Organic light emitting diode display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same
View Patent ↗An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display apparatus, including a substrate, at least one thin film transistor (TFT) on the substrate, an insulating layer covering the at least one TFT and having a via hole and a groove, a first electrode on the insulating layer and electrically connected to the at least one TFT through the via hole, a pixel define layer on the first electrode and the groove, the pixel define layer having an opening that exposes the first electrode; an intermediate layer electrically connected to the first electrode through the opening, the intermediate layer including an organic emissive layer, and a second electrode on the intermediate layer. The organic emissive layer may be easily formed in the opening because a step between the organic emissive layer and the pixel define layer may be reduced as a portion of pixel define layer fills the groove.
1. An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display apparatus, comprising:
a substrate;
a first thin film transistor (TFT) on the substrate;
an insulating layer covering the first TFT and having a via hole and a groove, the groove extending between the first TFT and a second TFT, the second TFT being adjacent to the first TFT;
a first electrode on the insulating layer and electrically connected to the first TFT through the via hole, the first electrode being patterned to cover a top surface of the insulating layer covering the first TFT without extending into the groove;
a pixel define layer on the first electrode and the groove, wherein a portion of the pixel define layer completely fills the groove, the pixel define layer having a tapered opening that exposes the first electrode and such that the pixel define layer covers edge portions of the first electrode at the top surface of the insulating layer;
an intermediate layer contacting to the first electrode through the tapered opening and covering a portion of the pixel define layer covering the edge portions of the first electrode, the intermediate layer including an organic emissive layer; and
a second electrode on the intermediate layer.
2. The OLED display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the groove has a depth of about 0.5 μm to about 1.5 μm.
3. The OLED display apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the groove extends horizontally on the insulating layer.
4. A method of manufacturing an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display apparatus, the method comprising:
preparing a substrate;
forming a first TFT on the substrate;
forming an insulating layer to cover the first TFT;
forming a via hole and a groove in the insulating layer, such that the groove extends between the first TFT and a second TFT, the second TFT being adjacent to the first TFT;
forming a first electrode on the insulating layer and electrically connected to the first TFT through the via hole, the first electrode being patterned to cover a top surface of the insulating layer covering the first TFT without extending into the groove;
forming a pixel define layer on the first electrode such that a portion of the pixel define layer completely fills the groove, the pixel define layer having a tapered opening that exposes the first electrode and such that the pixel define layer covers edge portions of the first electrode at the tip surface of the insulating layer;
forming an intermediate layer contacting the first electrode through the tapered opening and covering a portion of the pixel define layer covering the edge portions of the first electrode, the intermediate layer including an organic emissive layer; and
forming a second electrode on the intermediate layer.
5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the intermediate layer is formed using a thermal transfer method.
6. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the via hole and the groove are simultaneously patterned using a single mask.
7. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a portion of the pixel define layer is formed to fill the groove.
8. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the groove is formed to extend horizontally on the insulating layer.
9. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the groove has a depth of about 0.5 μm to about 1.5 μm.