Display device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a display device including: a substrate including a display area and a non-display area; a pixel circuit disposed in the display area; a pixel electrode disposed on the pixel circuit; a barrier having an opening corresponding to the pixel electrode; an encapsulation layer covering the pixel circuit, the pixel electrode and the barrier; and a color filter disposed on the encapsulation layer, in which the display area includes: an edge area adjacent to the non-display area; and a central region not directly adjacent to the non-display region, each of the edge region and the central region including a plurality of pixel electrodes, the color filters including a first color filter, a second color filter, a third color filter, and a color filter overlapping portion where the first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter overlap, the color filter overlap portion overlaps the region provided with the barrier in a plan view, and a thickness of the color filter is greater in the edge region than in the central region.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional patent application of a patent application for invention with the application date of July 26, 2019, application number 201910683668.3, and invention title "Organic Light-Emitting Diode Display".

[0002] Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0003] This application claims the priority and benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0110444, filed on September 14, 2018, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0004] The inventive concept relates to a display device. Background Art

[0005] An organic light-emitting diode display includes two electrodes and an organic emission layer positioned between the two electrodes, and electrons injected from a cathode and holes injected from an anode are combined with each other in the organic emission layer to generate excitons, and light is emitted through the emission energy of the excitons.

[0006] Recently, flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays using a light, highly impact-resistant, flexible, and easily deformable substrate have been developed. Flexible OLED displays are attracting attention as next-generation display devices that can be used for televisions, computer monitors, portable devices, and wearable devices, etc.

[0007] In addition to the function of displaying an image, such an OLED display may further include a touch sensing function capable of interacting with a user. When a user touches a finger or a touch pen, etc. on the screen, the touch sensing function senses changes in pressure, charge, light, etc. applied to the screen to determine touch information such as whether an object is touched on the screen and the touch position. The OLED display may receive an image signal based on the touch information.

[0008] The above information disclosed in this background art section is only for enhancing the understanding of the background of the inventive concept, and thus, the above information may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art in this country. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Exemplary embodiments have been made to provide an OLED display in which optical characteristics are consistent throughout an observation area and the OLED display can achieve high resolution.

[0010] An OLED display according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a substrate including a display area and a non-display area; a pixel circuit disposed in the display area; an organic light-emitting diode and a barrier disposed on the pixel circuit; a encapsulation layer covering the pixel circuit, the organic light-emitting diode, and the barrier; and a color filter disposed on the encapsulation layer, wherein the encapsulation layer includes: an edge area adjacent to the non-display area in the display area; and a central area not directly adjacent to the non-display area and the edge area is disposed between the central area and the non-display area, the color filter includes a first color filter, a second color filter, a third color filter, and an overlapping portion where the first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter overlap, and the overlapping portion is disposed in an area where the barrier is provided, and the thickness of the color filter is greater in the edge area than in the central area.

[0011] The organic light-emitting diode may include an organic emission layer, and a difference between a distance from a top surface of the organic emission layer to a topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter in the central area and a distance from the top surface of the organic emission layer to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter in the edge area may be less than 7% of the distance from the top surface of the organic emission layer to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter in the central area.

[0012] The thickness of the encapsulation layer in the central area may be greater than the thickness of the encapsulation layer in the edge area.

[0013] The edge area surrounds the central area, and the thickness of the encapsulation layer in the edge area may be less than 90% of a maximum thickness of the encapsulation layer in the central area.

[0014] A difference between a distance from the substrate to a top surface of the overlapping portion in the central area and a distance from the substrate to the top surface of the overlapping portion in the edge area is less than 5% of the distance from the substrate to the top surface of the overlapping portion in the central area.

[0015] The first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter may be a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter, respectively.

[0016] The first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter may be a magenta color filter, a yellow color filter, and a cyan color filter, respectively.

[0017] An OLED display according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a substrate including a display area and a non-display area; a pixel circuit disposed in the display area; an organic light-emitting diode and a barrier disposed on the pixel circuit; a encapsulation layer covering the pixel circuit, the organic light-emitting diode, and the barrier; a touch sensing layer disposed on the encapsulation layer; and a color filter disposed on the touch sensing layer, wherein the encapsulation layer includes: an edge area adjacent to the non-display area in the display area; and a central area not directly adjacent to the non-display area and the edge area is disposed between the central area and the non-display area, the touch sensing layer includes a planarization layer and a touch electrode, the thickness of the planarization layer is greater in the edge area than in the central area, and the color filter includes a first color filter, a second color filter, a third color filter, and an overlapping portion where the first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter overlap.

[0018] The overlapping portion may be disposed in a region corresponding to the barrier.

[0019] The first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter may be a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter, respectively.

[0020] The organic light-emitting diode may include an organic emission layer, and a difference between a distance from a top surface of the organic emission layer to a topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter in the central area and a distance from the top surface of the organic emission layer to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter in the edge area may be less than 7% of the distance from the top surface of the organic emission layer to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter in the central area.

[0021] The touch sensing layer may further include an inorganic insulating layer, the touch electrode may include a first touch electrode and a second touch electrode, and each of the first touch electrode and the second touch electrode may include a plurality of unit electrode lines.

[0022] The first touch electrode may include a plurality of first touch units arranged along a first direction and a plurality of first connection portions connecting the plurality of first touch units, and the second touch electrode may include a plurality of second touch units arranged along a second direction intersecting the first direction and a plurality of second connection portions connecting the plurality of second touch units.

[0023] The first connection part may be disposed on the encapsulation layer, the planarization layer and the inorganic insulating layer may be sequentially disposed on the first connection part, the first touch unit, the second touch unit and the second connection part may be disposed on the inorganic insulating layer, and the first touch unit is further disposed in an opening formed in the planarization layer and the inorganic insulating layer so that the first touch unit is connected to the first connection part.

[0024] The first touch electrode may receive a first touch signal for sensing coordinate values in the second direction, and the second touch electrode may receive a second touch signal for sensing coordinate values in the first direction.

[0025] The planarization layer may include an organic material, and the inorganic insulating layer may include silicon nitride (SiN x ) or silicon oxide (SiO x ).

[0026] The thickness of the encapsulation layer may be larger in the central region than in the edge region.

[0027] The touch sensing layer may further include: an inorganic insulating layer disposed on the planarization layer; and wirings connected to the touch electrodes, wherein the touch electrodes may be disposed on the inorganic insulating layer, and the touch electrodes may include a plurality of unit electrode lines.

[0028] The planarization layer may include an organic material, and the inorganic insulating layer may include silicon nitride (SiN x ) or silicon oxide (SiO x ).

[0029] An OLED display according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a substrate including a display area and a non-display area; a pixel circuit disposed in the display area; an organic light-emitting diode and a barrier disposed on the pixel circuit; a packaging layer covering the pixel circuit, the organic light-emitting diode, and the barrier; and a color filter disposed on the packaging layer, wherein the packaging layer includes: an edge area adjacent to the non-display area in the display area; and a central area not directly adjacent to the non-display area and the edge area is disposed between the central area and the non-display area, the color filter includes a first color filter, a second color filter, a third color filter, and an overlapping portion where the first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter overlap, and the overlapping portion is disposed in an area where the barrier is provided, and a difference between a distance from the substrate to a top surface of the overlapping portion in the central area and a distance from the substrate to the top surface of the overlapping portion in the edge area is less than 5% of the distance from the substrate to the top surface of the overlapping portion in the central area.

[0030] A top surface height of the packaging layer in the central area may be uniform and may gradually decrease in the edge area.

[0031] According to an exemplary embodiment, an OLED display capable of achieving high resolution and having consistent optical characteristics throughout the area can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic layout diagram of an OLED display according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.

[0033] Figure 2 is along Figure 1 a schematic cross-sectional view of the OLED display taken along line II-II' of.

[0034] Figure 3 is in the central area Figure 1 and Figure 2 a cross-sectional view of the OLED display.

[0035] Figure 4 is Figure 1 and Figure 2 a cross-sectional view of the central area and the edge area of the OLED display.

[0036] Figure 5 is a graph showing transmittance according to the wavelength of light for each color filter.

[0037] Figure 6It is a schematic layout diagram of an OLED display according to another exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.

[0038] Figure 7 It is Figure 6 a schematic cross-sectional view of the OLED display taken along line VII-VII’.

[0039] Figure 8 It is Figure 7 a top plan view of the touch sensing layer of

[0040] Figure 9 It is Figure 8 an enlarged layout diagram of part A of

[0041] Figure 10 It is Figures 6 - 9 a cross-sectional view of the central region and the edge region of the OLED display of

[0042] Figure 11 It is a top plan view of a touch sensing layer included in an OLED display according to another exemplary embodiment.

[0043] Figure 12 It is an OLED display including Figure 11 a cross-sectional view of the central region and the edge region of the touch sensing layer of Detailed Description

[0044] Hereinafter, the inventive concept will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various different ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventive concept.

[0045] The drawings and the description are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Throughout the specification, like reference numerals indicate like elements.

[0046] In addition, for understanding and ease of description, the dimensions and thicknesses of each configuration shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown, but the inventive concept is not limited thereto. In the drawings, the thicknesses of layers, films, panels, regions, etc. are exaggerated for clarity. In the drawings, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated for better understanding and ease of description.

[0047] It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is described as being "on" another element, the element can be directly on the other element or there can also be an intermediate element. In contrast, when an element is described as being "directly on" another element, there is no intermediate element. Further, throughout the specification, the phrase "on" a target element means positioned above or below the target element and does not necessarily mean positioned "at the upper side" based on the direction of gravity.

[0048] In addition, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, the term "comprising" will be understood to implicitly include the stated elements but not exclude any other elements.

[0049] Furthermore, throughout the specification, the phrase "in a plan view" means viewing the target portion from the top, and the phrase "in a cross-sectional view" means viewing a cross-section formed by vertically cutting the target portion from the side.

[0050] Referring to Figures 1 - 4 , an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display according to an exemplary embodiment will be described.

[0051] Figure 1 is a schematic layout diagram of an OLED display according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept. Figure 2 is along Figure 1 a line II-II' of the OLED display taken is a schematic cross-sectional view.

[0052] Referring to Figure 1 , the OLED display includes a display panel 10. The display panel 10 includes a display area DA and a non-display area PA. The display area DA is an area in which a plurality of pixels PX are formed and displays an image. In the display area DA, a plurality of signal lines including a plurality of gate lines 173, a plurality of data lines 171, and a plurality of driving voltage lines 172 are formed. The non-display area PA is an area in which elements or wirings are provided that generate or transmit various signals applied to the display area DA.

[0053] Referring to Figure 2 , the display panel 10 includes a substrate 110, a display layer 200, a encapsulation layer 300, a color filter 410, and a cover layer 420.

[0054] The substrate 110 may include a flexible material such as plastic that can be bent, folded, and rolled, etc. For example, the substrate 110 may include polyimide (PI), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonate (PC), polyarylate (PAR), polyetherimide (PEI), or polyethersulfone (PES), etc. The substrate 110 is also divided into a display area DA and a non-display area PA.

[0055] The display layer 200 is disposed in the display area DA of the substrate 110. The display layer 200 includes a pixel circuit, and the pixel circuit includes at least one thin film transistor, an organic light emitting element that emits light controlled by the pixel circuit, and a barrier that separates the emission regions. According to an exemplary embodiment, the display layer 200 may further include a touch sensing layer (not shown) for sensing touch, and the touch sensing layer may be disposed above or below the organic light emitting element.

[0056] The encapsulation layer 300 is disposed on the display layer 200 to cover the display layer 200. The encapsulation layer 300 may seal the display layer 200 by covering not only the top surface of the display layer 200 but also the side surfaces of the display layer 200. Since the organic light emitting element is vulnerable to moisture and oxygen, the encapsulation layer 300 blocks the intrusion of external moisture and oxygen by sealing the display layer 200. The encapsulation layer 300 includes a plurality of layers and may be formed of a composite layer including both an inorganic layer and an organic layer, or may be formed of a three-layer structure in which an inorganic layer, an organic layer, and an inorganic layer are sequentially stacked. Here, the inorganic layer may include at least one of metal oxides, metal oxynitrides, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride, and the organic layer may be formed of a polymer-based material, but this is not restrictive.

[0057] The encapsulation layer 300 is disposed in the entire display area DA and extends from the display area DA such that an end portion of the encapsulation layer 300 may be disposed in the non-display area PA. In a plan view, the encapsulation layer 300 includes: a central region CA that is disposed at the center of the encapsulation layer 300 in the display area DA; and an edge region EA that is disposed at the edge of the encapsulation layer 300 in the display area DA. The edge region EA of the encapsulation layer 300 is disposed in a region of the display area DA that contacts the non-display area PA and / or is directly adjacent to the non-display area PA, and the central region CA is spaced apart from the non-display area PA with the edge region EA interposed between the central region CA and the non-display area PA. The edge region EA may be disposed in a region surrounding the central region CA, that is, the edge region EA may be disposed at the periphery of the central region CA.

[0058] In the central region CA, the encapsulation layer 300 has a substantially flat upper surface. That is, the encapsulation layer 300 may have a uniform thickness throughout the entire region of the central region CA, and the distance from the substrate 110 to the top surface of the encapsulation layer 300 may be consistent. Hereinafter, the thickness of the encapsulation layer 300 in the central region CA is referred to as the first thickness. For example, the first thickness may be about 8 μm to about 9 μm. However, this is an example, and the thickness of the encapsulation layer 300 is not limited thereto.

[0059] In the edge region EA, the thickness of the encapsulation layer 300 gradually decreases. The edge region EA may be a region where the thickness of the encapsulation layer 300 is 90% or less of the maximum thickness in the central region CA. For example, the length of the edge region EA from the end of the display layer 200 may be about 3.5 mm to 4.5 mm. That is, the edge region EA may be provided along the edge of the display layer 200, and the width of the edge region EA may be about 3.5 mm to 4.5 mm. Hereinafter, the thickness of the encapsulation layer 300 at the edge region EA is referred to as the second thickness. The second thickness of the encapsulation layer 300 gradually decreases toward the end of the encapsulation layer. Therefore, the top surface of the encapsulation layer 300 gradually descends in the edge region EA. The top surface of the encapsulation layer 300 is curved and thus inclined in the edge region EA. In the edge region EA, the top surface of the encapsulation layer 300 may be curved, but is not limited thereto. The second thickness of the encapsulation layer 300 is less than the first thickness. For example, the maximum thickness of the second thickness of the encapsulation layer 300 in the edge region EA may be less than 8 μm.

[0060] At the edge of the encapsulation layer 300, the top surface of the encapsulation layer 300 contacts the plane of the substrate 110, and the top surface of the encapsulation layer 300 may form an acute angle with the bottom surface of the encapsulation layer 300 at a portion where the top surface of the encapsulation layer 300 contacts the plane of the substrate 110. The top surface of the encapsulation layer 300 may have a shape inclined from the edge region EA toward the end of the encapsulation layer 300 and may be curved.

[0061] The color filter 410 is disposed on the encapsulation layer 300. The color filter 410 suppresses the reflection of external light and minimizes the loss of light emitted to the outside. In addition, since the color filter 410 transmits only light having a wavelength band of the emitted color, the desired color can be realized more realistically.

[0062] In the OLED display according to the exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the color filter 410 gradually increases toward the end of the color filter 410. Therefore, the thickness of the color filter 410 in the edge region EA is greater than the thickness of the color filter 410 in the central region CA. In addition, in the edge region EA, the thickness of the color filter 410 may gradually increase toward the end of the display region DA. Since the top surface of the encapsulation layer 300 gradually decreases toward the edge in the edge region EA, the bottom surface of the color filter 410 also gradually decreases toward the end of the color filter 410. As the bottom surface of the color filter 410 decreases, the thickness of the color filter 410 increases to compensate for the step difference.

[0063] Therefore, the distance from the base 110 or the display layer 200 to the top surface of the color filter 410 is almost uniform not only in the central region CA but also in the edge region EA. For example, the difference between the distance from the base 110 or the display layer 200 to the top surface of the color filter 410 in the central region CA and the distance from the base 110 or the display layer 200 to the top surface of the color filter 410 in the edge region EA can be less than 5% of the distance from the base 110 or the display layer 200 to the top surface of the color filter 410 in the central region CA.

[0064] A cover layer 420 is disposed on the color filter 410. The cover layer 420 is formed on the color filter 410 to protect the color filter 410 and to planarize the surface of the layer in which the color filter 410 is formed.

[0065] The cover layer 420 may include an organic insulating layer. The organic insulating layer may include a general polymer (e.g., polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS)), a polymer derivative having a phenolic group, an acrylic polymer, an imide polymer, an aryl ether polymer, an amide polymer, a fluoropolymer, a parylene polymer, a polyvinyl alcohol-based polymer, or a mixture thereof. The cover layer 420 may be provided as a hybrid stack of an inorganic insulating layer and an organic insulating layer. The inorganic insulating layer may include at least one of SiO2, SiN x , SiON, Al2O3, TiO2, Ta2O5, HfO2, ZrO2, BST, and PZT, etc.

[0066] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the central region CA of an OLED display according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0067] Referring to Figure 3 , an OLED display according to an exemplary embodiment includes a base 110, a pixel circuit 250, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a barrier 361, a packaging layer 300, a color filter 410, and a cover layer 420.

[0068] The base 110 may include a flexible material such as plastic that can be bent, folded, or rolled. The detailed description is the same as the above description referring to Figure 2 , and thus the detailed description will be omitted.

[0069] A buffer layer 121 is provided on the base 110. The buffer layer 121 may include silicon nitride (SiN x ) or silicon oxide (SiO x)。The buffer layer 121 is disposed between the substrate 110 and the semiconductor layer 154, and improves the characteristics of the polysilicon by blocking impurities from the substrate 110 during the crystallization process for forming polysilicon, and the stress of the semiconductor layer 154 formed on the buffer layer 121 can be reduced by planarizing the substrate 110.

[0070] A semiconductor layer 154 is provided on the buffer layer 121. The semiconductor layer 154 may be formed of polysilicon or an oxide semiconductor.

[0071] The semiconductor layer 154 may be formed of polysilicon and includes a channel region 152, a source region 151, and a drain region 153. The source region 151 and the drain region 153 are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the channel region 152. The channel region 152 is an intrinsic semiconductor in which no impurities are doped, and the source region 151 and the drain region 153 are impurity semiconductors in which conductive impurities are doped. The semiconductor layer 154 may be formed of an oxide semiconductor, in which case, an additional passivation layer may be added to protect the oxide semiconductor vulnerable to the external environment.

[0072] A gate insulating layer 122 is disposed on the semiconductor layer 154 to cover the semiconductor layer 154. The gate insulating layer 122 may be a single layer or a multi-layer including at least one of silicon nitride (SiN x ) and silicon oxide (SiO x ).

[0073] A gate electrode 155 is provided on the gate insulating layer 122. The gate electrode 155 may be a multi-layer in which a metal layer including one of copper (Cu), copper alloy, aluminum (Al), aluminum alloy, molybdenum (Mo), and molybdenum alloy is stacked.

[0074] An interlayer insulating layer 123 is provided on the gate electrode 155 and the gate insulating layer 122. The interlayer insulating layer 123 may include silicon nitride (SiN x ) or silicon oxide (SiO x ). Openings respectively exposing the source region 151 and the drain region 153 are formed in the interlayer insulating layer 123.

[0075] A source electrode 161 and a drain electrode 162 are formed on the interlayer insulating layer 123. The source electrode 161 and the drain electrode 162 are respectively connected to the source region 151 and the drain region 153 of the semiconductor layer 154 through openings formed in the interlayer insulating layer 123 and the gate insulating layer 122.

[0076] A passivation layer 180 is provided on the interlayer insulating layer 123, the source electrode 161, and the drain electrode 162. The passivation layer 180 planarizes the interlayer insulating layer 123, the source electrode 161, and the drain electrode 162 by covering them, so that the pixel electrode 191 can be formed on the passivation layer 180 without step differences. The passivation layer 180 can be formed of an organic material such as polyacrylate resin or polyimide resin, or formed of a stacked layer of an organic material and an inorganic material.

[0077] The pixel electrode 191 is disposed on the passivation layer 180. The pixel electrode 191 is connected to the drain electrode 162 through an opening formed in the passivation layer 180.

[0078] The driving transistor formed by the gate electrode 155, the semiconductor layer 154, the source electrode 161, and the drain electrode 162 is connected to the pixel electrode 191, so that a driving current is supplied to the organic light-emitting diode OLED. In addition to Figure 3 the driving transistor shown in, the OLED display according to the present exemplary embodiment may further include: a switching transistor (not shown) connected to a data line and transmitting a data voltage in response to a scan signal; and a compensation transistor (not shown) connected to the driving transistor and compensating the threshold voltage of the driving transistor in response to the scan signal.

[0079] A barrier 361 is provided on and covers the passivation layer 180 and the pixel electrode 191, and the barrier 361 includes a pixel opening 365 exposing the pixel electrode 191. The barrier 361 can include an organic material such as polyacrylate resin or polyimide resin or a silica-based inorganic material. In a plane, the pixel opening 365 can be formed in a diamond shape, but is not limited thereto. The pixel opening 365 can have any shape such as a quadrilateral or a polygon.

[0080] An organic emission layer 370 is provided on the portion of the pixel electrode 191 exposed by the pixel opening 365. The organic emission layer 370 can be formed of a low-molecular organic material such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) or a high-molecular organic material. In addition, the organic emission layer 370 can be a multilayer including one or more of a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), an electron transport layer (ETL), and an electron injection layer (EIL).

[0081] The organic emission layer 370 includes a red organic emission layer 370R that emits red light, a green organic emission layer 370G that emits green light, and a blue organic emission layer 370B that emits blue light. The red organic emission layer 370R, the green organic emission layer 370G, and the blue organic emission layer 370B are respectively formed in red pixels, green pixels, and blue pixels for realizing a color image. The organic emission layer 370 includes the red organic emission layer 370R, the green organic emission layer 370G, and the blue organic emission layer 370B, but the organic emission layer 370 can also emit magenta light, yellow light, and cyan light.

[0082] A common electrode 270 is provided on the organic emission layer 370. The common electrode 270 can be disposed above a plurality of pixels. The pixel electrode 191, the organic emission layer 370, and the common electrode 270 can form an organic light-emitting diode OLED.

[0083] Here, the pixel electrode 191 can be an anode as a hole injection electrode, and the common electrode 270 can be a cathode as an electron injection electrode. However, exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited thereto, and according to the driving method of the OLED display, the pixel electrode 191 can be a cathode and the common electrode 270 can be an anode. Holes and electrons are respectively injected from the pixel electrode 191 and the common electrode 270 into the organic emission layer 370, and excitons generated by combining the injected holes and electrons transition from an excited state to a ground state to emit light.

[0084] Therefore, the display panel 10 includes an emission region LA in which the organic emission layer 370 is provided so that the organic emission layer 370 emits light, and a non-emission region NLA in which the barrier 361 is provided so that no light is emitted.

[0085] An encapsulation layer 300 is provided on the common electrode 270. Figure 3 The encapsulation layer 300 shown in is disposed in the central region CA and thus has a uniform thickness. That is, the distance from the substrate 110 to the top surface of the encapsulation layer 300 is consistent. The encapsulation layer 300 is the same as Figure 2 the encapsulation layer 300 of, and thus no further detailed description will be provided.

[0086] A color filter 410 is provided on the encapsulation layer 300. The color filter 410 includes a red color filter 410R, a green color filter 410G, and a blue color filter 410B. The red color filter 410R transmits light having a wavelength in the red region, the green color filter 410G transmits light having a wavelength in the green region, and the blue color filter 410B transmits light having a wavelength in the blue region. The color filter 410 is formed to correspond to the emission region LA and extends to an adjacent non-emission region NLA of the emission region LA.

[0087] When forming the color filter 410, the green color filter 410G, the red color filter 410R, and the blue color filter 410B are formed in sequence in the order of the green color filter 410G, the red color filter 410R, and the blue color filter 410B. The green color filter 410G is disposed in the emission region LA corresponding to the green organic emission layer 370G and extends to the non-emission region NLA adjacent to the green organic emission layer 370G. The green color filter 410G is disposed in a part of the non-emission region NLA, and a part of the non-emission region NLA is disposed between the red organic emission layer 370R and the blue organic emission layer 370B. In this case, the green color filter 410G is not disposed in the part of the emission region LA corresponding to the red organic emission layer 370R or in the part of the emission region LA corresponding to the blue organic emission layer 370B.

[0088] The red color filter 410R is disposed in the part of the emission region LA corresponding to the red organic emission layer 370R and extends to the non-emission region NLA adjacent to the red organic emission layer 370R, so as to overlap with the green color filter 410G. The red color filter 410R is also disposed in a part of the non-emission region NLA, and a part of the non-emission region NLA is disposed between the green organic emission layer 370G and the blue organic emission layer 370B. In this case, the red color filter 410R is not disposed in the part of the emission region LA corresponding to the green organic emission layer 370G or in the part of the emission region LA corresponding to the blue organic emission layer 370B.

[0089] The blue color filter 410B is disposed in the part of the emission region LA corresponding to the blue organic emission layer 370B and extends to the non-emission region NLA adjacent to the blue organic emission layer 370B, so as to overlap with the red color filter 410R. The blue color filter 410B is also disposed in a part of the non-emission region NLA between the red organic emission layer 370R and the green organic emission layer 370G. In this case, the blue color filter 410B is not disposed in the part of the emission region LA corresponding to the red organic emission layer 370R and in the part of the emission region LA corresponding to the green organic emission layer 370G.

[0090] The red color filter 410R, the green color filter 410G, and the blue color filter 410B overlap with each other in the non-emission region NLA corresponding to the portion where the barrier rib 361 is provided. Hereinafter, the portion where the red color filter 410R, the green color filter 410G, and the blue color filter 410B overlap with each other is referred to as the overlapping portion of the color filter 410. The red color filter 410R, the green color filter 410G, and the blue color filter 410B respectively transmit only red light, green light, and blue light. Therefore, visible light including red light, green light, and blue light cannot be transmitted through the portion where the red color filter 410R, the green color filter 410G, and the blue color filter 410B overlap with each other. When the color filter 410 is formed, the green color filter 410G, the red color filter 410R, and the blue color filter 410B are formed in this order, but the stacking order of the color filter 410 is not limited thereto.

[0091] The color filter 410 includes the red color filter 410R, the green color filter 410G, and the blue color filter 410B, but is not limited thereto. The color filter 410 may include any color that forms the three primary colors. For example, the color filter 410 may include a magenta color filter that transmits magenta light, a yellow color filter that transmits yellow light, and a cyan color filter that transmits cyan light.

[0092] The cover layer 420 is provided on the color filter 410 to protect the color filter 410 and flatten the layer in which the color filter 410 is formed.

[0093] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the central region CA and the edge region EA of the OLED display according to an exemplary embodiment. The content described with reference to Figures 1 - 3 will not be described.

[0094] With reference to Figure 4 , the thickness h2-1 of the color filter 410 in the edge region EA is greater than the thickness h1-1 of the color filter 410 in the central region CA. The top surface of the encapsulation layer 300 is flat in the central region CA, but gradually decreases in the edge region EA. Therefore, when the thickness h2-1 of the color filter 410 in the edge region EA is formed to be thicker than the thickness h1-1 of the color filter 410 in the central region CA, the distance h1-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the central region CA can be almost equal to the distance h2-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the edge region EA. The distances h1-2 and h2-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 are the vertical distances from the plane including the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410.

[0095] For example, the difference between the distance h1-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping part of the color filter 410 in the central region CA and the distance h2-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping part of the color filter 410 in the edge region EA can be less than 7% of the distance h1-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping part of the color filter 410 in the central region CA. Alternatively, the difference between the distance h1-3 from the top surface of the substrate 110 to the topmost portion of the overlapping part of the color filter 410 in the central region CA and the distance h2-3 from the top surface of the substrate 110 to the topmost portion of the overlapping part of the color filter 410 in the edge region EA can be less than 5% of the distance h1-3.

[0096] In Figure 4 it describes a region where an overlapping part of a single color filter 410 is provided in the central region CA and the edge region EA, but this is an example, and the above can equally apply to the entire regions of the central region CA and the edge region EA.

[0097] When the distance from the organic emission layer 370 to the overlapping part of the color filter 410 is different, the brightness and viewing angle characteristics of the light emitted from the organic emission layer 370 and then transmitted through the color filter 410 can be changed. Therefore, the height of the overlapping part of the color filter 410 from the organic emission layer 370 is equally formed to ensure consistent light characteristics.

[0098] The overlapping region of the color filter 410 is provided in the non-emission region NLA where the barrier 361 is provided. The overlapping region of the color filter 410 is smaller than the non-emission region NLA where the barrier 361 is provided, and the width of the overlapping region of the color filter 410 is smaller than the width of the non-emission region NLA. This is for the purpose of ensuring a wider viewing angle and improving brightness.

[0099] Figure 5 is a graph showing the transmittance according to the wavelength of light for each color filter. In the case of the blue color filter BLUE, light having a wavelength of about 450 nm to 480 nm corresponding to blue light is transmitted. In the case of the green color filter GREEN, light having a wavelength of about 490 nm to 570 nm corresponding to green light is transmitted. In the case of the red color filter RED, light having a wavelength of more than about 640 nm corresponding to red light is transmitted. When the red color filter, the green color filter, and the blue color filter overlap with each other (R / G / B), the transmittance of light in the entire region of the wavelength of visible light does not exceed 5%. Therefore, when the red color filter, the green color filter, and the blue color filter overlap with each other, light can be blocked.

[0100] When a polarizer is used in an OLED display to reduce reflection of external light, the brightness ratio can be constant regardless of the thickness of the encapsulation layer, but the OLED display becomes thicker, resulting in a decrease in luminous efficiency. In addition, applying a polarizer to a flexible display device can cause damage. To solve such problems, an alternative polarizer structure using a light blocking member and a color filter has been developed to improve luminous efficiency while reducing reflection of external light and being applicable to a flexible display as well.

[0101] However, in the alternative polarizer structure using a light blocking member and a color filter, as the resolution increases, the light blocking member decreases in size, and thus, it is difficult to form a pattern, and defective patterns in the light blocking member pattern increase. In addition, in the alternative polarizer structure using a light blocking member and a color filter, since the distance from the organic emission layer to the light blocking member varies according to the thickness of the encapsulation layer, the brightness ratio varies according to the thickness of the encapsulation layer. When the brightness dispersion increases due to the brightness difference in each region of the OLED display, on the entire surface of the OLED display, a desired image may be distorted or consistent optical characteristics may not be ensured.

[0102] In the OLED display according to an exemplary embodiment, color filters overlap each other to replace the use of a light blocking member, thereby preventing transmission of light in a non-emission region. As a result, the number of masks is reduced, thereby simplifying the process, and high resolution can be achieved.

[0103] In addition, the distance from the organic emission layer to the overlapping portion is uniformly formed without steps, so that optical characteristics can be uniformly maintained over the entire region of the display area. Therefore, in the OLED display, regardless of how the thickness of the encapsulation layer in each region varies, a consistent brightness ratio can be expected over the entire region.

[0104] Hereinafter, an OLED display according to another exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept will be described with reference to Figures 6 - 10 FIG.

[0105] Figure 6 is a schematic layout diagram of an OLED display according to another exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept. Contents identical to Figures 1 - 5 will not be described further.

[0106] Referring to Figure 6 , the OLED display includes a display panel 20. The display panel 20 includes a display area DA, a non-display area PA disposed at a periphery of the display area DA, and a touch area TA where touch can be sensed.

[0107] The touch area TA is an area in which touch or movement can be sensed not only when an object directly touches the display panel 20 but also when the object approaches or moves close to the touch area TA. The touch area TA may overlap with the display area DA. In Figure 6 it is shown that the touch area TA matches the display area DA, but it is not limited thereto. The touch area TA may not match the display area DA.

[0108] The touch sensing function can be implemented by a capacitive touch sensor including touch electrodes. The touch electrodes in the capacitive touch sensor form capacitors, and sense the change in the capacitance of the capacitors generated when touch occurs. Touch information can be generated based on such a change in capacitance.

[0109] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an OLED display taken along the line VII-VII’ of Figure 6 . Referring to Figure 7 , the display panel 20 includes a substrate 110, a display layer 200, a packaging layer 300, a touch sensing layer 350, a color filter 410, and a cover layer 420. Except for including the touch sensing layer 350, Figure 7 the exemplary embodiment of the OLED display of Figure 2 is similar to the exemplary embodiment of the OLED display of

[0110] and thus the description of the same content will be omitted. The packaging layer 300 includes: a central area CA which is disposed in the center of the packaging layer 300 in a planar manner in the display area DA; and an edge area EA which is disposed at the edge of the packaging layer 300 in the display area DA. In the display area DA, the edge area EA of the packaging layer 300 is disposed in an area contacting the non-display area PA, and the central area CA is spaced apart from the non-display area PA, while the edge area EA is disposed between the central area CA and the non-display area PA. The edge area EA may be disposed at a peripheral portion surrounding the central area CA.

[0111] In the central area CA, the packaging layer 300 may substantially have a flat top surface. The thickness of the packaging layer 300 in the edge area EA is less than the thickness of the packaging layer 300 in the central area CA. The thickness of the packaging layer 300 gradually decreases in the edge area EA, and thus, the top surface of the packaging layer 300 gradually decreases.

[0112] The touch sensing layer 350 is disposed on the encapsulation layer 300. The thickness of the touch sensing layer 350 gradually increases toward the end of the touch sensing layer 350. Since the top surface of the encapsulation layer 300 gradually decreases toward the end, the bottom surface of the touch sensing layer 350 also gradually decreases toward the end of the touch sensing layer 350. As the bottom surface of the touch sensing layer 350 decreases, the thickness of the touch sensing layer 350 is formed to be large such that the distance from the substrate 110 to the top surface of the touch sensing layer 350 is almost the same not only in the central region CA but also in the edge region EA.

[0113] The touch sensing layer 350 uses the substrate 110 as a substrate instead of having its own substrate. Such a touch sensing layer 350 can be generally very thin, such that the display panel 20 can be formed to be thin and is suitable for a flexible display.

[0114] The color filter 410 is disposed on the touch sensing layer 350. Different from Figure 2 , the color filter 410 can have the same thickness in the central region CA and in the edge region EA. Since the height from the substrate 110 to the top surface of the touch sensing layer 350 is uniform, in the display area DA, even if the color filter 410 has a uniform thickness, the height from the substrate 110 or the display layer 200 to the color filter 410 can generally be uniform. For example, the difference between the distance from the substrate 110 or the display layer 200 to the top surface of the color filter 410 in the central region CA and the distance from the substrate 110 or the display layer 200 to the top surface of the color filter 410 in the edge region EA can be less than 5% of the distance from the substrate 110 or the display layer 200 to the top surface of the color filter 410 in the central region CA.

[0115] Figure 8 is Figure 7 a schematic top plan view of the touch sensing layer 350. The touch sensing layer 350 includes a first touch electrode 351 and a second touch electrode 352.

[0116] The first touch electrode 351 includes: a plurality of first touch units 351a, each of the plurality of first touch units 351a being formed in a diamond shape; and a plurality of first connection portions 351b, the plurality of first connection portions 351b connecting the plurality of first touch units 351a along a first direction x. The first touch electrode 351 can be a transmitter (Tx) touch electrode, and a first touch signal is transmitted to the transmitter (Tx) touch electrode to sense coordinate values in a second direction y. The shape of the first touch unit 351a is not limited to a diamond shape and can be modified differently.

[0117] The second touch electrode 352 may include: a plurality of second touch units 352a, each of the plurality of second touch units 352a being formed in a diamond shape; and a plurality of second connection portions 352b, the plurality of second connection portions 352b connecting the plurality of second touch units 352a along the second direction y. The second touch electrode 352 may be a receiver (Rx) touch electrode, and a second touch signal is transmitted to the receiver (Rx) touch electrode to sense coordinate values in the first direction x. The shape of the second touch unit 352a is shown as a diamond, but is not limited thereto. On a plane, the first touch unit 351a and the second touch unit 352a are adjacent to each other, and the first connection portion 351b and the second connection portion 352b cross each other.

[0118] The first touch electrode 351 and the second touch electrode 352 are arranged to be separated from each other, and a capacitance may be formed between the first touch electrode 351 and the second touch electrode 352. When there is a touch by a user, the capacitance between the first touch electrode 351 and the second touch electrode 352 changes, and a controller (not shown) senses this change and detects the position of the touch.

[0119] The first touch unit 351a, the second touch unit 352a, and the second connection portion 352b may be arranged on the same layer. In addition, the first connection portion 351b may be arranged on a layer different from the layer on which the first touch unit 351a, the second touch unit 352a, and the second connection portion 352b are provided. Specifically, the first connection portion 351b may be arranged below the first touch unit 351a, the second touch unit 352a, and the second connection portion 352b. However, this is not restrictive. The first connection portion 351b may be arranged above the first touch unit 351a, the second touch unit 352a, and the second connection portion 352b. As described below, the first connection portion 351b may be connected to the first touch unit 351a through an opening.

[0120] The second touch unit 352a and the second connection portion 352b of the second touch electrode 352 may be integrally formed. Therefore, the first touch unit 351a, the second touch unit 352a, and the second connection portion 352b may be formed simultaneously by the same process. However, it is not required that the second connection portion 352b be formed simultaneously with the first touch unit 351a and the second touch unit 352a, and the second connection portion 352b may be separately formed using different materials by different processes from the first touch unit 351a and the second touch unit 352a.

[0121] In addition, in the present exemplary embodiment, the first connection part 351b is formed on a layer different from the layer in which the first touch unit 351a, the second touch unit 352a, and the second connection part 352b are formed. The first touch unit 351a, the second touch unit 352a, and the first connection part 351b may be formed on the same layer, and the second connection part 352b may be formed on a layer different from the layer in which the first touch unit 351a, the second touch unit 352a, and the first connection part 351b are formed.

[0122] In addition, the first touch unit 351a and the first connection part 351b of the first touch electrode 351 may be disposed on the same layer, the second touch unit 352a and the second connection part 352b of the second touch electrode 352 may be disposed on the same layer, and the first touch electrode 351 and the second touch electrode 352 may be disposed on different layers.

[0123] The first touch electrode 351 and the second touch electrode 352 may include low-resistance metals such as silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), or nickel (Ni), or may include conductive nano materials such as silver nanowires or carbon nanotubes. Such a first touch electrode 351 has a low resistance. Therefore, the RC delay can be reduced, and since the first touch electrode 351 has excellent flexibility, even when deformations such as twisting occur repeatedly, cracks are not easily generated.

[0124] The first touch sensing layer 350 includes a first wiring 21 and a second wiring 22. The first wiring 21 and the second wiring 22 are respectively connected to the first touch electrode 351 and the second touch electrode 352 and transmit touch signals. The first touch electrode 351 and the second touch electrode 352 may be disposed in the touch area TA, and the first wiring 21 and the second wiring 22 may be disposed in the non-display area PA outside the touch area TA.

[0125] Figure 9 is Figure 8 an enlarged layout diagram of part A of. In Figure 9 it, the first connection part 351b disposed on a layer different from the layer in which the first touch unit 351a of the first touch electrode 351 and the second touch electrode 352 are provided is separately shown.

[0126] Refer to Figure 9, the first touch electrode 351 and the second touch electrode 352 may be arranged in a grid pattern. In this case, the first touch electrode 351 and the second touch electrode 352 include a plurality of unit electrode lines 3511 and 3521, and each of the plurality of unit electrode lines 3511 and 3521 has a minute width and is arranged in parallel in a third direction and a fourth direction intersecting the third direction. The unit electrode lines 3511 of the first touch electrode 351 include the unit electrode lines 3511a of the first touch unit 351a and the unit electrode lines 3511b of the first connection part 351b. The unit electrode lines 3521 of the second touch electrode 352 include the unit electrode lines 3521a of the second touch unit 352a and the unit electrode lines 3521b of the second connection part 352b. Some of the unit electrode lines 3511 and 3521 arranged parallel to the third direction and the remaining unit electrode lines 3511 and 3521 arranged parallel to the fourth direction intersecting the third direction are perpendicular to each other, so as to form a rhombus-shaped opening. That is, according to the arrangement of the unit electrode lines 3511 and 3521, the grid pattern of the first touch electrode 351 and the second touch electrode 352 may have a constant lattice shape.

[0127] The first touch electrode 351 and the second touch electrode 352 are formed by a plurality of unit electrode lines 3511 and 3521, so they do not block the light emitted from the OLED display, and the parasitic capacitance can be minimized by reducing the area where the first touch electrode 351 and the second touch electrode 352 overlap with the conductive wiring of the display panel.

[0128] The first touch electrode 351 and the second touch electrode 352 include a rhombus-shaped opening, but are not limited thereto. The opening may have any shape such as a quadrilateral or a polygon. In addition, the third direction and the fourth direction in which the unit electrode lines 3511 and 3521 extend are not limited to the inclined direction, and the third direction and the fourth direction may be parallel to the first direction or the second direction.

[0129] The first connection part 351b may be provided below the first touch unit 351a, the second touch unit 352a, and the second connection part 352b. In Figure 9 , the first connection part 351b is provided at the portion indicated by the dotted line, and thus partially overlaps with the first touch unit 351a and the second connection part 352b. The second connection part 352b is insulated from the first connection part 351b by an inorganic insulating layer to be described later. In the region overlapping with the first touch unit 351a, the first connection part 351b is connected to the first touch unit 351a.

[0130] Figure 10 is according to Figures 6 - 9Cross-sectional views of the central region CA and the edge region EA of the OLED display according to an exemplary embodiment. Descriptions of configurations identical to those described above will be omitted. Specifically, Figure 10 A cross-section showing the unit electrode line 3511a of the first touch unit 351a and the unit electrode line 3511b of the first connection part 351b.

[0131] The OLED display according to an exemplary embodiment may further include an inorganic layer 301 on the encapsulation layer 300. The inorganic layer 301 may include at least one of a metal oxide, a metal oxynitride, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride. The inorganic layer 301 protects the encapsulation layer 300 by covering the encapsulation layer 300 and may prevent moisture penetration. In addition, the inorganic layer 301 may reduce the parasitic capacitance between the common electrode 270 and the touch sensing layer 350.

[0132] The touch sensing layer 350 is disposed on the inorganic layer 301. The touch sensing layer 350 includes a first touch electrode 351, a planarization layer 362, an inorganic insulating layer 363, and a second touch electrode 352. In Figure 10 a part of the unit electrode line 3511a of the first touch unit 351a and the unit electrode line 3511b of the first connection part 351b in a region where the first touch unit 351a and the first connection part 351b of the first touch electrode 351 overlap each other is shown.

[0133] Referring to Figure 10 , the unit electrode line 3511b of the first connection part 351b is disposed on the inorganic layer 301, and the planarization layer 362 is disposed on the unit electrode line 3511b of the first connection part 351b. The planarization layer 362 may include an organic material such as an acrylic-based resin. The thickness h4-1 of the planarization layer 362 in the edge region EA is greater than the thickness h3-1 of the planarization layer 362 in the central region CA. In the edge region EA, the thickness of the encapsulation layer 300 gradually decreases. However, the thickness h4-1 of the planarization layer 362 increases in the edge region EA such that the distance from the substrate 110 to the top surface of the planarization layer 362 may be constant in the central region CA and the edge region EA.

[0134] The inorganic insulating layer 363 is disposed on the planarization layer 362. The inorganic insulating layer 363 may include an inorganic material such as silicon nitride (SiN x ) or silicon oxide (SiO x ).

[0135] The unit electrode lines 3511a of the first touch unit 351a are disposed on the inorganic insulating layer 363. In addition, although not shown, the second touch unit 352a and the second connection part 352b connected to the second touch unit 352a are disposed on the inorganic insulating layer 363. In a plan view, the first touch unit 351a and the second touch unit 352a are disposed adjacent to each other. On a plane, the first connection part 351b and the second connection part 352b overlap each other, but the first connection part 351b and the second connection part 352b are insulated from each other by the inorganic insulating layer 363.

[0136] As Figure 9 shown, a part of the first connection part 351b of the first touch electrode 351 overlaps with the first touch unit 351a. In a region where the first touch unit 351a and the first connection part 351b overlap each other, the first touch unit 351a and the first connection part 351b are connected to each other by contacting each other. Specifically, the planarization layer 362 and the inorganic insulating layer 363 may include an opening 25, which is a region through which the first connection part 351b is exposed, and when the unit electrode lines 3511a of the first touch unit 351a are formed, the material for forming the unit electrode lines 3511a of the first touch unit 351a fills the opening 25 so that the first touch unit 351a can be connected to the unit electrode lines 3511b of the first connection part 351b by directly contacting the unit electrode lines 3511b of the first connection part 351b. That is, the first touch unit 351a is disposed not only on the inorganic insulating layer 363 but also in the opening 25 through which the first connection part 351b is exposed, so that the first touch unit 351a can be connected to the first connection part 351b.

[0137] On a plane, the unit electrode lines 3511 of the first touch electrode 351 and the unit electrode lines 3521 of the second touch electrode 352 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the overlapping part of the color filters 410 or the shape of the barrier ribs 361. The unit electrode lines 3511 of the first touch electrode 351 and the unit electrode lines 3521 of the second touch electrode 352 may be disposed in a region where the overlapping part of the barrier ribs 361 or the color filters 410 is provided.

[0138] The pixel opening 365 may overlap with the openings of the first touch electrode 351 and the second touch electrode 352. In this case, the plurality of unit electrode lines 3511 and 3521 may not be disposed in the entire region where the overlapping parts of the color filters 410R, 410G, and 410B or the barrier ribs 361 are provided, and may overlap with the overlapping parts of some of the color filters 410 or the barrier ribs 361. That is, only one pixel opening 365 may be provided between the plurality of unit electrode lines 3511 and 3521, but this is not restrictive. A plurality of pixel openings 365 may be provided between the plurality of unit electrode lines 3511 and 3521.

[0139] The color filter 410 is disposed on the first touch unit 351a and the inorganic insulating layer 363. Different from Figure 4 the exemplary embodiment of, in Figure 10 the exemplary embodiment of, the color filter 410 may have a constant thickness in the central region CA and the edge region EA. Although the color filter 410 has a constant thickness, when the thickness h4-1 of the planarization layer 362 in the edge region EA is formed to be greater than the thickness h3-1 of the planarization layer 362 in the central region CA, the distance h3-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the central region CA and the distance h4-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the edge region EA may be approximately the same. The distances h3-2 and h4-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 are the vertical distances of the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 with respect to the plane including the top surface of the organic emission layer 370.

[0140] For example, the difference between the distance h3-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the central region CA and the distance h4-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the edge region EA may be less than 7% of the distance h3-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the central region CA. Alternatively, the difference between the distance h3-3 from the top surface of the substrate 110 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the central region CA and the distance h4-3 from the top surface of the substrate 110 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the edge region EA may be less than 5% of the distance h3-3.

[0141] The overlapping region of the color filter 410 is disposed in the non-emission region NLA where the barrier 361 is provided. The overlapping region of the color filter 410 is smaller than the non-emission region NLA where the barrier 361 is provided, and the width of the overlapping region of the color filter 410 is smaller than the width of the non-emission region NLA.

[0142] In Figure 10 it, the regions where the unit electrode lines 3511 are respectively disposed in the central region CA and the edge region EA are shown, but this is an example, and the above content can be equally applicable to the entire regions of the central region CA and the edge region EA.

[0143] Meanwhile, the first touch unit 351a, the second touch unit 352a, and the second connection part 352b may be switched in position with the first connection part 351b. That is, the first touch unit 351a, the second touch unit 352a, and the second connection part 352b may be disposed on the inorganic layer 301 and may be covered by the planarization layer 362 and the inorganic insulating layer 363. In this case, the first connection part 351b may be disposed on the inorganic insulating layer 363.

[0144] Referring Figure 11 and Figure 12 , an OLED display according to another exemplary embodiment will be described. Figure 11 is a top plan view of a touch sensing layer included in an OLED display of another exemplary embodiment. The schematic layout diagram and cross-sectional view of the OLED display of the present exemplary embodiment are the same as those of Figure 6 and Figure 7 .

[0145] The touch sensing layer 350 includes a plurality of touch electrodes 356 all formed on the same layer and a plurality of wirings 31 respectively connected to the touch electrodes 356. The touch sensing layer 350 detects whether a touch occurs and the touch coordinates based on the capacitance formed between the touch electrodes 356 and a pointed object such as a finger or a pen.

[0146] The touch area TA is an area where a touch is applied and can be sensed, and may overlap with the display area DA where an image is displayed. The plurality of touch electrodes 356 may be arranged in a matrix form and, in a cross-sectional view, may be formed on the same layer.

[0147] Each of the touch electrodes 356 may be formed in a quadrilateral shape, but is not limited thereto. In the touch area TA, the plurality of touch electrodes 356 are separated from each other, and the touch electrodes 356 may be respectively connected to a sense signal controller (not shown) through different wirings 31.

[0148] The touch electrodes 356 may be formed in a grid pattern. In this case, the touch electrodes 356 include a plurality of unit electrode lines 3561, each of the plurality of unit electrode lines 3561 having a minute width and being arranged parallel to each other in a third direction and a fourth direction intersecting the third direction. The unit electrode lines 3561 arranged in the third direction and the unit electrode lines 3561 arranged in the fourth direction intersect perpendicularly to each other, such that a diamond-shaped opening is formed. That is, according to the arrangement of the unit electrode lines 3561, the grid pattern of the touch electrodes 356 may have a constant lattice shape. The touch electrodes 356 include diamond-shaped openings, but this is not restrictive. The shape of the opening may be any shape such as a quadrilateral or a polygon. In addition, the third direction and the fourth direction in which the unit electrode lines 3561 extend are not limited to an inclined direction.

[0149] The touch electrode 356 of this exemplary embodiment receives a sensing input signal from a sensing signal controller (not shown) through the wiring 31, generates a sensing output signal according to contact, and transmits the generated signal to the sensing signal controller. Each touch electrode 356 forms a self-sensing capacitor, thus receiving the sensing input signal and then being charged with a predetermined charge. When touched by an external object such as a finger, the amount of charge charged into the self-sensing capacitor changes, so that a sensing output signal different from the sensing input signal can be output. Based on the sensing output signal, contact information such as whether contact is made and the contact position can be provided.

[0150] The wiring 31 can be provided on the same layer where the touch electrode 356 is provided and can be formed of the same material as the touch electrode 356. However, this is not restrictive. The wiring 31 can be provided on a layer different from the layer where the touch electrode 356 is provided and can thus be connected to the touch electrode 356 through an additional connection portion.

[0151] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the central area CA and the edge area EA of another OLED display including Figure 11 the touch sensing layer. Specifically, Figure 12 a cross-section of the unit electrode line 3561 of the touch electrode 356 is shown. The description of the configuration identical to the above configuration will be omitted.

[0152] Referring to Figure 12 , an inorganic layer 301 is provided on the encapsulation layer 300, and a planarization layer 362 is provided on the inorganic layer 301. The planarization layer 362 can include an organic material such as an acrylic-based resin. The thickness of the planarization layer 362 is larger in the edge area EA than in the central area CA. In the central area CA and the edge area EA, the distance from the substrate 110 to the top surface of the planarization layer 362 is constant.

[0153] An inorganic insulating layer 363 is provided on the planarization layer 362. The inorganic insulating layer 363 can include an inorganic material such as silicon nitride (SiN x ) or silicon oxide (SiO x ).

[0154] The unit electrode lines 3561 of the touch electrode 356 are disposed on the inorganic insulating layer 363. In a plane, the unit electrode lines 3561 of the touch electrode 356 may have a shape corresponding to an overlapping portion with the color filter 410 or the barrier rib 361. The unit electrode lines 3561 of the touch electrode 356 may be disposed in a region where an overlapping portion of the barrier rib 361 or the color filter 410 is provided. The pixel opening 365 may overlap with the opening of the touch electrode 356. In this case, the plurality of unit electrode lines 3561 may not be disposed in the entire region where the overlapping portions of the color filters 410R, 410G, and 410B or the barrier rib 361 are provided, and may overlap with the overlapping portions of some of the color filters 410 or the barrier rib 361. That is, only one pixel opening 365 may be provided between the plurality of unit electrode lines 3561, but this is not restrictive. A plurality of pixel openings 365 may be provided between the plurality of unit electrode lines 3561.

[0155] The color filter 410 is disposed on the touch electrode 356. Different from Figure 4 the exemplary embodiment, according to the present exemplary embodiment, in the central region CA and the edge region EA, the thickness of the color filter 410 may be constant.

[0156] Although the color filter 410 has a constant thickness, when the thickness h6-1 of the planarization layer 362 in the edge region EA is formed to be greater than the thickness h5-1 of the planarization layer 362 in the central region CA, the distance h5-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the central region CA and the distance h6-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the edge region EA may be approximately the same. The distances h5-2 and h6-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 are the vertical distances of the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 with respect to a plane including the top surface of the organic emission layer 370.

[0157] For example, the difference between the distance h5-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the central region CA and the distance h6-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the edge region EA may be less than 7% of the distance h5-2 from the top surface of the organic emission layer 370 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the central region CA. Alternatively, the difference between the distance h5-3 from the top surface of the substrate 110 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the central region CA and the distance h6-3 from the top surface of the substrate 110 to the topmost portion of the overlapping portion of the color filter 410 in the edge region EA may be less than 5% of the distance h5-3.

[0158] In Figure 12In the figure, a region is shown in which a single unit electrode line 3561 is provided in the central area CA and the edge area EA. However, this is an example, and the above can equally apply to the entire regions of the central area CA and the edge area EA.

[0159] Although the inventive concept has been described in connection with exemplary embodiments that are currently regarded as practical exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, the present invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0160] <Description of Reference Numerals>

[0161] 10, 20: Display panel 110: Substrate

[0162] 191: Pixel electrode 200: Display layer

[0163] 250: Pixel circuit 270: Common electrode

[0164] 300: Encapsulation layer 301: Inorganic layer

[0165] 350: Touch sensing layer 351: First touch electrode

[0166] 352: Second touch electrode 356: Touch electrode

[0167] 361: Barrier 362: Planarization layer

[0168] 363: Inorganic insulating layer 370: Organic emission layer

[0169] 410: Color filter 420: Cover layer

[0170] CA: Central area EA: Edge area

Claims

1. A display device, wherein, The display device includes: a substrate including a display area and a non-display area; a pixel circuit disposed in the display area; a pixel electrode disposed on the pixel circuit; a barrier having an opening corresponding to the pixel electrode; a packaging layer covering the pixel circuit, the pixel electrode, and the barrier; and a color filter disposed on the packaging layer, wherein the display area includes: an edge area adjacent to the non-display area; and a central area not directly adjacent to the non-display area, each of the edge area and the central area includes a plurality of the pixel electrodes, the color filter includes a first color filter, a second color filter, a third color filter, and a color filter overlapping portion where the first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter overlap, the color filter overlapping portion overlaps with the area where the barrier is provided in a plan view, and the thickness of the color filter is greater in the edge area than in the central area.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the edge area surrounds the central area, the color filter overlapping portion is disposed in the area where the barrier is formed in the plan view, and the thickness of each of the first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter is greater in the edge area than in the central area.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The display device further includes: an organic emission layer on the pixel electrode, wherein the difference between the distance from the top surface of the organic emission layer to the topmost part of the color filter overlapping portion in the central area and the distance from the top surface of the organic emission layer to the topmost part of the color filter overlapping portion in the edge area is less than 7% of the distance from the top surface of the organic emission layer to the topmost part of the color filter overlapping portion in the central area.

4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein, The thickness of the packaging layer in the central area is greater than the thickness of the packaging layer in the edge area.

5. The display device according to claim 4, wherein The thickness of the packaging layer in the edge area is less than 90% of the maximum thickness of the packaging layer in the central area.

6. The display device according to claim 5, wherein, The first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter are a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter, respectively.

7. The display device according to claim 5, wherein, The first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter are a magenta color filter, a yellow color filter, and a cyan color filter, respectively.

8. A display device, wherein, The display device includes: a substrate including a display area and a non-display area; a pixel circuit disposed in the display area; a pixel electrode disposed on the pixel circuit; a barrier having an opening corresponding to the pixel electrode; a packaging layer covering the pixel circuit, the pixel electrode, and the barrier; a touch sensing layer disposed on the packaging layer; and a color filter disposed on the touch sensing layer, wherein the display area includes: an edge area adjacent to the non-display area; and a central area not directly adjacent to the non-display area, Each of the edge region and the central region includes a plurality of the pixel electrodes. The touch sensing layer includes a planarization layer and a plurality of touch electrodes. The color filter includes a first color filter, a second color filter, a third color filter, and a color filter overlapping portion where the first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter overlap, and The thickness of the planarization layer is greater in the edge region than in the central region.

9. The display device according to claim 8, wherein The edge region surrounds the central region, and The color filter overlapping portion is disposed in a region where the barrier ribs are formed in a plan view.

10. The display device according to claim 8, wherein, The first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter are a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter, respectively.

11. The display device according to claim 10, wherein, The display device further includes: An organic emission layer on the pixel electrode, wherein The difference between the distance from the top surface of the organic emission layer to the topmost portion of the color filter overlapping portion in the central region and the distance from the top surface of the organic emission layer to the topmost portion of the color filter overlapping portion in the edge region is less than 7% of the distance from the top surface of the organic emission layer to the topmost portion of the color filter overlapping portion in the central region.

12. The display device according to claim 11, wherein, The touch sensing layer further includes an inorganic insulating layer. The plurality of touch electrodes include a first touch electrode and a second touch electrode, and Each of the first touch electrode and the second touch electrode includes a plurality of unit electrode lines.

13. The display device according to claim 12, wherein, The first touch electrode includes a plurality of first touch units arranged along a first direction and a plurality of first connection portions connecting the plurality of first touch units, and The second touch electrode includes a plurality of second touch units arranged along a second direction intersecting the first direction and a plurality of second connection portions connecting the plurality of second touch units.

14. The display device according to claim 13, wherein, The plurality of first connection portions are disposed on the encapsulation layer. The planarization layer and the inorganic insulating layer are sequentially disposed on the plurality of first connection portions. The plurality of first touch units, the plurality of second touch units, and the plurality of second connection portions are disposed on the inorganic insulating layer, and The plurality of first touch units are further disposed in openings formed in the planarization layer and the inorganic insulating layer such that the plurality of first touch units are connected to the plurality of first connection portions.

15. The display device according to claim 14, wherein, The first touch electrode receives a first touch signal for sensing a coordinate value in the second direction, and the second touch electrode receives a second touch signal for sensing a coordinate value in the first direction.

16. The display device according to claim 15, wherein, The planarization layer includes an organic material, and the inorganic insulating layer includes silicon nitride or silicon oxide.

17. The display device according to claim 16, wherein, The thickness of the encapsulation layer is greater in the central region than in the edge region.

18. The display device according to claim 11, wherein, The touch sensing layer further includes: An inorganic insulating layer disposed on the planarization layer; and A plurality of wirings connected to the plurality of touch electrodes, wherein the plurality of touch electrodes are disposed on the inorganic insulating layer, and The plurality of touch electrodes include a plurality of unit electrode lines.

19. The display device according to claim 18, wherein, The planarization layer includes an organic material, and The inorganic insulating layer includes silicon nitride or silicon oxide.

20. A display device, wherein, The display device includes: a substrate including a display area and a non-display area; a pixel circuit disposed in the display area; an organic light-emitting diode disposed on the pixel circuit; a barrier having an opening corresponding to the organic light-emitting diode; a encapsulation layer covering the pixel circuit, the organic light-emitting diode, and the barrier; and a color filter disposed on the encapsulation layer, wherein the display area includes: an edge area adjacent to the non-display area; and a central area not directly adjacent to the non-display area, the color filter includes a first color filter, a second color filter, a third color filter, and a color filter overlapping portion where the first color filter, the second color filter, and the third color filter overlap, the color filter overlapping portion overlaps with the area where the barrier is provided in a plan view, and the difference between the distance from the substrate to the top surface of the color filter overlapping portion in the central area and the distance from the substrate to the top surface of the color filter overlapping portion in the edge area is less than 5% of the distance from the substrate to the top surface of the color filter overlapping portion in the central area.

21. The display device according to claim 20, wherein, The height of the top surface of the encapsulation layer in the central area is uniform and gradually decreases in the edge area.

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