Display device

Abstract

Display device (200, 200-1, 200-2, 200-3), comprising: a substrate (210, 210-1, 210-2, 210-3); a display unit (D, D-1, D-2, D-3) formed on the substrate (210, 210-1, 210-2, 210-3); and a thin-film encapsulation layer (E, E-1, E-2, E-3) formed on the display unit (D, D-1, D-2, D-3), characterized in that the thin-film encapsulation layer (E, E-1, E-2, E-3) has at least one of (i) an inorganic layer (U1, U2, U2-1, U2-3) consisting of a mixture of Al2O3 and ZrO2 consists; (ii) an inorganic layer (U1-1, U1-2, U2-2, U1-3) comprising a first inorganic sublayer (S1-1, S1-2, S1-3) and a second inorganic sublayer (S2-1, S2-2, S2-3) formed directly thereon, wherein one of the first or second inorganic sublayers of the combined inorganic layer (U1-1, U1-2, U2-2, U1-3) consists of Al2O3 and the other of the first or second inorganic sublayer consists of ZrO2; and a thickness of the inorganic layer (U1, U2, U2-1, U2-3) or a thickness of the combined inorganic layer (U1-1, U1-2, U2-2, U1-3) is equal to or less than 10 nm.

Description

BACKGROUND 1. Area

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device. 2. Description of the state of the art

[0002] Semiconductor devices, display devices, and other electronic devices contain a variety of thin films. Several methods for forming thin films have been developed; one example is vapor deposition.

[0003] In vapor deposition, one or more gases are used as the starting material for the formation of thin films. Vapor deposition can be subdivided into chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and similar processes.

[0004] In ALD, a starting material is injected into an ALD device and then purified or pumped up. A monomolecular layer or multiple molecular layers are then bonded to the substrate, and another material is injected into the ALD device and purified or pumped up, forming a monoatomic layer or multiple atomic layers as desired.

[0005] Among the display devices, an organic light-emitting display device has a wide viewing angle, a good contrast ratio and a high response speed, and has therefore come into focus as a next-generation display device.

[0006] The organic light-emitting display device comprises a first electrode, a second electrode opposite the first electrode, and an intermediate layer between them, and may further comprise one or more thin films. In this case, the thin films can be formed by deposition.

[0007] However, as organic light-emitting displays have become larger and the demand for high-resolution displays has increased, it is difficult to deposit the desired large thin films. Furthermore, there are limits to improving the efficiency of thin-film formation processes.

[0008] Display devices with an encapsulating thin-film component and their manufacture are known, for example, from US 2012 / 0 070 942 A1, DE 10 2011 076 791 A1, US 2014 / 0 264 297 A1, US 2015 / 0 047 969 A1 and WO 2013 / 119 734 A1. SUMMARY

[0009] The invention is defined by the attached claims. The following description is subject to this limitation. All information outside the scope of these claims serves only for illustration and comparison.

[0010] One or more aspects of one or more embodiments include a display device and a method and a device for manufacturing the display device.

[0011] Additional aspects are partly explained in the following description and partly arise from the description or from the practical application of the presented embodiments.

[0012] According to the present invention, a display device is provided comprising a substrate, a display unit formed on the substrate, and a thin-film encapsulation layer formed (directly) on the display unit. The display device is characterized in that the thin-film encapsulation layer comprises at least one of: (i) an inorganic layer consisting of a mixture of Al2O3 and ZrO2; and (ii) a (combined) inorganic layer comprising a first inorganic sublayer and a second inorganic sublayer formed directly thereon, wherein one of the first or second inorganic sublayers of the combined inorganic layer consists of Al2O3 and the other of the first or second inorganic sublayer consists of ZrO2; and the thickness of the inorganic layer or the thickness of the combined inorganic layer is equal to or less than 10 nm.

[0013] This means that the inorganic layer can be a mixture of the aforementioned metal oxides or, alternatively, a combination of two sublayers made from the aforementioned pure metal oxides. It was found that the moisture-barrier properties of the encapsulation layer can be significantly improved by the aforementioned embodiments (i) and (ii).

[0014] Preferably the inorganic layer consists of a mixture of Al2O3 and ZrO2, wherein the weight ratio of Al2O3 to ZrO2 in the inorganic layer can be in the range of 3:1 to 1:5, in particular 2:1 to 1:3.

[0015] According to a further embodiment, one of the first or second inorganic sublayers of the (combined) organic layer consists of Al₂O₃, while the other of the first or second inorganic sublayer consists of ZrO₂. The thickness ratio of the first inorganic sublayer to the second inorganic sublayer can be in the range of 2:1 to 1:2, in particular 1:1.

[0016] Furthermore, the thickness of the inorganic layer or the thickness of the combined inorganic layer is equal to or less than 10 nm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0017] These and / or other aspects will become clearer from the following description of the exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying figures, whereby: Fig. 1 shows a concept view of a device for manufacturing a display device according to an exemplary embodiment, Fig. Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view in which a section of an example of a display device is shown, which is made of the device consisting of Fig. 1 is produced, is shown; Fig. 3 a diagram to illustrate a performance of the display device Fig. 2 shows; Fig. 4 shows a concept view of a device for manufacturing a display device according to a further embodiment; Fig. 5 a concept view of a section of a shower head of the device Fig. 4 shows; Fig. Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view in which a section of an example of a display device is shown, consisting of the device made of Fig. 4 is produced, shown; Fig. Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view in which a section of another example of a display device is shown, which is made of the device consisting of Fig. 4 is produced, shown; Fig. Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view in which a section of another example of a display device is shown, which is made of the device consisting of Fig. 4 is produced, is shown; and Fig. 9 a diagram to illustrate a performance of the display device Fig. 8 shows. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The inventive concept will now be described in more detail by explaining exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept with reference to the accompanying figures. Identical reference numerals in the figures denote identical elements.

[0019] If a layer, area, or component is described as "formed on" another layer, area, or component, it can be formed directly or indirectly on that other layer, area, or component. This means, for example, that there may be intermediate layers, areas, or components.

[0020] For the sake of simplicity, component sizes may be exaggerated. In other words, since component sizes and thicknesses are arbitrarily represented in the figures for the sake of clarity, the following examples are not limited to them.

[0021] Fig. Figure 1 shows a concept view of a device 100 for manufacturing a display device according to an exemplary embodiment, Fig. Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view in which a section of an example of a display device is shown, formed by the device made of Fig. 1 is produced, is shown, and Fig. Figure 3 shows a diagram to explain how the display device works. Fig. 2.

[0022] According to Fig. 1 The device 100 comprises a chamber 110, a gas supply device 120, a shower head 130, a substrate carrier 140 and a discharge unit 150.

[0023] Chamber 110 has an interior space and openings in some sections for connection to external devices. In this case, the openings have a device or structure, such as a slide valve, configured to open and close the openings.

[0024] The gas supply device 120 is located outside the chamber 110 and introduces a process gas into the chamber 110. The process gas can comprise various types of suitable gases. For example, the process gas can include a first process gas, a second process gas, a third process gas, and a purge gas. The first process gas or the second process gas can be a gas containing aluminum (Al) atoms, such as trimethylaluminum (TMA), if Al is to be deposited. The first process gas or the second process gas can also be a gas containing zirconium (Zr) atoms, such as tetrakis(dimethylamido)zirconium. The first process gas can be a gas containing hafnium (Hf) atoms, such as tetrakis(dimethylamido)hafnium (TDMAH). The first process gas or the second process gas can be a gas containing zinc (Zn) atoms, such as diethylzinc (MEZ).

[0025] The third process gas can be water (H₂O), oxygen (O₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O), or a similar gas containing oxygen. The purge gas can also be an inert gas such as argon (Ar), helium (He), or neon (Ne).

[0026] The gas supply device 120 comprises a first and second gas supply device 121, 122 for supplying the first and second process gases, a third gas supply device 123 for supplying the third process gas, and a fourth gas supply device 124 for supplying the purge gas. The first process gas supplied by the first gas supply device 121 may differ from the process gas supplied by the second gas supply device 122.

[0027] According to an embodiment not shown, the gas supply device can have more than two gas supply devices suitable for supplying different first process gases. In particular, the gas supply device can have a first gas supply device for supplying a first process gas, a second gas supply device for supplying a first process gas, a third gas supply device for supplying a first process gas, a fourth gas supply device for supplying a second process gas, and a fifth gas supply device for supplying a purge gas. In this case, the first process gases supplied by the first to third gas supply devices can differ from one another. For example, the process gas supplied by the first gas supply device can contain TMA. The first process gas supplied by the second gas supply device can contain tetrakis(dimethylamido)zirconium.The first process gas supplied by the third gas supply device may contain TDMAH.

[0028] For the sake of simplicity, the following will mainly describe a case in which the gas supply device 120 has the first gas supply device 121 to the fourth gas supply device 124.

[0029] The shower head 130 is installed in chamber 110. Furthermore, the shower head 130 can facilitate a reaction by applying heat energy to the process gas or by converting some parts of the process gas into plasma.

[0030] The shower head 130 is separately connected to the first gas supply devices 121 through the fourth gas supply devices 124. The first gas supply device 121 and the second gas supply device 122 are arranged separately outside the chamber 110 and supply the shower head 130 with a mixture of the first and second process gases. Furthermore, the third gas supply device 123 is arranged separately outside the chamber 110 and supplies the third process gas to the shower head 130. The third process gas is mixed with the first and second process gases in the shower head 130 or in the chamber 110. The fourth gas supply device 124 is arranged separately outside the chamber 110 and supplies the purge gas to the shower head 130. In this case, the purge gas can be supplied separately to the chamber 110 via the shower head 130.Furthermore, the purge gas is directed into the interior of the shower head 130, so that any gas inside can be vented to the outside, or the purge gas can be directed into the interior of the chamber 110 via the shower head 130. As another example, the purge gas can only be directed into the interior of the chamber via the shower head 130.

[0031] The shower head 130 has nozzles designed to distribute the process gas into the chamber 110. In this case, the nozzles can be of a hole type (e.g., they can be through-holes or holes) that penetrates the shower head 130.

[0032] The substrate carrier 140 supports a substrate 210 on which a display unit D is mounted. The substrate carrier 140 may have a heating device (not shown) capable of heating the substrate 210.

[0033] The substrate carrier 140 can move relative to the shower head 130. For example, the shower head 130 can be attached to the chamber 110 and the substrate carrier 140 can move linearly. As another example, the shower head 130 and the substrate carrier 140 can move linearly. As yet another example, the substrate carrier 140 can be attached to the chamber 110 and the shower head 130 can move linearly. For the sake of simplicity, a case in which the shower head 130 is attached to the chamber 110 and the substrate carrier 140 moves linearly will be described in more detail below.

[0034] The substrate carrier 140 can move linearly. For example, the substrate carrier 140 can move linearly in a first direction within the chamber 110. Furthermore, the substrate carrier 140 can move linearly in a second direction within the chamber 110. In this case, the first direction can differ from the second direction. For example, the first direction can be perpendicular to the second direction. In particular, the first direction can be a vertical direction within the chamber 110, while the second direction can be a horizontal (or longitudinal) direction.

[0035] The exhaust unit 150 is connected to the chamber 110 and discharges a gas from the chamber 110 to the outside. The exhaust unit 150 has a guide tube 151 for directing a gas and a pump 152, which is mounted in the guide tube 151.

[0036] With regard to the operating procedures of the device 100, the substrate 210, on which the display unit D is formed, is loaded into the chamber 110 from the outside. For example, the substrate 210 can be transported to the chamber 110 by a robot arm, a boat, etc.

[0037] The display unit D was formed on the substrate 210 and can, for example, comprise a thin-film transistor (TFT), a passivation layer 270 designed to cover the TFT, and an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) 280 formed on the passivation layer 270. The display device 200 will be described in more detail below.

[0038] Substrate 210 can be made of plastic or polyimide (PI). For the sake of simplicity, a case in which substrate 210 is made of PI will be described in more detail below.

[0039] A buffer layer (220) comprising an organic compound and / or an inorganic compound is further formed on the substrate 210 and can, for example, consist of silicon dioxide (SiO₂). x ), (x≥1) and silicon nitride (SiN x (x≥1) exhibit.

[0040] After an active layer 230, arranged in a fixed or predetermined pattern, has been formed on the buffer layer 220, the active layer 230 is covered or buried by a gate insulating layer 240. The active layer 230 has a source region 231, a drain region 233, and a channel region 232 between them.

[0041] The active layer 230 can consist of various suitable materials. For example, the active layer 230 can consist of an inorganic semiconductor material, such as amorphous silicon or crystalline silicon. As another example, the active layer 230 can contain an oxide semiconductor material. As yet another example, the active layer 230 can consist of an organic semiconductor material. For the sake of simplicity, the following describes a case in which the active layer 230 consists of amorphous silicon.

[0042] After an amorphous silicon layer has been formed on the buffer layer 220, the amorphous silicon layer is crystallized to form a crystalline silicon layer, and the active layer 230 can be formed by patterning the crystalline silicon layer.

[0043] The source region 231 and the drain region 233 of the active layer 230 are usually doped with dopant substances according to the types of TFTs, such as a driver TFT, a switching TFT, etc., that are to be formed.

[0044] A gate electrode 250, which corresponds to the active layer 230, and an intermediate insulating layer 260, which covers or buries the gate electrode 250, are formed on the gate insulating layer 240.

[0045] A contact hole H1 is formed in the interlayer insulating layer 260 and the gate insulating layer 240, and a source electrode 271 and a drain electrode 271, which are formed on the interlayer insulating layer 260, are each in contact with the source region 231 and the drain region 233.

[0046] The passivation layer 270 is formed on the TFT, and a pixel electrode 281 of the OLED 280 is formed on the passivation layer 270. The pixel electrode 281 is in contact with the drain electrode 272 of the TFT via a through-hole H2 formed in the passivation layer 270. The passivation layer 270 can be formed from an inorganic and / or organic material and can be a single layer or a multilayer. The passivation layer 270 can be a planar layer, having a flat top surface regardless of whether its underside is flat or uneven, or a top surface with uneven sections corresponding to the uneven sections of its underside. In one embodiment, the passivation layer 270 is formed using a transparent insulating material to create a resonance effect.

[0047] After forming the pixel electrode 281 on the passivation layer 270, a pixel definition layer 290 made of an organic and / or inorganic material is formed to cover the pixel electrode 281 and the passivation layer 270, and an opening is formed to expose the pixel electrode 281.

[0048] An intermediate layer 282 and an opposing electrode 283 are formed at least on the pixel electrode 281.

[0049] The pixel electrode 281 acts as the anode, while the opposite electrode 283 acts as the cathode, or vice versa.

[0050] The pixel electrode 281 is insulated from the opposite electrode 283 by the intermediate layer 282, and an organic emission layer can emit light by applying voltages having different polarities to the intermediate layer 282.

[0051] Interlayer 282 can have an organic emission layer. As a selected example, interlayer 282 has the organic emission layer and can furthermore have at least one (at least one selected from) a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), an electron transport layer (ETL) and an electron injection layer (EIL).

[0052] A pixel unit comprises a multitude of subpixels, and these subpixels can emit light of different colors. For example, the pixel unit can have subpixels that emit red light, green light, and blue light, and / or subpixels that emit red light, green light, blue light, and white light.

[0053] A thin-film encapsulation layer E comprises at least one inorganic layer. The thin-film encapsulation layer E may further comprise one or more organic layers.

[0054] The organic layer of the thin-film encapsulation layer E can comprise or consist of a polymer and can be a single layer or a stacked layer comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide, polycarbonate, epoxy, polyethylene, and polyacrylate. Alternatively, the organic layer can comprise polyacrylate; more specifically, the organic layer can comprise a polymerized monomer composition comprising a diacrylate-based monomer and a triacrylate-based monomer. The monomer composition can further comprise a monoacrylate-based monomer. Furthermore, the monomer composition can also comprise, but is not limited to, a suitable photoinitiator, such as TPO.

[0055] The inorganic layer of the thin-film encapsulation layer E can be a single layer or stacked layers (i.e., sublayers). An outermost layer of the thin-film encapsulation layer E, exposed to the outside, is an inorganic layer to prevent moisture from penetrating the OLED 280.

[0056] According to the in Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the thin-film encapsulation layer E has at least one layer structure comprising an organic layer O1 arranged between two inorganic layers, namely a first inorganic layer U1 and a second inorganic layer U2.

[0057] As another example, the thin-film encapsulation layer E can have at least one layer structure that includes at least one inorganic layer between at least two organic layers. As another example, the thin-film encapsulation layer E can have at least one layer structure that includes at least one organic layer between at least two inorganic layers, and at least one layer structure in which at least one inorganic layer is arranged between at least two organic layers.

[0058] The thin-film encapsulation layer E can sequentially have a first inorganic layer, a first organic layer and a second inorganic layer on a top side of the OLED 280.

[0059] As another example, the thin-film encapsulation layer E can have, in sequence from the top of the OLED 280, a first inorganic layer, a first organic layer, a second inorganic layer, a second organic layer and a third inorganic layer.

[0060] As another example, the thin-film encapsulation layer E can have, in sequence from a top side of the OLED 280, a first inorganic layer, a first organic layer, a second inorganic layer, a second organic layer, a third inorganic layer, a third organic layer and a fourth inorganic layer.

[0061] A halogenated metal layer, for example containing or consisting of lithium fluoride (LiF), can further be provided between the OLED 280 and the first inorganic layer U1. The halogenated metal layer can prevent damage to the OLED during the formation of the first inorganic layer U1.

[0062] The area of ​​the first organic layer can be smaller than that of the second inorganic layer, and the area of ​​the second organic layer can be smaller than that of the third inorganic layer.

[0063] For the sake of simplicity, the following case will be described in more detail in which the third thin-film encapsulation layer E has a first inorganic layer U1, a first organic layer O1 and a second inorganic layer U2.

[0064] At least one of the first inorganic layer U1 and the second inorganic layer U2 comprises a mixture of two or more metal oxides selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf). For example, one of the first inorganic layer U1 and the second inorganic layer U2 is formed from the aforementioned mixture of two or more metal oxides, and the other of the first inorganic layer U1 and the second inorganic layer U2 comprises a metal oxide or a nitride oxide. As another example, the first inorganic layer U1 and the second inorganic layer U2 comprise the aforementioned mixture of two or more metal oxides. According to the present embodiment, the first inorganic layer U1 and the second inorganic layer U2 are made from identical materials.

[0065] For example, the first inorganic layer U1 can comprise a mixture of two or more metal oxides selected from the group containing oxides of aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf). Specifically, in the above case, each element can share an oxygen atom and can exist in an (A,B)xOy form, where A can be one of Al, Zn, Zr, and Hf, while B can be another of Al, Zn, Zr, and Hf. Furthermore, x and y can be natural numbers.

[0066] For example, the first inorganic layer U1 can comprise a mixture of metal oxides comprising Al and Zn. Furthermore, the first inorganic layer U1 can comprise a mixture of metal oxides comprising Al and Zr. The first inorganic layer U1 can comprise a mixture of metal oxides comprising Al and Hf. In this case, the first inorganic layer U1 is not limited to this and can comprise a mixture of two or more metal oxides selected from the group comprising oxides of aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf).

[0067] As another example, the first inorganic layer U1 can comprise a mixture of two or more metal oxides selected from the group containing oxides of aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf). Specifically, in the above case, each element can share an oxygen atom and can exist in an (A,B,C)xOy form. Here, A can be one of Al, Zn, Zr, and Hf; B can be another of Al, Zn, Zr, and Hf; and C can be the other of Al, Zn, Zr, and Hf. Furthermore, x and y can be natural numbers.

[0068] For example, the first inorganic layer U1 can comprise a mixture of two or more metal oxides selected from the group comprising oxides of aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf). Alternatively, the first inorganic layer U1 can comprise a mixed oxide comprising Al, Zn, and Hf. In this case, the first inorganic layer U1 is not limited to this and can comprise a mixture of two or more metal oxides selected from the group comprising oxides of aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf).

[0069] As described above, the first inorganic layer U1 can be a single layer or a multiple layer.

[0070] More precisely, the first inorganic layer U2 can have a first inorganic sublayer S1 if the first inorganic layer U1 is a single layer. In this case, the first inorganic sublayer S1 can have at least one of the mixtures of two or more metal oxides described above. For example, the first inorganic sublayer S1 can have a mixture of two or more metal oxides including Al and Zr. Alternatively, the first inorganic sublayer S1 can be a single layer containing a mixture of two or more metal oxides including Al and Zr, or a mixture of two or more metal oxides including Zr and Hf.

[0071] If the first inorganic layer U1 is a multiple layer, the first inorganic layer U2 can have a first inorganic sublayer and a second inorganic sublayer. In this case, at least one of the first inorganic sublayer and one of the second inorganic sublayer can have the mixture of two or more metal oxides described above.

[0072] For example, the first inorganic sublayer and the second inorganic sublayer can contain the mixture of two or more metal oxides described above. In this case, the first and second inorganic sublayers can contain different mixtures of two or more metal oxides. For example, the first inorganic sublayer can consist of a mixture of two or more metal oxides including Al and Zr, while the second inorganic sublayer can consist of a mixture of two or more metal oxides including Al and Hf. In this case, the first and second inorganic sublayers are not limited to this and can contain several suitable combinations of Al, Zn, Zr, and Hf.

[0073] As another example, one of the first inorganic sublayers and the second inorganic sublayer comprises the aforementioned mixture of two or more metal oxides, while the other of the first and second inorganic sublayers comprises at least one metal oxide and one metal nitride. For example, the first inorganic sublayer may comprise a mixture of two or more metal oxides, including Al and Zr, while the second inorganic sublayer may comprise aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃). In this case, the metal oxide and metal nitride described above may comprise other materials to form inorganic layers of a thin-film encapsulation layer for a display device.

[0074] As another example, the first inorganic layer U1 can have a variety of first inorganic sublayers having the above-mentioned mixture of two or more metal oxides, and a variety of second inorganic sublayers having a single metal oxide or a single metal nitride.

[0075] For the sake of simplicity, a case in which the first inorganic layer U1 comprises a first inorganic sublayer S1, which consists of a single mixture of two or more metal oxides, will be described in more detail below. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity, a case in which the first inorganic sublayer S1 comprises a mixture of two or more metal oxides, Al and Zr, will be described in more detail below.

[0076] A first organic layer O1 and a second inorganic layer U2 can be stacked successively on the first inorganic sublayer S1. In this case, the first organic layer O1 and the second inorganic layer U2 are identical or similar to the first organic layer O1 and first inorganic layer U1 described above, and therefore will not be described in detail.

[0077] According to a method for manufacturing the display device 200, the substrate 210, which has the display unit D on it, is loaded into the chamber 110 by means of, for example, a robot arm, a boat, etc.

[0078] The substrate 210, loaded into chamber 110, is attached to the substrate carrier 140. The substrate carrier 140 can move linearly in a vertical direction within chamber 110. The first gas supply device 121 and the second gas supply device 122 each supply the first process gas and the second process gas to the shower head 130. For example, a mixture of the first and second process gases can be supplied to the shower head 130, since the second gas supply device 122 is connected to the first gas supply device 121. The third process gas is supplied to the shower head 130 by the third gas supply device 123 and is mixed with the first and second process gases before being introduced into chamber 110. The mixture can further contain an inert carrier gas, such as nitrogen (N2), which is supplied by the fourth gas supply device 124.

[0079] The process gas is energized to facilitate a reaction between the first and second process gases and the third process gas, that is, the formation of a metal oxide layer. For example, a gas supply device 162 provides sufficient energy to the electrodes 161 to initiate plasma deposition. In this case, as another example, reactions of the first, second, and third process gases can be facilitated by heating a substrate using a heating device on the substrate support 140, by directly applying heat energy to the process gas, etc. The reactions can also be facilitated without separately applying energy to the process gas. A case in which the process gas is converted into plasma to facilitate reactions will be described in more detail below.

[0080] As described above, during the formation of the first inorganic sublayer S1, the substrate carrier 140 and the shower head 130 can move relative to each other. For example, the substrate carrier 140 can move linearly in a lateral direction (a longitudinal direction or a first direction) of the chamber 110. This linear movement of the substrate carrier 140 allows the first inorganic sublayer S1 to form flat on the display unit D and the substrate 210.

[0081] The thickness of the first inorganic layer U1 can be less than or equal to 10 nm. In this case, the first inorganic layer S1 can be amorphous. More precisely, if the thickness of the first inorganic layer U1 is greater than 10 nm, crystallization can occur, thereby creating cracks or an interior space within the first inorganic layer U1. In particular, if the thickness of the first inorganic layer U1 is greater than 10 nm, when the display device 200 is bent or folded, the first inorganic sublayer S1 will be damaged, and consequently, the flexibility of the display device 200 may not be guaranteed.

[0082] After completion of the procedures described above, the substrate 210 is transported outside or to another chamber connected to chamber 110, and then the first organic layer O1 can be deposited onto the first inorganic layer U1. Furthermore, after the formation of the first organic layer O1, the second inorganic layer U2, which has the same material as the first inorganic layer U1, is deposited onto the first organic layer O1.

[0083] During the execution of the procedure described above, the exhaust unit 150 can discharge a gas from the chamber 110 to the outside. Furthermore, when the substrate 210 is loaded into the chamber 110, the exhaust unit 150 can adjust the internal pressure of the chamber 110 to equal atmospheric pressure.

[0084] Compared to an existing display device, the display device 200 described above has a better moisture barrier and better light transmission properties. More precisely, it shows Fig. 3. The results of a calcium test to determine the time required for complete oxidation due to moisture penetration into a thin film with a moisture barrier are presented. According to the test, the electrical conductivity of calcium is measured, and complete oxidation is considered achieved when conductive calcium is completely oxidized by moisture and thereby converted into calcium oxide (CaO). More precisely, the longer the measured time, the better the moisture barrier property of the thin film with the moisture barrier. The test described above was performed under conditions of a temperature of 85 °C and a relative humidity of 85%.

[0085] According to the results from Fig. 3. A thin film consisting of pure Al2O3 and of uniform thickness resists moisture for 22 hours, but inorganic layers containing a mixture of Al2O3 and ZrO2 resist moisture for approximately 50 hours or longer. Surprisingly, the moisture-barrier property of the mixed layers was found to be at least twice that of the thin film consisting of pure Al2O3.

[0086] This results in improved moisture-blocking properties for the display device 200. Furthermore, the thickness of the thin-film encapsulation layer E can be reduced or minimized.

[0087] By means of the device 100, the device 100 and the method described above, the display is produced with an improved moisture barrier property.

[0088] Fig. Figure 4 shows a concept view of a device 100A for manufacturing a display device according to a further embodiment, Fig. Figure 5 shows a concept view of a section of a shower head 130a of the device 100A. Fig. 4, while Fig. 6 a cross-sectional view in which a section of an example of a display device, which is formed by the device 100 from Fig. 4 is produced, as shown.

[0089] According to Fig. 4, Fig. 5 to Fig. 6 The device 100A comprises a chamber 110A, a gas supply device 120A, a shower head 130A, a substrate carrier 140A, and a discharge unit 150A. The chamber 110A, the substrate carrier 140A, and the discharge unit 150A are each identical or similar to the chamber 110, the substrate carrier 140, and the discharge unit 150 described with reference to Fig. 1, Fig. 2 to Fig. 3 have been described, so their detailed description can be omitted.

[0090] The gas supply device 120A comprises a first gas supply device 121A, a second gas supply device 122A, a third gas supply device 123A, a fourth gas supply device 124A, and a fifth gas supply device 125A. In this case, the first to fourth gas supply devices 121A to 124A are identical or similar to the first to fourth gas supply devices 121 to 124 described above, so their detailed description is unnecessary.

[0091] The fifth gas supply device 125A can supply a fourth process gas that differs from the first to the third process gases. In this case, the fourth process gas can be the same as or similar to the first and second process gases, so that its detailed description can be omitted.

[0092] The shower head 130A has a first spray unit 131A, a second spray unit 131B, and a third spray unit 131C. The first spray unit 131A is connected to the first gas supply device 121A and can spray the first process gas. The second spray unit 131B is connected to the second gas supply device 122A and can spray the second process gas. The third spray unit 131C is connected to the fifth gas supply device 125A and can spray the third process gas.

[0093] The first to third spray units 131A to 131C are arranged adjacent to each other. The number of each of the first to third spray units 131A to 131C can vary. In particular, each of the first to third spray units 131A to 131C forms a group, and this group can be repeated on the shower head 130A. The first to third spray units 131A to 131C are identical on one surface of the shower head 130A, thus ensuring a uniform dilution concentration of the first, second, and fifth process gases.

[0094] According to a method for manufacturing a display device 200-1, a substrate 210-1 is loaded onto the chamber 110A and attached to the substrate carrier 140A, and then a first inorganic layer U1-1 is formed on a display unit D-1 and the substrate 210-1.

[0095] The first and second process gases are supplied via the shower head 130A and can be sprayed onto the display unit D-1 and the substrate 210-1 via the first spray unit 131A and the second spray unit 131B. Furthermore, while the first spray unit 131A is spraying the first process gas, the second spray unit 131B can simultaneously spray the second process gas onto the display unit D-1 and the substrate 210-1. As another example, after one of the first spray units 131A and the second spray unit 131B has sprayed one process gas, the other of the first spray unit 131A and the second spray unit 131B can spray a different process gas. For the sake of simplicity, the following describes in more detail a case in which the first spray unit 131A and the second spray unit 131B spray the first process gas and the second process gas simultaneously.

[0096] As described above, after the first and second process gases have been supplied to the first spray unit 131A and the second spray unit 131B, the third gas supply device 123A sprays the purge gas via the shower head 130A onto the display unit D-1 and the substrate 210-1 and can spray the third process gas supplied by the fourth gas supply device 124A onto the display unit D-1 and the substrate 210-1. The formation of the first inorganic sublayer S1-1 can then be completed by spraying the purge gas via the shower head 130A by the third gas supply device 123A.

[0097] According to the in Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the inorganic layer U-1 comprises a first inorganic sublayer S1-1 and a second inorganic sublayer S2-1 formed directly thereon. The first and second inorganic sublayers S1-1 and S2-1 consist of a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of oxides of aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf). The metal oxides of the first and second inorganic sublayers S1-1 and S2-1 are different.

[0098] The second inorganic layer U2-1 can be produced in the same way as above with regard to the embodiment. Fig. As described in section 2, training will be provided.

[0099] The first inorganic sublayer S1-1 can comprise several suitable mixtures of two or more metal oxides selected from the group comprising oxides of aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf), according to the types of the first and second process gases. For example, the first inorganic sublayer S1-1 can comprise a mixture of two or more metal oxides selected from the group comprising oxides of aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf). For the sake of simplicity, a case in which the first inorganic sublayer S1-1 comprises a mixture of two or more oxides comprising Al and Zr will be described in more detail below.

[0100] A second inorganic sublayer S2-1 can be stacked on top of the first inorganic sublayer S1-1. This second inorganic sublayer S2-1 can contain a mixture of two or more metal oxides that differs from the mixture of two or more metal oxides in the first inorganic sublayer S1-1. For example, the second inorganic sublayer S2-1 can contain a mixture of two or more metal oxides selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf). For the sake of simplicity, a case in which the second inorganic sublayer S2-1 contains a mixture of two or more metal oxides, namely Al and Hf, will be described in more detail below.

[0101] The second inorganic sublayer S2-1 can be similar to the first inorganic sublayer S1-1. For example, the first gas supply device 121A and the fifth gas supply device 125A can spray the first process gas and the fifth process gas through the first spray unit 131A and the third spray unit 131C onto the display unit D-1 and the substrate 210-1. In this case, the first process gas and the fifth process gas can be sprayed simultaneously or sequentially through the first spray unit 131A and the third spray unit 131C. For the sake of simplicity, a case in which the first process gas and the fifth process gas are sprayed simultaneously through the first spray unit 131A and the third spray unit 131C will be described in more detail below.

[0102] Furthermore, the purge gas supplied by the third gas supply device 123A can be sprayed onto the display unit D-1 and the substrate 210-1 via the shower head 130A. The fourth gas supply device 124A can spray the third process gas onto the display unit D-1 and the substrate 210-1 via the shower head 130A.

[0103] After completion of the procedures described above, the second inorganic sublayer S2-1 can be stacked on top of the first inorganic sublayer S1-1. In this case, the first inorganic sublayer S1-1 and the second inorganic sublayer S2-1 can form the first inorganic layer U1-1.

[0104] A first organic layer O1-1 and a second inorganic layer U2-1 can form on top of the first inorganic layer U1-1. In this case, the second inorganic layer U2-1 can have the first inorganic sublayer S1-1. In particular, the first inorganic sublayer S1-1 of the second inorganic layer U2-1 can be identical to the first inorganic sublayer S1-1 of the first inorganic layer U1-1, so that a detailed description of both is unnecessary.

[0105] After completion of the formation of the second inorganic layer U2-1, the display unit D-1 can be completely blocked from the outside by positioning a thin-film encapsulation layer E-1 on it.

[0106] Here too, the display device 200-1 exhibits improved moisture-blocking properties.

[0107] In particular, the display device 200-1 can effectively protect the display unit D-1 from the ingress of moisture and / or oxygen from the outside, since the first inorganic sublayer S1-1 and the second inorganic sublayer S2-1 (each) are densely formed in an amorphous form (phase). That is to say, in one embodiment, the first inorganic sublayer S1-1 and the second inorganic sublayer S2-1 are each amorphous.

[0108] Furthermore, according to a method for manufacturing the display device 200-1 and the device 100A, the first inorganic sublayer S1 and a second inorganic sublayer S2 are produced simply and quickly, which increases manufacturing efficiency. Additionally, the display device 200-1 can exhibit improved moisture barrier properties and can be mass-produced.

[0109] Fig. Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view in which a section of another example of a display device 200-2, which is made of the device consisting of Fig. 4 is produced, as shown.

[0110] Basically, the in Fig. The embodiment shown in 7 is the same as the one shown in Fig. 6. The embodiment is different, except that the second inorganic layer U2-1 consists of a first inorganic sublayer S1-2 and a second inorganic sublayer S2-2. In particular, the first inorganic sublayer S1-2 is made of ZrO2, while the second inorganic sublayer S2-2 is made of Al2O3. Both layers have a thickness of 5 nm. This results in a thickness ratio of 1:1. As shown in Fig. As can be seen in Figure 4, the second inorganic sublayer S2-2, which is made of Al2O3, is directly adjacent to the organic layer O1-2. Thus, the display device 200-2 comprises a substrate 210-2, a display unit D-2, a first inorganic layer U1-2, and a thin-film encapsulation layer E-2.

[0111] This gives the display device 200-2 improved moisture-blocking properties. In particular, the display device 200-2 can effectively protect the display unit D-2 from moisture and / or oxygen that could penetrate from the outside, since the first inorganic sublayer S1-2 and the second inorganic sublayer S2-2 (each) are densely formed in an amorphous form (phase).

[0112] Fig. Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view in which a section of another example of a display device 200-3, which is formed by the device 100A from Fig. 4 is produced, is shown, while Fig. 9 a diagram to illustrate the performance of the display device 200-3 from Fig. 8 shows.

[0113] Basically, the in Fig. The embodiment shown in 8 is the same as the one shown in Fig. 6 embodiment shown, except that the first inorganic sublayer S1-3 is made from Al2O3 and the second inorganic sublayer S2-3 is made from ZrO2.

[0114] Therefore, the display device 200-3 comprises a substrate 210-3, a display unit D-3, a second inorganic layer U2-3 and a thin-film encapsulation layer E-3.

[0115] Fig. Figure 9 shows the results of a moisture barrier test, which is used for the in Fig. The embodiment shown in section 8 is carried out. Fig.9, compared to an existing layer consisting solely of Al2O3, ZrO2, or titanium dioxide (TiO2) without a combination of inorganic sublayers, exhibits a moisture barrier property at least twice as high as that of the existing layer. The test was conducted under the conditions described above.

[0116] Therefore, the 200-3 display device has an improved moisture barrier property.

[0117] The display device, the device for manufacturing the display device, and / or any other relevant device or components according to embodiments of the present invention described herein can be implemented using suitable hardware, firmware (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit), software, or a combination of software, firmware, and hardware. For example, the various components of the device can be implemented on an integrated circuit (IC) chip or on separate IC chips. Furthermore, the various components of the device can be implemented on a flexible printed circuit board film, a tape carrier package (TCP), a printed circuit board (PCB), or on a substrate.Furthermore, the various components of these devices can be a process or thread running on one or more processors in one or more computing devices, executing computer program instructions, and interacting with other system components to perform the various functions described here. The computer program instructions are stored in memory, which can be implemented in a computing device using a conventional storage device, such as random-access memory (RAM). The computer program instructions can also be stored on other non-transitory, computer-readable media, such as a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, or similar devices.Furthermore, it should be known to a person skilled in the art that the functions of different computing devices may be combined or integrated in a single computing device, or that the function of a specific computing device may be distributed across one or more other computing devices.

Claims

Display device (200, 200-1, 200-2, 200-3), comprising: a substrate (210, 210-1, 210-2, 210-3); a display unit (D, D-1, D-2, D-3) formed on the substrate (210, 210-1, 210-2, 210-3); and a thin-film encapsulation layer (E, E-1, E-2, E-3) formed on the display unit (D, D-1, D-2, D-3), characterized in that the thin-film encapsulation layer (E, E-1, E-2, E-3) comprises at least one of (i) an inorganic layer (U1, U2, U2-1, U2-3) consisting of a mixture of Al2O3 and ZrO2; and (ii) an inorganic layer (U1-1, U1-2, U2-2, U1-3) comprising a first inorganic sublayer (S1-1, S1-2, S1-3) and a second inorganic sublayer (S2-1, S2-2, S2-3) formed directly thereon, wherein one of the first or second inorganic sublayers of the combined inorganic layer (U1-1, U1-2, U2-2, U1-3) consists of Al2O3 and the other of the first or second inorganic sublayer consists of ZrO2;and the thickness of the inorganic layer (U1, U2, U2-1, U2-3) or the thickness of the combined inorganic layer (U1-1, U1-2, U2-2, U1-3) is equal to or less than 10 nm. Apparatus for manufacturing a display device, the apparatus comprising: a chamber; a shower head in the chamber configured to spray process gases; a gas supply device configured to supply the process gases to the shower head; and a substrate support mounted in the chamber and configured to support a substrate, wherein the shower head is configured to form at least one of the following: (i) an inorganic layer (U1, U2, U2-1, U2-3) consisting of a mixture of Al2O3 and ZrO2;and (ii) an inorganic layer (U1-1, U1-2, U2-2, U1-3) comprising a first inorganic sublayer (S1-1, S1-2, S1-3) and a second inorganic sublayer (S2-1, S2-2, S2-3) formed directly thereon, wherein one of the first or second inorganic sublayers of the combined inorganic layer (U1-1, U1-2, U2-2, U1-3) consists of Al2O3 and the other of the first or second inorganic sublayer consists of ZrO2; and a thickness of the inorganic layer (U1, U2, U2-1, U2-3) or a thickness of the combined inorganic layer (U1-1, U1-2, U2-2, U1-3) is equal to or less than 10 nm. Device according to claim 2, wherein the shower head comprises: a first spray unit; and a second spray unit arranged adjacent to the first spray unit, wherein the process gases sprayed by the first spray unit and the second spray unit differ from each other. Device according to claim 2, wherein the gas supply device comprises: a first gas supply device configured to supply some of the process gases to the shower head; and a second gas supply device separate from the first gas supply device and configured to supply other process gases that differ from those supplied by the first gas supply device. Method for manufacturing a display device (200, 200-1, 200-2, 200-3) according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises: loading a substrate (210, 210-1, 210-2, 210-3) on which a display unit is formed into a chamber; and forming an inorganic layer on the display unit by atomic layer deposition (ALD) by obtaining a process gas from an external device, characterized in that the inorganic layer (E, E-1, E-2, E-3) comprises at least one of: (i) an inorganic layer (U1, U2, U2-1, U2-3) consisting of a mixture of Al2O3 and ZrO2;and (ii) an inorganic layer (U1-1, U1-2, U2-2, U1-3) comprising a first inorganic sublayer (S1-1, S1-2, S1-3) and a second inorganic sublayer (S2-1, S2-2, S2-3) formed directly thereon, wherein one of the first or second inorganic sublayers of the combined inorganic layer (U1-1, U1-2, U2-2, U1-3) consists of Al2O3 and the other of the first or second inorganic sublayer consists of ZrO2; and a thickness of the inorganic layer (U1, U2, U2-1, U2-3) or a thickness of the combined inorganic layer (U1-1, U1-2, U2-2, U1-3) is equal to or less than 10 nm.

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