ORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE PIXEL STRUCTURE
An OLED (organic light-emitting diode) pixel structure comprises a substrate, first and second control components, first, second, and complementary electrode layers, and first and second light-emitting layers. The first and second control components are disposed above the substrate and electrically coupled to, respectively, the first and second electrode layers. There are first and second neighborhoods defined in the pixel structure, and the substrate traverses both of the neighborhoods. The first electrode layer is disposed in the first neighborhood and comprises a reflective layer. The first light-emitting layer is disposed on and electrically coupled to the first electrode layer. The second electrode layer is transparent and disposed in the second neighborhood. The second light-emitting layer is disposed on and electrically coupled to the second electrode layer. The complementary electrode layer is disposed on and electrically coupled to the light-emitting layers.
This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 103133650 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Sep. 26, 2014, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe disclosure relates to a transparent display technology, more particularly to a pixel structure for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).
BACKGROUNDA transparent displayer using OLEDs can be into a display region and a penetrative region according to pixels of the displayer. The display region is disposed with a pixel structure and actually emits light. Since the penetrative region has nothing inside, the back of the displayer can be seen through a transparent substrate. In a pixel, the penetrative region can overlap the display region, be abreast of the display region, or be among monochromatic LEDs. Because the area of the active luminous region is smaller than that of the non-transparent region, the transparent displayer usually has a lower brightness and a lower contrast of the background.
SUMMARYAccording to one or more embodiments, the disclosure provides an OLED pixel structure. In one embodiment, the OLED pixel structure has a first region and a second region and includes a substrate, a first control component, a first electrode layer, a first luminous layer, a second control component, a second electrode layer, a second luminous layer, and an opposite electrode layer. The substrate is extended to the first region and the second region. The first control component is located on the substrate. The first electrode layer is located in the first region, is electrically coupled to the first control component, and includes a reflection layer. The first luminous layer is located on the first electrode layer and electrically coupled to the first electrode layer. The second control component is located on the substrate. The second electrode layer is transparent, is located in the second region, and is electrically coupled to the second control component. The second luminous layer is located on the second electrode layer and is electrically coupled to the second electrode layer. The opposite electrode layer is located on the first luminous layer and the second luminous layer and is electrically coupled to the first luminous layer and the second luminous layer.
According to one or more embodiments, the disclosure provides a displayer. In one embodiment, the displayer includes the aforementioned OLED pixel structures and a driving unit. The OLED pixel structures are arranged in a matrix form. The driving unit drives the first control components according to first image data to control the first luminous layers to generate a first image according to the first image data. The driving unit also drives the second control components according to second image data to control the second luminous layers to generate a second image according to the second image data. The first image is opaque, and the second image is transparent or translucent.
The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only and thus does not limit the present disclosure, wherein:
In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are schematically shown in order to simplify the drawings.
In this embodiment, the control components 101 and 102 respectively drive the luminous layers 151 and 152 according to a data signal DT. In some embodiments, data received by the control components 101 and 102 can be different to each other. In other words, the control components 101 and 102 are respectively controlled by the control signals S1 and S2 separated. For example, the control signals S1 and S2 can be power or digital control manner. In practice, the first control component 101 can be controlled by or operate according to the control signal S1, or the first luminous layer 151 can indirectly be powered by the control signal S1. When the first control component 101 receives the data signal DT and the first circuit path is enabled, the first luminous layer 151 between the electrode layers 131 and 161 opposite will be driven to emit light. In an embodiment, the first electrode layer 131 functions as an anode terminal while the opposite electrode layer 161 functions as a cathode terminal. In another embodiment, the first electrode layer 131 functions as a cathode terminal while the opposite electrode layer 161 functions as an anode terminal.
Similarly, the second control component 102 is controlled by and operates according to the control signal S2, and the second luminous layer 152 is indirectly powered by the control signal S2. When the second control component 102 receives the data signal through the first control component 101 or by being connected to the first control component 101 in parallel and the second circuit path is enabled, the second luminous layer 152 between the electrode layers 132 and 162 will be driven to emit light. In this embodiment, the opposite electrode layers 161 and 162 are separated from each other. In some embodiments, the luminous layers 151 and 152 share one opposite electrode layer. In other words, the electrode layers 161 and 162 are the same or are electrically connected to each other.
Similarly, the second TFT 12 has a second gate terminal 120, a second source/a drain terminal 122, 124, and a second channel 123. The second gate terminal 120 of the second TFT 12 is located on the substrate 10. The second channel 123 is coupled with the terminals 122 and 124 such that charges can flow between the terminals 122 and 124. The second channel 123 is carried out by, for example, semiconductor material. One (e.g. the terminal 122) of the terminals 122 and 124 of the second control component 102 is electrically coupled to the second electrode layer 132 in the second region. In this embodiment, the control components 101 and 102 are opaque and are disposed in the first region. For a top-emitting pixel structure, the control components 101 and 102 are disposed behind the reflection layer 14. In other words, the control components 101 and 102 can be in the shadow that the reflection layer 14 is projected on the substrate 10.
In an embodiment, the pixel structure in
The first luminous layer 151 is located on the first electrode layer 131, and the second luminous layer 152 is located on the second electrode layer 132. In the embodiment, the luminous layers 151 and 152 share the opposite electrode layer 16 that is located on the luminous layers 151 and 152. The first electrode layer 131, the first luminous layer 151, and the opposite electrode layer 16 are electrically coupled to each other, and the second electrode layer 132, the second luminous layer 152, and the opposite electrode layer 16 are electrically coupled to each other. The second electrode layer 132 can be made of, for example, transparent material. The second luminous layer 152, the opposite electrode layer 16, and the substrate 10 can be made of, for example, transparent or translucent material. Therefore, the second region can be a penetrative region with a variable transparence value. When the second control component 102 does not operate, the backlight behine or under the substrate 10 can pass through the substrate 10 and travel upon or before the opposite electrode layer 16. When the second control component 102 operates, the second luminous layer 152 will display images with relative lower contrast.
In this or some embodiments, the first region may overlap the second region or not. For example, there is a partition layer 18 between the luminous layers 151 and 152 on the substrate 10, and the first region and the second region in the partition layer 18 partially overlap each other along the horizontal direction of
In an embodiment, the pixel structure further includes at least one flat layer 19 at least in the first region, especially on the thin film transistors 11 and 12, such that the first electrode layer 131 can be formed on the smooth surface. The flat layer 19 can be made of, for instance, silicon nitride.
Please refer to
The following exemplary embodiments of pixel structure derived from
The operation of the pixel structure is described as follows by referring to
As shown in
In another embodiment, the control components 101 and 102 are carried out by p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (pMOSFET). As shown in
Notice that the thin film transistors 11 and 12 may be different or the same in standard or size and the switch unit 103a (or 103b) and the switch unit 127 may be different or the same in standard or size. In practice, the luminous layers 151 and 152 can achieve the best brightness scheme by adjusting the aspect ratios of the TFTs 11 and 12 during the manufacture, whereby the actively-display and transparency of the pixel structure may harmonize.
In another embodiment shown in
The control component 101 receives a data signal DT to drive the first luminous layer 151, and the control component 102 receives a data signal DT′ to drive the second luminous layer 152. Alternately, the control components 101 and 102 can receive other different data, that is, the control components 101 and 102 are controlled by two independent control signals S1 and S2, respectively. For example, the control signals S1 and S2 are power or digital control manner. In practice, the control signal S1 can drive the first control component 101 to operate or not or can indirectly provide the first luminous layer 151 with electricity. When the first control component 101 under operation receives the data signal DT, the first circuit path is enabled and the first luminous layer 151 between the opposite electrode layers 131 and 161 is driven to emit light. In an embodiment, the first electrode layer 131 is anode as the opposite electrode layer 161 is cathode. In another embodiment, the first electrode layer 131 is cathode as the opposite electrode layer 161 is anode.
In practice, the second control component 102 and the first control component 101 can respectively connect to different data sources. Therefore, the penetrative region of the pixel structure can have higher contrast and brightness, and the first luminous layer and the second luminous layer in the same pixel are driven by different data to form two different images that are combined to form a frame image shown on the displayer. By modulating the currents respectively flowing through the luminous layers 151 and 152, the image formed by the display region and the image formed by the penetrative region can be combined by any suitable ratio, and alternately, pixels in the penetrative region can display an image different from that displayed by the display region (i.e. a non-penetrative region). As shown in
The above brightness scheme can dynamically be changed. In practice, the substrate 10 is also in a third region of the pixel structure, and the pixel structure can further include a third control component 102′ on the substrate 10 (e.g. on the first region). As shown in
In other embodiment shown in
The third electrode layer 132′, the third luminous layer 152′, and the opposite electrode layer 16 are electrically coupled to each other. Since the third TFT 12′, the third switch unit 127′, and the third luminous layer 152′ in
The pixel structure may further include the aforementioned first luminous layer 151 in the first region, the aforementioned second luminous layer 152 in the second region, the aforementioned first control component 101, and the aforementioned second control component 102. The first control component 101 is controlled by the scan signal SC and the data signal DT to drive the first luminous layer 151 to emit light, and the second control component 102 is controlled by the scan signal SC and the data signal DT to drive the second luminous layer 152 to emit light.
Please refer to
As shown in
In another embodiment,
In an embodiment, the pixel structure further includes a third luminous layer 152′ in the third region that can be deduced by the description related to
In the disclosure, the transparent penetrative region of a displayer (i.e. the second region) is disposed with the second luminous layer and different control components. When the second control component does not operate, the pixel structure may achieve the highest transparent degree, and when the second control component operates, the pixel structure may have high contrast.
Claims
1. An organic light-emitting diode pixel structure having a first region and a second region, comprising:
- a substrate extended to the first region and the second region;
- a first control component located on the substrate;
- a first electrode layer located in the first region, electrically coupled to the first control component, and comprising a reflection layer;
- a first luminous layer located on the first electrode layer, electrically coupled to the first electrode layer;
- a second control component located on the substrate;
- a second electrode layer being transparent, located in the second region, and electrically coupled to the second control component;
- a second luminous layer located on the second electrode layer and electrically coupled to the second electrode layer; and
- an opposite electrode layer located on the first luminous layer and the second luminous layer and electrically coupled to the first luminous layer and the second luminous layer.
2. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 1, wherein the first control component and the second control component are located in the first region.
3. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 1, wherein the first control component comprises a first thin film transistor having a first gate terminal, a first source terminal, a first drain terminal, and a first channel, one of the first source terminal and first drain terminal of the first control component is electrically coupled to the first electrode layer, the first gate terminal of the first control component is disposed on the substrate, the first channel is electrically coupled to the first source terminal and first drain terminal of the first control component; and the second control component comprises a second thin film transistor having a second gate terminal, a second source terminal, a second drain terminal, and a second channel, one of the second source terminal and second drain terminal of the second control component is electrically coupled to the second electrode layer, the second gate terminal of the second control component is located on the substrate, the second channel is electrically coupled to the second source terminal and second drain terminal of the second control component.
4. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 3, wherein the second gate terminal of the second control component is electrically coupled to the first gate terminal of the first control component.
5. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 3, wherein the first gate terminal of the first control component is electrically coupled to a first data line, the second gate terminal of the second control component is electrically coupled to a second data line, the first data line is configured to provide the first gate terminal of the first control component with a first data signal, the second data line is configured to provide the second gate terminal of the second control component with a second data signal, and the first data signal is different from the second data signal.
6. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 3, further comprising: a gate insulation layer partially located on the substrate, the first control component and the second control component being located on the gate insulation layer partically.
7. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 3, wherein the second control component further comprises a switch unit that is controlled by a switch signal, and the other one of the second source terminal and second drain terminal of the second control component is electrically coupled to the switch unit.
8. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 7, wherein the second gate terminal of the second control component is electrically coupled to the first gate terminal of the first control component.
9. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 7, wherein the first gate terminal of the first control component is electrically coupled to a first data line, the second gate terminal of the second control component is electrically coupled to a second data line, the first data line provides the first gate terminal of the first control component with a first data signal, the second data line provides the second gate terminal of the second control component with a second data signal, and the first data signal is different from the second data signal.
10. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 7, further comprising: a gate insulation layer partially located on the substrate, the first control component and the second control component being located on the gate insulation layer partically.
11. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 3, wherein the second control component further comprises a switch unit, and the switch unit is controlled by a switch signal and is electrically coupled to the second electrode layer and the second thin film transistor.
12. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 11, wherein the second gate terminal of the second control component is electrically coupled to the first gate terminal of the first control component.
13. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 11, wherein the first gate terminal of the first control component is electrically coupled to a first data line, the second gate terminal of the second control component is electrically coupled to a second data line, the first data line provides the first gate terminal of the first control component with a first data signal, the second data line provides the second gate terminal of the second control component with a second data signal, and the first data signal is different from the second data signal.
14. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 11, further comprising: a gate insulation layer partially located on the substrate, the first control component and the second control component being located on the gate insulation layer partically.
15. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 1, further comprising: a partition layer located on the substrate and between the first luminous layer and the second luminous layer.
16. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 1, further having a third region and comprising:
- a third control component located on the substrate;
- a third electrode layer being transparent, located in the third region, and electrically coupled to the third control component; and
- a third luminous layer located on the third electrode layer and electrically coupled to the third electrode layer;
- wherein the substrate is further extended to the third region.
17. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 1, wherein the second region is transparent or translucent.
18. The organic light-emitting diode pixel structure according to claim 1, wherein the first luminous layer emits first light, the second luminous layer emits second light, and the first light and the second light are the same in color.
19. A displayer, comprising:
- the organic light-emitting diode pixel structures in claim 1, arranged in a matrix form; and
- a driving unit electrical coupled to the organic light-emitting diode pixel structures, configured to drive the first control component according to first image data to control the first luminous layers to generate a first image according to the first image data, and further configured to drive the second control components according to second image data to control the second luminous layers to generate a second image according to the second image data,
- wherein the first image is opaque, and the second image is transparent or translucent.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 11, 2015
Publication Date: Mar 31, 2016
Inventor: Chia-Hwa Lee (Hsin-Chu)
Application Number: 14/619,158