Display panel with insulating line and connecting line extending from auxiliary pixel circuit to auxiliary display element and display apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12439802-B2
Application number	US-202117513835-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2021
Priority date	Dec 29, 2020
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A display panel includes a substrate including a main display area, a component area, and a peripheral area, an auxiliary display element in the component area, an auxiliary pixel circuit in the peripheral area, the auxiliary pixel circuit including an auxiliary thin film transistor and an auxiliary storage capacitor, a connecting line connecting the auxiliary display element to the auxiliary pixel circuit, the connecting line having at least a part in the component area, an insulating line overlapping the connecting line in the component area, and a first organic insulating layer and a second organic insulating layer stacked between the substrate and the auxiliary display element in the component area, wherein the connecting line and the insulating line are between the first organic insulating layer and the second organic insulating layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display panel comprising:
a substrate including a main display area, a component area, and a peripheral area;
an auxiliary display element in the component area, the auxiliary display element includes a light producing emission layer disposed between an pixel electrode and an opposite electrode;
an auxiliary pixel circuit in the peripheral area, the auxiliary pixel circuit drives the auxiliary display element to emit light, the auxiliary pixel circuit including an auxiliary thin film transistor and an auxiliary storage capacitor;
a connecting line connecting the auxiliary display element to the auxiliary pixel circuit, the connecting line having at least a part in the component area;
an insulating line overlapping the connecting line in the component area; and
a first organic insulating layer and a second organic insulating layer stacked between the substrate and the auxiliary display element in the component area; and
a pixel defining layer disposed on the second organic insulating layer and on the pixel electrode, the emission layer and the opposite electrode are disposed on the pixel defining layer,
wherein the connecting line and the insulating line are disposed between the first organic insulating layer and the second organic insulating layer.

2. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein a refractive index of the insulating line has a value between a refractive index of the first organic insulating layer and a refractive index of the connecting line.

3. The display panel of claim 2 , wherein
the connecting line electrically connects the auxiliary display element to the auxiliary pixel circuit, and
the connecting line is comprised of a transparent conductive material selected from indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), indium oxide (In 2 O 3 ), indium gallium oxide, and aluminum zinc oxide (AZO).

4. The display panel of claim 2 , wherein
the insulating line is comprised of an inorganic insulating material, and
the insulating line is disposed directly on the first organic insulating layer.

5. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the insulating line is under the connecting line.

6. The display panel of claim 5 , wherein a thickness of the insulating line is greater than a thickness of the connecting line.

7. The display panel of claim 5 , wherein a width of an upper surface of the insulating line is different from a width of a lower surface of the connecting line.

8. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the insulating line is on the connecting line.

9. The display panel of claim 8 , wherein a thickness of the insulating line is greater than a thickness of the connecting line.

10. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the insulating line includes a first insulating line and a second insulating line, and
the first insulating line is under the connecting line and the second insulating line is on the connecting line.

11. The display panel of claim 10 , wherein a refractive index of the first insulating line has a value between a refractive index of the first organic insulating layer and a refractive index of the connecting line, and
a refractive index of the second insulating line has a value between a refractive index of the second organic insulating layer and the refractive index of the connecting line.

12. The display panel of claim 10 , wherein a thickness of the first insulating line and a thickness of the second insulating line are less than a thickness of the connecting line.

13. The display panel of claim 10 , wherein a thickness of the first insulating line and a thickness of the second insulating line are greater than a thickness of the connecting line.

14. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the first organic insulating layer includes photosensitive polyimide and the second organic insulating layer includes a siloxane-based resin.

15. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a metal connecting line connecting the connecting line to the auxiliary display element,
wherein the metal connecting line is at a same layer as the connecting line and an end of the connecting line is in direct contact with the metal connecting line.

16. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
an inorganic insulating layer on the substrate,
wherein the inorganic insulating layer includes a hole or a groove corresponding to the component area.

17. The display panel of claim 16 , wherein the first organic insulating layer fills the hole or the groove of the inorganic insulating layer and is on a front surface of the substrate.

18. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a buffer layer between the substrate and the auxiliary thin film transistor,
wherein the buffer layer includes an opening corresponding to the component area.

19. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising:
an anti-reflection layer on a lower surface of the substrate.

20. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein
the insulating line is patterned to correspond to the connecting line, and
a center line of the connecting line extending in a longitudinal direction of the connecting line from the auxiliary pixel circuit to the auxiliary display element and a center line of the insulating line coincide in a plan view.

21. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein
the first organic insulating layer and the second organic insulating layer are disposed between the substrate and the pixel electrode in a thickness direction of the display panel, and
the pixel electrode being planarized on the second organic insulating layer due to the second organic insulating layer having a flat upper surface.

22. A display apparatus comprising:
a display panel including a main display area including main sub-pixels, a component area including auxiliary sub-pixels, and a peripheral area; and
a component under the display panel to correspond to the component area, wherein the display panel comprises:
a substrate;
an auxiliary display element in the component area, the auxiliary display element includes a light producing emission layer disposed between an pixel electrode and an opposite electrode;
an auxiliary pixel circuit in the peripheral area, the auxiliary pixel circuit including an auxiliary thin film transistor and an auxiliary storage capacitor;
a connecting line connecting the auxiliary display element to the auxiliary pixel circuit, the connecting line having at least a part in the component area;
an insulating line overlapping the connecting line in the component area; and
a first organic insulating layer and a second organic insulating layer stacked between the substrate and the auxiliary display element in the component area; and
a pixel defining layer disposed on the second organic insulating layer and on the pixel electrode, the emission layer and the opposite electrode are disposed on the pixel defining layer,
wherein the connecting line and the insulating line are between the first organic insulating layer and the second organic insulating layer.

23. The display apparatus of claim 22 , wherein a refractive index of the insulating line has a value between a refractive index of the first organic insulating layer and a refractive index of the connecting line.

24. The display apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the insulating line includes a first insulating line and a second insulating line, and
the first insulating line is under the connecting line and the second i

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Gwuihyun
• Park Kwangwoo
• Sugitani Koichi
• PARK Chulwon
• Han Saehee
• Hong Pilsoon

Classifications

• H10K50/86

  Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light · CPC title

• H10K59/131 Primary

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

• H10K59/65 Primary

  OLEDs integrated with inorganic image sensors · CPC title

• H10K71/00

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

• H10K59/1201

  Manufacture or treatment · CPC title