IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,356,806
Granted Patent B2
US 12,356,806 · App. 17/742,203 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Display panel having a partition wall and an opening area, and electronic apparatus including the same

Inventors: Jeongho Lee (Yongin-si, KR); Swaehyun Kim (Yongin-si, KR); Youhan Moon (Yongin-si, KR); Jaehong Park (Yongin-si, KR); Minseok Han (Yongin-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
H10K59/124H10K50/844H10K71/00H10K59/1201
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,356,806
App. No.
17/742,203
Granted
Jul 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided are a display panel and an electronic apparatus including the display panel. The display panel includes: a substrate having an opening; a plurality of light-emitting elements in a display area, the plurality of light-emitting elements including an intermediate layer; a plurality of partition walls in an intermediate area between the display area and the opening; at least one insulating layer positioned between the plurality of partition walls and the substrate; wherein the intermediate layer further includes an organic material layer extending toward the intermediate area from the display area, the organic material layer being separated by a plurality of first opening portions in the intermediate area, and the at least one insulating layer has a plurality of opening portions overlapping the plurality of first opening portions.

Claims (41)

1. A display panel comprising:

a substrate having an opening;

a plurality of light-emitting elements in a display area around the opening, the plurality of light-emitting elements comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and an intermediate layer between the first electrode and the second electrode;

a plurality of partition walls in an intermediate area between the display area and the opening; and

at least one insulating layer positioned between the plurality of partition walls and the substrate,

wherein the intermediate layer further comprises an organic material layer extending toward the intermediate area from the display area, and the organic material layer is separated by a plurality of first opening portions in the intermediate area, and

the at least one insulating layer has a plurality of opening portions overlapping the plurality of first opening portions, and

wherein the second electrode includes an edge portion disposed between the display area and the plurality of partition wall, and the edge portion of the second electrode extends in an oblique direction away from an upper surface of the substrate.

2. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising: a stopper layer positioned between the organic material layer and the at least one insulating layer, the stopper layer having a plurality of opening portions corresponding to the first opening portions.

3. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of partition walls comprise a first partition wall and a second partition wall, the first partition wall being closest to the display area, and the second partition wall being closer to the opening of the substrate than the first partition wall.

4. The display panel of claim 3 , wherein the second electrode comprises a single second opening portion extending toward the intermediate area from the display area and located in the intermediate area, and

the edge portion of the second electrode is located between the display area and the first partition wall, the edge portion of the second electrode defining an outline of the second opening portion.

5. The display panel of claim 4 , further comprising an organic encapsulation layer on the plurality of light-emitting elements, the encapsulation layer including at least one inorganic encapsulation layer and an organic encapsulation layer, wherein the edge portion of the second electrode is covered by the organic encapsulation layer.

6. The display panel of claim 3 , wherein the second electrode extends toward the intermediate area from the display area in the intermediate layer, the second electrode comprising a plurality of separation portions separated by a plurality of second opening portions in the intermediate area.

7. The display panel of claim 6 , further comprising an encapsulation layer on the plurality of light-emitting elements, the encapsulation layer including at least one inorganic encapsulation layer and an organic encapsulation layer, wherein one edge portion of the plurality of separation portions is located between the first partition wall and the second partition wall, and overlaps an organic insulating material portion.

8. The display panel of claim 7 , wherein the organic insulating material portion comprises a same material as the organic encapsulation layer.

9. The display panel of claim 1 , further comprising a metal stack having an opening portion corresponding to the plurality of first opening portions.

10. The display panel of claim 9 , wherein the metal stack comprises a plurality of metal layers on different layers from each other, and one of the plurality of metal layers is positioned between the insulating layer and the substrate.

11. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a display panel comprising an opening area, a display area around the opening area, and an intermediate area between the opening area and the display area; and

a component below the display panel to overlap the opening area,

wherein the display panel comprises:

a substrate having an opening in the opening area;

a plurality of light-emitting elements in the display area, the plurality of light-emitting elements comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and an intermediate layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and comprising an emission layer;

a first partition wall and a second partition wall in the intermediate area; and

at least one insulating layer positioned between the first partition wall and the substrate, and between the second partition wall and the substrate,

wherein the intermediate layer further comprises an organic material layer extending toward the intermediate area from the display area, and the organic material layer is separated by a plurality of first opening portions in the intermediate area, and

the at least one insulating layer has a plurality of opening portions overlapping the plurality of first opening portions, and

wherein the second electrode includes an edge portion disposed between the display area and one of the first partition wall and the second partition wall, and the edge portion of the second electrode extends in an oblique direction away from an upper surface of the substrate.

12. The electronic apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the display panel further comprises: a stopper layer positioned between the organic material layer and the at least one insulating layer, the stopper layer having a plurality of opening portions corresponding to the first opening portions.

13. The electronic apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second electrode comprises a single second opening portion extending toward the intermediate area from the display area and located in the intermediate area,

the first partition wall and the second partition wall are located in the single second opening portion, and

the edge portion of the second electrode is located between the display area and the first partition wall, the edge portion of the second electrode defining an outline of the single second opening portion.

14. The electronic apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising an encapsulation layer on the plurality of light-emitting elements, the encapsulation layer including at least one inorganic encapsulation layer and an organic encapsulation layer, wherein the edge portion of the second electrode is covered by the organic encapsulation layer.

15. The electronic apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second electrode extends toward the intermediate area from the display area in the intermediate layer, the second electrode comprising a plurality of separation portions separated by a plurality of second opening portions in the intermediate area.

16. The electronic apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of separation portions of the second electrode cover each of the first partition wall and the second partition wall.

17. The electronic apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising an encapsulation layer on the plurality of light-emitting elements, the encapsulation layer including at least one inorganic encapsulation layer and an organic encapsulation layer, wherein one edge portion of the plurality of separation portions of the second electrode is located between the first partition wall and the second partition wall, and overlaps an organic insulating material portion, the organic insulating material portion comprising a same material as the organic encapsulation layer.

18. The electronic apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the display panel further comprises a metal stack in the intermediate layer, the metal stack comprising a plurality of metal layers arranged on different layers from each other, and

the metal stack comprises opening portions corresponding to the plurality of first opening portions.

19. The electronic apparatus of claim 18 , wherein one of the plurality of metal layers overlaps one of the first partition wall and the second partition wall, the one of the plurality of metal layers having a width greater than a width of the overlapping partition wall.

20. The electronic apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the component comprises a speaker, a sensor, or a camera.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2022
From: LEE, JEONGHO; KIM, SWAEHYUN; MOON, YOUHAN; PARK, JAEHONG; HAN, MINSEOK
To: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 061745/0162 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0106937 · Aug 12, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230050210A1 · Feb 16, 2023
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