Display apparatus including optical layer having diffraction grating

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a substrate including a display area and a sensor area, the sensor area including an auxiliary display area and a transmitting area;

a plurality of first display elements arranged over the display area;

a plurality of second display elements arranged over the auxiliary display area;

a plurality of transmitting units arranged in the transmitting area and configured to transmit at least a portion of light incident on the transmitting area; and

an optical layer including a diffraction grating covering at least the plurality of second display elements.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of second display elements are grouped into a plurality of pixel units each of which is defined by four adjacent transmitting units of the plurality of transmitting units.

3. The display apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of second display elements are grouped into a plurality of pixel units, and

wherein each of the plurality of pixel units and each of the plurality of transmitting units are alternately arranged.

4. The display apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the optical layer further comprises an opening portion that exposes at least a portion of each of the plurality of transmitting units.

5. The display apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein each of the plurality of first display elements and the plurality of second display elements comprises:

a thin film transistor;

a pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor;

an emission layer on the pixel electrode; and

an opposite electrode on the emission layer.

6. The display apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the diffraction grating is configured to generate a first diffracted light from a first light of a first pixel and a second diffracted light from a second light of a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel so that the first light and the second light are mixed to generate a third light and the third light is emitted from a region, where no pixel exists, between the first pixel and the second pixel.

7. The display apparatus of claim 6 ,

wherein the first light, the second light and the third light are different from each other.

8. The display apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the diffraction grating comprises a plurality of grooves on a surface of the optical layer, and

wherein the plurality of grooves include a first group of grooves extending in a first direction and a second group of grooves extending in a second direction different from the first direction.

9. A display apparatus comprising:

a substrate including a display area and a sensor area, the sensor area including an auxiliary display area and a transmitting area;

a plurality of first display elements arranged over the display area;

a plurality of second display elements arranged over the auxiliary display area;

a plurality of transmitting units arranged in the transmitting area and configured to transmit at least a portion of light incident on the transmitting area; and

an optical layer including a first portion having a flat upper surface and a second portion having a plurality of grooves at an upper surface of the second portion,

wherein a bottom surface of the optical layer is spaced apart from the plurality of first display elements and the plurality of second display elements,

wherein the flat upper surface of the first portion covers the plurality of first display elements and the plurality of grooves of the second portion cover the plurality of second display elements, and

wherein the optical layer further comprises an opening portion that exposes at least a portion of each of the plurality of transmitting units.

10. The display apparatus of claim 9 ,

wherein the plurality of grooves include a first group of grooves extending in a first direction and a second group of grooves extending in a second direction different from the first direction.

11. The display apparatus of claim 9 ,

wherein the optical layer comprises a first surface facing the substrate and a second surface opposite the first surface, and the plurality of grooves is disposed at the second surface.

12. The display apparatus of claim 9 ,

wherein the optical layer is configured to encapsulate at least the plurality of first display elements and the plurality of second display elements.

13. The display apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:

an encapsulation substrate disposed between the substrate and the optical layer to cover at least the plurality of first display elements and the plurality of second display elements,

wherein a bottom surface of the encapsulation substrate is spaced apart from the plurality of first display elements and the plurality of second display elements.

14. The display apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:

a thin film encapsulation layer covering the plurality of first display elements and the plurality of second display elements,

wherein the thin film encapsulation layer includes a first inorganic layer, an organic layer, and a second inorganic layer, which are sequentially stacked on each other,

wherein the second inorganic layer is provided as the optical layer.

15. The display apparatus of claim 9 ,

wherein each of the plurality of first display elements and the plurality of second display elements comprises:

a thin film transistor;

a pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor;

an emission layer on the pixel electrode; and

an opposite electrode on the emission layer.

16. The display apparatus of claim 9 ,

wherein the plurality of second display elements are grouped into a plurality of pixel units, and

wherein each of the plurality of pixel units and each of the plurality of transmitting units are alternately arranged.

17. A display apparatus comprising:

a substrate including a display area and a sensor area, the sensor area including an auxiliary display area and a transmitting area;

a plurality of first display elements arranged over the display area;

a plurality of second display elements arranged over the auxiliary display area;

a plurality of transmitting units arranged in the transmitting area and configured to transmit at least a portion of light incident on the transmitting area; and

an optical layer including a plurality of grooves and covering at least the plurality of second display elements,

wherein the plurality of grooves configured to generate a first diffracted light from a first light of a first pixel and a second diffracted light from a second light of a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel so that the first light and the second light are mixed to generate a third light and the third light is emitted from a region, where no pixel exists, between the first pixel and the second pixel.