Bezel-less camera and sensor hole

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12575262-B2
Application number	US-202318363574-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2023
Priority date	Aug 1, 2022
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to sub-pixel circuits, displays including sub-pixel circuits, and a method of forming sub-pixel circuits that may be utilized in a display such as an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. Some configurations of the displays described herein, include the sub-pixel circuits and at least one sensor opening adjacent to the overhang structure and an adjacent sub-pixel circuit. The at least one sensor opening includes a sensor disposed thereunder. Other configurations displays described herein, include sub-pixel circuits including OLED sub-pixels and a transparent sub-pixel such that a sensor is disposed thereunder. The configurations described herein utilize sensors that are integrated to increase the transmittance of the display while eliminating the need for bezels and reducing dead zones in the display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A display, comprising:
a backplane; a plurality of sub-pixel circuits separated by an overhang grid disposed over the backplane, each sub-pixel circuit having sub-pixels surrounded by overhang structures of the overhang grid; each sub-pixel having:
an anode connected to a thin film transistor (TFT) of the backplane; and
an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) material disposed over the anode; and
a sensor opening, wherein:
sub-pixel circuits surround the sensor opening and are separated from the sensor opening by the overhang grid;
the sensor opening is surrounded by a respective overhang structure; and
a sensor is disposed under the sensor opening either in or under the backplane.

2 . The display of claim 1 , wherein an intermediate layer is disposed over the backplane in sensor opening.

3 . The display of claim 1 , wherein the overhang grid includes a plurality of overhang structures.

4 . The display of claim 3 , where each over overhang structure is defined by an extension of a second structure extending laterally past a first structure.

5 . The display of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), a charge coupled device (CCD), a metasurface, photodiode, or solar cell.

6 . The display of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an emitter.

7 . The display of claim 6 , wherein the emitter is an IR emitter or a light-emitting diode (LED).

8 . The display of claim 1 , wherein a layer of pixel defining layer material is disposed on the backplane in the sensor opening.

9 . The display of claim 1 , wherein the anode is disposed over the TFT.

10 . The display of claim 1 , wherein the anode is connected to the TFT via wiring.

11 . A display, comprising:
a backplane; a plurality of sub-pixel circuits separated by an overhang grid disposed over the backplane, each sub-pixel circuit having sub-pixels surrounded by overhang structures of the overhang grid; each sub-pixel having:
an anode connected to a thin film transistor (TFT) of the backplane; and
an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) material disposed over the anode;
a plurality of sensor arrays, exterior sensor arrays of the plurality of sensor arrays are adjacent to and separated from the sub-pixel circuits by the overhang grid, each sensor array having sub-pixel openings surrounded by overhang structures of the overhang grid; and a sensor is disposed under the plurality of sensor arrays either in or under the backplane.

12 . The display of claim 11 , wherein the overhang grid includes a plurality of overhang structures.

13 . The display of claim 12 , where each over overhang structure is defined by an extension of a second structure extending laterally past a first structure.

14 . The display of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), a charge coupled device (CCD), a metasurface, photodiode, or solar cell.

15 . The display of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is an emitter.

16 . The display of claim 15 , wherein the emitter is an IR emitter or a light-emitting diode (LED).

17 . The display of claim 11 , wherein the anode is disposed over the TFT.

18 . The display of claim 11 , wherein the anode is connected to the TFT via wiring.

19 . A sub-pixel circuit, comprising:
a backplane; and an overhang grid disposed on the backplane, the overhang grid defining an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) sub-pixel and a transparent sub-pixel, each of the OLED sub-pixel and the transparent sub-pixel are surrounded by overhang structures of the overhang grid; wherein:
the OLED sub-pixel has:
an anode connected to a thin film transistor (TFT) of the backplane; and
an OLED material disposed over the anode.

20 . The sub-pixel circuit of claim 19 , wherein the overhang grid includes a plurality of overhang structures.

21 . The sub-pixel circuit of claim 20 , where each over overhang structure is defined by an extension of a second structure extending laterally past a first structure.

22 . The sub-pixel circuit of claim 21 , wherein the sensor is a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), a charge coupled device (CCD), a metasurface, photodiode, or solar cell.

23 . The sub-pixel circuit of claim 19 , wherein the sensor is an emitter.

24 . The sub-pixel circuit of claim 23 , wherein the emitter is an IR emitter or a light-emitting diode (LED).

25 . The sub-pixel circuit of claim 19 , wherein the anode is disposed over the TFT or the anode is connected to the TFT via wiring.

26 . The sub-pixel circuit of claim 19 , wherein the transparent sub-pixel has a sensor disposed thereunder either in or under the backplane.

27 . A method, comprising: depositing an organic light emitting diode (OLED) material over a backplane, wherein an overhang grid defines a sub-pixel area and a transparent area;
disposing a cathode over the OLED material over the sub-pixel area and the transparent area; depositing an encapsulation layer over the backplane; forming a resist layer in the sub-pixel area of the backplane; removing one or more exposed portions of the encapsulation layer; removing one or more exposed portions of the OLED material; and removing the resist layer.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein an anode is connected to a thin film transistor (TFT) of the backplane.

29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the transparent sub-pixel has a sensor disposed thereunder either in or under the backplane.

30 . A device comprising a backplane, and a plurality of overhang structures, wherein adjacent overhang structures of the plurality of overhang structures define at least one sub-pixel and at least one transparent area, wherein the device is made by a process comprising the steps of:
depositing an OLED material over the backplane, the OLED material is disposed over an anode of the at least one sub-pixel; and depositing a cathode, the cathode disposed over the OLED material of at least one sub-pixel, wherein a sensor or an emitter of the at least one transparent area is operable to receive or project light through the backplane and the transparent area.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Chen Chung-Chia
• Lee Jungmin
• Lin Yu-Hsin
• Choung Ji Young
• Wu Wen-Hao
• Haas Dieter
• Kim Si Kyoung

Classifications

• H10K59/65

  OLEDs integrated with inorganic image sensors · CPC title

• H10K59/1201

  Manufacture or treatment · CPC title

• H10K59/123

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

• H10K59/131

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

• H10K59/70

  OLEDs integrated with inorganic light-emitting elements, e.g. with inorganic electroluminescent elements · CPC title