Organic Light-Emitting Diode Display with Bottom Shields

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016254338-A1
Application number	US-201615150285-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 9, 2016
Priority date	Jan 21, 2014
Publication date	Sep 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A display may have an array of organic light-emitting diode display pixels. Each display pixel may have a light-emitting diode that emits light under control of a drive transistor. Each display pixel may also have control transistors for compensating and programming operations. The array of display pixels may have rows and columns. Row lines may be used to apply row control signals to rows of the display pixels. Column lines (data lines) may be used to apply display data and other signals to respective columns of display pixels. A bottom conductive shielding structure may be formed below each drive transistor. The bottom conductive shielding structure may serve to shield the drive transistor from any electric field generated from the adjacent row and column lines. The bottom conductive shielding structure may be electrically floating or coupled to a power supply line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A display, comprising:
a substrate; a thin-film transistor formed over the substrate; at least one buffer layer interposed between the thin-film transistor and the substrate; and a patterned metal layer that forms a conductive shielding structure, wherein the conductive shielding structure is formed beneath the buffer layer, and wherein the patterned metal layer also forms a line that is used to provide a voltage signal.

2 . The display defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one buffer layer comprises a buffer oxide layer.

3 . The display defined in claim 2 further comprising:
a polyimide layer formed below the at least one buffer layer; and
a planarization layer formed below the at least one buffer layer, wherein the conductive shielding structure is interposed between the polyimide layer and the planarization layer.

4 . The display defined in claim 3 , wherein the planarization layer is interposed between the conductive shielding structure and the at least one buffer layer.

5 . The display defined in claim 4 , wherein the planarization layer is formed from a spin-on glass.

6 . The display defined in claim 1 , wherein the line is a power supply line and the voltage signal is a positive power supply voltage.

7 . The display defined in claim 1 , wherein the line is a power supply line and the voltage signal is a ground power supply voltage.

8 . The display defined in claim 1 , wherein the line is a power supply line and the voltage signal is an initialization voltage signal.

9 . The display defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a light-emitting diode coupled to the thin-film transistor, wherein the light-emitting diode and thin-film transistor are coupled in series between a first power supply line that supplies a positive power supply voltage and a second power supply line that supplies a ground power supply voltage, and wherein the patterned metal layer forms a line selected from the group consisting of: the first power supply line and the second power supply line.

10 . An electronic device display, comprising:
display pixels arranged in an array, wherein each display pixel in the array comprises:
a drive transistor;
a conductive shield formed below the drive transistor;
a planarization layer formed over the conductive shield, wherein the planarization layer is interposed between the conductive shield and the drive transistor; and
a polyimide layer formed under the conductive shield; and
a conductive path that conveys signals to the display pixels, wherein the conductive shield blocks the drive transistor from electric fields generated by the conductive path in at least one of the display pixels in the array.

11 . The electronic device display defined in claim 10 , where each display pixel in the array further comprises a light-emitting diode coupled to the drive transistor.

12 . The electronic device defined in claim 10 , wherein the conductive shield is interposed between and in direct contact with the polyimide layer and the planarization layer.

13 . The electronic device defined in claim 12 , wherein the planarization layer is formed from a spin-on glass.

14 . The electronic device defined in claim 10 , wherein the conductive shield is formed from transparent conductive material.

15 . The electronic device defined in claim 10 , further comprising a power supply line, wherein the conductive shield and the power supply line are formed from a common metal layer.

16 . The electronic device defined in claim 10 , further comprising a line that is configured to provide a voltage signal, wherein the conductive shield and the line that is configured to provide the voltage signal are formed from a common metal layer.

17 . A display, comprising:
a substrate; a pixel that comprises a thin-film transistor formed over the substrate; a polyimide layer formed on the substrate; a conductive shielding structure formed on the polyimide layer directly below the thin-film transistor; a planarization layer formed over the conductive shielding structure and the polyimide layer; and at least one buffer layer formed over the planarization layer.

18 . The display defined in claim 17 , further comprising a power supply line that provides a positive power supply voltage to the pixel, wherein the conductive shielding structure and the power supply line are formed from a patterned metal layer.

19 . The display defined in claim 17 , further comprising a power supply line that provides a negative power supply voltage to the pixel, wherein the conductive shielding structure and the power supply line are formed from a patterned metal layer.

20 . The display defined in claim 17 , further comprising a line that provides an initialization voltage signal to the pixel, wherein the conductive shielding structure and the line that provides the initialization voltage signal to the pixel are formed from a patterned metal layer.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Lin Chin-Wei
• Chang Shih Chang
• Chuang Ching-Sang

Classifications

• H10W42/20

  protecting against electromagnetic or particle radiation, e.g. light, X-rays, gamma-rays or electrons · CPC title

• H10D30/6723

  having light shields · CPC title

• H10D86/411

  characterised by materials, geometry or structure of the substrates · CPC title

• H10D86/60

  wherein the TFTs are in active matrices · CPC title

• H10D30/6758 Primary

  characterised by the insulating substrates · CPC title