Display device and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020168681-A1
Application number	US-201916598604-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 10, 2019
Priority date	Nov 26, 2018
Publication date	May 28, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A display device includes a light-emitting element on a light-emitting area of a substrate; a thin film transistor connected to the light-emitting element; a first insulating layer between the light-emitting element and the thin film transistor; and a second insulating layer which defines the light-emitting area and is between the thin film transistor and the second insulating layer. The first insulating layer includes a first area corresponding to the light-emitting area and a second area outside the light-emitting area, the first area has a first thickness, and the second area has a second thickness which is less than the first thickness, in a same one light-emitting area, the second insulating layer covers a lateral surface of the first area of the first insulating layer, and a height of the second insulating layer decreases along a direction from the first area to the second area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A display device comprising:
a substrate comprising a display area in which a light-emitting area is provided in plurality spaced apart from each other; a light-emitting element on the substrate, in the light-emitting area; a thin film transistor electrically connected to the light-emitting element; a first insulating layer between the light-emitting element and the thin film transistor; and a second insulating layer which defines the light-emitting area, the first insulating layer being between the thin film transistor and the second insulating layer, wherein the first insulating layer comprises a first area corresponding to the light-emitting area and a second area disposed outside the light-emitting area, the first area of the first insulating layer has a first thickness, and the second area of the first insulating layer has a second thickness which is less than the first thickness, in a same one light-emitting area, the second insulating layer covers a lateral surface of the first area of the first insulating layer, and a height of the second insulating layer decreases along a direction from the first area to the second area.

2 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein
the first area of the first insulating layer is provided in plurality respectively corresponding to the light-emitting area provided in plurality spaced apart from each other, and the second area of the first insulating layer connects one of the first area of the first insulating layer to an adjacent one of the first area of the first insulating area.

3 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein
the light-emitting element comprises a pixel electrode disposed corresponding to the first area of the first insulating layer, and the second insulating layer covers edges of the pixel electrode.

4 . The display device of claim 3 , wherein an upper surface of the first area of the first insulating layer is planar.

5 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the second insulating layer exposes an upper surface of the second area of the first insulating layer to outside the second insulating layer.

6 . The display device of claim 5 , wherein an end portion of the second insulating layer exposes the upper surface of the second area of the first insulating layer to outside the second insulating layer and has a concave curved surface.

7 . The display device of claim 5 , wherein the light-emitting element comprises a common electrode which is in direct contact with the upper surface of the second area of the first insulating layer which is exposed to outside the second insulating layer.

8 . The display device claim 1 , wherein
the second insulating layer extends from the first area to define an extension portion of the second insulating layer on the second area of the first insulating layer, and an upper surface of the extension portion which is furthest from the substrate, is closer to the substrate than an upper surface of the first area of the first insulating layer which is furthest from the substrate.

9 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer each comprise an organic material.

10 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the second insulating layer has a black color.

11 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising an encapsulation layer on the light-emitting element,
wherein the encapsulation layer comprises a first inorganic encapsulation layer, an organic encapsulation layer and a second inorganic encapsulation layer.

12 . A method of manufacturing a display device, the method comprising:
providing a thin film transistor in a light-emitting area of a substrate; providing a first organic material layer covering the thin film transistor, and patterning the first organic material layer to provide a first insulating layer; providing a pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor; and providing a second organic material layer covering the first insulating layer and the pixel electrode, and patterning the second organic material layer to provide a second insulating layer which defines the light-emitting area, wherein the first insulating layer comprises:
a first area corresponding to the light-emitting area, and
a second area disposed outside the light-emitting area, the second area having a thickness which is less than a thickness of the first area,
within the light-emitting area, the second insulating layer covers edges of the pixel electrode and covers external lateral surfaces of the first area of the first insulating layer, and a height of the second insulating layer decreases along a direction from the first area to the second area.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein
the providing the second insulating layer exposes the pixel electrode to outside the second insulating layer, and the method further comprises:
providing an intermediate layer including an organic emission layer on the pixel electrode which is exposed to outside the second insulating layer, and
providing a common electrode on the intermediate layer.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein
the providing the second insulating layer further exposes an upper surface of the second area of the first insulating layer to outside the second insulating layer, and the providing the common electrode directly contacts the common electrode with the upper surface of the second area of the first insulating layer which is exposed to outside the second insulating layer.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the providing the second insulating layer disposes an end portion of the second insulating layer in the second area of the first insulating layer and having a concave curved surface.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein
the providing the second insulating layer disposes an extension portion of the second insulating layer covering the second area of the first insulating layer, and an upper surface of the extension portion which is furthest from the substrate, is closer to the substrate than an upper surface of the first area of the first insulating layer which is furthest from the substrate.

17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein
an upper surface of the first area of the first insulating layer is planar, and the providing the pixel electrode disposes the pixel electrode on the upper surface of the first area of the first insulating layer which is planar.

18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the patterning the first organic material layer comprises using a first halftone mask, and provides the first area and the second area of the first insulating layer simultaneously.

19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the patterning of the second organic material layer comprises:
using a second halftone mask, and removing a portion of the second organic material layer corresponding to the second area of the first insulating layer.

20 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising providing a first inorganic encapsulation layer, an organic encapsulation layer and a second inorganic encapsulation layer on the common electrode.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• JEON Bogeon
• Kim Jungi
• Jung Yangho
• Choi Seonhwa

Classifications

• H01L51/56

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L2227/323

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/3258 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L51/5253

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10K50/844

  Encapsulations · CPC title