IP Library Granted Patent US 12,317,727
Granted Patent B2
US 12,317,727 · App. 17/696,272 · Granted May 27, 2025

Sensor-embedded display panel and electronic device

Inventors: Chul Joon Heo (Busan, KR); Kyung Bae Park (Hwaseong-si, KR); Sung Young Yun (Suwon-si, KR); Hyeongju Kim (Changwon-si, KR); Feifei Fang (Suwon-si, KR); Hwijoung Seo (Hwaseong-si, KR); Juhyung Lim (Suwon-si, KR); Taejin Choi (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
H10K59/60H10K39/32H10K50/11H10K59/353H10K2101/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,317,727
App. No.
17/696,272
Granted
May 27, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sensor-embedded display panel includes a substrate, a light emitting element on the substrate and including a light emitting layer, and a photosensor on the substrate and including a photoelectric conversion layer in parallel with the light emitting layer along an in-plane direction of the substrate, wherein the light emitting element and the photosensor each include a separate portion of a first common auxiliary layer that is a single piece of material that extends continuously on the light emitting layer and the photoelectric conversion layer, and a separate portion of a common electrode on the first common auxiliary layer and is configured to apply a common voltage to both the light emitting element and the photosensor, and the photoelectric conversion layer includes a sequential stack from the first common auxiliary layer of a first n-type semiconductor layer, a second n-type semiconductor layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer.

Claims (95)

1. A sensor-embedded display panel, comprising:

a substrate;

a light emitting element on the substrate, the light emitting element including a light emitting layer; and

a photosensor on the substrate, the photosensor including a photoelectric conversion layer that is in parallel with the light emitting layer along an in-plane direction of the substrate such that the photoelectric conversion layer and the light emitting layer at least partially overlap in the in-plane direction,

wherein the light emitting element and the photosensor each include

a separate portion of a first common auxiliary layer that is a single piece of material that extends continuously on both the light emitting layer and the photoelectric conversion layer, and

a separate portion of a common electrode that is on the first common auxiliary layer and is configured to apply a common voltage to both the light emitting element and the photosensor, and

wherein the photoelectric conversion layer includes a sequential stack from the first common auxiliary layer of

a first n-type semiconductor layer,

a second n-type semiconductor layer, and

a p-type semiconductor layer.

2. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 1 , wherein

the light emitting element comprises first, second and third light emitting elements arranged in parallel along the in-plane direction of the substrate such that the first, second and third light emitting elements at least partially overlap in the in-plane direction, wherein the first, second and third light emitting elements are configured to emit light of different emission spectra in relation to each other, and

the photosensor is configured to convert light emitted from at least one of the first, second, or third light emitting elements and then reflected by a recognition target to an electrical signal.

3. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric conversion layer is configured to absorb light in a red wavelength spectrum, a green wavelength spectrum, a blue wavelength spectrum, or any combination thereof.

4. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first n-type semiconductor layer or the second n-type semiconductor layer forms a pn junction with the p-type semiconductor layer.

5. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 1 , wherein

one of the first n-type semiconductor layer or the second n-type semiconductor layer comprises an n-type semiconductor configured to absorb light of a visible light wavelength spectrum, and

another one of the first n-type semiconductor layer or the second n-type semiconductor layer comprises a transparent n-type semiconductor.

6. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 1 , wherein a lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level of the first n-type semiconductor layer is closer to a vacuum level of 0 eV than a LUMO energy level of the second n-type semiconductor layer.

7. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 6 , wherein a difference between the LUMO energy level of the first n-type semiconductor layer and a LUMO energy level of the first common auxiliary layer is smaller than a difference between the LUMO energy level of the second n-type semiconductor layer and the LUMO energy level of the first common auxiliary layer.

8. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 7 , wherein the difference between the LUMO energy level of the first n-type semiconductor layer and the LUMO energy level of the first common auxiliary layer is about 0 eV to about 1.0 eV.

9. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 7 , wherein the difference between the LUMO energy level of the second n-type semiconductor layer and the LUMO energy level of the first common auxiliary layer is about 0.5 eV to about 1.2 eV.

10. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 6 , wherein a difference between the LUMO energy level of the second n-type semiconductor layer and the LUMO energy level of the first n-type semiconductor layer is about 0.5 eV to about 1.2 eV.

11. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the second n-type semiconductor layer is smaller than a thickness of the first n-type semiconductor layer.

12. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 11 , wherein the thickness of the second n-type semiconductor layer is about 1 nm to about 10 nm.

13. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 1 , wherein

the light emitting element comprises first, second, and third light emitting elements that are each configured to emit light of any one of a red wavelength spectrum, a green wavelength spectrum, a blue wavelength spectrum, or an infrared wavelength spectrum, and

the p-type semiconductor layer comprises a p-type semiconductor configured to selectively absorb light of any one of the red wavelength spectrum, the green wavelength spectrum, the blue wavelength spectrum, or the infrared wavelength spectrum.

14. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 1 , wherein

the first n-type semiconductor layer comprises a transparent n-type semiconductor, and

the second n-type semiconductor layer comprises an n-type semiconductor configured to absorb light of a visible light wavelength spectrum, and

the p-type semiconductor layer comprises a p-type semiconductor configured to selectively absorb light of any one of a red wavelength spectrum, a green wavelength spectrum, or a blue wavelength spectrum.

15. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 1 , further comprising a second common auxiliary layer that is a single piece of material that extends continuously between the light emitting element and the substrate and between the photosensor and the substrate.

16. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 2 , wherein

the sensor-embedded display panel comprises

a display area configured to display a color, and

a non-display area excluding the display area

wherein the photosensor is in the non-display area.

17. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 16 , wherein

the display area comprises

a plurality of first subpixels configured to display red and comprising the first light emitting element,

a plurality of second subpixels configured to display green and comprising the second light emitting element, and

a plurality of third subpixels configured to display blue and comprising the third light emitting element, and

the photosensor is between at least two of a first subpixel of the plurality of first subpixels, a second subpixel of the plurality of second subpixels, or a third subpixel of the plurality of third subpixels in the in-plane direction.

18. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 1 , wherein

the light emitting layer comprises an organic light emitting material, a quantum dot, perovskite, or any combination thereof, and

the photoelectric conversion layer comprises an organic photoelectric conversion material.

19. A sensor-embedded display panel, comprising:

a display area configured to display a color and a non-display area excluding the display area,

wherein the display area includes

a first subpixel configured to display a first color and including a first light emitting element,

a second subpixel configured to display a second color and including a second light emitting element, and

a third subpixel configured to display a third color and including a third light emitting element,

wherein the non-display area includes a photosensor that is between at least two of the first subpixel, the second subpixel, or the third subpixel,

wherein the first light emitting element, the second light emitting element, the third light emitting element, and the photosensor share a common electrode that is configured to apply a common voltage to the first light emitting element, the second light emitting element, the third light emitting element, and the photosensor, and

wherein the photosensor includes

a separate portion of the common electrode,

a pixel electrode facing the separate portion of the common electrode, and

a photoelectric conversion layer that includes a stack of a first n-type semiconductor layer, a second n-type semiconductor layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer is between the common electrode and the pixel electrode.

20. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 19 , wherein

the first n-type semiconductor layer and the second n-type semiconductor layer each comprise different materials in relation to each other, and

the stack is a sequential stack of the first n-type semiconductor layer, the second n-type semiconductor layer, and the p-type semiconductor layer.

21. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 19 , wherein a lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level of the first n-type semiconductor layer is closer to a vacuum level of 0 eV than a LUMO energy level of the second n-type semiconductor layer.

22. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 19 , wherein

the first light emitting element, the second light emitting element, the third light emitting element, and the photosensor share a first common auxiliary layer that is under the common electrode,

the first light emitting element includes a first light emitting layer, the second light emitting element includes a second light emitting layer, and the third light emitting element includes a third light emitting layer, and

the first light emitting element, the second light emitting element, the third light emitting element, and the photosensor share a second common auxiliary layer that is facing the first common auxiliary layer, wherein the first light emitting layer, the second light emitting layer, the third light emitting layer, and the photoelectric conversion layer are between the first common auxiliary layer and the second common auxiliary layer.

23. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 22 , wherein a difference between a LUMO energy level of the first n-type semiconductor layer and a LUMO energy level of the first common auxiliary layer is smaller than a difference between a LUMO energy level of the second n-type semiconductor layer and the LUMO energy level of the first common auxiliary layer.

24. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 23 , wherein

the difference between the LUMO energy level of the first n-type semiconductor layer and the LUMO energy level of the first common auxiliary layer is about 0 eV to about 1.0 eV,

the difference between the LUMO energy level of the second n-type semiconductor layer and the LUMO energy level of the first common auxiliary layer is about 0.5 eV to about 1.2 eV, and

a difference between the LUMO energy level of the second n-type semiconductor layer and the LUMO energy level of the first n-type semiconductor layer is about 0.5 eV to about 1.2 eV.

25. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 19 , wherein

a thickness of the second n-type semiconductor layer is smaller than a thickness of the first n-type semiconductor layer, and

the thickness of the second n-type semiconductor layer is about 1 nm to about 10 nm.

26. The sensor-embedded display panel of claim 1 , wherein

the first n-type semiconductor layer comprises a transparent n-type semiconductor,

the second n-type semiconductor layer comprises an n-type semiconductor configured to absorb light of a visible light wavelength spectrum, and

the p-type semiconductor layer comprises a p-type semiconductor configured to selectively absorb light of any one of a red wavelength spectrum, a green wavelength spectrum, a blue wavelength spectrum, or an infrared wavelength spectrum.

27. A display device comprising the sensor-embedded display panel of claim 1 .

28. A display device comprising the sensor-embedded display panel of claim 19 .

29. A photosensor, comprising:

a pair of electrodes; and

a photoelectric conversion layer between the pair of electrodes, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer includes a stack of a first n-type semiconductor layer, a second n-type semiconductor layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer between the pair of electrodes,

wherein one of the first n-type semiconductor layer or the second n-type semiconductor layer comprises an n-type semiconductor configured to absorb light of a visible light wavelength spectrum, and

wherein another one of the first n-type semiconductor layer or the second n-type semiconductor layer comprises a transparent n-type semiconductor.

30. The photosensor of claim 29 , wherein a thickness of the second n-type semiconductor layer is smaller than a thickness of the first n-type semiconductor layer.

31. The photosensor of claim 30 , wherein the thickness of the second n-type semiconductor layer is about 1 nm to about 10 nm.

32. An electronic device comprising the photosensor of claim 29 .

33. A sensor-embedded display panel, comprising:

a substrate;

a light emitting element on the substrate, the light emitting element including a light emitting layer; and

the photosensor of claim 29 on the substrate, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer of the photosensor is arranged in parallel with the light emitting layer along an in-plane direction of the substrate such that the photoelectric conversion layer and the light emitting layer at least partially overlap in the in-plane direction,

wherein the photoelectric conversion layer is configured to absorb light of a red wavelength spectrum, a green wavelength spectrum, a blue wavelength spectrum, or any combination thereof.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 23, 2025
From: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
To: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 072342/0519 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2022
From: HEO, CHUL JOON; PARK, KYUNG BAE; YUN, SUNG YOUNG; KIM, HYEONGJU; FANG, FEIFEI; SEO, HWIJOUNG; LIM, JUHYUNG; CHOI, TAEJIN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 059419/0701 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0069460 · May 28, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220392972A1 · Dec 8, 2022
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