Narrow border displays for electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9504124-B2
Application number	US-201313945782-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2013
Priority date	Jan 3, 2013
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with an organic light-emitting diode display with minimized border regions. The border regions may be minimized by providing conductive structures that pass through polymer layers of the display and/or conductive structures that wrap around an edge of the display and couple conductive traces on the display to conductive traces on additional circuitry that is mounted behind the display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a display that includes:
a first polymer layer,
a layer of organic emissive material on the first polymer layer,
an encapsulation layer formed over the layer of organic emissive material,
a second polymer layer attached to the first polymer layer, and
at least one microvia that passes through the first polymer layer and the second polymer layer, wherein the at least one microvia is located in a portion of the first polymer layer that is uncovered by the encapsulation layer; and

additional circuitry coupled to the at least one microvia.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the additional circuitry comprises a flexible printed circuit and wherein the at least one microvia couples conductive traces on the first polymer layer to conductive traces in the flexible printed circuit.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 , further comprising:
solder that connects the at least one microvia to the conductive traces in the flexible printed circuit.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 2 , further comprising:
anisotropic conductive adhesive that connects the at least one microvia to the conductive traces in the flexible printed circuit.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the additional circuitry comprises an embedded display driver integrated circuit.

6. An electronic device, comprising:
a display that includes:
a first polymer layer having conductive traces,
a layer of organic emissive material on the first polymer layer, and
a second polymer layer attached to the first polymer layer;

a printed circuit having conductive traces; and
conductive connector structures that couple the conductive traces on the first polymer layer to the conductive traces of the printed circuit, wherein the conductive connector structures extend around an edge of the first and second polymer layers.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the first polymer layer comprises polyimide and wherein the second polymer layer comprises polyethylene terephthalate.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the conductive connector structures comprise jetted solder paste that couples the conductive traces on the first polymer layer to the conductive traces of the flexible printed circuit.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the conductive connector structures comprise at least a portion formed on the edge of the first and second polymer layers.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 6 , further comprising a heat seal structure having a first end attached to the first polymer layer and a second opposing end attached to the printed circuit, wherein the conductive connector structures comprise conductive material in the heat seal structure.

11. An electronic device, comprising:
a display, comprising:
first and second polymer layers,
conductive contact pads on the first polymer layer, and
a plurality of notches in the first and second polymer layers, wherein each of the notches is adjacent to a corresponding one of the conductive contact pads;

a printed circuit having conductive contact pads; and
conductive material that couples the conductive contact pads on the first polymer layer to the conductive contact pads on the printed circuit, wherein at least some of the conductive material is formed within each of the plurality of notches.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the display further comprises a layer of organic emissive material and an encapsulation layer over the layer of organic emissive material.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the conductive contact pads on the first polymer layer are formed on a portion of the first polymer layer that extends beyond an edge of the encapsulation layer.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the printed circuit comprises a flexible printed circuit.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein at least a portion of each conductive contact pad on the printed circuit is located adjacent to a corresponding one of the plurality of notches.

16. An electronic device, comprising:
a display having a layer of organic light-emitting material, a first polymer layer having conductive traces, and a second polymer layer;
a flexible printed circuit; and
an electrical connector attached to the flexible printed circuit, wherein the electrical connector receives an end of the first polymer layer and the second polymer layer.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 , further comprising a housing.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the flexible printed circuit is attached to a sidewall portion of the housing.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein the display includes a transparent cover layer having a notch and wherein the housing sidewall portion includes a portion that mates with the notch.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 18 further comprising:
conductive traces in the flexible printed circuit that are coupled to the conductive traces of the first polymer layer through the electrical connector.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Kim Sang Ha
• Grespan Silvio
• Zhong John Z
• Guillou Jean-Pierre
• Sung Kuo-Hua
• Drzaic Paul S
• Park Young Bae
• Gupta Vasudha

Classifications

• H05K1/189 Primary

  characterised by the use of flexible or folded printed circuits · CPC title

• G06F1/1637

  Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• H05K2201/10128

  Display · CPC title

• H04M1/0266

  for a display module assembly · CPC title