Display device and manufacturing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018090699-A1
Application number	US-201715493739-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 21, 2017
Priority date	Sep 23, 2016
Publication date	Mar 29, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A display device includes a plurality of islands and a bridge connecting the plurality of islands to each other. Each of the plurality of islands includes a flexible substrate, a thin film transistor positioned on a first surface of the flexible substrate, a first electrode connected to the thin film transistor, and a protective mask positioned on a second surface of the flexible substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A display device comprising:
a plurality of islands; and a bridge connecting the plurality of islands to each other, wherein each of the plurality of islands includes
a flexible substrate,
a thin film transistor positioned on a first surface of the flexible substrate,
a first electrode connected to the thin film transistor, and
a protective mask positioned on a second surface of the flexible substrate.

2 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein
a lateral surface of the flexible substrate has a reverse tapered shape.

3 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein
the protective mask is made of metal or an inorganic insulating material.

4 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein
the protective mask includes amorphous silicon.

5 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein
the flexible substrate includes a polyimide.

6 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a protection film positioned on the protective mask; and an adhesive layer positioned between the protective mask and the protection film.

7 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second electrode positioned on the first electrode; an organic emission layer positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode; and an encapsulation layer covering the second electrode.

8 . The display device of claim 7 , wherein
the second electrode, the encapsulation layer and the flexible substrate have the same shape in a plan view.

9 . A manufacturing method of a display device, comprising:
forming an auxiliary flexible substrate; forming a protective mask on the auxiliary flexible substrate; forming a preliminary flexible substrate on the auxiliary flexible substrate and the protective mask; forming a thin film transistor and a first electrode connected to the thin film transistor on the preliminary flexible substrate; and patterning the auxiliary flexible substrate and the preliminary flexible substrate by using the protective mask to form a flexible substrate.

10 . The manufacturing method of the display device of claim 9 , wherein
in the patterning of the auxiliary flexible substrate and the preliminary flexible substrate, rear surfaces of the auxiliary flexible substrate and the preliminary flexible substrate are etched.

11 . The manufacturing method of the display device of claim 10 , wherein
in the patterning of the auxiliary flexible substrate and the preliminary flexible substrate, the auxiliary flexible substrate is entirely removed, and a lateral surface of the flexible substrate has a reverse tapered shape.

12 . The manufacturing method of the display device of claim 9 , further comprising
forming an encapsulation layer on the first electrode, and etching the protective mask and the encapsulation layer.

13 . The manufacturing method of the display device of claim 12 , wherein
the protective mask is made of metal or an inorganic insulating material.

14 . The manufacturing method of the display device of claim 12 , wherein
in the etching of the protective mask, a thickness of the protective mask decreases.

15 . The manufacturing method of the display device of claim 14 , wherein
the protective mask includes amorphous silicon.

16 . The manufacturing method of the display device of claim 9 , wherein
the flexible substrate overlaps the thin film transistor.

17 . The manufacturing method of the display device of claim 16 , wherein
the flexible substrate includes a polyimide.

18 . The manufacturing method of the display device of claim 9 , further comprising:
forming an adhesive layer on the protective mask; and forming a protection film on the adhesive layer.

19 . A display device comprising:
a flexible substrate including a display area and a peripheral area, wherein the peripheral area includes a bending area and a non-bending area; a pixel portion positioned on an outside surface of the display area of the flexible substrate; a protective mask positioned on the display area of the flexible substrate and an inside surface of the non-bending area; a driving circuit portion positioned on an outside surface of the non-bending area of the flexible substrate; and a wire portion connecting the pixel portion and the driving circuit portion and to be positioned on the outside surface of the bending area of the flexible substrate.

20 . The display device of claim 19 , wherein
a thickness of the bending area of the flexible substrate is thinner than a thickness of the display area and a thickness of the non-bending area.

21 . The display device of claim 19 , wherein
at a border between the display area and the bending area of the flexible substrate and at a border between the bending area and the non-bending area of the flexible substrate, a lateral surface of the flexible substrate has a reverse tapered shape.

22 . The display device of claim 19 , wherein
the protective mask is made of metal or an inorganic insulating material.

23 . The display device of claim 19 , further comprising
a protection film positioned on the protective mask.

24 . A manufacturing method of a display device, comprising:
forming an auxiliary flexible substrate; forming a protective mask on the auxiliary flexible substrate; forming a preliminary flexible substrate including a display area and a peripheral area on the auxiliary flexible substrate and the protective mask, wherein the peripheral area includes a bending area and a non-bending area; forming a pixel portion on a display area of the preliminary flexible substrate; forming a driving circuit portion on a non-bending area of the preliminary flexible substrate; and patterning the auxiliary flexible substrate and the preliminary flexible substrate by using the protective mask to form a flexible substrate.

25 . The manufacturing method of the display device of claim 24 , wherein
in the patterning of the auxiliary flexible substrate and the preliminary flexible substrate, rear surfaces of the auxiliary flexible substrate and the preliminary flexible substrate are etched.

26 . The manufacturing method of the display device of claim 25 , wherein
the protective mask overlaps the display area and the non-bending area of the preliminary flexible substrate.

27 . The manufacturing method of the display device of claim 26 , wherein
in the patterning of the auxiliary flexible substrate and the preliminary flexible substrate, the auxiliary flexible substrate is entirely removed, and a thickness of the bending area of the preliminary flexible substrate decreases.

28 . The manufacturing method of the display device of claim 27 , wherein
at a border between the display area and the bending area of the flexible substrate and at a border between the bending area and the non-bending area of the flexible substrate, a lateral surface of the flexible substrate has a reverse tapered shape.

29 . The manufacturing method of the display device of claim 24 , wherein
the protective mask is made of metal or an inorganic insulating material.

30 . The manufacturing method of the display device of claim 24 , further comprising:
forming a protection film on the protective mask.

31 . A manufacturing method of a display device

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shin Jae Min
• Kang Seung Bae
• Hong Jong Ho
• Kim Gun Mo
• Kim Min Woo
• Park Won Sang
• Joo Hye Jin

Classifications

• H10K30/671

  Organic radiation-sensitive molecular electronic devices · CPC title

• H10K50/844

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K71/00

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

• H01L51/56

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L51/0097 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic