Super-thin OLED and method for manufacturing the same
A flat panel display includes a glass substrate, an organic light-emitting part, and a sealing part. The organic light-emitting part includes one or more organic light-emitting devices (OLED) formed on a surface of the glass substrate, which has a thickness of about 0.05 mm to about 0.5 mm. The sealing part seals the organic light-emitting part and protects it from damage during the manufacturing process. A method for manufacturing the flat panel display comprises preparing a glass substrate of approximately 0.7 mm thickness or greater; forming a plurality of organic light-emitting devices on a surface of the glass substrate, wherein a group of one or more of the plurality of organic light-emitting devices constitutes an organic light-emitting part; sealing each organic light-emitting part; and etching the glass substrate to a predetermined thickness.
This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2003-80539 filed on Nov. 14, 2003, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, which is herein incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a super-thin, organic, light-emitting display (OLED) having a super thin glass substrate and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Planarized display devices, such as an OLED or a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), can be formed in super thin and flexible structures. A super thin and flexible planarized display device may be produced using a flexible substrate, typically formed of a synthesized resin. However, the thickness of the substrate is maintained in a conventional thickness range because there is significant risk that the synthesized substrate, or thin film layers formed on it, will be deformed during the complicated manufacturing processes.
Conventional flexible planarized display devices typically bind a highly flexible substrate to a transparent substrate using organic thin films. One thin film is formed on one substrate, another on the other substrate. The two films are then aligned, placed in contact with each other, and sealed to bond the films together. A significant disadvantage associated with producing OLEDs in this manner is that aligning the organic thin films is difficult, not only because the thin films are manufactured separately, but also because it is nearly impossible to tightly adhere thin films that have the same or a similar predetermined pattern.
Various conventional solutions have been proposed, but in each the thickness of the substrate is maintained in a conventional range, which typically exceeds 0.5 mm, because the substrate must have a predetermined strength and temperature resistance to withstand the complicated processes used to from a thin film layers (at least one or more of which may be an organic film) on the substrate. Glass materials have been used to form conventional OLED substrates, but the thickness of these substrates could not be reduced to less than 0.5 mm, due to the fabrication constraints described above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a flat panel display that includes a glass substrate, an organic light-emitting part, and a sealing part. The organic light-emitting part includes one or more organic light-emitting devices (OLED) formed on a surface of the glass substrate, which has a thickness of about 0.05 mm to about 0.5 mm. The sealing part seals the organic light-emitting part and protects it from damage during the manufacturing process. A method for manufacturing the flat panel display comprises preparing a glass substrate of approximately 0.7 mm thickness or greater; forming a plurality of organic light-emitting devices on a surface of the substrate, wherein the organic light-emitting part comprises a grouping of one or more of the plurality of organic light-emitting devices; sealing each organic light-emitting part; and etching the glass substrate to a predetermined thickness.
In another embodiment, the OLED includes a glass substrate of approximately 0.05 mm to approximately 0.5 mm thickness, an organic light emission layer in contact with a surface of the glass substrate, and a sealing part to seal the organic light emission layer. A first electrode is formed on one side of the organic light emission layer, and a second electrode is formed on a second side of the organic light emission layer. The sealing part is a stacked film which includes at least a barrier layer and a polymer layer. The flat panel display may further include a circular polarized film attached to an outer surface of the sealing part.
An embodiment of a flat panel display having front and back viewing areas on which the same or different pictures can be displayed substantially simultaneously, together with various methods of manufacture, are also disclosed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to
In one embodiment of the present invention, the sealing part 3 can include at least a barrier layer and at least a polymer layer. However, as seen in
The barrier layers 31 and 33 that constitute a sealing part 3 can be formed of a transparent blocking material, but are not necessarily limited thereto. The barrier layer can be formed of a material selected from a metal oxide, a metal nitride, a metal carbide, a metal oxynitride, and a compound of these materials. The metal oxide can be an oxide selected from silica, alumina, titania, indium oxide, tin oxide, indium tin oxide, and a compound of these materials. The metal nitride can be an aluminum nitride, a silicon nitride, and a compound of these materials. The metal carbide can be a silicon carbide, and the metal oxynitride can be a silicon oxynitride. Other inorganic materials, such as silicon, that block penetration of moisture or oxygen can also be used as material for the barrier layer.
These barrier layers can be formed using a chemical or vacuum deposition method. However, when a barrier layer is formed using a vacuum deposition method, pores in the barrier layer can grow. To prevent pores from growing, a polymer layer may be formed on the barrier layer. The polymer layer may be formed of a polymer selected from an organic polymer, an inorganic polymer, an organometallic polymer, and a hybrid organic/inorganic polymer.
It is understood that the sealing part 3 can be formed in a variety of forms other than the structure described above, including a super thin sealing part 3 formed in thin films. Other thin films that from a sealing part in a super thin structure may also include a polymer layer and a barrier layer, as described above.
The organic light-emitting part 2 includes an organic light-emitting device, and can be a region for defining a predetermined image. In an exemplary embodiment, the organic light-emitting device is a pixel. The organic light-emitting device can be either a passive matrix organic light-emitting device (PMOLED) or an active matrix organic light-emitting device (AMOLED) having a thin film transistor.
When using a non-polymer organic layer, the organic layer 23 can be single-layered or multi-layered. An exemplary multi-layered organic layer 23 includes a Hole Injection Layer (HIL), a Hole Transport Layer (HTL), an Emission Layer (EML), an Electron Transport Layer (ETL), and an Electron Injection Layer (EIL). Organic materials that may be used are copper phthalocyanine (CuPc), N,N′-Di(naphthalene-1-yl)-N,N′-diphenyl-benzidine (NPB), or tris-8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq3), but are not limited thereto. The non-polymer organic layer can also be formed using a vacuum deposition method.
When using a polymeric organic layer, the organic layer 23 can be formed of a HTL and an EML. In this case, the HTL can be formed of PEDOT (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), and the EML can be formed of a Poly-Phenylenevinylene (PPV) and Polyfluorene. A screen printing method or an ink jet printing method can be used for forming these layers.
In one embodiment, the first electrode layer 21 performs as an anode, and the second electrode layer 24 performs as a cathode. Naturally, the function of these electrodes can be reversed.
In one embodiment, the organic light-emitting device is a rearward light-emitting device. In such a case, the first electrode layer 21 is an electrode formed of a transparent conductive material such as, but not limited to, indium tin oxide (ITO). When the organic light-emitting device is a frontal light-emitting device, the second electrode layer 24 is formed by depositing ITO, or similar transparent conductive material, on a semi-transparent thin film made of Magnesium-Silver (Mg—Ag) or similar metal or metal alloy.
Referring again to
The TFT has an active layer 12 formed on the buffer layer 11, a gate insulating film 13 formed on the active layer 12, and a gate electrode 14 formed on the gate insulating film 13.
The active layer 12 can be formed of an amorphous silicon thin film or polycrystalline silicon thin film. The active layer 12 has a source region and a drain region heavily doped with an n-type or a p-type dopant, respectively.
A gate insulating film 13 is formed on the active layer 12, and a gate electrode 14 formed of a conductive film made of MoW or aluminum/ copper (Al/Cu) is formed on a predetermined region on the gate insulating film 13. The gate electrode 14 is connected to a gate line that applies an on/off signal to the TFT. The region for forming the gate electrode 14 corresponds to a region for forming a channel region of the active layer 12.
An interinsulating layer 15 is formed on the gate electrode 12, and a source electrode 16 and a drain electrode 17 are respectively connected through contact holes to the source region and the drain region formed on the active layer 12.
A passivation film 18 formed of SiO2 covers the source electrode 16 and the drain electrode 17, and a planarized film 19 formed of acryl or polyimide is formed on the passivation film 18. The planarized film 19 covers a portion of a lower electrode 21. As shown, the planarized film 19 includes a opening therein, which serves as a via. A lower electrode 21 forms the bottom of the opening. An organic emission layer 23 is formed within the opening in contact with surfaces of the planarized film 19 which from a sides of the opening, and in contact with an upper surface of the lower electrode 21. An upper electrode 24 is formed on a surface of the planarization film 19 and the organic emission layer 21. The TFT is connected to at least a capacitor (not shown) and to a power source. The drain electrode 17 is connected to the first electrode layer (lower electrode) 21 which, in this embodiment, is an anode of the OLED.
In use, variable current passing between the lower electrode 21 and the upper electrode 24 energizes the organic emission layer 23, causing it to emit various wavelengths (and colors) of light in approximate proportion to the amount of current received. In one embodiment, the organic emission layer 23 can emit one of a red (R), green (G), or blue (B) color to display predetermined image information.
As shown in
The first electrode layer 21 can be formed of a transparent conductive material such as, but not limited to indium tin oxide (ITO). If the OLED is a rear light-emitting device, the second electrode layer 24 can be formed such that it emits light toward the glass substrate 1. In such an embodiment, the second electrode layer 24 can be formed by depositing Al/LiF on the entire surface.
If the OLED is a front light-emitting device, the layer 24 can be formed by depositing indium tin oxide (ITO) on a semi-transparent thin film formed of Magnesium-Silver (Mg—Ag). The second electrode layer 24 need not necessarily be formed by depositing its formation material on the entire surface of the substrate or a layer thereof, but rather can be formed in variety of patterns. As mentioned previously, the first electrode layer 21 and the second electrode layer 24 can be configured to have reverse positions and functions.
As shown in
Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing the OLED according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to FIG. SC, the organic light-emitting parts 2 are sealed by sealing parts 3. The sealing parts 3 can be formed in the thin films as described above.
After forming the sealing parts 3, the plurality of organic light-emitting parts 2 are sealed by a sealing glass 50 (
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The exemplary methods of manufacture described above can be applied to a frontal light emission OLED, that is, an OLED where the light is emitted toward the sealing part 3. To strengthen a sealing part 3, a circular polarized film 6 can be attached on an outer surface of the sealing part 3 to not only block external light from reaching the organic light-emitting devices, but also to give the sealing part 3 an increased predetermined strength. Alternatively, the strength of the sealing part 3 can be increased by attaching a glass substrate or film having a thickness of approximately 0.05 mm to approximately 0.3 mm to the sealing part 3.
In
The OLED depicted in
The terminal region 8 is not sealed by the sealing part 3 but is exposed to the outside. As seen in
The sealing parts 3 and 3′ of the first and the second OLEDs 40 and 40′ are bonded contacting each other so that the glass substrates 1 and 1′ face outward. The terminal regions 8 and 8′ are bonded to face in opposite directions. This bonding configuration of the terminal regions 8 and 8′ permits the later connection of external devices to the connecting parts 9 and 9′. In this manner, a super-thin, double-sided OLED can be constructed.
When manufacturing the double sided OLED, the circular polarized films 6 and 6′, described above with reference to
As shown, described, and claimed herein, embodiments of the present invention permit a super-thin OLED to be manufactured to have a super-thin glass substrate that is not damaged during the manufacturing process. Moreover, adding a circularly polarized film to an outer surface of a sealing part increases the strength of a super thin OLED and blocks light from reaching and interfering with the organic light-emitting devices.
While this invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A flat panel display, comprising:
- a glass substrate;
- an organic light-emitting part, the organic light-emitting part including one or more organic light-emitting devices formed on a surface of the glass substrate; and
- a sealing part sealing the organic light-emitting part,
- wherein the glass substrate has a thickness of about 0.05 mm to about 0.5 mm.
2. The flat panel display of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more organic light-emitting devices comprises:
- a first electrode layer formed of at least one transparent conductive material;
- an organic light-emitting layer contacting a portion of the first electrode layer; and
- a second electrode layer having a portion contacting a portion of the organic light-emitting layer.
3. The flat panel display of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more organic light-emitting devices comprises:
- a first electrode layer;
- an organic light-emitting layer contacting a portion of the first electrode layer; and
- a second electrode layer formed of at least one transparent conductive material having a portion thereof contacting a portion of the organic light-emitting layer.
4. The flat panel display of claim 1, further comprising:
- one of a circular polarized film, a glass substrate with a thickness of about 0.05 mm to about 0.5 mm, and a film formed on an outer surface of the sealing part.
5. The flat panel display of claim 1, wherein the sealing part is a stacked film that includes at least one of a barrier layer and a polymer layer.
6. The flat panel display of claim 5, wherein the barrier layer is formed at least of a material selected from a group consisting of silicon, metal oxide, metal nitride, metal carbide, metal oxynitride, and a compound of these materials.
7. The flat panel display of claim 5, wherein the polymer layer is formed at least of a material selected from a group consisting of an organic polymer, an inorganic polymer, an organometallic polymer, and a hybrid organic/inorganic polymer.
8. The flat panel display claim 1. Wherein the sealing part is a resin layer that encapsulates the organic light-emitting part.
9. A flat panel display, comprising:
- a plurality of first organic light-emitting devices formed on a surface of a substrate, which is about 0.05 mm to about 0.5 mm thick;
- a display region that includes one or more of the plurality of first organic light-emitting devices;
- a sealing part that seals the display region; and
- a terminal region exposed on an edge of the substrate.
10. The flat panel display of claim 9, further comprising:
- a second organic light-emitting device which comprises:
- a plurality of second organic light-emitting devices formed on a surface of a second substrate, which has a thickness of about 0.05 mm to about 0.5 mm;
- a second display region that includes one or more of the plurality of second organic light-emitting devices;
- a second sealing part that seals the second display region; and
- a second terminal region exposed on an edge of the second substrate,
- wherein the sealing parts of the first organic light-emitting device and the second organic light-emitting device are bonded together, and
- wherein the terminal regions of the first organic light-emitting device and the second organic light-emitting device face in opposite directions.
11. The flat panel display of claim 9, wherein the sealing part and the second sealing part are stacked films, each of which include at least one of a barrier layer and a polymer layer.
12. The flat panel display of claim 11, wherein the barrier layer is formed at least one of a material selected from a group consisting of silicon, metal oxide, metal nitride, metal carbide, metal oxynitride, and a compound of these materials.
13. The flat panel display of claim 11, wherein the polymer layer is formed at least one of a material selected from a group consisting of organic polymer, inorganic polymer, organometallic polymer, and hybrid organic/inorganic polymer.
14. The flat panel display of claim 9, wherein a circular polarized film is attached to at least an outer surface of each of the sealing part and the second sealing part.
15. A method for manufacturing a flat panel display, comprising:
- forming a plurality of organic light-emitting devices on a surface of a glass substrate, wherein an organic light-emitting part comprises a grouping of one or more of the plurality of organic light-emitting devices;
- sealing each organic light-emitting part; and etching the glass substrate to a predetermined thickness; and
- etching the glass substrate.
16. The method for claim 15, wherein sealing each light-emitting part further comprises:
- applying a sealing material to edges of each organic light-emitting part; and
- bonding a sealing glass substrate to the sealing material to thereby encapsulate each organic light-emitting part.
17. The method for claim 15, wherein sealing each organic light-emitting part further comprises:
- sealing each organic light-emitting part using a sealing film.
18. The method for claim 15, wherein sealing each organic light-emitting part further comprises:
- sealing each organic light-emitting part using a resin material.
19. The method for claim 18, further comprising:
- removing the resin material after etching the glass substrate.
20. The method for claim 15, wherein sealing each organic light-emitting part, further comprises:
- depositing about each organic light-emitting part, a barrier layer to seal each organic light-emitting part; and
- forming at least a polymer layer on the barrier layer.
21. The method for claim 20, wherein the barrier layer is formed at least one of a material selected from the group consisting of silicon, metal oxide, metal nitride, metal carbide, metal oxynitride, and a compound of these materials.
22. The method for claim 20, wherein the polymer layer is formed at least of a material selected from a group consisting of an organic polymer, an inorganic polymer, an organometallic polymer, and a hybrid organic/inorganic polymer.
23. The method for claim 15, wherein the glass substrate is etched to a thickness of about 0.05 mm to about 0.5 mm.
24. The method for claim 23, further comprising:
- cutting the glass substrate and the sealing glass substrate at pre-determined cut points.
25. A method for forming a flat panel display, comprising:
- unsealing an organic light-emitting part enclosed by a sealing glass substrate bonded to a sealing material, the organic light-emitting part including one or more organic light-emitting devices formed on a surface of a glass substrate, the glass substrate having a thickness of about 0.05 mm to about 0.5 mm.
26. The method for claim 25, wherein unsealing an organic light-emitting part further comprises:
- cutting the glass substrate and the sealing glass substrate at pre-determined cut points.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 1, 2004
Publication Date: May 19, 2005
Inventors: Jin-Woo Park (Yongin-si), Jang-Hyuk Kwon (Suwon-si), Ho-Kyoon Chung (Yongin-si)
Application Number: 10/976,807