IP Library Granted Patent US 12,310,169
Granted Patent B2
US 12,310,169 · App. 17/264,170 · Granted May 20, 2025

Display device and method of manufacturing same

Inventors: Tohru Okabe (Sakai, JP); Shoji Okazaki (Sakai, JP); Ryosuke Gunji (Sakai, JP); Shinsuke Saida (Sakai, JP); Shinji Ichikawa (Sakai, JP); Tokuo Yoshida (Sakai, JP); Hiroharu Jinmura (Yonago, JP); Akira Inoue (Yonago, JP); Yoshihiro Nakada (Yonago, JP); Koji Tanimura (Yonago, JP); Yoshihiro Kohara (Yonago, JP)
Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H10K50/8426H10K50/844H10K59/1213H10K59/124H10K59/131H10K71/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,310,169
App. No.
17/264,170
Granted
May 20, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A display device includes: a sealing film provided so as to cover light-emitting elements at least partially constituting a display area and including a first inorganic film, an organic film, and a second inorganic film stacked in this order; and a first damming wall in a frame area around the display area, the first damming wall surrounding the display area and overlapping a peripheral portion of the organic film, wherein at least one inorganic insulation film in a TFT layer has an upwardly open, first opening at least in a part of an area between the display area and the first damming wall, and the organic film is provided so as to fill in the first opening.

Claims (60)

1. A display device comprising:

a base substrate;

a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer on the base substrate, the TFT layer including at least one inorganic insulation film and at least one planarization film stacked in this order;

light-emitting elements on the TFT layer, the light-emitting elements at least partially forming a display area;

a sealing film provided so as to cover the light-emitting elements and including a first inorganic film, an organic film, and a second inorganic film stacked in this order;

a first damming wall in a frame area around the display area, the first damming wall surrounding the display area and overlapping a peripheral portion of the organic film; and

a second damming wall around the first damming wall, wherein

the at least one inorganic insulation film has a first opening, which is upwardly open, at least in a part of an area between the display area and the first damming wall,

the at least one inorganic insulation film further has a second opening, which is upwardly open, at least in a part of an area between the first damming wall and the second damming wall, and

the organic film is provided so as to fill in the first opening.

2. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one inorganic insulation film includes a base coat film on the base substrate,

the first opening and the second opening are provided so as to expose the base coat film, and

the base coat film is in contact with the first inorganic film in the first opening and the second opening.

3. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the first opening is provided to act as a frame surrounding the display area.

4. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one inorganic insulation film includes a gate insulation film.

5. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the light-emitting elements are organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

6. The display device according to claim 1 , further comprising a terminal section with a plurality of terminals along a side of the frame area, wherein

the display area is rectangular, and

the at least one inorganic insulation film is in contact with the first inorganic film along a side of the frame area that faces the terminal section between the display area and the first damming wall and between the first damming wall and the second damming wall.

7. The display device according to claim 6 , wherein

the TFT layer further includes a plurality of parallel gate lines and a plurality of parallel source lines both in the display area, the plurality of parallel source lines crossing the plurality of parallel gate lines with the at least one inorganic insulation film intervening therebetween, and

each of the plurality of parallel source lines is electrically connected to an associated one of the plurality of terminals via a routing line made of a same material and in a same layer as the plurality of parallel gate lines on the side of the frame area that faces the terminal section.

8. The display device according to claim 6 , wherein the display area is separated from the first damming wall by a first distance along the side of the frame area that faces the terminal section and by a second distance along other sides of the frame area that do not face the terminal section, the first distance being greater than the second distance.

9. A display device comprising:

a base substrate;

a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer on the base substrate, the TFT layer including at least one inorganic insulation film and at least one planarization film stacked in this order;

light-emitting elements on the TFT layer, the light-emitting elements at least partially forming a display area;

a sealing film provided so as to cover the light-emitting elements and including a first inorganic film, an organic film, and a second inorganic film stacked in this order;

a first damming wall in a frame area around the display area, the first damming wall surrounding the display area and overlapping a peripheral portion of the organic film; and

a terminal section with a plurality of terminals along a side of the frame area, wherein

the at least one inorganic insulation film has a first opening, which is upwardly open, at least in a part of an area between the display area and the first damming wall,

the organic film is provided so as to fill in the first opening,

the first opening is provided to act as a frame surrounding the display area,

the display area is rectangular,

the TFT layer further includes a plurality of parallel gate lines and a plurality of parallel source lines both in the display area, the plurality of parallel source lines crossing the plurality of parallel gate lines with the at least one inorganic insulation film intervening therebetween, and

each of the plurality of parallel source lines is electrically connected to an associated one of the plurality of terminals via a routing line made of a same material and in a same layer as the plurality of parallel source lines on a side of the first opening that faces the terminal section.

10. The display device according to claim 9 , wherein

the at least one inorganic insulation film includes a base coat film on the base substrate,

the first opening is provided so as to expose the base coat film, and

the routing line is in contact with the base coat film and the first inorganic film on the side of the first opening that faces the terminal section.

11. The display device according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one inorganic insulation film includes a gate insulation film.

12. The display device according to claim 9 , wherein the light-emitting elements are organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

13. A display device comprising:

a base substrate;

a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer on the base substrate, the TFT layer including at least one inorganic insulation film and at least one planarization film stacked in this order;

light-emitting elements on the TFT layer, the light-emitting elements at least partially forming a display area;

a sealing film provided so as to cover the light-emitting elements and including a first inorganic film, an organic film, and a second inorganic film stacked in this order;

a first damming wall in a frame area around the display area, the first damming wall surrounding the display area and overlapping a peripheral portion of the organic film; and

a plurality of insular peripheral photo spacers between the display area and the first damming wall, wherein

the at least one inorganic insulation film has a first opening, which is upwardly open, at least in a part of an area between the display area and the first damming wall,

the organic film is provided so as to fill in the first opening,

the plurality of insular peripheral photo spacers has a greater height above a surface of the base substrate than the first damming wall,

the plurality of insular peripheral photo spacers is made of a same material and in a same layer as an overlying side of the first damming wall,

the light-emitting elements include:

pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix on the TFT layer; and

an edge cover provided so as to cover a peripheral portion of each of the pixel electrodes, and

the plurality of insular peripheral photo spacers, the overlying side of the first damming wall, and the edge cover are made of the same material and in the same layer.

14. The display device according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one inorganic insulation film includes a gate insulation film.

15. The display device according to claim 13 , wherein the light-emitting elements are organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 28, 2021
From: OKABE, TOHRU; OKAZAKI, SHOJI; GUNJI, RYOSUKE; SAIDA, SHINSUKE; ICHIKAWA, SHINJI; YOSHIDA, TOKUO; JINMURA, HIROHARU; INOUE, AKIRA; NAKADA, YOSHIHIRO; TANIMURA, KOJI; KOHARA, YOSHIHIRO
To: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 055066/0581 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210288286A1 · Sep 16, 2021
References Cited (4)
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US 20180026226A1 · Choi · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180102502A1 · Kim · 2018 [cited by examiner]
JP 2014086415A · 2014 [cited by applicant]