US-12628471-B2 - Light-emitting diode including an active layer disposed between a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer and display device comprising same

US12628471B2US 12628471 B2US12628471 B2US 12628471B2US-12628471-B2

Abstract

A light-emitting element including: a first semiconductor layer doped with a first type of dopant; a second semiconductor layer doped with a second type of dopant that is different from the first type of dopant; and an active layer between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, wherein a length of the light-emitting element measured in a first direction, which may be a direction in which the first semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the second semiconductor layer may be arranged, may be shorter than the width measured in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.

Inventors

Hoo Keun PARK
Moon Jung An
Dong Eon LEE
Chul Jong YOO
Hye Lim KANG
Dong Gyun Kim

Assignees

SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20201207
Priority Date: 20191210

Claims (20)

1 . A display device comprising: a first substrate; a first electrode on the first substrate; a second electrode on the first electrode; a first light-emitting element and a second light-emitting element between the first electrode and the second electrode, each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element comprising one end electrically connected to the first electrode, and the other end electrically connected to the second electrode; and a first insulating layer between the first electrode and the second electrode to partially surround an outer surface of each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element, wherein each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element comprises: a first semiconductor layer doped with a first type of dopant; a second semiconductor layer doped with a second type of dopant different from the first type of dopant; and an active layer between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, wherein a length of each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element in a first direction, in which the first semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the second semiconductor layer are arranged, is less than a width thereof in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein a distance between the active layer of the first light-emitting element and the first substrate is different from a distance between the active layer of the second light-emitting element and the first substrate.
2 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein: both ends of each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element are in direct contact with the first electrode and the second electrode.
3 . The display device of claim 2 , wherein: at least a partial area of the other end of each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element protrudes from an upper surface of the first insulating layer, and the second electrode covers the protruding other end.
4 . The display device of claim 2 , wherein a width of the second electrode measured in the second direction is greater than a width of the first electrode measured in the second direction.
5 . The display device of claim 2 , wherein a width of the second electrode measured in the second direction is less than the width of each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element measured in the second direction.
6 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising: a first contact electrode on the first electrode; and a second contact electrode between the first insulating layer and the second electrode, wherein both ends of each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element are in direct contact with the first contact electrode and the second contact electrode.
7 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode comprises: a first electrode base layer for reflecting light emitted from the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element; and a first electrode upper layer on the first electrode base layer.
8 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein: the first light-emitting element is a first type light-emitting element in which the first semiconductor layer is electrically connected to the first electrode; and the second light-emitting element is a second type light-emitting element in which the first semiconductor layer is electrically connected to the second electrode.
9 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising a second insulating layer covering the first insulating layer and the second electrode.
10 . The display device of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer further comprises a scatterer.
11 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein: the first electrode defines a groove portion that is level with an upper surface of the first electrode, and each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element are in the groove portion.
12 . The display device of claim 11 , wherein the first semiconductor layer of each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element comprises: a body portion in which the active layer is located; and an extension portion having a width in the second direction that is greater than a width of the body portion, and that is less than a width of the groove portion.
13 . The display device of claim 12 , further comprising: a third contact electrode in contact with one side of the extension portion of the first light-emitting element and the first electrode; and a fourth contact electrode in contact with an other side of the extension portion of the first light-emitting element and the first electrode.
14 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising a third insulating layer on the first electrode, and defining an opening exposing a portion of an upper surface of the first electrode, and having each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element therein.
15 . A display device comprising: a first substrate having pixels thereon; a first electrode on the first substrate, and in the pixels; a second electrode partially overlapping the first electrode; and a first light-emitting element and a second light-emitting element, each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element having a width that is greater than a separation distance between the first electrode and the second electrode, and comprising: one end electrically connected to the first electrode; another end electrically connected to the second electrode, a first semiconductor layer doped with a first type of dopant; a second semiconductor layer doped with a second type of dopant that is different from the first type of dopant; and an active layer between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, wherein a distance between the active layer of the first light-emitting element and the first substrate is different from a distance between the active layer of the second light-emitting element and the first substrate.
16 . The display device of claim 15 , wherein: the first electrode is in a first pixel of the pixels; and the first light-emitting element is between the first electrode and the second electrode.
17 . The display device of claim 16 , wherein the second electrode is in the first pixel, and has a width that is greater than a width of the first electrode measured in one direction.
18 . The display device of claim 17 , further comprising a third electrode on the first substrate of a second pixel of the pixels, wherein the second electrode partially overlaps the third electrode in the second pixel, and wherein a third light-emitting element is between the second electrode and the third electrode.
19 . The display device of claim 16 , further comprising a bank layer on the first substrate to at least partially surround each of the pixels.
20 . The display device of claim 15 , wherein: the first electrode defines a groove portion extending in one direction, and defined by a recessed portion of an upper surface of the first electrode; and each of the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element is in the groove portion and arranged along the one direction.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a U.S. National Phase Patent Application of International Patent Application Number PCT/KR2020/017737, filed on Dec. 7, 2020, which claims priority to Korean Patent Application Number 10-2019-0163904, filed on Dec. 10, 2019, the entire contents of all of which are incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND 1. Field The present disclosure relates to a light-emitting element and a display device including the same. 2. Description of Related Arts The importance of display devices has steadily increased with the development of multimedia technology. In response thereto, various types of display devices such as an organic light emitting display (OLED), a liquid crystal display (LCD) and the like have been used. A display device is a device for displaying an image, and includes a display panel, such as an organic light-emitting display panel or a liquid crystal display panel. The light-emitting display panel may include light-emitting elements, e.g., light-emitting diodes (LED), and examples of the light-emitting diode include an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) using an organic material as a fluorescent material and an inorganic light-emitting diode using an inorganic material as a fluorescent material. SUMMARY Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure provide a light-emitting element having a width greater than a height and a display device including the same. Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a display device including a light-emitting element located between electrodes vertically facing (e.g., opposing) each other. It should be noted that aspects of the present disclosure are not limited thereto and other aspects, which are not mentioned herein, will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description. According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a light-emitting element includes a first semiconductor layer doped with a first type of dopant, a second semiconductor layer doped with a second type of dopant that is different from the first type of dopant, and an active layer between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, wherein a length of the light-emitting element measured in a first direction, which is a direction in which the first semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the second semiconductor layer are arranged, is less than a width thereof measured in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. The light-emitting element may have an aspect ratio greater than about 0.1. The light-emitting element may further include an insulating film that partially surrounds at least an outer surface of the active layer in a plan view. The light-emitting element may further comprise an electrode layer on one surface of at least one of the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer. The insulating film may surround an outer surface of the electrode layer in a plan view while exposing at least a portion of the outer surface of the electrode layer. The first semiconductor layer may include a body portion and an extension portion having a greater width in the second direction than a width of the body portion in the second direction, and the active layer may be on the body portion. The insulating film may surround an outer surface of the body portion while exposing an upper surface of the extension portion. The light-emitting element may have a shape in which a side surface thereof is inclined so that a width of the first semiconductor layer measured in the second direction is greater than a width of the second semiconductor layer measured in the second direction. The light-emitting element may further include a third semiconductor layer between the first semiconductor layer and the active layer, a fourth semiconductor layer between the active layer and the second semiconductor layer, and a fifth semiconductor layer between the fourth semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer. According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a display device includes a first substrate, a first electrode on the first substrate, a second electrode on the first electrode, a light-emitting element between the first electrode and the second electrode, and including one end electrically connected to the first electrode and the other end electrically connected to the second electrode, and a first insulating layer located between the first electrode and the second electrode to partially surround an outer surface of the light-emitting element, wherein the light-emitting element includes: a first semiconductor layer doped with a first type of dopant, a second semiconductor layer doped with a second type of dopant that is different from the first type of dopant, and an active layer between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, wherein a length of the light-emitting element in a first d