Display device

Abstract

The invention relates to a display device. The display device includes: a substrate including an active region including an emitter region and at least one hole region; a light emitting element disposed on the substrate in the emission region; a plurality of inorganic insulating films disposed under the light emitting element, the plurality of inorganic insulating films including a first interlayer insulating film, a second interlayer insulating film, and a third interlayer insulating film; a hard mask pattern disposed on the third interlayer insulating film, and at least one barrier hole passing through the plurality of inorganic insulating films and the hard mask pattern, a side surface of the second interlayer insulating film exposed through the barrier hole protrudes beyond a side surface of the first interlayer insulating film exposed through the barrier hole and a side surface of the third interlayer insulating film exposed through the barrier hole, the side surface of the second interlayer insulating film protruding beyond the side surface of the first interlayer insulating film by about 0.1 [mu] m to 0.2 [mu] m, and a side surface of the hard mask pattern exposed through the blocking hole protrudes beyond a side surface of the third interlayer insulating film exposed through the blocking hole.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese patent application with application number 201911082288.0, filing date of November 7, 2019, and invention name “Display Device”.

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0145431, filed on November 22, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a display device, and more particularly, to a display device capable of reducing a non-display area. Background Art

[0004] Image display devices that present various information on a screen are core technologies in the information age. Such image display devices are developing toward enhanced thinness, enhanced brightness, enhanced portability, and enhanced performance. In this regard, flat panel display devices that can eliminate the disadvantages of a heavy and bulky structure of a cathode ray tube (CRT) are becoming more prominent.

[0005] Representative examples of such flat panel display devices may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, a plasma display panel (PDP), an organic light emitting display (OLED) device, an electrophoretic display (ED) device, and the like.

[0006] Such flat panel display devices are used for various types of electrical appliances such as televisions (TVs), monitors, and portable phones, and are further developed by adding cameras, speakers, and sensors thereto. However, cameras, speakers, sensors, and the like are provided in a non-display area of ​​the display device, and therefore, a border area as a non-display area increases. Therefore, conventional display devices have a problem of reduced display area. Summary of the invention

[0007] Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed to a display device that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a display device capable of reducing a non-display area.

[0009] Additional advantages, purposes and features of the present invention will be described in part in the following description, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reviewing the following, or may be learned through practice of the present invention. The purposes and other advantages of the present invention may be realized and obtained through the structures specifically indicated in its written description and claims and the accompanying drawings.

[0010] To achieve these objects and other advantages, and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a display device includes a substrate including at least one hole area disposed in an active area, and at least one blocking hole through an inorganic insulating film disposed below a light-emitting element and including an upper insulating film and a lower insulating film made of different materials. The side surfaces of the upper inorganic insulating film exposed through the blocking hole protrude beyond the side surfaces of the lower inorganic insulating film exposed through the blocking hole, respectively. Therefore, the border area as a non-display area can be minimized, and the light-emitting stack can be disconnected through the blocking hole.

[0011] The present disclosure relates to a display device. The display device includes: a substrate including an active region, the active region including an emission region and at least one hole region; a light-emitting element disposed on the substrate in the emission region; a plurality of inorganic insulating films disposed below the light-emitting element, the plurality of inorganic insulating films including a first interlayer insulating film, a second interlayer insulating film, and a third interlayer insulating film; a hard mask pattern disposed on the third interlayer insulating film, and at least one blocking hole passing through the plurality of inorganic insulating films and the hard mask pattern, wherein a side surface of the second interlayer insulating film exposed through the blocking hole protrudes beyond a side surface of the first interlayer insulating film exposed through the blocking hole and a side surface of the third interlayer insulating film exposed through the blocking hole, and a side surface of the second interlayer insulating film protrudes beyond the side surface of the first interlayer insulating film by approximately 0.1 μm to 0.2 μm, and a side surface of the hard mask pattern exposed through the blocking hole protrudes beyond the side surface of the third interlayer insulating film exposed through the blocking hole, wherein the display device further includes: a thin film transistor connected to the light-emitting element, wherein the first interlayer insulating film, the second interlayer insulating film and the third interlayer insulating film are sequentially stacked between each of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the thin film transistor and the gate electrode of the thin film transistor.

[0012] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0014] Figure 1 is a view showing an organic light emitting display device according to the present invention;

[0015] Figure 2 is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line II in FIG. 1 shows an organic light emitting display device having a structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 3A and Figure 3B It is shown Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a blocking hole shown in FIG.

[0017] Figure 4 is shown assembled in Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a camera module in a substrate hole as shown in FIG.

[0018] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C It is used to form Figure 3A A cross-sectional view of the method for blocking a hole as shown in ;

[0019] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 7 It is a specific description Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the blocking hole shown in ;

[0021] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Fig. 9 It is a specific description Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the blocking hole shown in ; and

[0023] Fig.10 It is shown Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a through hole is shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , shows a display device. The display device includes an active area AA and a pad area PDA.

[0026] A plurality of pads 122 are formed in the pad area PDA to supply driving signals to a plurality of signal lines disposed in the active area AA, respectively. Here, each signal line 106 includes at least one of a scan line SL, a data line DL, a high voltage (VDD) supply line, or a low voltage (VSS) supply line.

[0027] The active area AA includes an emission area EA, a bezel area BA and a hole area HA.

[0028] The unit pixels are respectively arranged in the emission area EA, wherein each of the unit pixels includes a light emitting element 130. Each unit pixel can be as follows Figure 1As shown, it is composed of red (R) sub-pixels, green (G) sub-pixels and blue (B) sub-pixels, or it can be composed of red (R) sub-pixels, green (G) sub-pixels, blue (B) sub-pixels and white (W) sub-pixels. Each sub-pixel includes a light-emitting element 130 and a pixel driving circuit for independently driving the light-emitting element 130.

[0029] The pixel driving circuit includes a switching transistor TS, a driving transistor TD, and a storage capacitor Cst.

[0030] When a scan pulse is supplied to the corresponding scan line SL, the switching transistor TS is turned on. In this state, a data signal supplied to the corresponding data line DL is supplied to the capacitor Cst and the gate electrode of the driving transistor TD via the switching transistor TS.

[0031] The driving transistor TD controls the current I supplied from the corresponding high voltage (VDD) supply line to the light emitting element 130 in response to the data signal supplied to the gate electrode thereof, thereby adjusting the amount of light emitted from the light emitting element 130. Even when the switching transistor TS is turned off, the driving transistor TD supplies a constant current I through the voltage charged in the storage capacitor Cst until the data signal of the next frame is supplied, and thus, the light emitting element 130 maintains emission of light.

[0032] Figure 2 FIG. 2 shows a display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, the driving transistor TD indicated by the reference numeral "150" includes an active layer 154 arranged on the active buffer layer 114, a gate electrode 152 overlapping the active layer 154 with a gate insulating film 116 interposed between the active layer 154 and the gate electrode 152, and a source electrode 156 and a drain electrode 158 formed on the interlayer insulating film 102 and contacting the active layer 154 at the same time.

[0033] The active layer 154 is made of at least one of an amorphous semiconductor material, a polycrystalline semiconductor material, or an oxide semiconductor material. The active layer 154 includes a channel region, a source region, and a drain region. In the case where the gate insulating film 116 is between the channel region and the gate electrode 152, the channel region overlaps with the gate electrode 152, and therefore, the channel region is defined between the source electrode 156 and the drain electrode 158. The source region is electrically connected to the source electrode 156 via a source contact hole 124S passing through the gate insulating film 116 and the interlayer insulating film 102. The drain region is electrically connected to the drain electrode 158 via a drain contact hole 124D passing through the gate insulating film 116 and the interlayer insulating film 102.

[0034] The multi-buffer layer 112 and the active buffer layer 114 are disposed between the active layer 154 and the substrate 101. The multi-buffer layer 112 serves to delay the diffusion of moisture and / or oxygen penetrating into the substrate 101. The active buffer layer 114 performs the functions of protecting the active layer 154 and blocking various defects propagating from the substrate 101. At least one of the multi-buffer layer 112, the active buffer layer 114, or the substrate 101 has a multi-layer structure.

[0035] In this case, the uppermost layer of the multi-buffer layer 112 in contact with the active buffer layer 114 is made of a material having an etching characteristic different from the etching characteristics of the remaining layers of the multi-buffer layer 112, the active buffer layer 114, and the gate insulating layer 116. The uppermost layer of the multi-buffer layer 112 in contact with the active buffer layer 114 is made of silicon nitride (SiN x ) and silicon oxide (SiO x The remaining layers of the multi-buffer layer 112, the active buffer layer 114, and the gate buffer layer 116 are made of SiN x and SiO x For example, the uppermost layer of the multi-buffer layer 112 in contact with the active buffer layer 114 is made of SiN x The remaining layers of the multi-buffer layer 112, the active buffer layer 114 and the gate buffer layer 116 are made of SiO x Made.

[0036] The light emitting element 130 includes an anode 132 connected to the drain electrode 158 of the driving transistor 150, at least one light emitting stack 134 formed on the anode 132, and a cathode 136 formed on the light emitting stack 134 to be connected to a low voltage (VSS) supply line. Here, the low voltage (VSS) supply line supplies a voltage lower than a high voltage supplied through the high voltage (VDD) supply line.

[0037] Anode 132 is electrically connected to drain electrode 158 of driving transistor 150 exposed through pixel contact hole 126 passing through planarization layer 104 disposed on driving transistor 150. Anode 132 of each sub-pixel is disposed on planarization layer 104 without being covered by bank 138 so that anode 132 is exposed.

[0038] When the anode 132 as described above is applied to a bottom emission type organic light emitting display device, the anode 132 is composed of a transparent conductive film made of indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO). On the other hand, when the anode 132 is applied to a top emission type organic light emitting display device, the anode 132 is formed to have a multilayer structure including a transparent conductive film and an opaque conductive film with high reflection efficiency. The transparent conductive film is made of a material having a relatively high work function such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO). The opaque conductive film is formed to have a multilayer structure or a single layer structure including aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), molybdenum (Mo), titanium (Ti) or an alloy thereof. For example, the anode 132 is formed to have a structure in which a transparent conductive film, an opaque conductive film and a transparent conductive film are sequentially stacked.

[0039] The light emitting stack 134 is formed by stacking a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, and an electron transport layer on the anode 132 in the following order or in the reverse order.

[0040] In the case where the light emitting stack 134 is interposed between the anode 132 and the cathode 136 , the cathode 136 is formed on the upper and side surfaces of the light emitting stack 134 and the bank 138 to face the anode 132 .

[0041] The encapsulation unit 140 is formed to prevent external moisture or oxygen from penetrating into the light emitting element 130, which is poorly resistant to moisture or oxygen. To this end, the encapsulation unit 140 includes a plurality of inorganic encapsulation layers 142 and 146 and an organic encapsulation layer 144 disposed between adjacent inorganic encapsulation layers 142 and 146. The inorganic encapsulation layer 146 is disposed at the uppermost position of the encapsulation unit 140. In this case, the encapsulation unit 140 includes at least one inorganic encapsulation layer 142 or 146 and at least one organic encapsulation layer 144. The following description will be given in conjunction with the following example, in which the encapsulation unit 140 has a structure including a first inorganic encapsulation layer 142 and a second inorganic encapsulation layer 146 and an organic encapsulation layer 144 disposed between the first inorganic encapsulation layer 142 and the second inorganic encapsulation layer 146 according to the present invention.

[0042] The first inorganic encapsulation layer 142 is formed on the substrate 101 formed with the cathode 136, so that the first inorganic encapsulation layer 142 is disposed closest to the light emitting element 130. The first inorganic encapsulation layer 142 is made of an inorganic insulating material that can be deposited at a low temperature, such as silicon nitride (SiN x ), silicon oxide (SiO x ), silicon oxynitride (SiON) or aluminum oxide (Al2O3). Therefore, the inorganic encapsulation layer 142 can be deposited in a low temperature environment. Therefore, damage to the light emitting stack 134, which is poor in a high temperature environment, can be prevented during the deposition of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 142.

[0043] The second inorganic encapsulation layer 146 is formed to cover the upper surface and side surface of the organic encapsulation layer 144 and the exposed upper surface of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 142 that is not covered by the organic encapsulation layer 144. Therefore, the upper surface and the lower surface of the organic encapsulation layer 144 are sealed by the first inorganic encapsulation layer 142 and the second inorganic encapsulation layer 146, and thus, external moisture or oxygen can be minimized or prevented from penetrating into the organic encapsulation layer 144 or moisture or oxygen existing in the organic encapsulation layer 144 can be minimized or prevented from penetrating into the light emitting element 130. The second inorganic encapsulation layer 146 is made of an inorganic insulating material such as silicon nitride (SiN x ), silicon oxide (SiO x ), silicon oxynitride (SiON) or aluminum oxide (Al2O3).

[0044] The organic encapsulation layer 144 serves as a buffer to buffer the stress generated between layers during bending of the organic light-emitting display device while enhancing the planarization performance. In addition, the organic encapsulation layer 144 is formed to have a greater thickness than the inorganic encapsulation layers 142 and 146 to prevent the formation of cracks or pinholes caused by foreign matter. The organic encapsulation layer 144 is made of an organic insulating material such as acrylic resin, epoxy resin, polyimide, polyethylene, or silicon oxycarbide (SiOC).

[0045] When the organic encapsulation layer 144 is formed, an outer dam 128 and an inner dam 108 are formed to limit the fluidity of the organic encapsulation layer 144 .

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, at least one outer dam 118 may be formed to completely surround the active area AA in which the light emitting element 130 is disposed, or may be formed only in the area between the active area AA and the pad area PDA. When the pad area PDA in which a plurality of pads 122 are formed is disposed on one side of the substrate 101, the outer dam 128 is disposed only on one side of the substrate 101. On the other hand, when the pad areas PDA in which a plurality of pads 122 are formed are disposed on opposite sides of the substrate 101, the outer dams 128 are disposed on opposite sides of the substrate 101, respectively. When a plurality of outer dams 128 are disposed, the outer dams 128 are disposed in parallel while being spaced apart from each other by a certain distance. With the aid of such an outer dam 128, the organic encapsulation layer 144 may be prevented from diffusing into the pad area PDA.

[0047] At least one inner dam 108 is arranged to completely surround the substrate hole 120 arranged in the hole area HA. ​​When a plurality of inner dams 108 are arranged, the inner dams 108 are arranged in parallel while being spaced apart from each other by a certain distance. Similar to the outer dam 128, such an inner dam 108 is formed to have a single-layer structure or a multilayer structure including layers 108a and 108b. For example, each of the inner dam 108 and the outer dam 128 is formed simultaneously with at least one of the planarization layer 104, the embankment 138 or the spacer (not shown) using the same material, and thus the use of an additional mask process and an increase in cost can be prevented. With the aid of such an inner dam 108, the organic encapsulation layer 144, which can be used as a moisture penetration path, can be prevented from diffusing into the hole area HA.

[0048] The frame area BA is disposed between the hole area HA and the emission area EA disposed adjacent to the hole area HA. ​​In the frame area BA, the inner dam 108, at least one blocking hole 110, and the through hole 170 are disposed.

[0049] Each blocking hole 110 is disposed between each inner dam 108 and the substrate hole 120. The blocking hole 110 is formed to pass through at least one of the multi-buffer layer 112, the active buffer layer 114, the gate insulating film 116, or the interlayer insulating film 102 having a multilayer structure disposed between the substrate 101 and the planarization layer 104. In this case, the interlayer insulating film 102 having a multilayer structure includes layers of different inorganic insulating materials alternately stacked between the gate electrode 152 and the source electrode 156 and the drain electrode 158. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the interlayer insulating film 102 having a multilayer structure includes layers of different inorganic insulating materials alternately stacked between each of the source electrode 156 and the drain electrode 158 and the gate electrode 152. Combining the above Figure 3A or Figure 3B The following description is given of the structure of the interlayer insulating film 102 in which the second interlayer insulating film 102b is interposed between the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c while being made of a material different from those of the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c.

[0050] When Figure 3A In the case where the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c are made of SiN x When the second interlayer insulating film 102b is made of SiO x In this case, the side surface of the second interlayer insulating film 102b exposed through the blocking hole 110 protrudes beyond the side surfaces of the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c. At the same time, the active buffer layer 114 and the gate insulating film 116 contacting the active layer 154 are made of the same material as the second interlayer insulating film 102b, that is, SiO xis formed to prevent hydrogen from diffusing into the active layer 154. Therefore, the side surfaces of the active buffer layer 114 and the gate insulating film 116 also protrude beyond the side surfaces of the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c.

[0051] Since the side surface of the second interlayer insulating film 102b exposed through the blocking hole 110 protrudes beyond the side surfaces of the first and third interlayer insulating films 102a and 102c as described above, the first interlayer insulating film 102a disposed below the second interlayer insulating film 102b includes an undercut.

[0052] When Figure 3B In the case where the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c are made of SiO x When the second interlayer insulating film 102b is made of SiN x In this case, the side surfaces of the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c exposed through the blocking hole 110 protrude beyond the side surface of the second interlayer insulating film 102b. Therefore, the second interlayer insulating film 102b disposed under the third interlayer insulating film 102c includes an undercut.

[0053] With the help of Figure 3A The undercut of the first interlayer insulating film 102a shown in FIG. Figure 3B By undercutting the second interlayer insulating film 102b shown in FIG, the light emitting stack 134 and the cathode 136 are formed to be disconnected without continuity within the blocking hole 110. Therefore, even when external moisture penetrates along the light emitting stack 134 disposed near the hole area HA, the penetration of moisture can be prevented or delayed from being introduced into the emission area EA through the blocking hole 110. In addition, even if static electricity is introduced along the cathode 136 disposed near the hole area HA, the introduced static electricity can be prevented from diffusing into the emission area EA through the blocking hole 110. In addition, the blocking hole 110 exhibits a higher hardness than that of an organic insulating material, and therefore, cracks can be prevented from propagating into the emission area EA by removing the inorganic insulating layers 114, 116, and 102, which may easily generate cracks when subjected to bending stress.

[0054] At the same time, Figure 3A In the case shown in , the side surface of the second interlayer insulating film 102b (upper inorganic insulating film) protrudes beyond the side surface of the first interlayer insulating film 102a (lower inorganic insulating film) by about 0.1 μm to 0.2 μm. Figure 3B In the case shown in , the side surface of the third interlayer insulating film 102 c (upper inorganic insulating film) protrudes beyond the side surface of the second interlayer insulating film 102 b (lower inorganic insulating film) by about 0.1 μm to 0.2 μm.

[0055] When the side surface of the upper inorganic insulating film protrudes beyond the side surface of the lower inorganic insulating film by less than 0.1 μm, the light emitting stack 134 and the cathode 136 are formed without disconnection. Therefore, moisture, static electricity and cracks may diffuse along the light emitting stack 134 into the emission area EA.

[0056] On the other hand, when the side surface of the upper inorganic insulating film protrudes beyond the side surface of the lower inorganic insulating film by more than 0.2 μm, the lower inorganic insulating film cannot bear the weight of the upper inorganic insulating film, and thus, the protruding portion of the upper inorganic insulating film may collapse.

[0057] An inorganic cover layer 148 made of an inorganic insulating material is formed on the encapsulation unit 140. The inorganic cover layer 148 seals interfaces exposed through the through holes 170 among the plurality of thin films 112, 114, 116, 102, 142, 146, 136, and 134, and thus, may minimize or prevent external moisture or oxygen from penetrating into interfaces of the plurality of thin films.

[0058] The through hole 170 is formed to pass through a plurality of thin film layers disposed between the substrate 101 and the inorganic cover layer 148. For example, the through hole 170 is formed to pass through portions of the inorganic insulating layers 112, 114, 116, and 102, the light emitting stack 134, the cathode 136, and the inorganic encapsulation layers 142 and 146 disposed in the hole area HA and in the area around the hole area HA, thereby exposing the upper surface of the substrate 101. Since portions of the inorganic insulating layers 112, 114, 116, and 102, the light emitting stack 134, the cathode 136, and the inorganic encapsulation layers 142 and 146 are removed by means of the through hole 170, simplification of the laser trimming process can be achieved.

[0059] Since the hole area HA is disposed within the active area AA, the hole area HA may be surrounded by the plurality of sub-pixels SP disposed in the active area AA. Although the hole area HA is illustrated as having a circular shape, the hole area HA may be formed to have a polygonal shape or an elliptical shape.

[0060] Electronic components including a camera, a speaker, a flash light source, or a biometric sensor such as a fingerprint sensor are disposed in the hole area HA. Figure 4 The following description is given of an example in which the camera module 160 according to the present invention is disposed in the hole area HA.

[0061] The camera module 160 includes a camera lens 164 and a camera driver 162 .

[0062] The imaging driver 162 is provided at the lower surface of the substrate 101 included in the display panel so that the imaging driver 162 is connected to the imaging lens 164 .

[0063] The camera lens 164 is disposed in the substrate hole 120, and the substrate hole 120 extends from the lower film layer (e.g., the substrate 101 or the back plate) disposed at the lowest position of the active area AA to the upper film layer (e.g., the polarizing plate 166) disposed at the highest position of the active area AA. Therefore, the camera lens 164 is disposed to face the cover glass 168. In this case, the substrate hole 120 is disposed to overlap with the through hole 170 while having a smaller width than the through hole 170. The substrate hole 120 may be disposed to pass through the substrate 101, the inorganic insulating layer 148, and the polarizing plate 166, or may be disposed to pass through the substrate 101 and the polarizing plate 166.

[0064] Since the camera module 160 is disposed in the active area AA, the bezel area, which is a non-display area of ​​the display device, may be minimized.

[0065] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C It is used to form Figure 3A 1 is a cross-sectional view of the method for each blocking hole 110 shown in FIG.

[0066] like Figure 5A As shown, a substrate 101 is first prepared, and a multi-buffer layer 112, an active buffer layer 114, a gate insulating film 116, and an interlayer insulating film 102 having a multilayer structure are sequentially stacked on the substrate 101. Thereafter, a hard mask layer is formed over the entire upper surface of the uppermost layer of the interlayer insulating film 102 having a multilayer structure. In this case, the hard mask layer is formed to have a single-layer structure or a multilayer structure using at least one of ITO (indium tin oxide), MoTi (molybdenum titanium alloy), Mo (molybdenum), or Ti (titanium). A photoresist pattern 178 is then formed on the hard mask layer by a photolithography process using a photomask. A hard mask pattern 180 is then formed by an etching process using the photoresist pattern 178 as a mask.

[0067] Next, if Figure 5B As shown, the interlayer insulating film 102, the gate insulating film 116, and the active buffer layer 114 are first etched by a dry etching process using the hard mask pattern 180 and the photoresist pattern 178 as masks, thereby forming each blocking hole 110. In this case, the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c exhibit a higher etching rate than the second interlayer insulating film 102b, and therefore, the side surface of the second interlayer insulating film 102b protrudes beyond the side surface of the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c. In addition, since the depth of each blocking hole 110 is large, the dry etching process is performed for a long time, so the photoresist pattern 178 is removed while reacting with the dry etching gas during the dry etching process.

[0068] Thereafter, the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c are selectively etched by a wet etching process using the hard mask pattern 180 as a mask. Figure 5C As shown, the side surface of the second interlayer insulating film 102b further protrudes beyond the side surfaces of the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c.

[0069] Subsequently, the hard mask pattern 180 is removed through an etching process.

[0070] At the same time, although it has been described in FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C In the case of the present invention, the formation of each blocking hole 110 is performed by a dry etching process and a wet etching process, but it is also possible to form the blocking hole 110 only by a dry etching process without using a wet etching process. That is, after the primary dry etching of the first to third interlayer insulating films 102a, 102b and 102c, the gate insulating film 116 and the active buffer layer 114, the SiN film is selectively secondary dry-etched. x The first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c (or the second interlayer insulating film 102b) are formed by adjusting the power used in the secondary dry etching to be lower than the power of the primary dry etching. x The first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c (or the second interlayer insulating film 102b), the active buffer layer 114 and the gate insulating film 116 are selectively dry-etched twice.

[0071] Meanwhile, each blocking hole 110 may be formed before or after the pixel contact hole 126 is formed or before or after the source contact hole 124S and the drain contact hole 124D are formed.

[0072] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] In addition to including the hard mask pattern 180, Figure 6 The display device shown in FIG. 1 includes Figure 2 The constituent elements of the display device shown in FIG. 1 are the same as the constituent elements of the display device shown in FIG. 1 . Therefore, a detailed description of the same constituent elements will not be given.

[0074] A hard mask pattern 180 is formed on the uppermost interlayer insulating film 102c of the interlayer insulating film 102 having a multilayer structure using one of ITO, MoTi, Mo, and Ti to have a single-layer structure or a multilayer structure. Although the hard mask pattern 180 is removed in the above process of FIG. 5, the hard mask pattern 180 may be left on the substrate 101 without being removed in this case. For example, a photoresist pattern having a multi-step structure may be formed by a photolithography process using a half-tone mask, and then the hard mask pattern 180 may be selectively left in the area around each blocking hole 110 by an etching process using the photoresist pattern having the multi-step structure. In addition, the hard mask pattern 180 may be left in the area around each blocking hole 110 by an etching process when performing the etching process. Figure 5C The wet etching process shown in FIG. 1 is followed by an additional mask process to selectively leave the hard mask pattern 180 in the area around each blocking hole 110 .

[0075] In this case, if Figure 7 As shown, the side surface of the hard mask pattern 180 exposed through each blocking hole 110 protrudes beyond the side surface of the uppermost interlayer insulating film, that is, the third interlayer insulating film 102c, by about 0.1 μm to 0.2 μm. Therefore, the uppermost interlayer insulating film, that is, the third interlayer insulating film 102c disposed under the hard mask pattern 180 includes a first undercut.

[0076] Meanwhile, the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c are made of a material different from that of the second interlayer insulating film 102b. For example, the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c are made of SiN x The second interlayer insulating film 102b is made of SiO x In this case, the side surface of the second interlayer insulating film 102b exposed through each blocking hole 110 protrudes beyond the side surfaces of the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c. Therefore, the first interlayer insulating film 102a disposed below the second interlayer insulating film 102b includes a second undercut because the side surface of the second interlayer insulating film 102b exposed through each blocking hole 110 protrudes beyond the side surfaces of the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c by about 0.1 μm to 0.2 μm.

[0077] By means of the undercut of the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c, the light emitting stack 134 and the cathode 136 are formed to be disconnected without continuity in each blocking hole 110. In this case, due to Figure 6 The interlayer insulating film 102 shown in FIG. 1 includes a first undercut and a second undercut, and thus Figure 2Compared with the interlayer insulating film 102 including an undercut in the structure, the disconnection failure of the light-emitting stack 134 can be reduced. Therefore, even when external moisture penetrates along the light-emitting stack 134 disposed near the hole area HA, the penetration of moisture can be more effectively prevented or delayed from being introduced into the emission area EA by the blocking hole 110. In addition, even when static electricity is introduced along the cathode 136 disposed near the hole area HA, the introduced static electricity can be more effectively prevented from diffusing into the emission area EA by the blocking hole 110. In addition, the blocking hole 110 exhibits a higher hardness than that of the organic insulating material, and therefore, cracks can be prevented from propagating into the emission area EA by removing the inorganic insulating layers 114, 116 and 102, which may easily generate cracks when subjected to bending stress.

[0078] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] In addition to the passivation film 118, Figure 8 The display device shown includes Figure 2 The constituent elements of the display device shown in the figure are the same as the constituent elements. Therefore, a detailed description of the same constituent elements will not be given.

[0080] The passivation film 118 is formed between the thin film transistor 150 and the anode 132. That is, the passivation film 118 is provided on the uppermost interlayer insulating film 102c of the interlayer insulating film 102 having a multilayer structure. The passivation film 118 is formed of a material different from that of the third interlayer insulating film 102c which is the uppermost interlayer insulating film. For example, the passivation film 118 and the second interlayer insulating film 102b are made of SiO x The first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c are made of SiN x Therefore, if Fig. 9 As shown, the side surface of the passivation film 118 exposed through each blocking hole 110 protrudes beyond the side surface of the third interlayer insulating film 102c, and therefore, the third interlayer insulating film 102c disposed below the passivation film 118 includes a first undercut. In addition, the side surface of the second interlayer insulating film 102b exposed through each blocking hole 110 protrudes beyond the side surfaces of the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c, and therefore, the first interlayer insulating film 102a disposed below the second interlayer insulating film 102b includes a second undercut.

[0081] By means of the undercut of the first interlayer insulating film 102a and the third interlayer insulating film 102c, the light emitting stack 134 and the cathode 136 are formed to be disconnected in the blocking hole 110 without continuity. Figure 8 The interlayer insulating film 102 shown in FIG. 1 includes a first undercut and a second undercut, and thus Figure 2 Compared with the interlayer insulating film 102 including an undercut in the structure, the disconnection failure of the light-emitting stack 134 can be reduced. Therefore, even when external moisture penetrates along the light-emitting stack 134 disposed near the hole area HA, the penetration of moisture can be more effectively prevented or delayed from being introduced into the emission area EA by the blocking hole 110. In addition, even when static electricity is introduced along the cathode 136 disposed near the hole area HA, the introduced static electricity can be more effectively prevented from diffusing into the emission area EA by the blocking hole 110. In addition, the blocking hole 110 exhibits a higher hardness than that of the organic insulating material, and therefore, cracks can be prevented from propagating into the emission area EA by removing the inorganic insulating layers 114, 116 and 102, which may easily generate cracks when subjected to bending stress.

[0082] At the same time, despite Figure 2 It has been described that the through hole 170 is formed through the inorganic insulating layers 112, 114, 116 and 102, the light emitting stack 134, the cathode 136 and the inorganic encapsulation layers 142 and 146 disposed between the substrate 101 and the inorganic cover layer 148 according to the present invention, but as Fig.10 The through hole 170 shown may be formed to extend only to the first and second inorganic encapsulation layers 142 and 146 and the multi-buffer layer 112. That is, since each blocking hole 110 is formed to pass through the active buffer layer 114, the gate insulating film 116, and the interlayer insulating film 102, which are disposed in the hole area HA and in the area around the hole area HA, the through hole 170 may be formed to pass through only the first and second inorganic encapsulation layers 142 and 146 and the multi-buffer layer 112. In this case, the side surface of the second interlayer insulating film 102b exposed by the through hole 170 protrudes beyond the side surfaces of the first and third interlayer insulating films 102a and 102c, or the side surfaces of the first and third interlayer insulating films 102a and 102c protrude beyond the side surfaces of the second interlayer insulating film 102b.

[0083] Since only the first and second inorganic encapsulating layers 142 and 146 and the multi-buffer layer 112 are selectively etched during the formation of the through hole 170 as described above, the process of forming the through hole 170 may be simplified.

[0084] As is apparent from the above description, the present invention provides the following effects.

[0085] Since the substrate hole in which the camera module is mounted according to the present invention is disposed within the active area, the bezel area serving as the non-display area of ​​the display device can be minimized.

[0086] In addition, according to the present invention, the side surface of the upper inorganic insulating film exposed through each blocking hole protrudes beyond the side surface of the lower inorganic insulating film, and the light-emitting stack is disconnected in the blocking hole without continuity. Therefore, the introduction of external moisture into the emission region can be prevented or delayed through the blocking hole.

[0087] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is intended to cover modifications and variations of the present invention as long as these modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0088] According to the above description, the embodiments of the present invention also disclose the following technical solutions, including but not limited to:

[0089] Solution 1. A display device, comprising:

[0090] a substrate including an active region, the active region including an emitter region and at least one aperture region;

[0091] a light emitting element disposed on the substrate in the emission region;

[0092] a plurality of inorganic insulating films disposed below the light emitting element, the plurality of inorganic insulating films including an upper insulating film and a lower insulating film made of different materials; and

[0093] at least one blocking hole passing through the plurality of inorganic insulating films,

[0094] The side surface of the upper inorganic insulating film exposed through the blocking hole protrudes beyond the side surface of the lower inorganic insulating film exposed through the blocking hole.

[0095] Solution 2. The display device according to Solution 1 further includes:

[0096] a thin film transistor connected to the light emitting element,

[0097] The plurality of inorganic insulating films include a first interlayer insulating film, a second interlayer insulating film and a third interlayer insulating film sequentially stacked between each of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the thin film transistor and a gate electrode of the thin film transistor.

[0098] Solution 3. The display device according to Solution 2, wherein:

[0099] The lower inorganic insulating film is the first interlayer insulating film;

[0100] The upper inorganic insulating film is the second interlayer insulating film disposed on the first interlayer insulating film;

[0101] The first interlayer insulating film and the third interlayer insulating film are made of silicon nitride; and

[0102] The second interlayer insulating film is made of silicon oxide.

[0103] Solution 4. The display device according to Solution 2, wherein:

[0104] The lower inorganic insulating film is the second interlayer insulating film;

[0105] The upper inorganic insulating film is the third interlayer insulating film disposed on the second interlayer insulating film;

[0106] The first interlayer insulating film and the third interlayer insulating film are made of silicon oxide; and

[0107] The second interlayer insulating film is made of silicon nitride.

[0108] Solution 5. The display device according to any one of Solution 2 to Solution 4, further comprising:

[0109] a hard mask pattern disposed on the third interlayer insulating film,

[0110] The hard mask pattern is formed to have a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure using one of indium tin oxide, molybdenum titanium alloy, molybdenum, and titanium.

[0111] Embodiment 6. The display device according to embodiment 5, wherein a side surface of the hard mask pattern exposed through the blocking hole protrudes beyond a side surface of the upper inorganic insulating film.

[0112] Solution 7. The display device according to any one of Solution 2 to Solution 4, further comprising:

[0113] a passivation film provided between the thin film transistor and the anode of the light emitting element,

[0114] The passivation film is made of a material different from that of the upper inorganic insulating film.

[0115] Solution 8. The display device according to Solution 7, wherein a side surface of the passivation film exposed through the blocking hole protrudes beyond the side surface of the upper inorganic insulating film.

[0116] Solution 9. The display device according to Solution 1 further includes:

[0117] a plurality of internal dams disposed between the aperture region and the emission region; and

[0118] a substrate hole disposed in the hole region and passing through the substrate;

[0119] Wherein, the at least one blocking hole is arranged between the plurality of inner dams and the substrate hole.

[0120] Solution 10. The display device according to Solution 1, further comprising:

[0121] A camera module is disposed in the hole area.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising: a substrate including an active region, the active region including an emitter region and at least one aperture region; a light emitting element disposed on the substrate in the emission region; a plurality of inorganic insulating films disposed below the light emitting element, the plurality of inorganic insulating films including a first interlayer insulating film, a second interlayer insulating film, and a third interlayer insulating film; a hard mask pattern disposed on the third interlayer insulating film, and at least one blocking hole passing through the plurality of inorganic insulating films and the hard mask pattern, wherein a side surface of the second interlayer insulating film exposed through the blocking hole protrudes beyond a side surface of the first interlayer insulating film exposed through the blocking hole and a side surface of the third interlayer insulating film exposed through the blocking hole, and the side surface of the second interlayer insulating film protrudes beyond the side surface of the first interlayer insulating film by about 0.1 μm to 0.2 μm, and a side surface of the hard mask pattern exposed through the blocking hole protrudes beyond a side surface of the third interlayer insulating film exposed through the blocking hole, Wherein, the display device further includes: a thin film transistor connected to the light emitting element, The first interlayer insulating film, the second interlayer insulating film and the third interlayer insulating film are sequentially stacked between each of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the thin film transistor and the gate electrode of the thin film transistor.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The second interlayer insulating film is disposed on the first interlayer insulating film; The first interlayer insulating film and the third interlayer insulating film are made of silicon nitride; and The second interlayer insulating film is made of silicon oxide.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The first interlayer insulating film and the third interlayer insulating film are made of silicon oxide; and The second interlayer insulating film is made of silicon nitride.

4. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The hard mask pattern is formed to have a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure using one of indium tin oxide, molybdenum titanium alloy, molybdenum, and titanium.

5. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a passivation film provided between the thin film transistor and the anode of the light emitting element, The passivation film is made of a material different from that of the third interlayer insulating film.

6. The display device according to claim 5, wherein: A side surface of the passivation film exposed through the blocking hole protrudes beyond the side surface of the third interlayer insulating film.

7. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of internal dams disposed between the aperture region and the launch region; as well as a substrate hole disposed in the hole region and passing through the substrate; Wherein, the at least one blocking hole is arranged between the plurality of inner dams and the substrate hole.

8. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising: A camera module is disposed in the hole area.

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