Display apparatus including plurality of inorganic insulating patterns overlapping subpixel area and electronic apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12484377-B2
Application number	US-202217725447-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2022
Priority date	Jun 24, 2021
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a substrate including a subpixel area, a pixel circuit layer arranged over the substrate and defining a pixel circuit overlapping the subpixel area, and a display element layer arranged over the pixel circuit layer and including a display element electrically connected to the pixel circuit, wherein the pixel circuit layer includes a lower inorganic insulating layer arranged over the substrate, a plurality of inorganic insulating patterns overlapping the subpixel area, arranged over the lower inorganic insulating layer, and spaced apart from each other in a plan view, and an organic insulating layer covering the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A display apparatus comprising:
a substrate including a subpixel area; a pixel circuit layer arranged over the substrate and defining a pixel circuit overlapping the subpixel area; and a display element layer arranged over the pixel circuit layer and including a display element electrically connected to the pixel circuit, wherein the pixel circuit layer includes: a lower inorganic insulating layer arranged over the substrate; a first semiconductor layer; a plurality of inorganic insulating patterns overlapping the subpixel area, arranged over the lower inorganic insulating layer and the first semiconductor layer, and spaced apart from each other in a plan view such that each of the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns has an isolated shape in the plan view; an organic insulating layer covering the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns; and a plurality of conductive patterns arranged between the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns and the organic insulating layer, wherein the plurality of conductive patterns include a source electrode and a drain electrode each of which extend to the first semiconductor layer, wherein the source electrode is arranged on a first inorganic insulating pattern and the drain electrode is arranged on a second inorganic insulating pattern spaced apart from the first inorganic insulating pattern, and wherein each of the first and second inorganic insulating patterns are spaced apart from remainder of the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns.

2 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the organic insulating layer is arranged inside a space defined between the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns adjacent to each other.

3 . The display apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the space overlaps the display element.

4 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pixel circuit layer further includes:
a first conductive line arranged between one of the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns and the substrate and extending in a first direction; and a second conductive line arranged between another one of the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns and the substrate and extending in the first direction.

5 . The display apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the pixel circuit layer further includes a third conductive line arranged between the organic insulating layer and the display element layer, overlapping the subpixel area, and extending in a second direction intersecting with the first direction.

6 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lower inorganic insulating layer includes a first gate insulating layer and a second gate insulating layer sequentially arranged over the substrate,
the first semiconductor layer is arranged between the substrate and the first gate insulating layer, and the pixel circuit layer further includes a first gate conductive layer arranged between the first gate insulating layer and the second gate insulating layer.

7 . The display apparatus of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of conductive patterns is arranged over corresponding one of the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns.

8 . The display apparatus of claim 6 , wherein at least two of the plurality of conductive patterns are arranged over one of the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns.

9 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lower inorganic insulating layer includes a first gate insulating layer, a second gate insulating layer, a lower insulating layer, and a third gate insulating layer sequentially arranged over the substrate,
the first semiconductor layer is arranged between the substrate and the first gate insulating layer and includes a silicon semiconductor, and the pixel circuit layer further includes a second semiconductor layer arranged between the lower insulating layer and the third gate insulating layer and including an oxide semiconductor.

10 . The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the subpixel area includes a first subpixel area, a second subpixel area, and a third subpixel area,
the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns are arranged in the first subpixel area, the lower inorganic insulating layer includes a first lower inorganic insulating pattern overlapping the second subpixel area and a second lower inorganic insulating pattern overlapping the third subpixel area and spaced apart from the first lower inorganic insulating pattern in the plan view, and the pixel circuit layer further includes a first upper inorganic insulating pattern arranged over the first lower inorganic insulating pattern and a second upper inorganic insulating pattern arranged over the second lower inorganic insulating pattern and spaced apart from the first upper inorganic insulating pattern in the plan view.

11 . A display apparatus comprising:
a substrate including a subpixel area; a pixel circuit layer arranged over the substrate and defining a pixel circuit overlapping the subpixel area; and a display element layer arranged over the pixel circuit layer and including a display element electrically connected to the pixel circuit, wherein the pixel circuit layer includes: a lower inorganic insulating layer arranged over the substrate; a first semiconductor layer; a first conductive line and a second conductive line overlapping the subpixel area and extending in a first direction; a plurality of inorganic insulating patterns arranged over the first conductive line and the second conductive line and spaced apart from each other in a plan view such that each of the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns has an isolated shape in the plan view; an organic insulating layer covering the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns; a third conductive line arranged over the organic insulating layer and extending in a direction intersecting with the first direction, and a plurality of conductive patterns arranged between the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns and the organic insulating layer, wherein the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns are arranged over the lower inorganic insulating layer and the first semiconductor layer, wherein the plurality of conductive patterns include a source electrode and a drain electrode each of which extend to the first semiconductor layer, wherein the source electrode is arranged on a first inorganic insulating pattern and the drain electrode is arranged on a second inorganic insulating pattern spaced apart from the first inorganic insulating pattern, and wherein each of the first and second inorganic insulating patterns are spaced apart from a remainder of the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns.

12 . The display apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a portion of the organic insulating layer is arranged inside a space defined between the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns adjacent to each other.

13 . The display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the space overlaps the display element.

14 . The display apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first conductive line overlaps one of the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns, and
the second conductive line overlaps another one of the plurality of inorganic insulating patterns.

15 . The display apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first conductive line is a scan line configured to transmit a scan signal, and wherein
the second conductive line is an emission control line configured to transmit an emission control signal.

16 . The display apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the lower inorganic insulating layer is arranged b

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Jonghyun
• Ju Jinho
• Kim Younjoon

Classifications

• H10K59/1216

  the pixel elements being capacitors · CPC title

• H10K59/131

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

• H10K59/123

  Connection of the pixel electrodes to the thin film transistors [TFT] · CPC title

• H10K59/1213 Primary

  the pixel elements being TFTs · CPC title

• H10K59/124 Primary

  Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements · CPC title