IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,903,239
Granted Patent B2
US 11,903,239 · App. 17/276,700 · Granted Feb 13, 2024

Display device, and method for manufacturing display device

Inventor: Yoshifumi Ohta (Sakai, JP)
Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H10K50/844H10K71/00H10K77/111H10K59/1201H10K2102/311
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,903,239
App. No.
17/276,700
Granted
Feb 13, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A display device includes the following: a base substrate; a light-emitting element on the base substrate with a TFT layer interposed therebetween, the light-emitting element forming a display region; a sealing film covering the light-emitting element and having a stack of, in sequence, first and second inorganic insulating films; a frame region surrounding the display region; a cut disposed in the frame region so as to partly cut the display region; a cut-peripheral wall disposed in the frame region between the display region and the cut, and extending along the boundary of the display region; an evaporated film between the cut-peripheral wall and the first inorganic insulating film; and an organic buffer layer disposed on a surface of the cut-peripheral wall and interposed between the first and second inorganic insulating films.

Claims (85)

1. A display device comprising:

a base substrate;

a light-emitting element disposed on the base substrate with a TFT layer interposed between the base substrate and the light-emitting element, the light-emitting element forming a display region;

a sealing film covering the light-emitting element, the sealing film comprising a stack of, in sequence, a first inorganic insulating film and a second inorganic insulating film;

a frame region surrounding the display region;

a cut disposed in the frame region so as to partly cut the display region;

a cut-peripheral wall disposed in the frame region between the display region and the cut, and extending along the boundary of the display region;

an evaporated film disposed between the cut-peripheral wall and the first inorganic insulating film; and

an organic buffer layer disposed on a surface of the cut-peripheral wall and interposed between the first and second inorganic insulating films, wherein

the organic buffer layer is partly in contact with the cut-peripheral wall.

2. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein

the surface of the cut-peripheral wall has

a first side surface adjacent to the display region, and

a second side surface distant from the display region, and

the organic buffer layer is disposed on the first and second side surfaces.

3. The display device according to claim 2 , wherein

an angle formed by a bottom surface of the cut-peripheral wall and the first side surface in a cross-sectional view and an angle formed by the bottom surface and the second side surface in the cross-sectional view range from 70 to 150 degrees.

4. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein

in a plan view of the display device, the cut-peripheral wall intersects with an end of the evaporated film, wherein

the evaporated film and the sealing film are disposed across the cut-peripheral wall.

5. The display device according to claim 4 , wherein

the cut-peripheral wall has an end covered with the sealing film.

6. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein

the frame region is provided with an outer wall that has a frame shape protruding in a thickness direction of the base substrate and extending along the boundary of the display region, and

the outer wall has side surfaces both of which are provided with the organic buffer layer interposed between the first and second inorganic insulating films.

7. The display device according to claim 6 , wherein

the TFT layer has

a third inorganic insulating film,

a wire, and

a flattening film disposed on the wire, and

the first and third inorganic insulating films are in contact in a region between the flattening film and the outer wall, wherein

the display region is provided with a common evaporated film disposed all over the display region,

the common evaporated film includes a second electrode,

the second electrode is electrically connected to the wire via a slit disposed in the flattening film, and

in the frame region, an end of the common evaporated film other than the second electrode, the slit, the outer wall, and an end of the sealing film are sequentially arranged in a plan view from a location adjacent to the display region.

8. The display device according to claim 7 , wherein

in the frame region, the second electrode has an end disposed outside the sealing film, and

the second electrode disposed outside the sealing film is electrically insulated, by the outer wall, from the second electrode disposed in the display region.

9. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein

the display region has a rectangular shape having at least one rounded corner,

the frame region is provided with a corner-peripheral wall that has an arc shape protruding in a thickness direction of the base substrate and extending along the boundary of the display region, the corner-peripheral wall being provided in correspondence with the at least one rounded corner, and

the sealing film extends over the corner-peripheral wall.

10. The display device according to claim 9 , wherein

the corner-peripheral wall has an end covered with the sealing film.

11. The display device according to claim 9 , wherein

the corner-peripheral wall has side surfaces both of which are provided with the organic buffer layer interposed between the first and second inorganic insulating films.

12. The display device according to claim 9 , wherein

the frame region is provided with an outer wall that has a frame shape protruding in the thickness direction of the base substrate and extending along the boundary of the display region.

13. The display device according to claim 12 , wherein

the display region is provided with a common evaporated film disposed all over the display region,

the common evaporated film includes a second electrode,

at a corner where the outer wall is disposed, the second electrode extends over the corner-peripheral wall to reach an outside of the sealing film.

14. The display device according to claim 13 , wherein

the TFT layer has

a third inorganic insulating film,

a wire, and

a flattening film disposed on the wire, and

the first and third inorganic insulating films are in contact in a region between the flattening film and the outer wall.

15. The display device according to claim 14 , wherein

the display region is provided with a common evaporated film disposed all over the display region,

the common evaporated film includes a second electrode,

the second electrode is electrically connected to the wire via a slit disposed in the flattening film and extending along at least one side of the display region, and

the slit does not overlap the corner-peripheral wall.

16. A method for manufacturing a display device, comprising the steps of:

forming a TFT layer onto a base substrate;

forming a light-emitting element onto the TFT layer, the light-emitting element forming a display region;

forming a sealing film over the light-emitting element;

forming a cut in a frame region by partly cutting the frame region and the display region, the frame region surrounding the display region; and

forming, in the frame region between the display region and the cut, a cut-peripheral wall along a boundary of the display region, the step of forming the cut-peripheral wall being performed before the step of forming the sealing film,

wherein the step of forming the sealing film includes

a step of forming a first inorganic insulating film over the light-emitting element,

a step of forming an organic film over the first inorganic insulating film through evaporation,

a step of ashing the organic film to form an organic buffer layer onto a surface of the cut-peripheral wall, and

a step of forming a second inorganic insulating film over the first inorganic insulating film and the organic buffer layer.

17. The method according to claim 16 , comprising

a step of forming an evaporated film onto a substrate provided with the cut-peripheral wall, the step of forming the evaporated film being performed between the step of forming the cut-peripheral wall and the step of forming the sealing film.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein

the surface of the cut-peripheral wall has

a first side surface adjacent to the display region, and

a second side surface distant from the display region, and

the ashing step includes forming the organic buffer layer onto the first and second side surfaces.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein

the step of forming the cut includes setting an angle ranging from 70 to 150 degrees, the angle formed by a bottom surface of the cut-peripheral wall and the first side surface in a cross-sectional view and the angle formed by the bottom surface and the second side surfaces in the cross-sectional view.

20. The method according to claim 16 , wherein

the light-emitting element is an organic EL element.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2021
From: OHTA, YOSHIFUMI
To: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 055610/0289 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220029126A1 · Jan 27, 2022