Organic light emitting display device

Abstract

An organic light emitting display device includes a substrate including first to third sub-pixels, first to third light emitting diodes disposed on the substrate and respectively located in the first to third sub-pixels, and a transmittance control layer arranged to correspond to a transmission direction of light emitted from the first to third light emitting diodes and including a gray pattern, wherein the gray pattern is arranged to cover a transparent pattern in a lens shape and has different thicknesses according to areas in contact with the transparent pattern.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0181913, filed in Korea on December 17, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, as if fully set forth herein. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to an organic light-emitting display device with a limited viewing angle. Background Technology

[0004] Recently, as society has entered the information age, there has been increased interest in information displays that process and display large amounts of information. Furthermore, with the increasing demand for portable information media, various lightweight and thin flat panel displays have been developed and are attracting much attention.

[0005] In particular, among various flat panel display devices, organic light-emitting display devices (OLEDs) are self-emissive devices and do not require backlighting as used in liquid crystal display devices (LCDs), which are non-self-emissive devices, thus enabling them to be lightweight and thin.

[0006] Such organic light-emitting display devices are widely used as displays for a variety of products, including not only portable electronic devices such as mobile communication terminals, electronic notebooks, e-books, PMPs (portable multimedia players), navigation devices, UMPCs (ultra-mobile computers), mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches, but also televisions, laptops, monitors, and ATMs.

[0007] Meanwhile, conventional organic light-emitting display devices do not have viewing angle limitations. However, recently, viewing angle limitations have become necessary for reasons of privacy and information protection.

[0008] For example, devices such as ATMs in financial institutions, in-car navigation systems, laptops, and tablets need to restrict the field of view in the left-right or up-down directions to protect privacy.

[0009] In particular, in the case of in-vehicle navigation, when the vertical viewing angle of the organic light-emitting display device is wide, the image displayed on the device may reduce the driver's attention and interfere with driving. Furthermore, when driving at night, the image displayed on the organic light-emitting display device may be reflected onto the vehicle's windshield, which could adversely affect the driver's safe driving.

[0010] Therefore, structures using light control films to limit viewing angles have recently been proposed. However, these films are expensive, increasing the manufacturing cost of organic light-emitting display devices, and the thickness of the devices also increases due to the addition of the films. Consequently, it is difficult to achieve the lightweight and thin organic light-emitting display devices that have been recently desired. Summary of the Invention

[0011] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an organic light-emitting display device that substantially eliminates one or more problems caused by the limitations and disadvantages of the prior art.

[0012] One advantage of the present invention is that it provides an organic light-emitting display device with a limited viewing angle.

[0013] Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides an organic light-emitting display device with reduced cost and simple structure.

[0014] Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides an organic light-emitting display device that, when installed in a vehicle, can adjust the viewing angle and prevent images from being reflected on the windshield of the vehicle and obstructing the driver's view.

[0015] Additional features and advantages of this disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from that description, or may be learned by practice of this disclosure. These and other advantages of this disclosure will be realized and obtained by means of the structures specifically pointed out in the written description and its claims and the accompanying drawings.

[0016] To achieve these and other advantages, and in accordance with the purposes of this disclosure, as embodied and generally described herein, an organic light-emitting display device includes: a substrate including first sub-pixels to third sub-pixels; first light-emitting diodes to third light-emitting diodes disposed on the substrate and respectively located in the first sub-pixels to the third sub-pixels; and a transmittance control layer arranged to correspond to the transmission direction of light emitted from the first light-emitting diodes to the third light-emitting diodes, and including a gray pattern, wherein the gray pattern is arranged to cover a transparent pattern in the shape of a lens and has a different thickness depending on the area in contact with the transparent pattern.

[0017] It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory, and are intended to provide further explanation of the claimed disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0018] This disclosure includes accompanying drawings to provide a further understanding of the disclosure. The drawings are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrating embodiments of the disclosure and serving, together with the description, to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings:

[0019] Figure 1This is a plan view illustrating a plurality of sub-pixels in an organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 The cross-sectional view taken along line II-II' shows the structure of a unit pixel comprising three sub-pixels in an organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a view showing the optical path of an organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4A It is a graph showing the transmittance according to the wavelength of light;

[0023] Figure 4B It is a graph showing the light efficiency generated by the recycling based on the viewing angle;

[0024] Figure 5A This is a cross-sectional view showing a sub-pixel of an organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention from a vertical perspective;

[0025] Figure 5B This is a cross-sectional view showing a sub-pixel of an organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6A This is a front view showing the shape of the transparent pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6B This is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a unit pixel comprising three sub-pixels in the horizontal direction of a transparent lens in an organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0028] Figure 7 It is a graph showing the transmittance of each sub-pixel in the horizontal direction. Detailed Implementation

[0029] In the following description, embodiments of the invention are illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a plan view illustrating a plurality of sub-pixels in an organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 The cross-sectional view taken along line II-II' shows the structure of a unit pixel comprising three sub-pixels in an organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, in the organic light-emitting display device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a unit pixel P may include a red sub-pixel R-SP, a green sub-pixel G-SP, and a blue sub-pixel B-SP. Each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP may include a light-emitting region EA, and a dam 119 may be provided along the edge of the light-emitting region EA to form a non-light-emitting region NEA.

[0032] In this configuration, red sub-pixels R-SP, green sub-pixels G-SP, and blue sub-pixels B-SP can be alternately arranged in the horizontal direction, and each of the multiple red sub-pixels R-SP, green sub-pixels G-SP, and blue sub-pixels B-SP can be arranged in the vertical direction.

[0033] Here, for ease of illustration, a structure in which the individual sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, or B-SP are arranged in a stripe pattern is shown. However, the individual sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, or B-SP can be formed by polygons, but are not limited thereto, and the individual sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, or B-SP can have various shapes such as circles, ellipses, and semi-ellipses.

[0034] Furthermore, sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP are shown as arranged side by side with the same width, but sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP can include various structures with different widths.

[0035] At this time, a switching thin-film transistor STr and a driving thin-film transistor DTr can be disposed on the non-light-emitting region NEA of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP. A light-emitting diode E, including a first electrode 111, an organic light-emitting layer 113, and a second electrode 115, can be disposed on the light-emitting region EA of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP.

[0036] Here, the switching thin-film transistor STr and the driving thin-film transistor DTr can be connected to each other, and the driving thin-film transistor DTr can be connected to the light-emitting diode E.

[0037] More specifically, gate line GL, data line DL, and power line VDD can be disposed on substrate 101 to define each of sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP.

[0038] The switching thin-film transistor STr and the driving thin-film transistor DTr can be located on the switching region TrA of the non-light-emitting region NEA of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP. The switching thin-film transistor STr can be formed in the region where the gate line GL and the data line DL intersect each other, and the switching thin-film transistor STr can be used to select each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP.

[0039] A switching thin-film transistor STr may include a gate SG branching from the gate line GL, a semiconductor layer (not shown), a source SS, and a drain SD.

[0040] The driving thin-film transistor DTr can be used to drive the light-emitting diode E of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP selected by the switching thin-film transistor STr. The driving thin-film transistor DTr may include a gate DG connected to the drain SD of the switching thin-film transistor STr, a semiconductor layer 103, a source DS connected to the power line VDD, and a drain DD.

[0041] At this time, the semiconductor layer 103 may be made of silicon and may include an active region 103a in which a channel is formed at its central portion, and a source region 103b and a drain region 103c in which high concentrations of impurities are doped at the two side portions of the active region 103a.

[0042] The gate insulating layer 105 may be located between the semiconductor layer 103 and the gate DG, and the first interlayer insulating layer 109a may be located between the gate DG and the source DS and drain DD. In this case, the first interlayer insulating layer 109a and the gate insulating layer 105 may include a first semiconductor layer contact hole 116 and a second semiconductor layer contact hole 116 that expose the source region 103b and the drain region 103c.

[0043] Therefore, the source DS and the drain DD can contact the source region 103b and the drain region 103c of the semiconductor layer 103 through the first semiconductor layer contact hole 116 and the second semiconductor layer contact hole 116, respectively.

[0044] The second interlayer insulation layer 109b may be located on the source DS and the drain DD, as well as on the first interlayer insulation layer 109a exposed between the source DS and the drain DD.

[0045] The first electrode 111 of the light-emitting diode E can be located on the second interlayer insulating layer 109b, and the first electrode 111 can be connected to the drain DD of the driving thin film transistor DTr through the drain contact hole PH provided in the second interlayer insulating layer 109b.

[0046] For example, the first electrode 111 may be made of a material with a relatively high work function and form the anode of the light-emitting diode E. The first electrode 111 may be arranged for each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, or B-SP, and the embankment 119 may be located between the first electrodes 111 of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP.

[0047] For each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP and B-SP, the first electrode 111 may have a separate structure, with the embankment 119 serving as the boundary of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP and B-SP.

[0048] Furthermore, the organic light-emitting layer 113 can be located on the first electrode 111. The organic light-emitting layer 113 can be composed of a single layer made of a light-emitting material. Alternatively, the organic light-emitting layer 113 can be composed of multiple layers, including a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light-emitting material layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer, to improve luminous efficiency.

[0049] The second electrode 115 forming the cathode can be located on the entire surface of the organic light-emitting layer 113, and the second electrode 115 can be made of a material with a relatively small work function.

[0050] In the organic light-emitting display device 100, when a predetermined voltage is applied to the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 115 according to a selected signal, holes injected from the first electrode 111 and electrons injected from the second electrode 115 are transferred to the organic light-emitting layer 113 to form excitons, and when these excitons transition from the excited state to the ground state, they generate and emit light in the form of visible light.

[0051] Here, since the organic light-emitting display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be a top-emitting type, the light emitted from the organic light-emitting layer 113 can pass through the second electrode 115 and be emitted out, so that the organic light-emitting display device 100 can ultimately realize any image.

[0052] The top-emitting display device can have a wide range of switching thin-film transistors STr and driving thin-film transistors DTr disposed below the embankment 119 and the first electrode 111, thus having the advantage that the design area of ​​the thin-film transistors STr and DTr is wider than that of the bottom-emitting display device.

[0053] In this configuration, the first electrode 111, serving as the anode, can be formed from a highly reflective metallic material (e.g., aluminum (Al) or silver (Ag)) or from a stacked structure of aluminum (Al) or silver (Ag) and ITO. The second electrode 115, serving as the cathode, can be formed from a transparent metallic material such as ITO or IZO, or from a semi-transparent metallic thin film using magnesium (Mg), silver (Ag), or magnesium (Mg) and silver (Ag), allowing light emitted from the organic light-emitting layer 113 to be transmitted.

[0054] The passivation layer 102 in the form of a thin film and the encapsulation substrate 104 can be sequentially located on the thin film transistors STr and DTr and the light-emitting diode E. The passivation layer 102 can be used to prevent moisture from penetrating into each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP and B-SP, and to protect the organic light-emitting layer 113 from the influence of external moisture or oxygen.

[0055] Furthermore, the passivation layer 102 can be used to protect the thin-film transistors STr and DTr, as well as the light-emitting diode E, from external impacts. Additionally, the passivation layer 102 can be used to bond the substrate 101 and the package substrate 104.

[0056] Therefore, the organic light-emitting display device 100 can be packaged. Here, in the organic light-emitting display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, an organic light-emitting layer 113 that emits light of different colors for each sub-pixel R-SP, G-SP and B-SP can be formed.

[0057] In other words, in the red sub-pixel R-SP, the organic light-emitting layer 113 emitting red light can be located within the entire light-emitting area EA of the red sub-pixel R-SP. In the green sub-pixel G-SP, the organic light-emitting layer 113 emitting green light can be located within the entire light-emitting area EA of the green sub-pixel G-SP. In the blue sub-pixel B-SP, the organic light-emitting layer 113 emitting blue light can be located within the entire light-emitting area EA of the blue sub-pixel B-SP.

[0058] Therefore, the organic light-emitting display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can emit light of color R, color G and color B from each sub-pixel R-SP, G-SP and B-SP to achieve full color with high brightness.

[0059] In particular, in the organic light-emitting display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the transmittance control layer 200 may be arranged to correspond to the transmission direction of light emitted from the organic light-emitting layer 113.

[0060] The transmittance control layer 200 may include a black matrix 201 arranged to correspond to a non-emitting region NEA of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP and B-SP, and a transparent pattern 203 arranged to correspond to an emitting region EA of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP and B-SP, and may further include a gray pattern 205 covering the transparent pattern 203.

[0061] The black matrix 201 can block light incident from the organic light-emitting layer 113 at an angle greater than or equal to a specific angle relative to the vertical plane of the organic light-emitting display device 100. Figure 3 (L2 and L3). Thus, in the organic light-emitting display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the viewing angle is limited.

[0062] In particular, the black matrix 201 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a reflective layer 201a, such that light emitted from each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP and B-SP ( Figure 3 The L3 light source is reflected and recovered, and the light efficiency is further improved. This will be described in more detail later.

[0063] Furthermore, the transparent pattern 203 of the transmittance control layer 200 can be formed into a semi-elliptical or semi-circular shape with a curved surface and arranged to correspond to the light-emitting region EA of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP. Due to the transparent pattern 203, the thickness of the gray pattern 205 of the transmittance control layer 200 is ( ) for each region. Figure 3 t1 and t2 can be formed differently.

[0064] Therefore, the organic light-emitting display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can control the light emitted from each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP. Figure 3 The transmittance of L1, L2, L3, and L4. Therefore, light incident at an angle less than or equal to a specific angle ( Figure 3 L1) is transmitted, and light incident at an angle greater than or equal to a specific angle ( Figure 3 L2 and L4 are blocked from outputting to the outside. Therefore, the vertical and / or horizontal viewing angles of the organic light-emitting diode display 100 can be controlled to a narrow viewing angle.

[0065] A polarizer 120 for preventing contrast reduction caused by external light can be located on the transmittance control layer 200. That is, in the organic light-emitting display device 100, the polarizer 120 that blocks external light incident from the outside can be located in the transmission direction of light emitted from the organic light-emitting layer 113 in the driving mode for realizing an image, thereby improving contrast.

[0066] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the optical path of an organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4A and Figure 4B It is a graph showing the light efficiency generated by the recycling based on the viewing angle.

[0067] Figure 5A This is a cross-sectional view showing a sub-pixel of an organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from a vertical perspective. Figure 5B This is a cross-sectional view showing a sub-pixel of an organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] like Figure 3As shown, the transmittance control layer 200 may include a black matrix 201 arranged to correspond to the non-emitting region NEA of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP and B-SP, and a transparent pattern 203 arranged to correspond to the emitting region EA of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP and B-SP, and may further include a gray pattern 205 covering the transparent pattern 203.

[0069] Here, the transparent pattern 203 can have a semi-elliptical or semi-circular lens shape including a curved surface. The diameter s1 of the transparent pattern 203 with the curved surface can be greater than the width w1 of the light-emitting area EA of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP or B-SP, so the transparent pattern 203 can be set on the entire light-emitting area EA, and thus all the light emitted from the light-emitting area EA can be contained in the transparent pattern 203.

[0070] In other words, the transparent pattern 203 can be arranged such that it has a size larger than the luminous area EA of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP and B-SP, so as to cover at least a portion of all luminous areas EA and non-luminous areas NEA.

[0071] Here, the width w1 of the light-emitting area EA can refer to the longest width within the light-emitting area EA.

[0072] The transparent pattern 203 may be made of an adhesive resin (e.g., at least one resin selected from the group consisting of polyester-based, acrylic-based, polyurethane-based, melamine-based, polyvinyl alcohol-based, and oxazoline-based adhesive resins), preferably made of an acrylic-based adhesive resin.

[0073] The gray pattern 205 can be arranged to cover the transparent pattern 203 while filling the steps formed by the lens-shaped transparent pattern 203. The gray pattern 205 can be formed by a mixture of the transparent pattern 203 and gray dye.

[0074] The transmittance of the transmittance control layer 200 can be adjusted according to the thicknesses t1 and t2 of the gray pattern 205.

[0075] In other words, the gray pattern 205 can achieve various transmittances depending on its thickness t1 and t2. As the thickness t1 and t2 of the gray pattern 205 increases, the transmittance decreases.

[0076] Here, since the transparent pattern 203 has a lens shape, the gray pattern 205 corresponding to the vertex of the lens shape of the transparent pattern 203 has a first thickness t1, and the gray pattern 205 corresponding to the side surface of the lens shape of the transparent pattern 203 has a second thickness t2 greater than the first thickness t1.

[0077] The second thickness t2 of the gray pattern 205 can be essentially the maximum thickness on the side surface of the lens shape of the transparent pattern 203, and can be defined as the vertical thickness of the gray pattern 205 measured at the boundary between the luminescent region EA and the non-luminescent region NEA. Therefore, the region corresponding to the first thickness t1 of the gray pattern 205 has increased transmittance compared to the region corresponding to the second thickness t2. The total transmittance of the gray pattern 205 of the transmittance control layer 200 can be designed as the thickness per unit transmittance as shown in Equation 1 below.

[0078] Equation 1: Total transmittance = (-logarithmic transmittance) × thickness

[0079] In other words, various transmittances can be achieved by adjusting the thicknesses t1 and t2 of the gray pattern 205 in the transmittance control layer 200.

[0080] Equation 1 allows the thicknesses t1 and t2 of the gray pattern 205 of the transmittance control layer 200 to be designed to have the desired transmittance at specific regions of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP.

[0081] Here, in the organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention ( Figure 2 In the 100), preferably, the height h of the transparent pattern 203 is 5 μm to 8 μm, and the thickness D of the gray pattern 205 is 6 μm to 15 μm. Preferably, the thickness D of the gray pattern 205 is increased by 20% to 30% compared to the height h of the transparent pattern 203.

[0082] Therefore, in the organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention ( Figure 2 In the 100), the gray pattern 205 of the transmittance control layer 200 with a first thickness t1 has a transmittance of 70% to 90% based on the 550nm wavelength band, and the gray pattern 205 with a second thickness t2 has a transmittance of 40% to 60% based on the 550nm wavelength band.

[0083] More preferably, the gray pattern 205 having a first thickness t1 can be designed to have a transmittance of more than 80%, and the gray pattern 205 having a second thickness t2 can be designed to have a transmittance of less than 50%.

[0084] Therefore, when the organic light-emitting layer ( ) of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP and B-SP is... Figure 2 Light emitted by (113) L1, L2 and L4 passes through the second electrode ( Figure 2 When the light L1 (115) is output to the outside, the first light L1, which is emitted vertically forward among the light L1, L2 and L4, is incident on the transparent pattern 203 of the transmittance control layer 200.

[0085] The first light L1 incident on the transparent pattern 203 passes through the transparent pattern 203 and then through the gray pattern 205 with a first thickness t1. At this time, when 100% of the light is incident on the gray pattern 205, 70% to 90% of the first light L1 passes through the gray pattern 205 with a first thickness t1 and is output to the outside.

[0086] From the organic light-emitting layer ( Figure 2 Of the light L1, L2 and L4 emitted by 113), the second light L2, which is incident on the transmittance control layer 200 at an angle greater than or equal to a specific angle, is blocked by the black matrix 201.

[0087] Here, the thickness d1 of the black matrix 201 can be designed according to the viewing angle. For example, the black matrix 201 preferably has a thickness d1 of tens of nanometers to tens of micrometers, but is not limited thereto. The black matrix 201 can have the ability to block light from the organic light-emitting display device (…). Figure 2 The vertical plane of 100) from the organic light-emitting layer ( Figure 2 The thickness d1 of light L2 traveling at an angle of ±45 degrees or more along the vertical and / or horizontal directions.

[0088] The black matrix 201 can be arranged to correspond to the non-light-emitting region NEA of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP, and can be formed in the form of a grid. Therefore, an organic light-emitting display device ( Figure 2 (100) can control the vertical and horizontal viewpoints.

[0089] Therefore, the transmittance control layer 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention can achieve a narrow viewing angle.

[0090] Specifically, the third light L3, which is part of the second light L2, is reflected by the reflective layer 201a in the black matrix 201 and incident on the organic light-emitting display device below the black matrix 201. Figure 2 In the 100) component.

[0091] Incident light onto organic light-emitting display device ( Figure 2 The third light L3 of the component in (100) is emitted by the organic light-emitting display device ( Figure 2 The component in the 100) reflects back, and part of the light L3-1 is directed toward the front surface and passes through the transparent pattern 203 of the transmittance control layer 200, and is then output to the outside. Part of the other light L3-2 is absorbed and removed by the black matrix 201, or part of the other light L3-3 is reflected again by the reflective layer 201a.

[0092] Therefore, by causing the third light L3, which travels toward the transmittance control layer 200 at an angle greater than or equal to a specific angle, to be recovered through the reflective layer 201a, the organic light-emitting display device can be improved. Figure 2 The light efficiency is 100%.

[0093] The black matrix 201 can be made of a dark pigment such as black pigment or gray pigment, a dark dye such as black dye or gray dye, carbon black, or a light-blocking material such as a photoresist. A reflective layer 201a made of a light-reflecting material such as (Al) or silver (Ag) can be located under the black matrix 201.

[0094] The thickness d2 of the reflective layer 201a can be less than the thickness d1 of the black matrix 201. When the thickness d2 of the reflective layer 201a may be equal to or greater than the thickness d1 of the black matrix 201, the second light L2, which is incident at an angle greater than or equal to a certain angle among the lights L1, L2 and L4, may be reflected on the side surface of the reflective layer 201a, and its path may change toward the adjacent sub-pixel.

[0095] In this situation, there is a problem of emitting light of undesirable colors and reduced color reproducibility.

[0096] Furthermore, from the organic light-emitting layer ( Figure 2 Of the light emitted by L1, L2, and L4 (113), the fourth light L4, incident on the transmittance control layer 200 at an angle greater than or equal to a specific angle, passes through the transparent pattern 203 and then through the gray pattern 205 with a second thickness t2. At this time, 40% to 60% of the fourth light L4 is transmitted to the outside through the gray pattern 205 with a second thickness t2.

[0097] Here, relative to organic light-emitting display devices ( Figure 2 In the vertical plane of (100), the fourth beam L4 can have an angle smaller than that of the second beam L2. When the second beam L2 travels up and down and / or left and right at an angle greater than ±45 degrees, the fourth beam L4 can travel up and down and / or left and right at an angle greater than ±30 degrees relative to the vertical plane.

[0098] At this point, the fourth light L4, passing through the gray pattern 205 with a second thickness t2, is output with a transmittance of 40% to 60%, and then passes through the polarizer 120 on the transmittance control layer 200. Therefore, almost all of the fourth light L4 is eliminated while passing through the polarizer 120.

[0099] Figure 4A This is a graph showing the transmittance, where the horizontal axis represents the wavelength of light and the vertical axis represents the transmittance. Sample A represents the amount of light L4 transmitted through the gray pattern 205 of the transmittance control layer 200, and sample B represents the amount of light L4 after passing through the gray pattern 205 and then through the polarizer 120.

[0100] Reference Figure 4ACompared to the amount of light L4 passing through the gray pattern 205 of the transmittance control layer 200, the amount of light L4 passing through the gray pattern 205 and then through the polarizer 120 is significantly reduced.

[0101] Therefore, when the fourth light L4 passes through the gray pattern 205 of the second thickness t2 and then through the polarizer 120, the transmittance is very low and almost all of the fourth light L4 is eliminated.

[0102] That is to say, in the organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention ( Figure 2 In the 100), the viewing angle can be mainly controlled by the black matrix 201, and secondarily by the gray pattern 205.

[0103] Therefore, the organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention ( Figure 2 The 100) has a vertical and horizontal viewing angle of ±30 degrees according to the viewing angle control of the transmittance control layer 200, thereby achieving a narrow viewing angle.

[0104] Here, from the organic light-emitting layer ( Figure 2 Of the light L1, L2, and L4 emitted by the transparent pattern 203, the first light L1, which is emitted perpendicularly toward the front surface, also passes through the gray pattern 205 of the first thickness t1 on the transparent pattern 203, causing some of the light to be absorbed by the gray pattern 205. At this time, the amount of light of the first light L1 is compensated by the amount of light recovered by the reflective layer 201a of the black matrix 201.

[0105] Figure 4B It is a graph of the light efficiency generated by the recovery based on the viewing angle, where the horizontal axis represents the viewing angle and the vertical axis represents the light efficiency (i.e., intensity).

[0106] Before explaining, A is the measurement of the organic light-emitting layer when only the black matrix 201 is set ( Figure 2 The experimental results of the light efficiency of (113) are shown in B, which is the measurement of the organic light-emitting layer (as in the embodiment of the present invention) when the black matrix 201 further includes a reflective layer 201a at its bottom. Figure 2 The experimental results of the light efficiency of 113).

[0107] Reference Figure 4B It can be seen that the light efficiency at the center of B is further increased. This is because the third light L3, which travels toward the transmittance control layer 200 at a specific angle or greater, is recovered through the reflective layer 201a, thereby improving the light efficiency of the organic light-emitting display device. Figure 2 The light efficiency is 100%.

[0108] As described above, in the organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention ( Figure 2In the 100), by further including a reflective layer 201a below the black matrix 201, compensation is achieved from the organic light-emitting layer ( Figure 2 The loss of the first light L1 emitted perpendicularly toward the front surface in the light emitted by 113) further improves the light efficiency.

[0109] In summary, in the organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention ( Figure 2 In the substrate 101 (100), a transmittance control layer 200 is formed on the outer side of the substrate 101 through which light L1, L2, and L4 are transmitted. Therefore, light L2 and L4 incident at angles greater than this angle are blocked, thus limiting the viewing angle.

[0110] In other words, due to organic light-emitting display devices ( Figure 2 Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are used to display the information desired by the user as images, and they typically have a wide viewing angle, allowing users to view the images from various angles. However, when applying organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays... Figure 2 When the viewing angle of each individual product (100%) is wide, the product characteristics may be adversely affected, and in some cases, users may require a narrow viewing angle.

[0111] As an example, in the case of a bank ATM, when a user enters personal information, it is necessary to prevent others in the vicinity from seeing that information. Therefore, more preferably, an organic light-emitting display device (OLED) Figure 2 The 100° viewpoint is narrow.

[0112] As another example, in the case of in-vehicle navigation, when an organic light-emitting display device ( Figure 2 When the viewing angle is 100° wide, in organic light-emitting display devices ( Figure 2 The image displayed on the organic light-emitting display (OLED) reduces the driver's attention and interferes with driving. Additionally, when driving at night, the image displayed on the OLED reduces the driver's attention and interferes with driving. Figure 2 The image displayed on the 100) is reflected from the vehicle's windshield, which may adversely affect the driver's safe driving.

[0113] As mentioned above, although organic light-emitting display devices ( Figure 2 The 100) is usually manufactured to have a wide viewing angle, but depending on the product to which the display device is applied, a narrow viewing angle is required.

[0114] Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the viewing angle to match the organic light-emitting display device. Figure 2 The products used in manufacturing organic light-emitting display devices are 100% of the products used in this process. Figure 2 100), but if organic light-emitting display device ( Figure 2 100% of products are manufactured independently, resulting in reduced productivity.

[0115] Therefore, there is a need for an organic light-emitting diode display device that can be manufactured with a wide viewing angle. Figure 2 A method for narrowing the viewing angle (100%). In an organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention (… Figure 2 In the 100), in organic light-emitting display devices with wide viewing angles ( Figure 2 In the 100), a transmittance control layer 200 including a black matrix 201 and a gray pattern 205 is provided, thereby enabling the organic light-emitting display device ( Figure 2 The 100° wide field of view can be narrowed.

[0116] Through organic light-emitting diode display devices ( Figure 2 In the 100), a transmittance control layer 200 with a black matrix 201 and a gray pattern 205 is further formed, which can narrow the viewing angle.

[0117] Therefore, the organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention ( Figure 2 (100%) can protect privacy and eliminate the need for a separate film to limit the viewing angle, thus enabling lightweight and thin organic light-emitting display devices. Figure 2 (of 100).

[0118] In particular, since the transmittance control layer 200 can be formed at a very low cost, the viewing angle can be limited at a low cost, and the efficiency of the process can be improved by simplifying the structure of the display device.

[0119] Meanwhile, when an organic light-emitting display device including a transmittance control layer 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention is used... Figure 2 When applied to in-vehicle navigation, the 100% of the organic light-emitting display device is configured to have a narrow viewing angle in the vertical direction and a wide viewing angle in the horizontal direction. This achieves a wide viewing angle, thus providing passengers with a clear view even from the organic light-emitting display device. Figure 2 The image displayed on (100).

[0120] Therefore, in the organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention ( Figure 2 In 100), such as Figure 5A As shown, in a vertical viewing angle, the black matrix 201 can be arranged to correspond to the non-emissive regions NEA of sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP. Therefore, the black matrix 201 can block light from emanating from the organic light-emitting layer (…). Figure 2 113) Light L2 travels up and down at an angle of ±45 degrees or more.

[0121] On the other hand, such as Figure 5B As shown, from a horizontal perspective, the black matrix 201 can further include the pullback region PB.

[0122] The pullback region PB can be defined as the area corresponding to the distance from the end of the embankment 119 (which defines the luminous area EA of each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP) to the end of the adjacent black matrix 201 in the inward direction of the embankment 119. With the pullback region PB, the black matrix 201 can be designed not to affect the user's maximum horizontal viewing angle.

[0123] [Table 1]

[0124]

[0125]

[0126] Table 1 above shows the experimental results of measuring the brightness reduction rate based on the viewing angle according to the pull-back distance, and the brightness reduction rate is measured at a 45-degree viewing angle. As can be seen from Table 1, the brightness reduction rate varies depending on the pull-back area.

[0127] It can be formed by the intercellular gaps (which are defined from the organic light-emitting layer) Figure 2 The pullback region PB is determined by the distance from the upper (or top) surface of the black matrix 201 to the lower (or bottom) surface of the black matrix 201. Typically, this is done to avoid affecting the flow from the organic light-emitting layer (…). Figure 2 To control the viewing angle of light L4 traveling at a 30-degree angle among the light emitted from the organic light-emitting layer (113), a pullback region PB of approximately 4 μm to 5 μm is required. Furthermore, to avoid affecting the light emitted from the organic light-emitting layer (113), Figure 2 The angle of light L4, which travels at a 45-degree angle among the light emitted by 113), requires a pullback region PB of about 6 μm to 7 μm.

[0128] Therefore, in the organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention ( Figure 2 In the 100), in order to maintain a narrow vertical viewing angle while maintaining a wide horizontal viewing angle, it is preferable to design the pull-back region PB to have a size of 4μm to 9μm (including 1μm to 2μm process error) in the horizontal direction relative to the light-emitting region EA.

[0129] Figure 6A This is a front view showing the shape of the transparent pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6B This is a diagram illustrating the structure of a unit pixel comprising three sub-pixels in the horizontal direction of a transparent lens in an organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0130] Figure 7 It is a graph showing the transmittance of each sub-pixel in the horizontal direction.

[0131] like Figure 6A As shown, the pullback region is included in the black matrix 201 corresponding to the horizontal viewpoint. Figure 5BThe transparent pattern 203 of the transmittance control layer 200 can be formed to be longer in the horizontal direction H than in the vertical direction V.

[0132] At this time, as Figure 6B As shown, the transparent pattern 203 arranged in the horizontal direction corresponding to the green sub-pixel G-SP can be formed with two surfaces having different vertex-based shapes than the transparent patterns 203 arranged in the horizontal direction corresponding to the red sub-pixel R-SP and the blue sub-pixel B-SP. Therefore, the second thickness t2 of the gray pattern 205 corresponding to the red sub-pixel R-SP and the blue sub-pixel B-SP can be different from the third thickness t3 corresponding to the green sub-pixel G-SP.

[0133] In other words, the gray pattern 205 corresponding to the green sub-pixel G-SP in the horizontal direction can have a third thickness t3 that is thicker than the second thickness t2 of the gray pattern 205 corresponding to the red sub-pixel R-SP and the blue sub-pixel B-SP in the horizontal direction. Here, the gray pattern 205 with the second thickness t2 has a transmittance of 40% to 60%, such that the gray pattern 205 with the third thickness t3 can be designed to have a transmittance that is about 20% smaller than that of the gray pattern 205 with the second thickness t2. That is, preferably, the gray pattern 205 with the third thickness t3 has a transmittance of 20% to 40% based on a wavelength band of 550 nm.

[0134] Therefore, in the organic light-emitting layer of the green sub-pixel G-SP ( Figure 2 The light emitted by 113) Figure 3 In L1, L2, and L4, a fourth green light L4_G incident at an angle greater than or equal to a specific angle onto the transmittance control layer 200 is transmitted through a gray pattern 205 having a third thickness t3. At this time, 20% to 40% of the fourth green light L4_G passes through the gray pattern 205 having a third thickness t3 and is output to the outside.

[0135] Therefore, the transmittance of the fourth green light L4 G is lower than that of the organic light-emitting layer from the red sub-pixel R-SP and the blue sub-pixel B-SP. Figure 2 The light emitted by 113) Figure 3 The transmittance of the fourth red light L4R and the fourth blue light L4B incident on the transmittance control layer 200 at an angle greater than or equal to a specific angle in L1, L2 and L4).

[0136] Figure 7 This is a graph showing the transmittance of each sub-pixel at a horizontal viewing angle. Figure 7 In the diagram, the horizontal axis represents the wavelength of light, and the vertical axis represents the transmittance.

[0137] Sample C represents the transmittance of the fourth red light L4R and the fourth blue light L4B through the gray pattern 205 with a second thickness t2 in the transmittance control layer 200, and sample D represents the transmittance of the fourth green light L4_G through the gray pattern 205 with a third thickness t3 in the transmittance control layer 200.

[0138] Reference Figure 7 It can be seen that the transmittance of the fourth green light L4 G in sample D, which passes through the gray pattern 205 with a third thickness t3 through the transmittance control layer 200, is lower than that of the fourth red light L4 R and the fourth blue light L4 B in sample C, which pass through the gray pattern 205 with a second thickness t2 through the transmittance control layer 200.

[0139] Therefore, it can be seen that from the organic light-emitting layer of the green sub-pixel G-SP ( Figure 2 The transmittance of the fourth green light L4G emitted by (113) is lower than that of the organic light-emitting layers from the red sub-pixel R-SP and the blue sub-pixel B-SP. Figure 2 The transmittance of the fourth red light L4_R and the fourth blue light L4 B emitted by (113).

[0140] Therefore, it can prevent the phenomenon of appearing greenish or yellowish when viewed from a horizontal perspective.

[0141] In other words, the red light L4_R and blue light L4_B emitted from the red sub-pixel R-SP and the blue sub-pixel B-SP have a narrower horizontal viewing angle than the green light L4_G emitted from the green sub-pixel G-SP. Therefore, a greenish or yellowish tint appears (where white becomes a weak green and yellow towards extreme viewing angles). Such color difference may be perceived by the user, leading to poor visual perception and potentially being identified as a display defect.

[0142] In this regard, referring to Table 2 below, Sample 1 represents a general organic light-emitting display device, and Sample 2 represents an organic light-emitting display device comprising a gray pattern 205 having a second thickness t2 for each of the sub-pixels R-SP, G-SP, and B-SP. Figure 1 Sample 3 represents an organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention (100), Figure 1 100), including: red sub-pixels R-SP and blue sub-pixels B-SP including a gray pattern 205 having a second thickness t2 and green sub-pixels G-SP including a gray pattern 205 having a third thickness t3 in the horizontal direction.

[0143] [Table 2]

[0144]

[0145] As shown in Table 2 for Samples 1 and 2, the red light L4_R and blue light L4_B emitted from the red sub-pixel R-SP and blue sub-pixel B-SP respectively have brightness of 59% and 57% at a 30-degree viewing angle. However, the green light L4_G emitted from the green sub-pixel G-SP has a brightness of 67% at a 30-degree viewing angle. Therefore, at a 30-degree viewing angle, the red light L4_R and blue light L4_B have lower brightness than the green light L4_G.

[0146] On the other hand, in sample 3, the green light L4_G has a brightness of 59%, which is about 5% lower than that of sample 2. Therefore, the green light L4_G has a brightness similar to that of the red light L4_R and the blue light L4_B.

[0147] In other words, by forming a gray pattern 205 with a third thickness t3 in the horizontal direction corresponding to the green sub-pixel G-SP, the brightness of the red light L4_R, green light L4_G and blue light L4_B emitted from the red sub-pixel R-SP, the green sub-pixel G-SP and the blue sub-pixel B-SP can be uniform in the horizontal view.

[0148] Therefore, it prevents the appearance of green or yellow tints (where white turns weak green and yellow towards extreme viewing angles). Thus, color difference in white display is minimized, thereby enabling organic light-emitting display devices that prevent unpleasant visual perception for users. Figure 1 (of 100).

[0149] As described above, in the organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention ( Figure 1 In the 100), a transmittance control layer 200, including a black matrix 201, a lens-shaped transparent pattern 203, and a gray pattern 205 covering the transparent pattern 203, is formed on a light-transmitting substrate. Figure 6B The outer side of (104). Therefore, light incident at an angle greater than or equal to a specific angle ( Figure 3 The L2 (lower lateral line) is blocked, thus enabling a narrower field of view.

[0150] Therefore, the organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present invention ( Figure 1 (100%) can protect privacy and eliminate the need for a separate film to limit the viewing angle, thus enabling lightweight and thin organic light-emitting display devices. Figure 1 (of 100).

[0151] Furthermore, since the transmittance control layer 200 can be formed at a very low cost, the viewing angle can be limited at a low cost, and the efficiency of the process can be improved by simplifying the structure of the display device.

[0152] Furthermore, by recovering the light blocked by the black matrix 201, the organic light-emitting diode display device ( Figure 1 The light efficiency (100%) can be improved. Furthermore, by further including a pull-back region in the black matrix 201... Figure 5B The PB in the image can maintain a narrow field of view in the vertical view while maintaining a wide horizontal field of view.

[0153] Furthermore, by arranging the gray pattern 205 with a third thickness t3 to correspond to the green sub-pixel G-SP, it is possible to prevent a greenish or yellowish tint from appearing in the horizontal view.

[0154] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit or scope. Therefore, this invention is intended to cover such modifications and variations as long as they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An organic light-emitting display device, comprising: The substrate includes a first sub-pixel to a third sub-pixel; First light-emitting diodes to third light-emitting diodes are disposed on the substrate and respectively located in the first sub-pixel to the third sub-pixel; and A transmittance control layer is provided, through which light emitted from the first to the third light-emitting diodes is transmitted, and the transmittance control layer comprises a transparent pattern and a gray pattern in the shape of a lens. The gray pattern is arranged as a transparent pattern covering the shape of the lens, and has different thicknesses depending on the thickness of the transparent pattern. Wherein, the shape of the transparent pattern corresponding to the green sub-pixel among the first to the third sub-pixels in the horizontal direction is different from the shape of the transparent pattern corresponding to the red and blue sub-pixels among the first to the third sub-pixels in the horizontal direction. Wherein, the gray pattern corresponding to the red sub-pixel and the blue sub-pixel corresponds to the transparent pattern having a third thickness on the side surface in the horizontal direction, and The gray pattern arranged to correspond to the green sub-pixel corresponds to the transparent pattern having a fourth thickness on the side surface in the horizontal direction that is greater than the third thickness.

2. The organic light-emitting display device according to claim 1, wherein, The transparent pattern is arranged as a light-emitting area corresponding to each of the first to the third sub-pixels, and The diameter of the transparent pattern is greater than the width of the light-emitting area.

3. The organic light-emitting display device according to claim 1, wherein, The transmittance of the gray pattern with a first thickness corresponding to the vertex of the transparent pattern is greater than the transmittance of the gray pattern with a second thickness corresponding to the side surface of the transparent pattern, which is thicker than the first thickness.

4. The organic light-emitting display device according to claim 3, wherein, The gray pattern having the first thickness has a transmittance of 70% to 90%, and The gray pattern having the second thickness has a transmittance of 40% to 60%.

5. The organic light-emitting display device according to claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the gray pattern is 20% to 30% greater than the height of the transparent pattern.

6. The organic light-emitting display device according to claim 1, wherein, The gray pattern having the fourth thickness has a transmittance of 20% to 40%.

7. The organic light-emitting display device according to claim 1, wherein, The transmittance control layer also includes a black matrix in the non-light-emitting region corresponding to the edge of the light-emitting region surrounding each of the first to third sub-pixels. A reflective layer is provided below the black matrix.

8. The organic light-emitting display device according to claim 7, wherein, The black matrix includes a pullback region that exposes the non-luminous area, corresponding to a portion of the horizontal viewing angle.

9. The organic light-emitting display device according to claim 8, wherein, The pull-back region has a width of 4 μm to 9 μm in the horizontal direction relative to the light-emitting region.

10. The organic light-emitting display device according to claim 7, further comprising a polarizing plate located outside the transmittance control layer.

11. The organic light-emitting display device according to claim 7, wherein, The thickness of the reflective layer is less than the thickness of the black matrix.

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