Organic light emitting device and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

An organic light-emitting device and a method for manufacturing the organic light-emitting device are disclosed. The organic light-emitting device includes a substrate, a display unit, a first voltage supply unit, a second voltage supply unit, and an insulating layer, wherein the substrate includes an active area, a dead area, and a pad area, the display unit is disposed in the active area and includes a thin film transistor, a pixel electrode, and a portion of a common electrode, the first voltage supply unit is disposed on the dead area and the pad area and is in electrical contact with the common electrode, the second voltage supply unit overlaps the common electrode and is spaced apart from and electrically insulated from the common electrode, and the insulating layer is disposed between the common electrode and the second voltage supply unit, wherein a portion of the common electrode overlapping the first voltage supply unit is closer to the pad area than a portion of the common electrode overlapping the second voltage supply unit, and an end of the insulating layer is in contact with an end of the first voltage supply unit adjacent to the active area.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2015-0062271, filed on May 1, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. Technical Field

[0003] Example embodiments relate to an organic light emitting device, and more particularly, to an organic light emitting device having an increased contact area between a common electrode and a voltage supply unit. Background Art

[0004] An organic light emitting device is a display device that may include pixels and organic light emitting devices. The light emission or the degree of light emission of each organic light emitting device may be controlled by a thin film transistor (TFT). The organic light emitting device may include a pixel electrode, an intermediate layer including an emission layer, and a common electrode opposite to the pixel electrode. The common electrode may be integrally formed on the pixel electrode and the intermediate layer and receive a voltage from a voltage supply unit, wherein the voltage supply unit may be electrically contacted with the common electrode and arranged outside a display area on which an image is displayed.

[0005] The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the inventive concept and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the invention

[0006] Example embodiments provide an organic light emitting device that can prevent unnecessary contact between a common electrode and a conductive layer and stably transmit a voltage to the common electrode.

[0007] Additional aspects will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the disclosure, or may be learned by practice of the inventive concepts.

[0008] An exemplary embodiment discloses an organic light-emitting device, which includes a substrate, a display unit, a first voltage supply unit, a second voltage supply unit and an insulating layer, wherein the substrate includes an active area, a dead area surrounding the active area, and a pad area located in an outer area of ​​the dead area, the display unit is arranged in the active area, the display unit includes a thin film transistor, a pixel electrode, and a portion of a common electrode, the first voltage supply unit is arranged on the dead area and the pad area and is electrically insulated from the common electrode, the first voltage supply unit is configured to apply a first voltage to the common electrode, the second voltage supply unit overlaps the common electrode and is spaced apart from and electrically insulated from the common electrode, the second voltage supply unit is configured to apply a second voltage to the thin film transistor, and the insulating layer is arranged on the active area and the dead area and between the common electrode and the second voltage supply unit, wherein a first portion of the common electrode overlapping with the first voltage supply unit is closer to the pad area than a second portion of the common electrode overlapping with the second voltage supply unit, and an end of the insulating layer adjacent to the first voltage supply unit is in contact with an end of the first voltage supply unit adjacent to the active area.

[0009] Exemplary embodiments also disclose an organic light-emitting device, which includes a substrate, at least one thin film transistor, at least one pixel electrode, a common electrode, a first voltage supply unit, a second voltage supply unit and an insulating layer, wherein the substrate includes an active area, a dead area surrounding the active area, and a pad area located in an outer area of ​​the dead area, at least one thin film transistor is arranged in the active area, at least one thin film transistor includes an active pattern, a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode, at least one pixel electrode is arranged in the active area and is electrically connected to one of the source electrode and the drain electrode, the common electrode faces the substrate and includes a protrusion, wherein the protrusion is arranged at an end of the common electrode adjacent to the pad area and extends toward the pad area, the first voltage supply unit is arranged on the dead area and the pad area and contacts the protrusion of the common electrode, the first voltage supply unit is configured to apply a first voltage to the common electrode, the second voltage supply unit overlaps the common electrode and is spaced apart from the common electrode and is electrically insulated, and the insulating layer is arranged above the active area and the dead area and between the common electrode and the second voltage supply unit, wherein the common electrode is arranged on at least one thin film transistor and at least one pixel electrode, and an end of the insulating layer adjacent to the first voltage supply unit contacts an end of the first voltage supply unit adjacent to the active area.

[0010] An exemplary embodiment also discloses a method for manufacturing an organic light-emitting device, the method comprising: forming an active area, a dead area surrounding the active area, and a pad area located in an outer area of ​​the dead area on a substrate; forming a thin film transistor in the active area; forming a first voltage supply unit and a second voltage supply unit in the dead area; forming an insulating layer in the active area and the dead area, wherein the insulating layer covers the thin film transistor, the first voltage supply unit, and the second voltage supply unit; forming a pixel electrode on the insulating layer in the active area; removing a portion of the insulating layer covering the first voltage supply unit; and forming a common electrode in the active area and the dead area, wherein the common electrode covers the pixel electrode, the insulating layer, and an exposed portion of the first voltage supply unit, wherein the pixel electrode, the common electrode, and the thin film transistor form a display unit, the first voltage supply unit applies a first voltage to the common electrode and the second voltage supply unit applies a second voltage to the thin film transistor, and the first voltage supply unit and the second voltage supply unit are arranged on the same layer as the drain electrode and the source electrode of the thin film transistor.

[0011] The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the inventive concepts and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the inventive concepts.

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of an organic light emitting device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 is along Figure 1 A sectional view taken along line II-II'.

[0015] Figure 3 is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line III-III'.

[0016] Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of a portion of an organic light emitting device according to a comparative embodiment.

[0017] Figure 5 is along Figure 4 A sectional view taken along line V-V'. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth for purposes of explanation to provide a comprehensive understanding of various exemplary embodiments. However, it is apparent that various exemplary embodiments may be practiced without these specific details or may be practiced using one or more equivalent arrangements. In other cases, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid unnecessarily obscuring various exemplary embodiments.

[0019] In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of layers, films, panels, regions, etc., are exaggerated for clarity and descriptive purposes. Additionally, the same reference numerals denote the same elements.

[0020] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on" another element or layer, "connected to" another element or layer, or "coupled to" another element or layer, the element or layer may be directly on the other element or layer, directly connected to the other element or layer, or directly coupled to the other element or layer, or there may be an intermediate element or layer. However, when an element or layer is referred to as being directly on another element or layer, directly connected to another element or layer, or directly coupled to another element or layer, there is no intermediate element or layer. For the purposes of this disclosure, "at least one of X, Y, and Z" and "at least one selected from the group consisting of X, Y, and Z" may be interpreted as any combination of only X, only Y, only Z, or two or more of X, Y, and Z, for example, XYZ, XYY, YZ, and ZZ. Throughout the text, the same reference numerals refer to the same element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any or all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0021] Although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer and / or section from another element, component, region, layer and / or section. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer and / or section discussed below may be referred to as a second element, component, region, layer and / or section without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0022] Spatially relative terms, such as "beneath," "below," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like, may be used herein for descriptive purposes, and thereby describe the relationship of one element or feature relative to another element or feature as shown in the figures. In addition to including the orientations depicted in the figures, spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use, operation, and / or manufacture. For example, if the device in the drawings is reversed, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features may be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "below" may include both orientations of above and below. Furthermore, the device may be oriented in other ways (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and thus, the spatially relative descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0023] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" as used herein are intended to include the plural forms as well. In addition, the terms "comprise", "comprising", "include", and / or "including", when used in this specification, illustrate the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof, rather than excluding the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0024] Various exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to cross-sectional illustrations, wherein the cross-sectional illustrations are schematic illustrations of idealized exemplary embodiments and / or intermediate structures. Thus, variations in the illustrated shapes due to, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances are expected. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein should not be interpreted as being limited to a specific illustrated shape of a region, but rather include deviations in shape due to, for example, manufacturing. For example, an implanted region shown as a rectangle will typically have rounded or curved features and / or a gradient of implant concentration at its edges rather than a binary change from an implanted region to a non-implanted region. Similarly, a buried region formed by implantation may produce some implantation in the region between the buried region and the surface where the implantation occurs. Therefore, the region shown in the figure is schematic in nature, and its shape is not intended to illustrate the actual shape of the device region and is not intended to be limiting.

[0025] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Unless explicitly defined as such herein, terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the relevant technical field and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of an organic light emitting device 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 is along Figure 1 A sectional view taken along line II-II'. Figure 3 is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line III-III'.

[0027] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the organic light emitting device 1000 includes a substrate 100, and the substrate 100 includes an active area AA and a dead area DA, wherein the active area AA is a display area, and the dead area DA is a non-display area.

[0028] A thin film transistor TFT1 and an organic light emitting device OLED electrically connected to the thin film transistor TFT1 may be arranged in the active area AA of the substrate 100. The electrical connection between the organic light emitting device OLED and the thin film transistor TFT1 may mean that the pixel electrode 231 is electrically connected to the thin film transistor TFT1. A thin film transistor TFT2 may be arranged in a dead area DA surrounding the active area AA of the substrate 100. The thin film transistor TFT2 may be a part of a circuit unit for controlling an electrical signal applied to the active area AA.

[0029] A common electrode 233 may be disposed on the active area AA and the dead area DA of the substrate 100 , and the common electrode 233 faces the substrate 100 such that the thin film transistor TFT1 and the pixel electrode 231 are disposed thereunder.

[0030] Various lines and driving units may be provided in the dead area DA of the substrate 100, wherein the driving unit is connected to the lines and applies an electrical signal or voltage to the lines. More specifically, a scan driver 110 and a data driver 120 may be provided in the dead area DA, wherein the scan driver 110 sends a scan signal to the pixel via a scan line (not shown), and the data driver 120 sends a data signal to the pixel via a data line (not shown). A first voltage supply unit 225 and a second voltage supply unit 226 may be provided in the dead area DA and the pad area PA, wherein the first voltage supply unit 225 applies a first voltage to the common electrode 233, and the second voltage supply unit 226 applies a second voltage to the thin film transistor TFT1 in the active area AA.

[0031] The second voltage line 227 is connected to the second voltage supply unit 226 and extends across the active area AA of the substrate 100 toward the dead area DA of the substrate 100. The second voltage lines 227 may be arranged in parallel with each other in the entire active area AA to uniformly apply the second voltage to each pixel. The second voltage lines 227 may be connected to each other and have a grid form so that the voltage drop in the second voltage can be reduced. The first voltage supply unit 225 and the second voltage supply unit 226 extend toward the pad area PA of the substrate 100 and are connected to the terminal T in the pad area PA.

[0032] A sealant 130 may be disposed in the dead area DA of the substrate 100, wherein the sealant 130 is separated from and surrounds the common electrode 233. The sealant 130 seals the display area (i.e., the active area AA) from an outer area of ​​the common electrode 233, and thus may prevent external moisture, oxygen, other impurities, etc. from penetrating into the display area.

[0033] The sealing member 130 may include glass frit. More specifically, the sealing member 130 may be formed by forming a paste including glass frit at a predetermined position of the substrate 100 and then melting and hardening the paste including glass frit. The glass frit may include vanadium oxide (VO 2 ) or bismuth oxide (Bi 2 O 3 ) and may also include various materials such as tellurium dioxide (TeO 2 ), zinc oxide (ZnO), barium oxide (BaO), niobium pentoxide (Nb 2 O 5 ), silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ) and phosphorus pentoxide (P 2 O 5 ) At least one of the above. The seal 130 may also include a filler formed of various materials to improve the sealing properties.

[0034] In addition to including a seal 130 surrounding the display area, the organic light-emitting device 1000 may further include a sealing medium stacked with at least one insulating layer. The sealing medium may include at least one organic layer and / or at least one inorganic layer, and the at least one organic layer and the at least one inorganic layer may be alternately stacked. The sealing medium may effectively seal the display area and provide flexibility to the display device.

[0035] In the following, reference will be made to Figure 2 The structure of the organic light emitting device 1000 is described in detail.

[0036] When the organic light-emitting device 1000 is a bottom emission type, a display image can be viewed through the substrate 100. In this case, the substrate 100 may be made of a substrate mainly including silicon dioxide (SiO 2 Alternatively, the substrate 100 may be formed of a transparent plastic including an insulating organic material.

[0037] When the organic light emitting device 1000 is a top emission type, displaying an image may be implemented in a direction opposite to the substrate 100. In this case, the substrate 100 may not include a transparent material but include metal.

[0038] The thin film transistor TFT1 may be disposed in the active area AA of the substrate 100 and include an active pattern 221 , a gate electrode 222 , a source electrode 223 , and a drain electrode 224 , respectively.

[0039] A buffer layer 212 may be formed on the substrate 100. The buffer layer 212 may prevent impurities from penetrating into the substrate 100 and provide a flat surface for the substrate 100. The buffer layer 212 may include an inorganic material or an organic material and may be formed of a plurality of layers.

[0040] The active pattern 221 may be formed of an inorganic semiconductor such as silicon or an organic semiconductor and disposed on the buffer layer 212. The active pattern 221 may include a source region, a drain region, and a channel region between the source region and the drain region. When the active pattern 221 is formed of amorphous silicon, an amorphous silicon layer may be formed on the entire substrate 100 and then the amorphous silicon layer may be crystallized and a crystalline silicon layer may be formed. The crystalline silicon layer may be patterned, and the source region and the drain region disposed on the edge of the active pattern 221 may be doped with impurities, thereby forming an active pattern 221 including an active region, a drain region, and a channel region between the source region and the drain region.

[0041] A gate insulating layer 213 may be formed on the active pattern 221. The gate insulating layer 213 may insulate the active pattern 221 from the gate electrode 222, and the gate insulating layer 213 may be made of a material such as silicon nitride (SiN X ) or silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) is formed by inorganic materials.

[0042] The gate electrode 222 may be formed on a predetermined portion of the gate insulating layer 213. The gate electrode 222 is connected to a scan line (not shown) that transmits an on / off signal to the thin film transistor TFT1, etc. The gate electrode 222 may include gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), aluminum (Al), and molybdenum (Mo) and alloys thereof, such as aluminum-neodymium (Al:Nd) and molybdenum-tungsten (Mo:W). Alternatively, the gate electrode 222 may be formed of various materials according to design.

[0043] The intermediate insulating layer 214 formed on the gate electrode 222 may insulate the gate electrode 222 from the source electrode 223 and the drain electrode 224. The intermediate insulating layer 214 may include a material such as SiN X or SiO 2 A single layer or multiple layers of inorganic materials.

[0044] The source electrode 223 and the drain electrode 224 may be formed on the intermediate insulating layer 214. More specifically, the intermediate insulating layer 214 and the gate insulating layer 213 may be formed to expose the source and drain regions of the active pattern 221, and the source electrode 223 and the drain electrode 224 may be formed to contact the exposed source and drain regions of the active pattern 221.

[0045] The first voltage supply unit 225, the second voltage supply unit 226, and the second voltage line 227 connected to the second voltage supply unit 226 may be formed on the same layer as the source electrode 223 and the drain electrode 224. A data line (not shown) may be formed parallel to the second voltage line 227 and may be disposed on the same layer as the source electrode 223 and the drain electrode 224.

[0046] Figure 2 A top gate type thin film transistor TFT1 is shown sequentially including an active pattern 221, a gate electrode 222, a source electrode 223, and a drain electrode 224. According to an exemplary embodiment, the gate electrode 222 may be disposed under the active pattern 221.

[0047] The insulating layer 215 covering the source electrode 223 and the drain electrode 224 of the thin film transistor TFT1 may be arranged to protect the thin film transistor TFT1, etc. Thus, the data line and the second voltage line 227 formed on the same layer as the source electrode 223 and the drain electrode 224 and the second voltage supply unit 226 connected to the second voltage line 227 may be insulated by the insulating layer 215. The insulating layer 215 may include an organic material such as poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), a phenolic polymer derivative, an acrylate polymer, an imide polymer, an aromatic ether polymer, an amide polymer, a fluorine polymer, a paraxylene polymer, a vinyl alcohol polymer, and any combination thereof. Alternatively, the insulating layer 215 may be formed of an inorganic material. When the insulating layer 215 is formed of an inorganic material, the insulating layer 215 may include silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ), Silicon Nitride (SiN X ), silicon oxynitride (SiON), aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), Tantalum pentoxide (Ta 2 O 5 ), hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ), zirconium oxide (ZrO 2), barium strontium titanate (BST), lead zirconate titanate (PZT), etc. The insulating layer 215 may be a stacked member in which an inorganic insulating layer and an organic insulating layer are stacked.

[0048] A hole 230 may be formed in the insulating layer 215 so that a portion of the drain electrode 224 or the source electrode 223 may be exposed.

[0049] The pixel electrode 231 may be formed on the insulating layer 215 and include a contact plug covering the entire inner surface or a portion of the inner surface of the hole 230 or filling the hole 230. The pixel electrode 231 may be electrically connected to the drain electrode 224 or the source electrode 223 of the thin film transistor TFT1 via the hole 230 formed in the pixel electrode 231. Accordingly, the driving current applied by the thin film transistor TFT1 may flow to the organic light emitting device OLED.

[0050] In the active area AA of the substrate 100 , an organic light emitting device OLED including a pixel electrode 231 , a common electrode 233 and an intermediate layer 232 including an emission layer disposed between the pixel electrode 231 and the common electrode 233 may be disposed on the insulating layer 215 .

[0051] The pixel electrode 231 may be a transparent (semi-transparent) electrode or a reflective electrode. When the pixel electrode 231 is a transparent (semi-transparent) electrode, the pixel electrode 231 may include indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), indium oxide (In 2 O 3 ), indium gallium oxide (IGO) or zinc aluminum oxide (AZO). When the pixel electrode 231 is a reflective electrode, the pixel electrode 231 may include a reflective layer formed of silver (Ag), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), neodymium (Nd), iridium (Ir), chromium (Cr) or a compound thereof, and a reflective layer formed of ITO, IZO, ZnO, In 2 O 3 The pixel electrode 231 may have a single layer structure or a multi-layer structure.

[0052] The pixel defining layer 216 may be disposed on the insulating layer 215. The pixel defining layer 216 includes openings corresponding to respective sub-pixels, that is, an opening exposing at least a central portion of the pixel electrode 231, and thereby defines a pixel. Figure 2As shown in , the pixel defining layer 216 may increase the distance between the end of the pixel electrode 231 and the common electrode 233 disposed on the pixel electrode 231, which may prevent arcing at the end of the pixel electrode 231. The pixel defining layer 216 is disposed on the insulating layer 215, and the pixel defining layer 216 may be disposed in the dead area DA or may not be disposed in the dead area DA, wherein the dead area DA is disposed on the outer area of ​​the active area AA. The pixel defining layer 216 may be formed of an organic material including at least one of polyimide, polyamide, acrylic resin, benzocyclobutene (BCB), and phenol resin by spin coating, etc.

[0053] The intermediate layer 232 of the organic light emitting device OLED may include a low molecular material or a high molecular material. When the intermediate layer 232 includes a low molecular material, the intermediate layer 232 may have a single layer structure including a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), an emission layer (EML), an electron transport layer (ETL), an electron injection layer (EIL), etc., or a multilayer structure thereof. The organic material forming the intermediate layer 232 may be changed and include, for example, copper phthalocyanine (CuPc), N, N'-Di (naphthalene-1-yl) -N, N'-diphenyl-benzidine (NPB), tri-8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq3), etc. The aforementioned layers may be formed by vacuum deposition.

[0054] When the intermediate layer 232 includes a polymer material, the intermediate layer 232 may have a structure including an HTL and an EML. In this case, the HTL may be formed of a polymer material such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) by inkjet printing, laser induced thermal imaging (LITI), etc., and the EML may be formed of a polymer material such as a polyphenylene vinylene (PPV)-based polymer material or a polyfluorene-based polymer material.

[0055] The common electrode 233 may be disposed above the active area AA and the dead area DA. Figure 1 As shown in , the common electrode 233 may cover the active area AA. More specifically, the common electrode 233 may be integrally formed on the pixel electrode 231 and the intermediate layer 232 of each organic light emitting device OLED and may be an opposing electrode facing each pixel electrode 231.

[0056] The common electrode 233 may be a transparent (semi-transparent) electrode or a reflective electrode. When the common electrode 233 is a transparent (semi-transparent) electrode, the common electrode 233 may include a layer containing a metal having a low work function such as lithium (Li), calcium (Ca), lithium fluoride / calcium (LiF / Ca), lithium fluoride / aluminum (LiF / Al), aluminum (Al), magnesium (Mg) or a combination thereof, and a layer containing ITO, IZO, ZnO, In 2 O 3When the common electrode 233 is a reflective electrode, the common electrode 233 may include a layer containing Li, Ca, LiF / Ca, LiF / Al, Al, Mg, or a combination thereof.

[0057] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 3 The shape and arrangement of the common electrode 233 are described in detail. First, the first voltage supply unit 225 and the second voltage supply unit 226 will be described.

[0058] The first voltage supply unit 225 in electrical contact with the common electrode 233 may be disposed in the dead area DA on the outer area of ​​the active area AA of the substrate 100. The common electrode 233 may be disposed over the active area AA and the dead area DA of the substrate 100 and in electrical contact with at least a portion of the first voltage supply unit 225 disposed in the dead area DA, thereby receiving the first voltage from the first voltage supply unit 225.

[0059] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG, a surface of the common electrode 233 may directly contact a surface of the first voltage supply unit 225 in the contact area CA. Alternatively, the common electrode 233 may indirectly contact the first voltage supply unit 225 via a conductive layer disposed therebetween.

[0060] The larger the size of the contact area CA is, the more stably the first voltage can be applied to the common electrode 233 through the first voltage supply unit 225. For example, when the first voltage is constantly applied to the common electrode 233 or when the common electrode 233 is grounded, the potential of the common electrode 233 can be constant. Thus, the increase in the size of the contact area CA between the first voltage supply unit 225 and the common electrode 233 can provide a stable surface contact so that the potential in the common electrode 233 can be constant.

[0061] Reference Figure 2, the following process may be performed to achieve sufficient contact between the common electrode 233 and the first voltage supply unit 225 in the contact area CA. In the dead area DA of the substrate 100, after the first voltage supply unit 225 and the second voltage supply unit 226 are formed on the same layer as the source electrode 223 and the drain electrode 224, the insulating layer 215 may be formed to cover the source electrode 223, the drain electrode 224, the first voltage supply unit 225, and the second voltage supply unit 226. Then, the portion of the insulating layer 215 covering the first voltage supply unit 225, that is, the area above the first voltage supply unit 225 to be formed as the contact area CA, may be removed by etching or the like. In this case, the portion of the insulating layer 215 disposed above the second voltage supply unit 226 may be retained so as to, for example, prevent contact between the second voltage supply unit 226 and the common electrode 233, which otherwise may cause a short circuit and damage the pixel circuit. Accordingly, the insulating layer 215 between the second voltage supply unit 226 and the common electrode 233 may prevent or reduce damage to the pixel circuit. After the pixel electrode 231 and the intermediate layer 232 are formed on the insulating layer 215 , the common electrode 233 is disposed over the active area AA and the dead area DA of the substrate 100 .

[0062] like Figure 2 As shown in , through the above-mentioned process, in the dead area DA of the substrate 100, the end of the insulating layer 215 adjacent to the first voltage supply unit 225 may contact or partially overlap with the end of the first voltage supply unit 225 adjacent to the active area AA. Since a substantial portion of the upper surface of the first voltage supply unit 225 may be exposed by removing the portion of the insulating layer 215 disposed on the first voltage supply unit 225, the common electrode 233 may cover the upper surface of the first voltage supply unit 225. Therefore, the potential of the common electrode 233 receiving the first voltage from the first voltage supply unit 225 may be uniformly maintained by sufficiently increasing the contact area CA between the common electrode 233 and the first voltage supply unit 225.

[0063] Return to reference Figure 1 , in the dead area DA of the substrate 100, when the area of ​​the common electrode 233 increases to the line AA' to cover most of the upper surface of the first voltage supply unit 225, the second voltage supply unit 226 may also be covered by the common electrode 233 increased to the line AA'. In this case, the area of ​​the insulating layer 215 disposed between the second voltage supply unit 226 and the common electrode 233 may also increase to correspond to the common electrode 233 increased to the line AA'. However, it may be difficult to increase the area of ​​the insulating layer 215 in a direction toward the sealant 130 disposed on the relatively outermost area of ​​the dead area DA, which will be described in detail below.

[0064] According to example embodiments, in the dead area DA of the substrate 100 , a portion of the common electrode 233 over the first voltage supply unit 225 may have a shape different from a shape of a portion of the common electrode 233 over the second voltage supply unit 226 .

[0065] More specifically, if Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown in FIG, in the dead area DA of the substrate 100, the portion of the common electrode 233 in contact with the first voltage supply unit 225 may be closer to the pad area PA of the substrate 100 than the portion of the common electrode 233 overlapping with the second voltage supply unit 226. The portion of the common electrode 233 in contact with the first voltage supply unit 225 and the portion of the common electrode 233 overlapping with the second voltage supply unit 226 are arranged on different layers. More specifically, the insulating layer 215 is disposed between the common electrode 233 and the second voltage supply unit 226.

[0066] like Figure 1 As shown in , the protrusion 234 protruding toward the pad area PA may extend from the end of the common electrode 233 adjacent to the pad area PA above the first voltage supply unit 225. The protrusion 234 of the common electrode 233 may protrude from a portion of the common electrode 233 contacting the first voltage supply unit 225, but the protrusion 234 may not be formed on a portion of the common electrode 233 overlapping the second voltage supply unit 226. In addition, as Figure 3 As shown in , the insulating layer 215 may not be disposed on a portion of the common electrode 233 that contacts the first voltage supply unit 225, but may be disposed on a portion of the common electrode 233 that overlaps the second voltage supply unit 226. Therefore, since the common electrode 233 contacts the first voltage supply unit 225 but does not contact the second voltage supply unit 226, the first voltage may be stably applied to the common electrode 233.

[0067] In the following, reference will be made to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The effects of the shape and arrangement of the common electrode 233 are described in detail.

[0068] Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of a portion of an organic light emitting device 2000 according to a comparative embodiment. Figure 5 is along Figure 4 A sectional view taken along line V-V'.

[0069] As described above, the contact area between the common electrode 233 and the first voltage supply unit 225 may be increased to smoothly apply the first voltage to the common electrode 233 , so that the potential in the common electrode 233 may be constant.

[0070] In a comparative embodiment, Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the common electrode 33 covers the upper portions of the first voltage supply unit 25 and the second voltage supply unit 26 up to the line AA'. In the dead area DA' of the substrate 10, the insulating layer 15 may be formed up to the line AA', wherein the line AA' may correspond to the end of the adjacent pad area PA' of the first voltage supply unit 25. However, when the insulating layer 15 extends to the line AA', the insulating layer 15 may be damaged when the sealing member 30 disposed outside the insulating layer 15 is formed in the dead area DA' of the substrate 10, and this may deteriorate the thin film transistor TFT1' formed under the insulating layer 15.

[0071] More specifically, the insulating layer 15 may have a greater thickness than the other insulating layers 13 and 14 to flatten the uneven portion generated during the formation of the thin film transistor TFT1', so that the insulating layer 15 can cover and protect the thin film transistor TFT1'. Thus, the insulating layer 15 may include an organic material. However, when the seal 30 is formed to surround the outer side of the insulating layer 15 in the dead area DA' of the substrate 10, if the distance between the insulating layer 15 and the seal 30 is less than the minimum distance, the insulating layer 15 including the organic material may be easily degraded by the heat applied to the glass frit or the like during the formation of the seal 30. Accordingly, in the dead area DA' of the substrate 10, the insulating layer 15 and the seal 30 surrounding the outer side of the insulating layer 15 should be spaced apart from each other.

[0072] according to Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the comparative embodiment, when the insulating layer 15 is formed to the line AA′ corresponding to the end of the first voltage supply unit 25 adjacent to the pad area PA′, the insulating layer 15 may not be sufficiently spaced apart from the sealant 30 , which may damage the insulating layer 15 .

[0073] The organic light emitting device 1000 according to the exemplary embodiment includes a reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The display device shown in the figure can increase the contact area CA between the first voltage supply unit 225 and the common electrode 233 without increasing the area of ​​the insulating layer 215 in the dead area DA of the substrate 100. More specifically, a portion of the common electrode 233 that contacts the upper portion of the first voltage supply unit 225 can protrude toward the seal 130, and a portion of the common electrode 233 that overlaps the upper portion of the second voltage supply unit 226 is relatively separated from the seal 130, wherein the insulating layer 215 is disposed between the common electrode 233 and the second voltage supply unit 226. Thus, the first voltage can be smoothly applied to the common electrode 233 through the first voltage supply unit 225.

[0074] Therefore, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept, the electrical connection between the common electrode and the voltage supply unit can be smoothly established, and thus the organic light emitting device can stably apply voltage to the common electrode. In addition, the organic light emitting device can prevent unnecessary contact between the common electrode and the conductive layer.

[0075] Although certain exemplary embodiments and implementations have been described herein, other embodiments and modifications will become apparent from this specification. Accordingly, the inventive concept is not limited to such exemplary embodiments, but rather to the broader scope of the claims set forth and various obvious modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. Organic light-emitting devices, include: A substrate including an active area and a pad area located in an outer area of ​​the active area; at least one thin film transistor disposed in the active area; at least one pixel electrode disposed in the active area and electrically connected to the at least one thin film transistor; a common electrode facing the substrate and comprising a protrusion, the protrusion being disposed at an end of the common electrode adjacent to the pad area and extending toward the pad area; a first voltage supply unit disposed between the active area and the pad area and in contact with the protrusion of the common electrode, the first voltage supply unit being configured to apply a first voltage to the common electrode, wherein the protrusion covers an upper surface of the first voltage supply unit; as well as an insulating layer, disposed between the common electrode and the at least one thin film transistor, wherein the insulating layer covers an end portion of the first voltage supply unit adjacent to the active area, The common electrode is disposed on the at least one thin film transistor and the at least one pixel electrode.

2. The organic light emitting device according to claim 1, further comprising: include: The second voltage supply unit overlaps with the common electrode, wherein the insulating layer is disposed between the second voltage supply unit and the common electrode.

3. The organic light emitting device according to claim 2, further comprising: include: a second voltage line extending from the second voltage supply unit across the active area, The second voltage supply unit is configured to apply a second voltage to the at least one thin film transistor via at least one of the second voltage lines. 4 . The organic light emitting device of claim 2 , wherein the second voltage supply unit is disposed between the active area and the first voltage supply unit in a plan view. 5 . The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein an end portion of the first voltage supply unit adjacent to the pad region does not overlap the insulating layer. 6 . The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is disposed on the first voltage supply unit. The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the insulating layer comprises an organic material.

8. The organic light emitting device according to claim 1, further comprising: include: A sealing member is disposed outside the active area, wherein the sealing member is spaced apart from the common electrode and the insulating layer and surrounds the common electrode and the insulating layer.

9. The organic light emitting device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one thin film transistor comprises an active pattern, a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode, The first voltage supply unit and the second voltage supply unit are disposed on the same layer as the source electrode and the drain electrode of the at least one thin film transistor.

10. The organic light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion comprises a first protrusion and a second protrusion, The insulating layer includes an insulating protrusion, and the insulating protrusion is arranged between the first protrusion and the second protrusion.

11. Organic light-emitting devices, include: A substrate including an active area and a pad area located in an outer area of ​​the active area; at least one thin film transistor disposed in the active area; at least one pixel electrode disposed in the active area and electrically connected to the at least one thin film transistor; a common electrode facing the substrate and comprising a protrusion, the protrusion being disposed at an end of the common electrode adjacent to the pad area and extending toward the pad area; a first voltage supply unit disposed between the active area and the pad area and in contact with the protrusion of the common electrode, the first voltage supply unit being configured to apply a first voltage to the common electrode, wherein the protrusion covers an upper surface of the first voltage supply unit; as well as an insulating layer, disposed between the common electrode and the at least one thin film transistor, wherein the protrusion comprises a first protrusion and a second protrusion, The insulating layer includes an insulating protrusion, and the insulating protrusion is arranged between the first protrusion and the second protrusion.

12. The organic light emitting device according to claim 11, further comprising: include: The second voltage supply unit overlaps with the common electrode, wherein the insulating layer is disposed between the second voltage supply unit and the common electrode.

13. The organic light emitting device according to claim 12, further comprising: include: a second voltage line extending from the second voltage supply unit across the active area, The second voltage supply unit is configured to apply a second voltage to the at least one thin film transistor via at least one of the second voltage lines. 14 . The organic light emitting device of claim 12 , wherein the second voltage supply unit is disposed between the active area and the first voltage supply unit in a plan view. 15 . The organic light emitting device of claim 11 , wherein the insulating layer covers an end portion of the first voltage supply unit adjacent to the active area.

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