Display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023157103-A1
Application number	US-202217944313-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 14, 2022
Priority date	Nov 16, 2021
Publication date	May 18, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A display device includes: a substrate including a first display area, a second display area including a light-transmitting part, and a third display area between the first and second display areas; a first subpixel including a first TFT on the first display area and a first light-emitting element on and electrically connected to the first TFT; a second subpixel including a second TFT on the third display area and a second light-emitting element, which is on the second display area and does not overlap with the second TFT in a plan view; a thin-film encapsulation layer on the first and second subpixels,; and a first transparent conductive layer between the second TFT and the second light-emitting element to electrically connect the second TFT and the second light-emitting element. The thin-film encapsulation layer has a refractive index of about 1.5 to about 1.7.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A display device comprising:
a substrate including a first display area, a second display area, which is surrounded by the first display area and includes a light-transmitting part, and a third display area, which is disposed between the first display area and the second display area, wherein the light-transmitting part transmits light therethrough; a first subpixel including a first thin-film transistor (TFT), which is disposed on the first display area of the substrate, and a first light-emitting element, which is disposed on the first TFT and is electrically connected to the first TFT; a second subpixel including a second TFT, which is disposed on the third display area of the substrate, and a second light-emitting element, which is disposed on the second display area of the substrate and does not overlap with the second TFT in a plan view; a thin-film encapsulation layer including a first encapsulation inorganic layer, which is disposed on the first and second subpixels, an encapsulation organic layer, which is disposed on the first encapsulation inorganic layer, and a second encapsulation inorganic layer, which is disposed on the encapsulation organic layer; and a first transparent conductive layer disposed between the second TFT and the second light-emitting element to electrically connect the second TFT and the second light-emitting element, wherein each of the first encapsulation inorganic layer, the encapsulation organic layer, and the second encapsulation inorganic layer has a refractive index of about 1.5 to about 1.7.

2 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a touch sensor layer disposed on the thin-film encapsulation layer, wherein the touch sensor layer includes a first touch insulating layer, which is disposed on the second encapsulation inorganic layer, a first touch conductive layer, which is disposed on the first touch insulating layer, a second touch insulating layer, which is disposed on the first touch conductive layer, a second touch conductive layer, which is disposed on the second touch insulating layer, and a touch protection layer, which is disposed on the second touch conductive layer, the first and second touch conductive layers do not overlap with the light-transmitting part in the plan view, and each of the first touch insulating layer, the second touch insulating layer, and the touch protection layer has a refractive index of about 1.5 to about 1.7.

3 . The display device of claim 2 , further comprising:
an overcoat layer disposed on the touch sensor layer, wherein the overcoat layer includes an overcoat material layer, and the overcoat material layer has a refractive index of about 1.5 to about 1.7.

4 . The display device of claim 3 , wherein the first encapsulation inorganic layer, the encapsulation organic layer, the second encapsulation inorganic layer, the first touch insulating layer, the second touch insulating layer, the touch protection layer, and the overcoat layer have the same refractive index.

5 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third subpixel including a third TFT, which is disposed on the third display area of the substrate and a third light-emitting element, which is disposed on the second display area of the substrate and does not overlap with the third TFT in the plan view; a second transparent conductive layer disposed between the third TFT and the third light-emitting element to electrically connect the third TFT and the third light-emitting element; a first via-insulating layer disposed between the substrate and the second and third light-emitting elements; and a third via-insulating layer disposed between the first via-insulating layer and the second light-emitting element and between the first via-insulating layer and the third light-emitting element, wherein the second light-emitting element of the second subpixel and the third light-emitting element of the third subpixel are spaced apart from each other by the light-transmitting part, the first transparent conductive layer is disposed between the third via-insulating layer and the second light-emitting element, and the second transparent conductive layer is disposed between the first via-insulating layer and the third via-insulating layer.

6 . The display device of claim 5 , wherein
the first light-emitting element includes a first cathode, which is disposed below the first encapsulation inorganic layer, the second light-emitting element includes a second cathode, which is disposed below the first encapsulation inorganic layer, the display device further comprises an optical compensation layer, which is disposed between the second cathode and the first encapsulation inorganic layer, an opening, which exposes the light-transmitting part, is defined in the second cathode, the optical compensation layer includes a low refractive index layer, which is disposed on the second cathode, and a high refractive index layer, which is disposed on the low refractive index layer, the low refractive index layer has a refractive index of about 1.5 or less, and the high refractive index layer has a refractive index of about 1.8 or greater.

7 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulation organic layer has a haze of about 4% or less.

8 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulation organic layer has a peak-to-valley (P-V) wavefront value of 2 micrometers (µm).

9 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an optical device disposed below the substrate, wherein the optical device is disposed to overlap with the second display area of the substrate in the plan view.

10 . A display device comprising:
a substrate including a first display area, a second display area, which is surrounded by the first display area and includes a light-transmitting part, and a third display area, which is disposed between the first display area and the second display area, wherein the light-transmitting part transmits light therethrough; thin-film transistors (TFTs) disposed on the substrate; a first via-insulating layer disposed on the TFT, and overlapping with the first and second display areas in a plan view; a second via-insulating layer disposed on the first via-insulating layer, wherein the second via-insulating layer overlaps with the first display area, but does not overlap with the second display area in the plan view; a third via-insulating layer disposed on the second via-insulating layer and overlapping with the first and second display areas; light-emitting elements disposed on the third via-insulating layer, and overlapping with the first and second display areas; and a thin-film encapsulation layer disposed on the light-emitting elements, wherein a haze of the second display area is less than a haze of the first display area.

11 . The display device of claim 10 , wherein a value of the haze of the second display area is about 4% or less.

12 . The display device of claim 10 , wherein the second display area has a smaller peak-to-valley (P-V) wavefront value than the first display area.

13 . The display device of claim 12 , wherein the second display area has a P-V wavefront value of about 2 µm or less.

14 . The display device of claim 10 , wherein
the light-emitting elements include a first light-emitting element, which overlaps with the first display area, but not with the second display area, and a plurality of second light-emitting elements, which overlap with the second display area, but not with the first display area in the plan view, and the second light-emitting elements are sp

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jeong Seok
• Park Woo Cheol
• Yoon Kwan Hyuck
• Lee Hye Kyun

Classifications

• H10D86/60

  wherein the TFTs are in active matrices · CPC title

• H10D86/40 Primary

  characterised by multiple TFTs · CPC title

• H10K59/8731

  multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers · CPC title

• H10K59/65

  OLEDs integrated with inorganic image sensors · CPC title

• H10K59/40

  OLEDs integrated with touch screens · CPC title