Organic electroluminescent display device with separately connected signal lines and power lines

Abstract

A display device includes a TFT-OLED (thin-film transistor—organic light emitting diode) array formed on a substrate and a signal line directly coupled to the substrate and a power line separately coupled to a frame that is joined to the substrate. The signal line is formed on a surface of a circuit board that is joined to the surface of the substrate including the TFT-OLED array, through an anisotropic conductive film. The power line is an electrical cable joined to the frame. When the frame is coupled to the substrate to form the display device, the signal line is peripherally disposed from the OLED power line. The display device can advantageously include a TFT-OLED array of increased dimension because the separately connected OLED power line can accommodate high currents needed for large TFT-OLED arrays without damaging the signal line or the anisotropic conductive film.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to electroluminescent display devices, and more particularly, to display devices formed of organic light-emitting devices, and a method for manufacturing such display devices. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] OLED's are preferred as display devices because each OLED emits light by itself and backlighting is not required. Therefore, in today's rapidly advancing communication and video display technologies, it is becoming more and more desirable to utilize TFT-OLED (Thin Film Transistor-Organic Light Emitting Diode) arrays as display devices in various applications including those in which the display device is of considerably larger size. A challenge in providing OLED arrays of increased dimension, however, is that the power line and control signal lines necessary to operate the display devices of large dimensions include correspondingly increased power and current levels. When conventional technology is used to form the p...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This approach enables the creation of larger OLED arrays that can accommodate high current levels without line degradation or frame breakdown, ensuring reliable operation and extended lifespan.

Problems solved by technology

A challenge in providing OLED arrays of increased dimension, however, is that the power line and control signal lines necessary to operate the display devices of large dimensions include correspondingly increased power and current levels.

When conventional technology is used to form the power and control signal lines of increased power / current levels, they are susceptible to blow out.

Another shortcoming associated with using conventional technology to form display devices including large OLED arrays, is that when a control signal line and power line are coupled to a substrate through an ACF and the necessarily high current is applied, the resulting high temperatures can cause the ACF to break down and undesirably short together terminals and contacts that are in close proximity to one another.

Larger arrays have correspondingly higher current levels and it can be seen that even for a 2″×2″ array, conventional copper interconnect leads are incapable of accommodating the associated current and are subject to being blown out and heating up causing the degradation and destruction of the ACF.

Images