation portion configured to encapsulate the pixel area and a non-pixel area encapsulation portion configured to encapsulate a non-pixel area, an organic layer on the first inorganic layer, and a third inorganic layer surrounding a portion of the organic layer, wherein the pixel area encapsulation portion comprises a first inorganic layer disposed to cover a pixel layer and a cathode, wherein the non-pixel area encapsulation portion comprises the first inorganic layer, the third inorganic layer disposed over the first inorganic layer to form a sidewall, and a transmissivity enhancing portion disposed within the sidewall formed by the third inorganic layer, and
a second encapsulation portion configured to encapsulate the display area; and
one or more optical sensors which correspond to the sensor area under the display panel,

wherein the first encapsulation portion and the second encapsulation portion have different stacked structures of layers.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the pixel area encapsulation portion comprises an organic layer, and the non-pixel area encapsulation portion does not comprise an organic layer.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the pixel area encapsulation portion comprises at least two layers of a first inorganic layer, an organic layer over the first inorganic layer, a second inorganic layer over the organic layer, and a third inorganic layer over the second inorganic layer.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the non-pixel area encapsulation portion comprises the third inorganic layer and an index matching portion over the third inorganic layer.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the pixel area encapsulation portion and an upper surface of the non-pixel area encapsulation portion are formed with a same height.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the first encapsulation portion and an upper surface of the second encapsulation portion are formed with a same height.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second encapsulation portion comprises a first inorganic layer, an organic layer over the first inorganic layer, a second inorganic layer over the organic layer, and a third inorganic layer over the second inorganic layer.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
a touch panel;
a polarizing film; or
a window disposed on the display panel.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first encapsulation portion and the second encapsulation portion do not overlap.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shin Sungyoung
• Uhm Minsuk
• Shin Hyunchang
• Yang Byungduk

Classifications

• G02F1/1339 Primary

  Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells · CPC title

• G02F1/13338

  Input devices, e.g. touch panels · CPC title

• H10K59/60

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

• G02F1/133528

  Polarisers · CPC title

• G02B5/3033

  in the form of a thin sheet or foil, e.g. Polaroid · CPC title