Display device and apparatus for manufacturing the same

Abstract

The present application relates to a display device and an apparatus for manufacturing the same. Disclosed are a display device capable of achieving enhanced reliability and reduced manufacturing cost and an apparatus for manufacturing the same. The disclosed display device includes conductive connectors connected to signal pads arranged in through-holes extending through a substrate, respectively. The conductive connectors are arranged to be surrounded by the signal pads within the through-holes, respectively. Thus, unlike in the conventional case, it is not necessary to provide a bending area. Therefore, generation of cracks due to bending stress is prevented, so that enhanced reliability is achieved.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the original patent application No. 201911293688.6 (filed on December 12, 2019, entitled "Display Device and Apparatus for Manufacturing the Display Device"). Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to a display device, and more specifically, to a display device capable of improving reliability and reducing manufacturing costs, and equipment for manufacturing the display device. Background Technology

[0003] Image display devices that render various information on a screen are a core technology of the information age. These devices are evolving towards improved thinness, enhanced brightness, improved portability, and enhanced performance. In this regard, flat panel displays, which can eliminate the drawbacks of the heavy and bulky structure of cathode ray tubes (CRTs), are attracting attention.

[0004] Representative examples of such flat panel display devices may include liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, plasma display panels (PDP), organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices, electrophoretic display (ED) devices, etc.

[0005] This flat panel display device includes a display panel having signal pads and a driver circuit board thereon on which driver integrated circuits electrically connected to the signal pads are mounted. The driver circuit board is coupled to the signal pads such that the driver circuit board and the signal pads overlap perpendicularly.

[0006] In such conventional display panels, the driver circuit board, as mentioned above, attached to the signal pads, is located in the bezel area where no image is rendered. Therefore, it is difficult for conventional display devices to achieve narrow bezels.

[0007] To address this issue, a structure for bending the border region toward the lower surface of the substrate has been proposed. However, in this case, cracks may form during bending due to bending stress, potentially leading to reliability degradation. Furthermore, a masking process may be required to remove the multiple inorganic insulating layers that cause the cracks. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Therefore, this disclosure is dedicated to display devices and equipment for manufacturing such display devices that substantially eliminate one or more problems caused by the limitations and disadvantages of related technologies.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide a display device that can achieve enhanced reliability and reduced manufacturing costs, and an apparatus for manufacturing the display device.

[0010] Further advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following, or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and other advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the draft specification and claims and the accompanying drawings.

[0011] To achieve these and other advantages, and according to the purposes of the invention, as specifically embodied and broadly described herein, a display device includes conductive connectors, each connected to signal pads arranged within through-holes extending through a substrate. The conductive connectors are arranged to be surrounded by the signal pads within the through-holes. Therefore, unlike conventional methods, bending regions are not required. Consequently, the generation of cracks due to bending stress can be prevented, thereby enhancing reliability.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, a display device includes: a substrate having one or more through holes; a driving circuit board disposed on a lower surface of the substrate; one or more signal pads disposed within the through holes; and one or more conductive connectors each connected to the driving circuit board and a corresponding signal pad among the signal pads, and surrounded by a corresponding signal pad within the corresponding through hole.

[0013] Additionally, each of the signal pads includes: a first pad electrode disposed on the upper surface of the substrate; and a second pad electrode connected to the first pad electrode and disposed on the side surface of the substrate exposed through a corresponding via.

[0014] In addition, each of the conductive connectors is surrounded by the second pad electrode of the corresponding signal pad within the corresponding through hole.

[0015] In addition, each of the vias has a width that gradually decreases as it extends from the upper surface of the substrate to the lower surface of the substrate.

[0016] In addition, each of the vias has a width that gradually decreases in a stepped manner as it extends from the upper surface of the substrate to the lower surface of the substrate.

[0017] In addition, each of the vias has a uniformly or gradually decreasing width in the portion extending from the upper surface of the substrate toward the interior of the substrate, while each of the vias has a gradually increasing width in the portion extending from the lower surface of the substrate toward the interior of the substrate.

[0018] In addition, the width of each of the signal pads is either smaller or larger than the width of the corresponding via.

[0019] In addition, the vias that extend through laterally adjacent signal pads in the signal pads are arranged to alternate with each other.

[0020] In addition, the display device further includes a light-emitting element disposed on a substrate.

[0021] In addition, the display device further includes: a packaging unit disposed on the light-emitting element; a touch sensor disposed on the packaging unit; and wiring connected to the touch sensor and the signal pad.

[0022] In addition, the wiring is arranged along the side surface of the packaging unit.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for manufacturing the above-described display device is provided, the apparatus comprising: a printed circuit board having the conductive connector in a paste-phase state printed on it; and a resilient clamp having suction holes through which the resilient clamp holds the conductive connector and injects the held conductive connector into a through-hole, wherein the resilient clamp injects the conductive connector into the through-hole such that the conductive connector is surrounded by signal pads arranged within the through-hole.

[0024] The present invention can have the following effects. According to the present invention, conductive connectors connected to signal pads arranged within through-holes extending through the substrate are disposed on the lower surface of the substrate. The conductive connectors are arranged such that they are respectively surrounded by signal pads within the through-holes. In this case, the bezel area can be minimized without bending the bezel area, because according to the present invention, the drive circuit board connected to the conductive connector is disposed on the lower surface of the substrate. Therefore, the generation of cracks due to bending stress can be prevented, thus enhancing reliability. Furthermore, the mask process for removing the multiple inorganic insulating layers used to generate cracks is unnecessary. In this respect, the number of processes can be reduced, thus reducing manufacturing costs.

[0025] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the invention are exemplary and illustrative, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a plan view illustrating an organic light-emitting display device according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view illustrating an organic light-emitting display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figures 3A to 3C This is an example Figure 2 Plan view of the through hole shown; Figures 4A to 4E This describes the product used in manufacturing. Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the method for making an organic light-emitting display panel; Figure 5 This describes the invention according to the present invention, used for manufacturing Figure 2 A diagram showing the method for using a conductive connector; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view illustrating an organic light-emitting display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figures 7A to 7D This describes the product used in manufacturing. Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the method for the organic light-emitting display device shown; Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view illustrating an organic light-emitting display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention; Figures 9A to 9E This describes the product used in manufacturing. Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the method for the organic light-emitting display device shown; Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view illustrating an organic light-emitting display device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 This is an instruction on how to use. Figure 10 A cross-sectional view of the method for manufacturing a conductive connector using the second through-hole shown; Figure 12 This is an example of a cross-sectional view of an organic light-emitting display device including a touch sensor according to the present invention; and Figure 13 This is a plan view illustrating a multi-screen display device specifically implemented using a display device according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a plan view illustrating an organic light-emitting display device according to the present invention.

[0029] Figure 1 The illustrated display device has an effective display area AA and an ineffective display area NA.

[0030] The effective display area A displays an image through unit pixels, each comprising multiple sub-pixels rendered in different colors. An organic light-emitting display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated with reference to this example. Figure 2 Each sub-pixel includes a light-emitting element 130 and a pixel driving circuit, the pixel driving circuit including at least one thin-film transistor 150 that independently drives the light-emitting element 130.

[0031] The thin-film transistor 150 includes: an active layer 154 disposed on an active buffer layer 114; a gate 152 overlapping the active layer 154 with a gate insulating film 116 inserted between the active layer 154 and the gate 152; and a source 156 and a drain 158 formed on an interlayer insulating film 118 to contact the active layer 154.

[0032] The active layer 154 is made of at least one of an amorphous semiconductor material, a polycrystalline semiconductor material, and an oxide semiconductor material. The active layer 154 has a channel region, a source region, and a drain region. The channel region overlaps with the gate 152 when the gate insulating film 116 is interposed between the channel region and the gate 152, thus defining the channel region between the source 156 and the drain 158. The source region is electrically connected to the source 156 via a source contact hole 110S extending through the gate insulating film 116 and the interlayer insulating film 118. The drain region is electrically connected to the drain 158 via a drain contact hole 110D extending through the gate insulating film 116 and the interlayer insulating film 118.

[0033] A multi-buffer layer 112 and an active buffer layer 114 are disposed between the active layer 154 and the substrate 101. The multi-buffer layer 112 is used to delay the diffusion of moisture and / or oxygen that permeates into the substrate 101. The multi-buffer layer 112 may be formed over the entire upper surface of the substrate 101. The multi-buffer layer 112 can provide a more stable environment for thin film formation while enabling various processes to be performed more efficiently before the main display panel manufacturing process. The active buffer layer 114 performs the function of protecting the active layer 154 and preventing various defects from propagating from the substrate 101. At least one of the multi-buffer layer 112, the active buffer layer 114, and the substrate 101 has a multilayer structure.

[0034] In this case, the uppermost layer of the multi-buffer layer 112 contacting the active buffer layer 114 is made of a material having etching characteristics different from those of the multi-buffer layer 112, the active buffer layer 114, and the remaining layers in the gate insulating film 116. The uppermost layer of the multi-buffer layer contacting the active buffer layer 114 is made of SiN. x and SiO xOne of them is made of SiN. The remaining layers in the multi-buffer layer 112, the active buffer layer 114, and the gate insulating film 116 are made of SiN. x and SiO x Another one is made in this process. For example, the uppermost layer of the contact active buffer layer 114 of the multi-buffer layer 112 is made of SiN. x The remaining layers in the multi-buffer layer 112, the active buffer layer 114, and the gate insulating film 116 are made of SiO2. x Made.

[0035] The light-emitting element 130 includes: an anode 132 connected to the drain 158 of a thin-film 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 for contact with a low-voltage power supply line. Here, the low-voltage supply line supplies a voltage lower than the high voltage supplied via the high-voltage supply line.

[0036] The anode 132 is electrically connected to the drain 158 of the thin-film transistor 150, which is exposed through a pixel contact hole 126 extending through a passivation film 120 and a planarization film 122 disposed on the thin-film transistor 150. The anode 132 of each sub-pixel is disposed on the planarization film 122 while being exposed through the dam 138.

[0037] When the anode 132 described above is applied to a bottom-emitting 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-emitting organic light-emitting display device, the anode 132 is formed with a multilayer structure, which includes a transparent conductive film and an opaque conductive film with high reflectivity. The transparent conductive film is made of a material with a relatively high work function value (e.g., indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium zinc oxide (IZO)). The opaque conductive film is formed with a single-layer structure or a multilayer structure including Al, Ag, Cu, Pb, Mo, Ti, or alloys thereof. For example, the anode 132 is formed with a structure having a transparent conductive film, an opaque conductive film, and a transparent conductive film sequentially laminated.

[0038] The light-emitting stack 134 is formed by laminating the hole transport layer, the light-emitting layer, and the electron transport layer onto the anode 132 in this order or the reverse order.

[0039] The cathode 136 is formed on the upper and side surfaces of the light-emitting pile 134 and the embankment 138, so as to face the anode 132 when the light-emitting pile 134 is inserted between the anode 132 and the cathode 136.

[0040] The inactive display area NA is the remaining area of ​​the display device excluding the active display area AA. Multiple signal pads 160, which supply drive signals to multiple signal lines 102 arranged in the active display area AA, are formed in the inactive display area NA. Here, each signal line 102 includes at least one of a scan line, a data line, a high-voltage supply line, and a low-voltage supply line.

[0041] Each signal pad 160 includes a first pad electrode 162 and a second pad electrode 164.

[0042] The first pad electrode 162 extends from a corresponding signal line in the signal line 102 and is disposed on the portion of the upper surface of the substrate 101 exposed by the insulating hole 124. In this case, the insulating hole 124 is formed to expose the corresponding portion of the upper surface of the substrate 101 by removing portions of the multi-buffer layer 112, the active buffer layer 114, the gate insulating film 116, and the interlayer insulating film 118 disposed in the substrate 101 at the corresponding pad area of ​​the ineffective display area NA.

[0043] The second pad electrode 164 extends from the first pad electrode 162 and is disposed on the side surface of the substrate 101 exposed by vias 166, which are formed to extend through the substrate 101. Furthermore, the vias 166 extending through the substrate 101 have… Figures 3A to 3C One of the structures illustrated. Figure 3A The illustrated via 166 is formed to have a width narrower than that of the first pad electrode 162. Figure 3B The illustrated via 166 is formed to have a width that is wider than the narrow width of the first pad electrode 162. Figure 3C The illustrated via 166 is formed such that the vias 166 of adjacent first pad electrodes 162 alternate with each other. Therefore, when applying high resolution, it is possible to use... Figure 3C The structure of the through hole 166. The through hole 166 can have a circular, elliptical or polygonal shape.

[0044] The second pad electrode 164, as described above, is formed to surround the conductive connector 170 within the through-hole 166, thereby electrically connecting to the conductive connector 170 within the through-hole 166. The conductive connector 170 is formed to have a multilayer structure made of a material with excellent conductivity, such as silver (Ag), copper (Cu), or a combination thereof. The signal pad 160 is electrically connected via the conductive connector 170 as described above to a drive circuit board 128 disposed on the lower surface of the substrate 101. The drive circuit board 128 may include a chip-on-film (COF), tape-on-coupling (TCP), flexible printed circuit (FPC), etc., on which a drive integrated circuit is mounted. The drive circuit board 128 supplies drive signals from the drive integrated circuit to the signal pad 160 via the conductive connector 170.

[0045] Figures 4A to 4E This is a cross-sectional view illustrating a method for manufacturing signal pads arranged in through-holes according to the present invention.

[0046] First, such as Figure 4A For example, a substrate 101 is placed on a support plate 111. The support plate 111 is made of a material harder than the material of the substrate 101 (e.g., glass). The substrate 101 may have a single-layer structure made of a flexible material such as polyimide, or it may have a multi-layer structure including a first substrate layer made of a flexible material and a second substrate layer made of an inorganic insulating material such as SiO2. For example, the substrate 101 includes a first substrate layer and a second substrate layer, the first substrate layer forming a double-layer structure and being made of a flexible material, and the second substrate layer being interposed between the first substrate layers and being made of an inorganic insulating material.

[0047] A multi-buffer layer 112 and an active buffer layer 114 are sequentially formed on a substrate 101 by a deposition process. Subsequently, an active layer 154 is formed on the active buffer layer 114 by photolithography and etching processes. Then, a gate insulating film 116 is formed on the substrate 101 on which the active buffer layer 114 is formed by a deposition process. Then, a gate electrode 152 is formed on the gate insulating film 116 by photolithography and etching processes. Subsequently, an interlayer insulating film 118 is formed over the entire upper surface of the substrate 101 on which the gate electrode 152 is formed. Then, source contact holes 110S, drain contact holes 110D, and insulating vias 124 are formed by photolithography and etching processes. The insulating via 124 is formed by removing the portion of the inorganic insulating film, including the multi-buffer layer 112, the active buffer layer 114, the gate insulating film 116, and the interlayer insulating film 118, disposed in the pad area where the signal pads 160 are disposed.

[0048] In this case, the source contact hole 110S, the drain contact hole 110D, and the insulating hole 124 can be formed simultaneously in the same process, or they can be formed separately through separate masking processes.

[0049] Then, as Figure 4B For example, a laser is used to form a through-hole 166 extending through the substrate 101 according to a patterning process.

[0050] Then as Figure 4C For example, a source electrode 156, a drain electrode 158, a signal line 162, and a signal pad 160 are formed on a substrate 101 with a via 166 formed, according to a photolithography and etching process. In this case, the signal pad 160 is arranged on the upper surface of the substrate 101, the side surface of the substrate 101, and the support plate 111, thereby connecting them to each other.

[0051] Then, as Figure 4D For example, a passivation film 120 and a planarization film 122 are formed above the entire upper surface of the substrate 101, which contains the active electrode 156, drain electrode 158, signal line 162, and signal pad 160. Then, the passivation film 120 and planarization film 122 are patterned through photolithography and etching processes to form a pixel contact hole 126. Subsequently, an anode 132 is formed on the substrate 101 where the pixel contact hole 126 is formed through photolithography and etching processes. Then, a dam 138 is formed on the structure formed on the substrate 101 through photolithography. Then, a light-emitting pile 134 and a cathode 136 are sequentially formed through a deposition process using a fine metal mask. Finally, as... Figure 4E For example, the support plate 111 disposed on the lower surface of the substrate 101 is removed by a stripping process. At this time, the signal pads 160 disposed on the support plate 111 are also removed.

[0052] As described above, in the first embodiment of the present invention illustrated, the via 166 is formed using a laser through a patterning process while the inorganic insulating film has been removed from the pad area of ​​the substrate 101. Therefore, the contact area between each signal pad 160 and its associated conductive connector 170 can be increased. On the other hand, when the via is formed using a laser while the inorganic insulating film remains in the pad area of ​​the substrate, a failure may occur where the signal pad does not contact the conductive connector. That is, the inorganic insulating film reacts to the laser more slowly than the substrate, so that after the via is formed, the side surface of the inorganic insulating film exposed through the via can protrude further than the side surface of the substrate exposed through the via. When the signal pad is formed on the substrate with the aforementioned via, since the inorganic insulating film protrudes further than the side surface of the substrate, the signal pad cannot be formed at the side surface of the substrate. Therefore, a failure may occur where the signal pad does not contact the conductive connector.

[0053] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a conductive connector according to the present invention.

[0054] First, a printed circuit board 146 with raised and recessed portions and an elastic clamp 144 with suction holes 142 are prepared. Then, paste-phase conductive connectors 170 are formed on the raised and recessed portions of the printed circuit board 146. Next, the paste-phase conductive connectors 170 are suctioned into the suction holes 142 of the elastic clamp 144, which is made of rubber material. Then, the elastic clamp 144, in which the paste-phase conductive connectors 170 have been suctioned, is aligned with the lower surface of the substrate 101. In this state, the paste-phase conductive connectors 170 are ejected into the through-holes 166 of the substrate 101 and then cured. Thus, conductive connectors 170 are formed at the corresponding through-holes 166 of the substrate 101, thereby electrically connecting to the signal pads 160.

[0055] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view illustrating an organic light-emitting display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Except for the inner surface of the substrate 101 exposed through the through-hole 166 being formed at an angle, Figure 6 The illustrated organic light-emitting display device includes the same constituent elements as those in the first embodiment. Therefore, a detailed description of the same constituent elements will not be given.

[0057] Each through-hole 166 is formed with a width that gradually decreases as it extends from the upper surface of the substrate 101 to the lower surface of the substrate 101. The inner surfaces of the substrate 101 exposed through the through-hole 166 and the upper surface of the substrate 101 are formed to form an obtuse angle between them. On the other hand, the inner surfaces of the substrate 101 exposed through the through-hole 166 and the lower surface of the substrate 101 are formed to form an acute angle between them.

[0058] The inner surface of the substrate 101 exposed by each through-hole 166 having a width that decreases as the through-hole 166 extends from the upper surface of the substrate 101 to the lower surface of the substrate 101 has a greater density than that exposed by a through-hole 166. Figure 2 The illustrated substrate 101, with its uniformly wide vias, has a larger surface area on its inner side surface. Therefore, the second pad electrodes 164 arranged on the side surface of the substrate 101 exposed through the vias 166 (each via having a width that decreases as it extends from the upper surface of the substrate 101 to the lower surface of the substrate 101) also have a larger surface area than... Figure 2 The illustrated second pad electrode 164 has a large surface area.

[0059] Figures 7A to 7D This describes the product used in manufacturing. Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the method for the illustrated organic light-emitting display device.

[0060] First, such as Figure 7A For example, a substrate 101 made of a photosensitive material is placed on a support plate 111. Then, a through-hole 166 with an inclined surface is formed by patterning the substrate 101 using a photolithography process. Figure 7BFor example, a multi-buffer layer 112 and an active buffer layer 114 are sequentially formed on a substrate 101 with vias 166 formed by a deposition process. Subsequently, an active layer 154 is formed on the active buffer layer 114 by photolithography and etching processes. Then, a gate insulating film 116 is formed on the substrate 101 with the active buffer layer 114 formed by a deposition process. Then, a gate electrode 152 is formed on the gate insulating film 116 by photolithography and etching processes. Subsequently, an interlayer insulating film 118 is formed over the entire upper surface of the substrate 101 where the gate electrode 152 is formed. Then, source contact vias 110S, drain contact vias 110D, and insulating vias 124 are formed by photolithography and etching processes. The insulating via 124 is formed by removing the inorganic insulating film, including the multi-buffer layer 112, the active buffer layer 114, the gate insulating film 116, and the interlayer insulating film 118, from the portion of the pad area where the signal pads 160 are disposed. In this case, the source contact hole 110S, the drain contact hole 110D, and the insulating hole 124 can be formed simultaneously in the same process, or they can be formed separately through separate masking processes.

[0061] Then, as Figure 7C For example, a via 166 is formed using a laser according to a patterning process, extending through the substrate 101. Subsequently, a source 156, a drain 158, a signal line 162, and a signal pad 160 are formed on the substrate 101, on which the source contact via 110S, the drain contact via 110D, and the insulating via 124 are formed, according to a photolithography and etching process. In this case, the signal pad 160 is not formed at the support plate 111. The signal pad 160 is also not formed on the portion of the inner surface adjacent to the lower surface of the substrate 101.

[0062] Then, according to Figure 4D The same manufacturing method illustrated involves sequentially forming a passivation film 120, a planarization film 122, an anode 132, a dam 138, a light-emitting pad 134, and a cathode 136 on a substrate 101 that forms an active electrode 156, a drain 158, a signal line 162, and a signal pad 160. Subsequently, as... Figure 7D For example, the support plate 111 disposed on the lower surface of the substrate 101 is removed. Finally, using Figure 5 The illustrated elastic clamp 133 forms a conductive connector 170 at the through hole 166 of the substrate 101, such that the conductive connector 170 is electrically connected to the signal pad 160 respectively.

[0063] As described above, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the signal pads 160 are formed with the inorganic insulating film already removed from the pad areas of the substrate 101. Therefore, the contact area between each signal pad 160 and its associated conductive connector 170 can be increased. On the other hand, when signal pads are formed with the inorganic insulating film remaining in the pad areas of the substrate, the inorganic insulating film disposed on the support plate can also be removed, thus potentially stripping the signal pads from the inorganic insulating film. Therefore, the surface area of ​​the signal pads may be reduced, potentially leading to a failure where the signal pads do not contact their associated conductive connectors.

[0064] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view illustrating an organic light-emitting display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] In addition to the through holes being formed with a multi-level structure, Figure 8 The illustrated organic light-emitting display device includes and Figure 2 The organic light-emitting display devices illustrated use the same constituent elements. Therefore, detailed descriptions of these identical constituent elements will not be given.

[0066] Figure 8 Each illustrated via 166 has a structure comprising a plurality of stepped vias, the vias having a width that decreases in a stepped manner as the via 166 extends from the upper surface of the substrate 101 to the lower surface of the substrate 101. The following description will be given in conjunction with the following example, in which the via 166 has a structure comprising first to fourth inner holes 166a, 166b, 166c and 166d as stepped vias.

[0067] The first inner hole 166a is formed to extend through a portion of the substrate 101 while having the same width as the insulating hole 124. The second inner hole 166b is disposed below the first inner hole 166a while having a smaller width than the first inner hole 166a. The third inner hole 166c is disposed below the second inner hole 166b while having a smaller width than the second inner hole 166b. The fourth inner hole 166d is disposed below the third inner hole 166c while having a smaller width than the third inner hole 166c.

[0068] The portion of the substrate 101 exposed by the through-hole 166, which has a multi-level structure with a width that gradually decreases as the through-hole 166 extends from the upper surface of the substrate 101 to the lower surface of the substrate 101, has a greater density than that exposed by a through-hole 166. Figure 2 The illustrated portion of the substrate 101 with exposed vias of uniform width has a larger surface area. Therefore, the signal pads arranged on the inner and upper surfaces of the substrate 101 exposed through the vias 166 associated with the signal pads 160 also have a larger surface area than... Figure 2The illustrated signal pads 160 have a larger surface area. This increases the contact area between each pad 160 and its associated conductive connector 170.

[0069] Furthermore, because each through-hole 166 has a width that gradually increases as it extends from the lower surface of the substrate 101 to the upper surface of the substrate 101, the diffusion of the paste-phase conductive connector 170 can be enhanced when the paste-phase conductive connector 170 is ejected using an elastic clamp. Therefore, the conductive connector 170 can be easily formed on the inner surface of the substrate 101.

[0070] Figures 9A to 9E This describes the product used in manufacturing. Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the method for the illustrated organic light-emitting display device.

[0071] First, such as Figure 9A For example, a substrate 101 is placed on a support plate 111. Then, a multi-buffer layer 112, an active buffer layer 114, a gate insulating film 116, a gate electrode 152, an interlayer insulating film 118, a source contact hole 110S, and a drain contact hole 110D are sequentially formed on the substrate 101. Subsequently, a first photoresist pattern 108a is formed on the substrate 101 through an exposure and development process. Using the photoresist pattern 108a as a mask, the multi-buffer layer 112, the active buffer layer 114, the gate insulating film 116, and the interlayer insulating film 118 are partially removed by an etching process, thereby forming an insulating hole 124. Then, a portion of the substrate 101 is etched using an etching process by using the first photoresist pattern 108a as a mask to form a first inner hole 166a. In this case, the first inner hole 166a is formed to have the same width as the insulating hole 124. After removing the first photoresist pattern 108a, as... Figure 9B For example, a second photoresist pattern 108b is formed on a substrate 101 having a first inner hole 166a through an exposure and development process. Then, the second inner hole 166b is formed by etching a portion of the substrate 101 exposed through the first inner hole 166a using the second photoresist pattern 108b as a mask according to an etching process. After removing the second photoresist pattern 108b, as... Figure 9C For example, a third photoresist pattern 108c is formed on a substrate 101 having a second inner hole 166b through an exposure and development process. Then, the third inner hole 166c is formed by etching a portion of the substrate 101 exposed through the second inner hole 166b using the third photoresist pattern 108c as a mask according to an etching process. After removing the third photoresist pattern 108c, as... Figure 9DFor example, a fourth photoresist pattern 108d is formed on a substrate 101 having a third inner hole 166c through an exposure and development process. Then, the fourth inner hole 166d is formed by etching a portion of the substrate 101 exposed through the third inner hole 166c using the fourth photoresist pattern 108d as a mask according to an etching process. Subsequently, as... Figure 9E For example, a source electrode 156, a drain electrode 158, a signal line 162, and a signal pad 160 are formed on a substrate 101 according to photolithography and etching processes. Then, according to... Figure 4D The same manufacturing method illustrated involves sequentially forming a passivation film 120, a planarization film 122, an anode 132, a dam 138, a light-emitting pad 134, and a cathode 136 on a substrate 101 that forms the active electrode 156, the drain 158, the signal line 162, and the signal pad 160. Subsequently, the support plate 111 disposed on the lower surface of the substrate 101 is removed. Finally, using… Figure 5 The illustrated elastic clamp 133 forms a conductive connector 170 at the through hole 166 of the substrate 101, such that the conductive connector 170 is electrically connected to the signal pad 160 respectively.

[0072] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view illustrating an organic light-emitting display device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] In addition to providing a second through hole, Figure 10 The illustrated organic light-emitting display device includes and Figure 6 The organic light-emitting display devices illustrated use the same constituent elements. Therefore, detailed descriptions of these identical constituent elements will not be given.

[0074] The second through hole 168 is disposed below the corresponding through hole 166. Each second through hole 168 is formed to have a width that gradually decreases as the second through hole 168 extends from the lower surface of the substrate 101 toward the interior of the substrate 101.

[0075] like Figure 11 For example, each second through-hole 168 is formed by partially removing the lower part of the substrate 101 after forming the first through-hole 166 and the signal pad 160 using a laser trimming process. Therefore, the elastic clamp 144 used to form the conductive connector 170 can be inserted into the second through-hole 168. Because the elastic clamp 144 can be aligned with the second through-hole 168 within the second through-hole 168, malfunctions caused by misalignment between the elastic clamp 133 and the second through-hole 168 can be prevented. Furthermore, the insertion depth of the elastic clamp 144 can be controlled according to the width of the second through-hole 168, thus adjusting the injection depth of the paste-phase conductive connector 170.

[0076] Figure 12This is a cross-sectional view illustrating an organic light-emitting display device including a touch sensor according to the present invention.

[0077] like Figure 12 For example, a packaging unit 140 including an inorganic packaging layer and an organic packaging layer, such as... Figure 12 The illustrated arrangement is on each light-emitting element. A touch buffer film 196 is arranged on the packaging unit 140. A touch sensor, including touch electrodes and a bridge, is arranged on the touch buffer film 196.

[0078] Wiring 190 supplying drive signals to the touch sensor is arranged between the touch sensor and one of the associated signal pads 160. Wiring 190 includes a first wiring 192 and a second wiring 194.

[0079] The first wiring 192 is made of the same material as the bridge and is disposed on the touch buffer membrane 196. The second wiring 194 is made of the same material as the touch electrode and is disposed on the touch insulating membrane 198. The second wiring 194 is electrically connected to a portion of the first wiring 192 exposed through a first contact hole 106 extending through the touch insulating membrane 198. Additionally, at least one of the first wiring 192 and the second wiring 194 is electrically connected to a portion of a signal line 102 exposed through a second contact hole 186. The signal line 102 is electrically connected to an auxiliary signal line 104 via a third contact hole 184. Furthermore, the signal line 102 extends to a pad area to be electrically connected to an associated signal pad 160.

[0080] At least one organic insulating layer 188 is disposed between the signal pad 160 and the package unit 140. The organic insulating layer 188 is made of an organic insulating material with higher elasticity than inorganic insulating materials. The organic insulating layer 188 exhibits higher strain than inorganic insulating materials, thus reducing the deformation stress generated at the substrate 101 made of flexible material. Therefore, the organic insulating layer 188 can prevent the formation of cracks at the wiring 190 and signal lines 102 and 104 arranged in the non-active display area NA. This prevents cracks from propagating into the active display area AA.

[0081] As is apparent from the above description, in this invention, conductive connectors 170, each connected to signal pads 160 arranged within through-holes 166 extending through the substrate 101, are positioned on the lower surface of the substrate 101 while being surrounded by the signal pads 160 within the through-holes 166. In this case, according to the invention, a drive circuit board 128 connected to the conductive connectors 170 is positioned on the lower surface of the substrate 101, thus minimizing the bezel area without bending it. Therefore, in this invention, the generation of cracks due to bending stress can be prevented, thereby enhancing reliability. Furthermore, the masking process for removing the multiple inorganic insulating layers used to generate cracks is unnecessary. In this respect, the number of processes can be reduced, thereby lowering manufacturing costs.

[0082] Furthermore, in the display device according to the present invention, the signal line 102 is electrically connected to the drive circuit board 128 via a signal pad 160 arranged within a through-hole 166 extending through the substrate 101 and a conductive connector 170 formed on the lower surface of the substrate 101 and within the through-hole 166. Therefore, the display device of the present invention can ensure the desired contact area between each signal pad 160 and its associated conductive connector 170, thereby reducing the resistance between the signal pad 160 and the conductive connector 170.

[0083] Furthermore, according to the present invention, this can be specifically implemented by connecting multiple display devices D1, D2, D3, and D4. Figure 13 The illustrated multi-screen display device has a large screen size, and each of the multiple display devices D1, D2, D3, and D4 is... Figure 2 , Figure 6 , Figure 8 , Figure 10 as well as Figure 12 One of the illustrated display devices. In this case, it can be as follows: Figure 13 The example illustrates minimizing the boundary area between interconnected display devices D1, D2, D3, and D4, because it allows for... Figure 2 , Figure 6 , Figure 8 , Figure 10 as well as Figure 12 The ineffective display area NA (i.e., the border area BA) in each of the illustrated display devices is minimized.

[0084] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and alterations can be made to this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Therefore, this invention is intended to encompass modifications and variations thereof, provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0085] Cross-references to related applications

[0086] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0166581, filed on December 20, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein.

Claims

1. A display device, the display device comprising: A substrate, the substrate including a pad area, and one or more through holes arranged in the pad area; A driving circuit board is disposed on the lower surface of the substrate; One or more signal pads, wherein the one or more signal pads are respectively arranged in the via; One or more inorganic insulating films are disposed on the substrate; Signal lines, the signal lines being arranged above the one or more inorganic insulating films and extending to the signal pads; as well as One or more conductive connectors are disposed within the through-hole, each of the conductive connectors electrically connecting the driver circuit board, one of the signal pads, and one of the signal lines to each other, and is surrounded by one of the signal pads within one of the through-holes. The signal line is connected to the driver circuit board via a signal pad within one of the through holes and a conductive connector within one of the conductive connectors. Each conductive connector extends through the through-hole and connects to the signal pad on both sides of the through-hole. Each of the one or more signal pads is not exposed on the lower surface of the substrate. Each of the through holes has a width that decreases as it extends from the upper surface of the substrate to the lower surface of the substrate, and In this case, one or more inorganic insulating films are not arranged in the pad area.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the signal pads includes: A first pad electrode, the first pad electrode being disposed on the upper surface of the substrate; and The second pad electrode is connected to the first pad electrode and is disposed on the side surface of the substrate exposed through a corresponding via.

3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein, Each of the conductive connectors is surrounded by the second pad electrode of the corresponding signal pad within the corresponding through hole.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the vias has a width that gradually decreases in a stepped manner as it extends from the upper surface of the substrate to the lower surface of the substrate.

5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The width of each of the signal pads is either smaller or larger than the width of the corresponding via.

6. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, The vias through which the laterally adjacent signal pads in the signal pads extend are arranged to alternate with each other.

7. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising: A light-emitting element, wherein the light-emitting element is disposed on the substrate.

8. The display device according to claim 7, further comprising: A packaging unit is disposed on the light-emitting element; A touch sensor, the touch sensor being disposed on the packaging unit; as well as Wiring, the wiring being connected to the touch sensor and the signal pad.

9. The display device according to claim 8, wherein, The wiring is arranged along the side surface of the packaging unit.

10. An apparatus for manufacturing a display device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the apparatus comprising: A printed circuit board, wherein the conductive connector is printed in the paste phase; as well as An elastic clamp is provided with a suction hole. The elastic clamp holds the conductive connector through the suction hole and injects the held conductive connector into the through hole. The elastic clamp injects the conductive connector into the through hole, such that the conductive connector is surrounded by the signal pads arranged in the through hole.

Images