Organic light-emitting display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9614180-B2
Application number	US-201314083873-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2013
Priority date	Jul 12, 2013
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

An organic light-emitting display apparatus is provided. The display apparatus includes a pixel-defining layer disposed on a substrate, wherein the pixel-defining layer defines an emission region and a non-emission region, an organic light-emitting device disposed in the emission region, and a protruding portion disposed on a portion of the pixel-defining layer in the non-emission region. The display apparatus also includes a thin film encapsulating layer disposed on the substrate for sealing the organic light-emitting device and the protruding portion, the thin film encapsulating layer comprising at least one organic film and at least one inorganic film, wherein at least one organic film corresponds to a functional organic film, and a height of a first upper surface of the functional organic film disposed away from the protruding portion is lower than a height of a second upper surface of the functional organic film disposed near a top of the protruding portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An organic light-emitting display apparatus comprising:
a pixel-defining layer disposed on a substrate, wherein the pixel-defining layer defines an emission region and a non-emission region, the pixel-defining layer comprises an opening corresponding to the emission region;
a first electrode corresponding to the opening;
an organic emission layer on the first electrode;
a second electrode disposed on the organic emission layer;
a protruding portion disposed on a portion of the pixel-defining layer in the non-emission region, a height of a center of the protruding portion is different from that of each side of the protruding portion; and
a thin film encapsulating layer disposed on the substrate for sealing the organic light-emitting device and the protruding portion, the thin film encapsulating layer comprising at least one inorganic film and at least one organic film that corresponds to a functional organic film,
wherein a first height of the functional organic film disposed away from the protruding portion is lower than a second height of the functional organic film disposed near a top of the protruding portion.

2. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the functional organic film has a first thickness near the top of the protruding portion, and the first thickness has a value that is equal to or greater than about 100 Å.

3. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first thickness is less than or equal to a thickness of a planarized portion of the functional organic film near the top of the protruding portion.

4. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second height of the functional organic film includes a height of the protruding portion.

5. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion corresponds to a spacer disposed in the non-emission region.

6. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the functional organic film comprises a photo-initiator.

7. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the functional organic film comprises a material having a viscosity that is adjustable using light or temperature.

8. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a protective layer interposed between the organic light-emitting device and the thin film encapsulating layer.

9. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion comprises foreign material.

10. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an uppermost layer of the thin film encapsulating layer is exposed, and the uppermost layer includes an inorganic film.

11. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an uppermost layer of the thin film encapsulating layer is exposed, and the uppermost layer includes an organic film.

12. The organic light-emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of functional organic films, wherein the functional organic films have different thicknesses near the top of the protruding portion.

13. A method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display apparatus, the method comprising:
forming a first electrode;
forming a pixel-defining layer on the first electrode, wherein the pixel-defining layer defines an emission region and a non-emission region, the pixel-defining layer comprises an opening corresponding to the emission region;
forming an organic emission layer on the first electrode;
forming a second electrode on the organic emission layer;
forming an organic light-emitting device in the emission region;
forming a protruding portion on a portion of the pixel-defining layer in the non-emission region, a height of a center of the protruding portion is different from that of each side of the protruding portion; and
forming a thin film encapsulating layer on the substrate for sealing the organic light-emitting device and the protruding portion, the thin film encapsulating layer comprising at least one inorganic film and at least one organic film that corresponds to a functional organic film,
wherein a first height of the functional organic film disposed away from the protruding portion is lower than a second height of the functional organic film disposed near a top of the protruding portion.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
forming the functional organic film by depositing or coating a liquid pre-functional organic film, and adjusting a viscosity of the liquid pre-functional organic film.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein adjusting the viscosity of the liquid pre-functional organic film comprises:
adjusting the viscosity by adjusting a temperature of the substrate or by irradiating light onto the liquid pre-functional organic film.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming the protruding portion and the pixel-defining layer using a half-tone mask process.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the functional organic film comprises a photo-initiator.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the protruding portion corresponds to a spacer disposed in the non-emission region.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the protruding portion comprises foreign material.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming the organic film using flash evaporation or inkjet printing.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kang Tae-Wook

Classifications

• H10K59/1201

  Manufacture or treatment · CPC title

• H10K59/122 Primary

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

• H10K59/873 Primary

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• H10K59/8731

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

• H10K59/8723

  Vertical spacers, e.g. arranged between the sealing arrangement and the OLED · CPC title