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EP-3926701-B1 - DISPLAY PANEL

EP3926701B1EP 3926701 B1EP3926701 B1EP 3926701B1EP-3926701-B1

Inventors

  • CHOI, JONG HYUN

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20191113

Claims (14)

  1. A display panel (10) comprising: a substrate comprising a first area (OA), a second area (DA) at least partially surrounding the first area, and an intermediate area (MA) between the first area and the second area; an insulating layer disposed on the substrate (100); a plurality of display elements located in the second area (DA), and each comprising a pixel electrode (221), an opposite electrode (223), and an intermediate layer (222) between the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode; a groove (G) disposed in the intermediate area; a thin-film encapsulation layer (300) covering the plurality of display elements, and comprising an inorganic encapsulation layer (310, 330) and an organic encapsulation layer (320); and an inorganic layer (520) disposed over the thin-film encapsulation layer (300), wherein at least one sub-layer included in the intermediate layer (222) is disconnected around the groove (G), and the inorganic layer (520) directly contacts the insulating layer (207) beyond an edge (310E, 330E) of the at least one sub-layer located in the intermediate area (MA) and an edge of the inorganic encapsulation layer (310, 330), wherein the groove has an undercut shape, and wherein the groove is at least partially filled with the organic encapsulation layer.
  2. The display panel of claim 1, wherein the insulating layer includes an inorganic insulating material.
  3. The display panel of claim 1, wherein the opposite electrode is disconnected around the groove; optionally wherein the edge of the at least one sub-layer (310E, 330E), the edge of the opposite electrode (223), and the edge of the inorganic encapsulation layer (320) are spaced apart from the first area.
  4. The display panel of claim 1, wherein the at least one sub-layer comprises at least one of a hole transport layer (HTL), a hole injection layer (HIL), an electron transport layer (ETL), or an electron injection layer (EIL).
  5. The display panel of claim 1, further comprising: a cover layer (530) disposed below the inorganic layer and covering the edge of the at least one sub-layer and the edge of the inorganic encapsulation layer; optionally wherein the cover layer includes an organic insulating material.
  6. The display panel of claim 5, wherein, in a plan view, the cover layer has a ring shape that surrounds the first area.
  7. The display panel of claim 5, wherein an angle of an inclined surface of the cover layer covering the edge of the at least one sub-layer and the edge of the inorganic encapsulation layer is less than an angle of an inclined surface formed by the edge of the at least one sub-layer and the edge of the inorganic encapsulation layer.
  8. The display panel of claim 1, further comprising a transparent layer (450) between the inorganic layer and the thin-film encapsulation layer; optionally wherein the thin-film encapsulation layer further comprises an upper inorganic encapsulation layer disposed on the inorganic encapsulation layer with the organic encapsulation layer therebetween, and an edge of the upper inorganic encapsulation layer forms a step with the edge of the inorganic encapsulation layer.
  9. A display panel (10) comprising: a substrate comprising a first area (OA), a second area (DA) at least partially surrounding the first area, and an intermediate area (MA) between the first area and the second area; an insulating layer (207) disposed on the substrate; a plurality of display elements located in the second area (DA), and each comprising a pixel electrode (221), an opposite electrode (223), and an intermediate layer (222) between the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode; a groove (G) disposed in the intermediate area; a thin-film encapsulation layer (300) covering the plurality of display elements; and an inorganic layer (520) disposed over the thin-film encapsulation layer, wherein at least one sub-layer included in the intermediate layer is disconnected around the groove, and the inorganic layer extends toward the first area beyond an edge of the at least one sub-layer located in the intermediate layer and an edge of the thin-film encapsulation layer, wherein the groove has an undercut shape and wherein the groove is at least partially filled with the thin- film encapsulation layer.
  10. The display panel of claim 9, wherein the thin-film encapsulation layer comprises a first inorganic encapsulation layer (310), an organic encapsulation layer (320) on the first inorganic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer (330) on the organic encapsulation layer, and the inorganic layer directly contacts the insulating layer beyond an edge of the first inorganic encapsulation layer and an edge of the second inorganic encapsulation layer; optionally wherein an edge of the organic encapsulation layer is closer to the second area than the edge of the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the edge of the second inorganic encapsulation layer; optionally wherein the edge of the second inorganic encapsulation layer forms a step with the edge of the first inorganic encapsulation layer.
  11. The display panel of claim 9, wherein the at least one sub-layer comprises at least one of a hole transport layer, a hole injection layer, an electron transport layer, or an electron injection layer.
  12. The display panel of claim 9, wherein the opposite electrode is disconnected around the groove, and an edge of the opposite electrode is spaced apart from the first area by a distance; optionally wherein the inorganic layer covers the edge of the opposite electrode.
  13. The display panel of claim 9, further comprising: a cover layer (530) covering the edge of the thin-film encapsulation layer; optionally wherein the cover layer is between the inorganic layer and the edge of the thin-film encapsulation layer; optionally wherein, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate, the cover layer has a ring shape that surrounds the first area, further optionally wherein, when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate, the cover layer has a ring shape surrounding the first area, and the groove is closer to the second area than the cover layer.
  14. The display panel of claim 9, further comprising: a transparent layer (450) between the inorganic layer and the thin-film encapsulation layer, wherein an edge of the transparent layer is spaced apart from the first area; optionally wherein the inorganic layer covers the edge of the transparent layer.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD One or more embodiments relate to a display panel having a first area inside a display area thereof, and a display device including the same. BACKGROUND ART Recently, the usage of a display device has diversified. In addition, as the display device have become thinner and lighter, the range of use thereof has expanded. As the proportion of a display area in a display device has been expanded, various functions combined with or linked to display devices have been added. As a way to add various functions to a display device while expanding a display area, there is ongoing research on a display device that has a display area in which various elements may be arranged. US2018/0342700 A1 discloses an organic light-emitting display panel. US 2018/151834 A1 and KR 2017 0059864 A disclose a display device. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS TECHNICAL PROBLEM The present disclosure may provide a display panel having a first area in which components of various types may be arranged, and a display device including the same. However, this objective is only an example, and does not limit the scope of the present disclosure. SOLUTION TO PROBLEM According to an embodiment, a display panel is provided according to claim 1. According to an embodiment, a display panel is provided according to claim 9. Other aspects, features, and advantages other than those described above will become apparent from the accompanying drawings, the appended claims, and the detailed description of the present disclosure. ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF DISCLOSURE A display panel according to one or more embodiments may prevent external impurities such as moisture from damaging a display area around a first area. However, this effect is an example, and the effect according to embodiments will be described in detail through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a display device according to an embodiment.FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view briefly illustrating a display device according to an embodiment.FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view briefly illustrating a display device according to another embodiment.FIGS. 4A to 4D are cross-sectional views schematically illustrating a display panel according to an embodiment not forming part of the claimed invention.FIG. 5 is a plan view schematically illustrating a display panel according to an embodiment.FIG. 6 is an equivalent circuit diagram schematically illustrating a pixel of a display panel according to an embodiment.FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating part of a display panel according to an embodiment.FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a display panel according to an embodiment.FIGS. 9A to 9D are cross-sectional views illustrating a process of manufacturing a display panel with a focus on a groove, according to an embodiment.FIG. 9E is a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 9D.FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of region X of FIG. 8.FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating an element arranged in a first area and an intermediate area of a display panel according to an embodiment.FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a display panel according to another embodiment.FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a display panel according to another embodiment.FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a display panel according to another embodiment.FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a display panel according to another embodiment.FIG. 16 is a plan view of a display panel according to another embodiment.FIG. 17 is a plan view of a display panel according to another embodiment.FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a display panel according to an embodiment. MODE OF DISCLOSURE Because the present disclosure may have diverse modified embodiments, embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and are described with respect to the embodiments. An effect and characteristic of the present disclosure, and a method of accomplishing them will be apparent by referring to embodiments described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and configurations and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference symbols refer to like elements throughout the present disclosure and a repeated description thereof is omitted. While such terms as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various components, such components are not to be limited to the above terms. The above terms are used only to distinguish one component from another component. An expression used in the singular encompasses an expression of the plural unless the context expressly indicates otherwise. It will be understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising" used herein specify the presence of stated features or elements, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other featur