Organic light emitting display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same
View Patent ↗An organic light emitting display apparatus including: a substrate; a thin film transistor formed on the substrate; a planarization layer formed on the substrate to cover the thin film transistor and comprising a closed-loop groove; a pixel electrode that contacts the thin film transistor and is formed on the planarization layer; a pixel defining layer formed to fill the closed-loop groove; a spacer formed on the planarization layer and disposed outside the pixel electrode; an organic light emitting layer formed on the pixel electrode; and an opposite electrode covering the organic light emitting layer.
1. An organic light emitting display apparatus comprising:
a substrate;
a thin film transistor formed on the substrate;
a planarization layer formed on the substrate to cover the thin film transistor, and comprising a closed-loop groove;
a pixel electrode that contacts the thin film transistor and is formed on the planarization layer;
a pixel defining layer formed to fill the closed-loop groove;
a spacer formed on the planarization layer and disposed outside the pixel electrode;
an organic light emitting layer formed on the pixel electrode; and
an opposite electrode covering the organic light emitting layer.
2. The organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the closed-loop groove is rectangular.
3. The organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the spacer is formed along a lengthwise direction of the closed-loop groove.
4. The organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the spacer is formed along a transverse direction of the closed-loop groove.
5. The organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , further including a via hole that exposes a source electrode or drain electrode of the thin film transistor, the via hole being inside a perimeter of the closed-loop groove.
6. The organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting layer extends over the pixel-defining layer.
7. The organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an edge of the pixel electrode extends into the closed-loop groove.
8. The organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein light used to form an image is emitted towards the opposite electrode.
9. The organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pixel defining layer and the spacer are formed of the same material.
10. The organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pixel defining layer and the spacer are formed of polyimide.
11. The organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pixel defining layer and the spacer are patterned using a single mask.
12. The organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the planarization layer is formed of an acryl-based resin.
13. The organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a passivation layer between the thin film transistor and the planarization layer.
14. The organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the planarization layer, the pixel defining layer and the spacer are formed of the same material.
15. The organic light emitting display apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a buffer layer on the substrate.
16. An organic light emitting display panel comprising a plurality of organic light emitting display apparatuses, each organic light emitting display apparatus comprising:
a substrate;
a thin film transistor formed on the substrate;
a planarization layer formed on the substrate to cover the thin film transistor, and comprising a closed-loop groove;
a pixel electrode that contacts the thin film transistor and is formed on the planarization layer;
a pixel defining layer formed to fill the closed-loop groove;
a spacer formed on the planarization layer and disposed outside the pixel electrode;
an organic light emitting layer formed on the pixel electrode;
an opposite electrode covering the organic light emitting layer; and
a via hole that exposes a source electrode or drain electrode of the thin film transistor, the via hole being inside a perimeter of the closed-loop groove.
17. A method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display apparatus, the method comprising:
forming a thin film transistor on a substrate;
forming a planarization layer on the substrate to cover the thin film transistor;
patterning the planarization layer to form a closed-loop groove in the planarization layer;
patterning a pixel electrode on the planarization layer;
coating an insulating material on the planarization layer and the pixel electrode;
patterning the insulating material so that a part of the insulating material fills the closed-loop groove and another part of the insulating material is formed outside the pixel electrode on the planarization layer with a predetermined thickness;
forming an organic light emitting layer on the pixel electrode; and
forming an opposite electrode to cover the organic light emitting layer.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein in the patterning of the pixel electrode on the planarization layer, the pixel electrode is patterned to extend into the closed-loop groove.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the organic light emitting layer is formed to extend over the insulating material that fills the closed-loop groove.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the patterning of the insulating material so that a part of the insulating material is formed to fill the closed-loop groove and another part of the insulating material is formed outside the pixel electrode on the planarization layer with a predetermined thickness is carried out by photolithography using a single mask.