Display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12493371-B2
Application number	US-202418655566-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2024
Priority date	Aug 30, 2018
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

A display device includes: a substrate that includes an opening and a display area that surrounds the opening; a plurality of grooves formed in the substrate between the opening and the display area; a display element layer on the substrate and that includes a plurality of display elements in the display area; a thin-film encapsulation layer disposed on the display element layer, the thin-film encapsulation layer including a first inorganic encapsulation layer, an organic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer which are sequentially stacked; a planarization layer disposed over the plurality of grooves and that includes an organic insulating material, wherein the planarization layer is disposed over the second inorganic encapsulation layer, and the organic encapsulation layer is disposed below the second inorganic encapsulation layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A display device, comprising:
a substrate including a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, wherein the substrate has an opening that passes from the top surface of the substrate to the bottom surface of the substrate; a plurality of display elements disposed on the top surface of the substrate in a display area, wherein the display area entirely surrounds the opening of the substrate in a plan view; an encapsulation layer disposed on the plurality of display elements and including a first inorganic encapsulation layer, an organic encapsulation layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer on the organic encapsulation layer; a first groove located in the non-display area between the opening of the substrate and the display area; and a planarization layer, wherein the first and second inorganic encapsulation layers extend toward the non-display area, and the planarization layer is disposed on the second inorganic encapsulation layer in the non-display area and overlaps the first groove; wherein: the first groove is defined in a multi-layered structure that includes a first layer and a second layer on a top surface of the first layer, the first layer includes an organic insulating material, and the second layer includes a first tip that laterally protrudes toward the first groove beyond a first edge where the top surface of the first layer and a first lateral surface of the first layer that faces the first groove meet, and wherein an insulating layer is disposed on a top surface of the second layer.

2 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of display elements comprises a first display element that includes a pixel electrode, an opposite electrode, and an intermediate layer between the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode, and the intermediate layer comprises at least one organic material layer that extends toward the non-display area, and the at least one organic material layer is separated into a plurality of portions by the first tip.

3 . The display device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one organic material layer includes at least one of a hole transport layer, a hole injection layer, an electron injection layer, or an electron transport layer.

4 . The display device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of portions of the at least one organic material layer comprises:
a first portion on the first tip, and a second portion on a bottom surface of the first groove and separated from the first portion.

5 . The display device of claim 4 , wherein the opposite electrode extends toward the non-display area, and the opposite electrode comprises:
a first portion on the first portion of the at least one organic material layer; and a second portion on the second portion of the at least one organic material layer, wherein the first portion and the second portions of the opposite electrode are separated from each other.

6 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprises a partition wall disposed in the non-display area, wherein:
a second groove is defined in the multi-layered structure, and the partition wall is disposed between the first groove and the second groove.

7 . The display device of claim 6 , wherein the second layer of the multi-layered structure further comprises:
a second tip that laterally protrudes toward the first groove beyond a second edge where the top surface of the first layer and a second lateral surface of the first layer that faces the first groove meet, wherein the second lateral surface of the first layer is opposite to the first lateral surface of the first layer with the first groove therebetween, and a third tip that laterally protrudes toward the second groove beyond a third edge where the top surface of the first layer and a third lateral surface of the first layer that faces the second groove meet.

8 . The display device of claim 6 , wherein the organic encapsulation layer extends toward the non-display area and at least partially fills the first groove, and
an organic material portion at least partially fills the second groove, wherein the organic material portion includes a same material as the organic encapsulation layer.

9 . The display device of claim 8 , wherein the organic encapsulation layer and the organic material portion are separated from each other.

10 . The display device of claim 9 , wherein a contact region where a portion of the second inorganic encapsulation layer and a portion of the first inorganic encapsulation layer are in direct contact with each other overlaps the partition wall.

11 . A display device, comprising:
a substrate including a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, wherein the substrate has an opening that passes from the top surface of the substrate to the bottom surface of the substrate; a plurality of display elements disposed on the top surface of the substrate in a display area, wherein the display area entirely surrounds the opening of the substrate in a plan view; an encapsulation layer disposed on the plurality of display elements and including a first inorganic encapsulation layer, an organic encapsulation layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer on the organic encapsulation layer; a first groove located in a non-display area between the opening of the substrate and the display area, wherein the first groove is defined in a multi-layered structure that comprises a first layer and a second layer on a top surface of the first layer, wherein the first layer comprises an organic insulating material; a planarization layer, wherein the first and second inorganic encapsulation layers extend toward the non-display area, and the planarization layer is disposed on the second inorganic encapsulation layer in the non-display area and overlaps the first groove, and a partition wall located in the non-display area, wherein the organic encapsulation layer comprises;
a first part that overlaps the display area, and
wherein an organic material portion that includes a same material as the organic encapsulation layer is separated from the first part,
wherein the organic material portion is located between the opening of the substrate and the first part of the organic encapsulation layer.

12 . The display device of claim 11 , wherein a contact region where a portion of the second inorganic encapsulation layer and a portion of the first inorganic encapsulation layer are in direct contact with each other overlaps the partition wall.

13 . The display device of claim 11 , wherein:
the plurality of display elements comprises a first display element that includes a pixel electrode, an opposite electrode, and an intermediate layer interposed between the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode, the intermediate layer comprises at least one organic material layer that extends toward the non-display area, and the at least one organic material layer comprises a first portion disposed on the second layer and a second portion disposed on a bottom surface of the first groove, wherein the first and second portions of the at least one organic material layer are separated from each other.

14 . The display device of claim 13 , wherein the opposite electrode extends toward the non-display area, and the opposite electrode comprises:
a first portion on the first portion of the at least one organic material layer, and a second portion on the second portion of the at least one organic material layer, wherein the first and second portions o

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sung Wooyong
• Choi Wonwoo
• Kim Sooyoun
• Seo Junghan
• Lee Seoyeon
• Lee Hyoungsub
• Chang Moonwon
• Chae Seunggun
• Song Seungyong

Classifications

• H10W10/0121

  in regions recessed from the surface, e.g. in trenches or grooves · CPC title

• H10W10/13

  formed using local oxidation of silicon [LOCOS], e.g. sealed interface localised oxidation [SILO] or side-wall mask isolation [SWAMI] · CPC title

• H10K50/844

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K50/84

  Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K59/12

  Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays · CPC title