EP-3787031-B1 - DISPLAY APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

EP3787031B1EP 3787031 B1EP3787031 B1EP 3787031B1EP-3787031-B1

Inventors

LEE, SEUNGROK
Kim, Seulgi
KWON, DOHYUN

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20200609

Claims (12)

A display apparatus (560), comprising: a base substrate (100); a thin film transistor (TFT) disposed over the base substrate and including an active pattern (ACT), a gate electrode (GE), a source electrode (SE), and a drain electrode (DE); an inorganic insulating layer (120) disposed between the active pattern and the gate electrode; a first organic insulating layer (VIA1) disposed over the thin film transistor; a second organic insulating layer (VIA2) disposed over the first organic insulating layer; an insulating layer (CPL. CP) disposed between the first organic insulating layer and the second organic insulating layer and in direct contact with the first organic insulating layer and the second organic insulating layer; a first electrode (181); a second electrode (183); a light emitting layer (182); wherein the insulating layer has a higher Young's modulus value than the first organic insulating layer and the second organic insulating layer, wherein a contact hole (CNT1, CNT2) exposing the source electrode or the drain electrode is defined through the first organic insulating layer and the second organic insulating layer, wherein an opening (OP) through which the contact hole passes is defined in the insulating layer, wherein the first electrode (181) is disposed over the second organic insulating layer and electrically connected to the source or drain electrode of the thin film transistor through the contact hole; wherein the light emitting layer (182) is disposed over the first electrode; and wherein the second electrode is disposed (183) over the light emitting layer, characterized in that the insulating layer (CPL) does not contact the source electrode (SE1) and the drain electrode (DE1) and only contacts the first organic insulating layer (VIA1) and the second organic insulating layer (VIA2).
The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein Young's modulus of the insulating layer is equal to or greater than about 70 gigapascals.
The display apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein Young's modulus of the first organic insulating layer and the second organic insulating layer are equal to or less than about 20 gigapascals.
The display apparatus of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the contact hole includes a first contact hole (CNT1) defined through the first organic insulating layer and a second contact hole (CNT2) defined through the second organic insulating layer, an edge of the first organic insulating layer defining the first contact hole is spaced apart from the insulating layer by a first distance in a first direction along the substrate's plane and the width of the first contact hole is greater than the width of the second contact hole.
The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a thin film encapsulation layer (190) disposed on the second electrode; a touch electrode layer (TL) disposed over the thin film encapsulation layer; and a cover window (WN) disposed over the touch electrode layer and has flexibility, and wherein the base substrate is flexible.
The display apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first organic insulating layer includes a siloxane-based resin, the second organic insulating layer includes a polyimide resin, and the insulating layer includes silicon nitride (SiNx).
The display apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the insulating layer overlaps the thin film transistor.
The display apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: a third organic insulating layer (VIA3) disposed over the second organic insulating layer (VIA2); and a second insulating layer (CPL) disposed between the second organic insulating layer and the third organic insulating layer and in direct contact with the second organic insulating layer and the third organic insulating layer.
A method of manufacturing a display apparatus, the method comprising: forming a thin film transistor (TFT) over a base substrate (100), an electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor and a thin film transistor insulating layer; forming a first organic insulating layer (VIA1) over the thin film transistor and the thin film transistor insulating layer; defining a first contact hole (CNT1) exposing the electrode in the first organic insulating layer; forming an insulating layer (CPL) over the first organic insulating layer in which the first contact hole is defined; defining an opening (OP) through the insulating layer to expose the first contact hole; forming a second organic insulating layer (VIA2) over the insulating layer and the first organic insulating layer in which the opening is defined; defining a second contact hole (CNT2) exposing the electrode through the second organic insulating layer; and forming a first electrode (181) disposed over the second organic insulating layer and electrically connected to the source or drain electrode of the thin film transistor through the contact hole; forming a light emitting layer (182) disposed over the first electrode; and forming a second electrode disposed (183) over the light emitting layer, wherein the insulating layer has a higher Young's modulus value than the first organic insulating layer and the second organic insulating layer, characterized in that the insulating layer (CPL) does not contact the source electrode (SE1) and the drain electrode (DE1) and only contacts the first organic insulating layer (VIA1) and the second organic insulating layer (VIA2).
The method of claim 9, wherein the insulating layer overlaps the thin film transistor.
The method of claim 10 further comprising: forming an additional insulating layer (CPL) over the second organic insulating layer; and forming a third organic insulating layer (VIA3) over the additional insulating layer.
The method of any one of claims 10 to 11, wherein in the defining the first contact hole, the first organic insulating layer is exposed and developed using a first mask to define the first contact hole, wherein the defining the opening comprises: forming a photoresist layer over the insulating layer; exposing and developing the photoresist layer using a second mask; and etching the insulating layer using the photoresist layer as an etch barrier to define the opening.

Description

BACKGROUND 1. Field Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the display apparatus. More particularly, exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a display apparatus that protects internal elements from external shock and a method of manufacturing the display apparatus. 2. Description of the Related Art Recently, a display apparatus having a light weight and a small size has been manufactured. A cathode ray tube ("CRT") display apparatus has been previously used due to a high performance and a competitive price. However, the CRT display apparatus has a weakness with a size or portability. Therefore, a display apparatus such as a plasma display apparatus, a liquid crystal display apparatus and an organic light emitting display apparatus has been highly regarded due to having a small size, a light weight and a low-power-consumption. EP 3343617A1 discloses a conductive pattern that includes an organic insulating layer, a first conductive layer provided on the insulating layer and including at least a first sub-conductive layer, and an additional conductive layer provided between the insulating layer and the first conductive layer, or on the first conductive layer, wherein the additional conductive layer includes a metal nitride. US 2004/232418 discloses a downsized structure of a light emitting device, and a light emitting device which has enough reliability as a downsized light emitting device. The light emitting device comprising light emitting elements according to the invention includes a signal processing circuit disposed beside an FPC and the like that tended to be the dead space conventionally. Also, the light emitting device has a sealed structure using a barrier film in which moisture and oxygen can be blocked from outside not to come into TFTs, wirings, and the light emitting elements formed over a substrate. US 2018/342564 discloses a display device possessing: a substrate having a display region and a peripheral region surrounding the display region; a pixel over the display region; a passivation film over the pixel; a resin layer over the passivation film; a first dam over the peripheral region and surrounding the display region; and a second dam surrounding the first dam. The passivation film includes; a first layer containing an inorganic compound; a second layer over the first layer, the second layer containing an organic compound; and a third layer over the second layer, the third layer containing an inorganic compound. The second layer is selectively arranged in a region surrounded by the first dam. The resin layer is selectively arranged in a region surrounded by the second dam. US 2002/057055 discloses that the concentration of oxygen, which causes problems such as decreases in brightness and dark spots through degradation of electrode materials, is lowered in an organic light emitting element having a layer made from an organic compound between a cathode and an anode, and in a light emitting device structured using the organic light emitting element. The average concentration of impurities contained in a layer made from an organic compound used in order to form an organic light emitting element having layers such as a hole injecting layer, a hole transporting layer, a light emitting layer, an electron transporting layer, and an electron injecting layer, is reduced to 5x1019/cm2 or less, preferably equal to or less than 1x19/cm2, by removing the impurities with the present invention. Formation apparatuses are structured as stated in the specification in order to reduce the impurities in the organic compounds forming the organic light emitting elements. US 2018/158890 discloses a flexible organic light-emitting display device and a method of manufacturing the same. The flexible organic light-emitting display device includes a metal oxide infiltrated layer as part of at least one of a plurality of organic layers stacked on and around an organic light-emitting device. US 2015/0014636 A1 relates to an organic light-emitting display apparatus having a thin film encapsulating layer. SUMMARY Recently, a flexible display apparatus capable of bending or folding a display apparatus itself has been developed. However, in a case of the flexible display apparatus, since a high-hardness protection window such as glass cannot be adopted, elements inside the display apparatus are easily damaged by external shocks, and therefore there is a need to compensate for such damages. Exemplary embodiment of the invention provide a display apparatus that may protect internal elements from external shock. Exemplary embodiments of the invention also provide a method of manufacturing the display apparatus that may protect internal elements from external shock. In the exemplary embodiments of the invention, the display apparatus has the insulating layer having a relatively large Young's modulus value between the first organic insulating layer and the second