Electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026026221-A1
Application number	US-202519189890-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 25, 2025
Priority date	Jul 22, 2024
Publication date	Jan 22, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device includes a base substrate, power lines, a pixel unit including pixels, each of the pixels including a light emitting element, contact electrodes, each of the contact electrodes surrounding the light emitting element and located in the non-light emitting region, an interlayer insulating layer between the power lines and the contact electrodes, and an inter-insulating layer including grooves overlapping the non-light emitting region and located on the interlayer insulating layer, each of the grooves exposing at least a portion of the contact electrode wherein the second electrode is connected to the contact electrode in a region overlapping the groove, and the contact electrode is connected to the power line through a contact-hole passing through the interlayer insulating layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a base substrate including a display region and a non-display region, the display region including light emitting regions and a non-light emitting region located between the light emitting regions; power lines overlapping the display region on the base substrate; a pixel unit comprising pixels, each of the pixels comprising a light emitting element having a first electrode, a second electrode on the first electrode, and a common layer between the first electrode and the second electrode; contact electrodes, each of the contact electrodes surrounding the light emitting element and located in the non-light emitting region; an interlayer insulating layer between the power lines and the contact electrodes; and an inter-insulating layer including grooves overlapping the non-light emitting region and located on the interlayer insulating layer, each of the grooves exposing at least a portion of the contact electrode, wherein:
the second electrode is connected to the contact electrode in a region overlapping the groove; and
the contact electrode is connected to the power line through a contact-hole passing through the interlayer insulating layer.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a first encapsulation layer and a second encapsulation layer both covering the light emitting element and contacting each other in the light emitting regions and the non-light emitting region, wherein the first encapsulation layer and the second encapsulation layer comprise an inorganic material.

3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising a pixel defining layer having openings exposing at least a portion of the first electrode and comprising an inorganic material, a via insulating layer between the inter-insulating layer and the pixel defining layer and comprising an organic material, and a protective layer on the second electrode, wherein the via insulating layer, the pixel defining layer, the common layer, the second electrode, and the protective layer are disconnected in the groove.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein an encapsulation region of the pixel defining layer, which overlaps the non-light emitting region and is located between adjacent light emitting elements, is exposed by the common layer, the second electrode, the protective layer, and the first encapsulation layer, wherein the pixel defining layer contacts the second encapsulation layer in the encapsulation region.

5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein in a lower portion of the encapsulation region, the interlayer insulating layer is not located, and the inter-insulating layer is located.

6 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein a side surface of the contact electrode, which is adjacent to the light emitting region, is exposed from the inter-insulating layer by the groove, wherein the second electrode contacts the exposed side surface of the contact electrode.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein:
the side surface has a curvature; and the contact electrodes comprise molybdenum.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a first pattern layer and a second pattern layer overlapping the contact electrodes and sequentially stacked on the interlayer insulating layer, wherein the first pattern layer and the second pattern layer comprise different inorganic materials from each other.

9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein a portion of the first pattern layer is exposed from the second pattern layer.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein in the groove, the common layer contacts the portion of the first pattern layer and a side surface thereof and a side surface of the second pattern layer.

11 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein a portion of the inter-insulating layer adjacent to the groove and located in the non-light emitting region protrudes in a direction toward the light emitting region more than the contact electrode, wherein the portion has a trench groove protruding upward to define an inner space.

12 . The electronic device of claim 3 , further comprising a dam pattern overlapping the non-light emitting region and surrounding at least a portion of the light emitting region, wherein the dam pattern comprise a first pattern on the pixel defining layer and a second pattern on the first pattern.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein:
the first pattern and the second pattern comprise different inorganic materials from each other; the first pattern has a thickness greater than a thickness of the second pattern; and the first pattern has a width smaller than a width of the second pattern.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein:
the common layer, the second electrode, and the protective layer in the non-light emitting region are disconnected by the dam pattern; and the dam pattern is covered by the first encapsulation layer and the second encapsulation layer.

15 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein a portion of an upper surface of the contact electrode is exposed from the inter-insulating layer by the groove, wherein the second electrode contacts the exposed upper surface of the contact electrode.

16 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the contact electrode comprises first to third conductive layers sequentially stacked on the interlayer insulating layer, wherein the first conductive layer and the third conductive layer comprise titanium, and the second conductive layer comprise aluminum.

17 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein a side surface of side surfaces of the inter-insulating layer defining the groove, which overlaps the non-light emitting region, has a curvature.

18 . The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising a pixel defining layer having openings exposing at least a portion of the first electrode, comprising an inorganic material, and located on the inter-insulating layer, and an auxiliary electrode on the inter-insulating layer in the non-light emitting region and covered by the pixel defining layer, wherein the auxiliary electrode is connected to the contact electrode through a contact-hole defined in the pixel defining layer.

19 . The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein a portion of an upper surface of the contact electrode is exposed from the inter-insulating layer by the groove, wherein a portion of the common layer is on the exposed upper surface of the contact electrode in the groove.

20 . The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the second electrode is on the portion of the common layer in the groove, and a side surface of the auxiliary electrode, which is adjacent to the light emitting region, contacts the second electrode,
wherein the auxiliary electrode comprises a same material as the first electrode.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kang Ki Nyeng
• Park Chanju
• Lee Sungeun
• Kim Hyoeng-Ki
• Song Keunkyu

Classifications

• H10K59/8052

  Cathodes · CPC title

• H10K59/873

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K2102/10

  Transparent electrodes, e.g. using graphene · CPC title

• H10K59/122

  Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks · CPC title

• H10K59/131 Primary

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