Display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12376460-B2
Application number	US-202217974373-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2022
Priority date	Dec 21, 2021
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A display device is disclosed that includes a display panel comprising a display area and a non-display area, wherein the display area comprises a first area and a second area surrounded by the first area, and the second area comprises one or more of light emitting areas in which one or more of pixels are disposed and one or more of transmissive areas; a pixel defining layer positioned between the plurality of pixels; and a metal layer positioned in the plurality of light emitting areas, wherein an end of the metal layer is aligned with a boundary between the light emitting area and the transmissive area, and an end of the pixel defining layer overlaps the light emitting area without extending to the boundary.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising:
a display panel comprising a display area and a non-display area, the display area including a first area and a second area that is surrounded by the first area, and the second area includes one or more transmissive areas and one or more light emitting areas in which one or more pixels are disposed;
a pixel defining layer between the one or more pixels; and
a metal layer in the one or more light emitting areas,
wherein an end of the metal layer is aligned with a boundary between a light emitting area from the one or more light emitting areas and a transmissive area from the one or more transmissive areas, and an end of the pixel defining layer overlaps the light emitting area and extends towards the boundary without reaching the boundary between the light emitting area and the transmissive area,
wherein the end of the metal layer is closer to the transmissive area than the end of the pixel defining layer,
wherein a pixel density of the one or more pixels in the second area is less than a pixel density of a plurality of pixels in the first area.

2. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a thin film transistor between the metal layer and the pixel defining layer in the light emitting area.

3. The display device of claim 2 , wherein the metal layer includes a light shield pattern that overlaps the thin film transistor, the light shield pattern configured to block external light from being irradiated to the thin film transistor.

4. The display device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a light emitting element on the thin film transistor in the light emitting area, the light emitting element electrically connected to the thin film transistor.

5. The display device of claim 4 , wherein the light emitting element includes an anode electrode, a light emitting layer on the anode electrode, and a cathode electrode on the light emitting layer.

6. The display device of claim 5 , wherein the end of the pixel defining layer is aligned with an end of the cathode electrode.

7. The display device of claim 5 , wherein the cathode electrode covers the pixel defining layer.

8. The display device of claim 6 , wherein the cathode electrode extends to the end of the pixel defining layer in the light emitting area without extending to the transmissive area.

9. The display device of claim 8 , wherein a distance between the pixel defining layer and an adjacent pixel defining layer with the transmissive area interposed therebetween is less than a distance between the metal layer and an adjacent metal layer with the transmissive area interposed therebetween.

10. The display device of claim 9 , wherein the transmissive area that lacks the cathode electrode includes an opening.

11. The display device of claim 10 , wherein a width of the opening is wider than a width of the transmissive area.

12. The display device of claim 10 , wherein the metal layer is configured as a mask to form the opening using a laser.

13. The display device of claim 12 , wherein the metal layer includes a metal having a lower absorption coefficient of a laser wavelength of the laser compared to an absorption coefficient of the cathode electrode.

14. The display device of claim 12 , wherein an effective processing area of the laser is wider than a distance between the metal layer and the adjacent metal layer with the transmissive area interposed therebetween.

15. The display device of claim 14 , wherein the end of the pixel defining layer is aligned with an outer periphery of the effective processing area of the laser.

16. The display device of claim 7 , wherein the transmissive area has to a circle shape or a polygon shape in a plane view of the display device.

17. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a light sensor under the display panel, the light sensor overlapping at least a portion of the second area.

18. The display device of claim 17 , wherein the light sensor comprises at least one of a camera or an infrared sensor.

19. A display device comprising:
a display panel comprising a display area including a first area and a second area that is surrounded by the first area, the second area including a transmissive area and one or more light emitting areas having one or more pixels;
a pixel defining layer between the one or more pixels, the pixel defining layer including an opening that overlaps the transmissive area and a light emitting area from the one or more light emitting areas;
a metal layer in the one or more light emitting areas, the metal layer including an opening that defines a width of the transmissive area;
a light emitting element including an anode electrode, a light emitting layer on the anode electrode, and a cathode electrode,
wherein the cathode electrode is on the pixel defining layer and an end of the cathode electrode is aligned with the pixel defining layer,
wherein a width of the opening in the pixel defining layer is wider than the width of the transmissive area,
wherein an end of the pixel defining layer extends towards a boundary between the transmissive area and the light emitting area without reaching the boundary.

20. The display device of claim 19 , wherein the end of the metal layer is closer to the transmissive area than the end of the pixel defining layer and the end of the cathode electrode.

21. The display device of claim 19 , further comprising:
a transistor that is electrically connected to the light emitting element,
wherein the metal layer overlaps the transistor.

Assignees

• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Moonsun
• Choi Junghun
• Park Sungjin
• Yu Seonha
• Lee Seunghyun
• Kim Hyeonseo

Classifications

• H10K59/1213

  the pixel elements being TFTs · CPC title

• H10K59/351

  comprising more than three subpixels, e.g. red-green-blue-white [RGBW] · CPC title

• H10K59/122 Primary

  Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks · CPC title

• H10K59/65

  OLEDs integrated with inorganic image sensors · CPC title

• H10K59/35

  comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels · CPC title