Light emitting display device

Abstract

A light emitting display apparatus includes a substrate including a plurality of sub-pixels including a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, a blue sub-pixel, and a white sub-pixel, a light emitting diode disposed in each of the plurality of sub-pixels and including a first electrode, a light emitting layer, and a second electrode of a transparent conductive material stacked, a semi-transmissive plate disposed on the light emitting diode of the red sub-pixel, the green sub-pixel, the blue sub-pixel, and the white sub-pixel, and an insulating layer disposed on the semi-transmissive plate in the white sub-pixel.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2025-0056106, filed in Korea on April 29, 2025, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes, as if fully set forth herein. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to a light-emitting display device. Background Technology

[0004] Recently, flat panel display devices with excellent characteristics such as thinness, lightweight and low power consumption have been widely developed and applied in various fields.

[0005] In flat panel display devices, light-emitting display devices equipped with light-emitting elements such as light-emitting diodes are display devices that emit light when charge is injected into the light-emitting layer formed between the anode and cathode and electrons and holes pair up and then annihilate.

[0006] In light-emitting display devices, red, green, and blue subpixels can be configured with microcavity structures to improve the luminous efficiency of the corresponding colors. However, it is difficult to implement white subpixels in light-emitting display devices using microcavity structures. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The advantage of this invention is that it provides a light-emitting display device with a microcavity structure that can realize white sub-pixels.

[0008] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. These and other advantages of the invention will be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the written description, the claims thereto, and the accompanying drawings.

[0009] To achieve these and other advantages and for the purposes of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a light-emitting display device comprises: a substrate including a plurality of sub-pixels, the plurality of sub-pixels including a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, a blue sub-pixel, and a white sub-pixel; light-emitting diodes disposed in each of the plurality of sub-pixels and including a stacked first electrode, a light-emitting layer, and a second electrode of a transparent conductive material; a translucent plate disposed on the light-emitting diodes of the red, green, blue, and white sub-pixels; and an insulating layer disposed on the translucent plate in the white sub-pixel.

[0010] On the other hand, the light-emitting display device includes: a substrate comprising a plurality of sub-pixels, the plurality of sub-pixels including red sub-pixels, green sub-pixels, blue sub-pixels and white sub-pixels; a light-emitting diode disposed in each of the plurality of sub-pixels and including a stacked first electrode, a light-emitting layer and a second electrode, the second electrode being transparent; a translucent plate disposed on the second electrode; and a dielectric layer disposed on the translucent plate of the white sub-pixel.

[0011] It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and illustrative, and are intended to provide further explanation of the claimed invention. Attached Figure Description

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

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic plan view of a light-emitting display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken from line II-II';

[0015] Figures 3 to 6D This is a view showing the simulated results of visible light transmittance when the stacked structure of the second electrode / semi-transparent plate / insulating layer according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied;

[0016] Figure 7 This schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a light-emitting display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

[0017] Figure 8 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a light-emitting display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The advantages and features of the present invention, as well as the methods of implementing it, will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms, and only these embodiments enable the invention to be complete. The present invention is provided to fully inform those skilled in the art of this disclosure of its scope, and the invention can be defined by the scope of the claims.

[0019] The shapes, dimensions, proportions, angles, numbers, etc., disclosed in the accompanying drawings used to illustrate embodiments of the present invention are illustrative, and the present invention is not limited to the matters shown. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same parts.

[0020] Furthermore, in describing this invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of the relevant known art unnecessarily obscures the subject matter of the invention, its detailed description may be omitted. When terms such as "comprising," "including," "having," and "consisting of" are used in this invention, other parts may be added unless "only" is used. When components are referred to in the singular, the plural cases are also included unless a specific statement is described.

[0021] When interpreting a component, it is interpreted as including a margin range, even if there is no separate explicit description.

[0022] When describing positional relationships, for example, when the positional relationship between two parts is described as "on," "above," "above," "below," "next to," "below," etc., one or more other parts may be positioned between such two parts unless "exactly" or "directly" is used.

[0023] When describing temporal relationships, such as when time priority is described as "after", "following", "before", etc., discontinuous situations can be included unless "immediately" or "right away" is used.

[0024] When describing the components of the present invention, terms such as first and second may be used. These terms are only used to distinguish the components from other components, and the nature, order, sequence, or number of the components are not limited by the terms.

[0025] The various features of the various embodiments of the present invention can be partially or wholly connected or combined with each other, and can be technically interlocked and driven in various ways. Furthermore, the various embodiments can be implemented independently of each other or together in a related relationship.

[0026] In the following description, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, the same and similar reference numerals are assigned to the same and similar parts, and their detailed descriptions may be omitted.

[0027] <First Implementation Method>

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic plan view of a light-emitting display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 The cross-sectional view of the sub-pixel structure is schematically shown by line II-II'.

[0029] Before describing it in detail, the light-emitting display device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention may include any type of display device that uses a light-emitting diode OD as a self-emissive element to display an image.

[0030] In this embodiment, for ease of explanation, an organic light-emitting display device can be used as the light-emitting display device 10.

[0031] The light-emitting display device 10 can be a top-emitting display device or a bottom-emitting display device. In this embodiment, for ease of explanation, a top-emitting display device 10 can be used as an example.

[0032] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The light-emitting display device 10 (or its light-emitting display panel) of this embodiment may include a display area AA for displaying images and a non-display area NA arranged around the display area AA.

[0033] The display area AA may include multiple sub-pixels SP arranged along multiple row lines (or horizontal lines) and multiple column lines (or vertical lines) on the substrate 101.

[0034] Meanwhile, although not specifically shown, multiple gate lines (or scan lines) extending along the row direction (or horizontal direction or a first direction) DR1 and multiple data lines extending along the column direction (or vertical direction or a second direction) DR2 can be formed on the substrate 101. Each sub-pixel SP can be connected to the corresponding gate line and data line.

[0035] Furthermore, power lines for transmitting high-potential driving voltages and power lines for transmitting low-potential driving voltages can be formed on the substrate 101. The high-potential driving voltage and the low-potential driving voltage can be applied to the sub-pixel SP.

[0036] The plurality of sub-pixels SP formed on the substrate 101 may include sub-pixels SP of different colors, which constitute a pixel P as a unit for displaying a color image. For example, the sub-pixels SP constituting the pixel P may include sub-pixels SP that display (or emit) a first color, a second color, and a third color respectively, such as a red sub-pixel SPr, a green sub-pixel SPg, and a blue sub-pixel SPb that display (or emit) red, green, and blue respectively. In addition, the sub-pixels SP constituting the pixel P may also include a white sub-pixel SPw that displays (or emits) white.

[0037] Therefore, in this embodiment, each pixel P may have an RGBW structure configured with red sub-pixels SPr, green sub-pixels SPg, blue sub-pixels SPb and white sub-pixels SPw.

[0038] Since a white subpixel SPw can be set in pixel P, the white balance in the light-emitting display device 10 can be improved and the brightness can be increased.

[0039] The red sub-pixel SPr, green sub-pixel SPg, blue sub-pixel SPb, and white sub-pixel SPw can be arranged in various configurations. For example, as Figure 1 As shown, subpixels SP can be arranged in a stripe pattern, wherein subpixels SP of the same color are arranged in the column direction DR2 and subpixels SP of different colors are arranged alternately in the row direction DR1, but are not limited thereto.

[0040] Each sub-pixel SP may include a light-emitting diode OD as a light-emitting element. Furthermore, the sub-pixel SP may include a pixel driving circuit for driving the light-emitting diode OD. The pixel driving circuit may include at least one capacitor and a plurality of thin-film transistors TR including a driving transistor. In this configuration, during the light-emitting period, the driving transistor can be turned on to generate a light-emitting current, and this light-emitting current can be supplied to the light-emitting diode OD to perform light-emitting operation.

[0041] Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with the same light-emitting characteristics can be formed in the red sub-pixels SPr, green sub-pixels SPg, blue sub-pixels SPb, and white sub-pixels SPw constituting pixel P. More specifically, white LEDs that emit essentially white light can be formed in the sub-pixels SP constituting pixel P in the same way.

[0042] Each of the red sub-pixel SPr, green sub-pixel SPg, and blue sub-pixel SPb set in pixel P can be implemented using a microcavity structure to increase the luminous efficiency of its corresponding color. The microcavity structure can be configured with a semi-transparent laminate and a reflective laminate, which are arranged vertically with a light-emitting layer 145 inserted between them.

[0043] In this respect, for example, the red subpixel SPr, the green subpixel SPg, and the blue subpixel SPb can emit light of different colors, i.e., light of different wavelengths, and therefore they can have different cavity thicknesses, i.e., resonant distances (d: d1, d2, and d3).

[0044] In this respect, the red sub-pixel SPr, green sub-pixel SPg, and blue sub-pixel SPb can have a resonant distance d proportional to their color wavelength (or half-wavelength). The resonant distance d of each sub-pixel SP can be matched to an integer multiple of the half-wavelength of its corresponding color. In this case, the resonant distance d can be limited to the third-direction DR3 (in the thickness direction).

[0045] In this respect, the red sub-pixel SPr, which outputs the color with the longest wavelength, can have the relatively largest first resonant distance d1. The green sub-pixel SPg, which outputs the color with the middle wavelength, can have a second resonant distance d2 that is smaller than the first resonant distance d1. The blue sub-pixel SPb, which outputs the color with the shortest wavelength, can have a third resonant distance d3 that is smaller than the second resonant distance d2. In other words, the first distance d1 can be greater than the second distance d2, the second distance d2 can be greater than the third distance d3, and the first distance d1 can be greater than the third distance d3.

[0046] Therefore, by applying microcavity structures to the red subpixel SPr, green subpixel SPg, and blue subpixel SPb, the purity and luminous efficiency of their corresponding colors can be improved.

[0047] In this embodiment, when achieving the resonant distance d of the red sub-pixel SPr, the green sub-pixel SPg, and the blue sub-pixel SPb, a semi-transparent plate (or semi-transparent electrode) ST can be placed on the light-emitting diode OD. The semi-transparent plate (or semi-transparent electrode) ST is a laminate with semi-transparent properties and is positioned on the upper side in the direction above the light output direction of the microcavity structure.

[0048] In addition, when achieving the resonant distance d of the red sub-pixel SPr, the green sub-pixel SPg, and the blue sub-pixel SPb, a reflector (or reflective electrode) RE can be placed essentially below the light-emitting diode OD. The reflector (or reflective electrode) RE is a laminated film with reflective properties and is positioned on the lower side in the direction opposite to the light output direction of the microcavity structure.

[0049] In this embodiment, the position (or height) of the reflector RE can be distinguished among the red sub-pixel SPr, green sub-pixel SPg, and blue sub-pixel SPb. In other words, the reflectors (RE: RE1, RE2, and RE3) of the red sub-pixel SPr, green sub-pixel SPg, and blue sub-pixel SPb can be formed separately and positioned on different planes.

[0050] Furthermore, the transflective plate ST can be positioned (or at a height) in substantially the same place among the red sub-pixel SPr, green sub-pixel SPg, and blue sub-pixel SPb. For example, the transflective plates ST for the red sub-pixel SPr, green sub-pixel SPg, and blue sub-pixel SPb can be integrally formed and positioned on substantially the same plane.

[0051] Therefore, in this embodiment, by changing the position of the reflector RE of the red sub-pixel SPr, the green sub-pixel SPg, and the blue sub-pixel SPb, the resonant distance d of their corresponding microcavity structures can be achieved.

[0052] Additionally, the color filter patterns (CF: CFr, CFg, and CFb) corresponding to the red subpixel SPr, green subpixel SPg, and blue subpixel SPb can be laminated on the transflective plate ST.

[0053] Meanwhile, similar to the red sub-pixel SPr, green sub-pixel SPg, and blue sub-pixel SPb, the white sub-pixel SPw may include a reflector (RE: RE4) and a semi-transparent plate ST, which are formed below and on the corresponding light-emitting diode OD, respectively.

[0054] The transflective plate ST of the white sub-pixel SPw can be positioned, for example, on the same plane as the transflective plates ST of the red sub-pixel SPr, green sub-pixel SPg, and blue sub-pixel SPb.

[0055] For example, the transflective plate ST for the red sub-pixel SPr, green sub-pixel SPg, blue sub-pixel SPb, and white sub-pixel SPw can be integrally formed and positioned substantially on the same plane. In other words, a single transflective plate ST can be formed over substantially the entire display area AA, allowing the single transflective plate ST to be integrally formed across all sub-pixels SP.

[0056] The reflector (RE: RE4) of the white sub-pixel SPw can be formed at the same location (or on the same layer) as the reflector RE of one of the red sub-pixel SPr, green sub-pixel SPg, and blue sub-pixel SPb. In this embodiment, the case where the reflector RE of the white sub-pixel SPw and the reflector RE of the blue sub-pixel SPb are formed on the same plane is taken as an example.

[0057] The white subpixel SPw can be configured so that it does not form a separate color filter pattern CF.

[0058] Simultaneously, an insulating layer (or dielectric layer) IL formed of a dielectric can be formed on the color filter pattern CF of the red sub-pixel SPr, green sub-pixel SPg, and blue sub-pixel SPb, and on the translucent plate ST of the white sub-pixel SPw. The insulating layer IL can, for example, be formed substantially over the entire substrate 101 and serve as an encapsulation layer. Furthermore, the insulating layer IL can have transparent properties that substantially transmit visible light.

[0059] Therefore, the insulating layer IL can be formed on the upper surface of the transmissive plate ST in the white sub-pixel SPw. In addition, the second electrode (or cathode) 150, which is the upper electrode of the light-emitting diode OD and is a transparent electrode with transparent properties, can be formed below the lower surface of the transmissive plate ST.

[0060] Therefore, the white sub-pixel SPw can have a structure in which the second electrode 150, the semi-transparent plate ST, and the insulating layer IL are stacked sequentially.

[0061] The transparent second electrode 150 can be formed from a transparent oxide conductive material such as ITO, IZO or ZnO.

[0062] The insulating layer IL can be made of transparent oxide insulating materials such as Al2O3 or SiO2, or materials such as SiN. x A transparent nitride insulating material is formed. In this embodiment, the case where the insulating layer IL is formed of an oxide insulating material is taken as an example.

[0063] Based on the stacked structure of the second electrode 150 / semi-transparent plate ST / insulating layer IL, the transmittance of the semi-transparent plate ST can be significantly increased across the entire visible light wavelength range.

[0064] Therefore, the microcavity effect cannot be effectively utilized in the white sub-pixel SPw; instead, the non-microcavity effect in which visible light is transmitted across the entire visible spectrum can be utilized.

[0065] In other words, although the transmissive plate ST exists in the white sub-pixel SPw, due to the stacked structure of the second electrode 150 / transmissive plate ST / insulating layer IL, the transmissive plate ST can actually perform the transmission function instead of the transmissive function.

[0066] Therefore, in this embodiment, the transflective plate ST can be formed not only in the red sub-pixel SPr, the green sub-pixel SPg, and the blue sub-pixel SPb, but also in the white sub-pixel SPw, and the insulating layer IL can be stacked on the transflective plate ST of the white sub-pixel SPw, so that the red sub-pixel SPr, the green sub-pixel SPg, and the blue sub-pixel SPb can be configured with microcavity structures to realize their corresponding colored light, and the white sub-pixel SPw can be configured with a non-microcavity structure that substantially transmits and outputs white light.

[0067] Therefore, the transflective plate ST can be formed across the entire sub-pixel SP without requiring a separate process to remove the transflective plate ST from the white sub-pixel SPw. This simplifies the manufacturing process while efficiently realizing the white sub-pixel SPw.

[0068] The configuration and implementation method of the RGBW structure in this embodiment can be described in more detail below.

[0069] Reference Figure 2 It can describe the cross-sectional structure of red sub-pixels SPr, green sub-pixels SPg, and blue sub-pixels SPb with microcavity structures, and the cross-sectional structure of white sub-pixels SPw with non-microcavity structures.

[0070] The substrate 101 of the light-emitting display device 10 can be, for example, an insulating substrate, such as a glass substrate or a plastic substrate. Alternatively, the substrate 101 can be a silicon substrate (or silicon wafer) formed of crystalline silicon (e.g., single-crystal silicon) used as a semiconductor, and in this case, there is the advantage of effectively realizing a small display device that requires high resolution.

[0071] In this embodiment, an insulating substrate is used as an example for ease of explanation.

[0072] Multiple thin-film transistors (TRs) can be formed in each sub-pixel (SP) on the substrate 101. Meanwhile, in this embodiment, for ease of explanation, in... Figure 2 In the image, a thin-film transistor TR connected to a light-emitting diode OD is shown in the blue sub-pixel SPb on the left. This thin-film transistor TR can be a light-emitting control transistor or a driving transistor, but is not limited to these.

[0073] Although not specifically shown, a thin-film transistor (TR) may include a semiconductor layer, a gate insulating film, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode. Here, the TR can be a bottom-gate thin-film transistor with the gate electrode located below the semiconductor layer, or a top-gate thin-film transistor with the gate electrode located above the semiconductor layer.

[0074] The semiconductor layer of a thin-film transistor (TR) can be formed, for example, from oxide semiconductors, crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, etc., but is not limited to these.

[0075] Meanwhile, when using a semiconductor substrate as substrate 101, an active region serving as a semiconductor layer can be formed within the semiconductor substrate.

[0076] At least one passivation layer (or insulating layer) can be formed on the thin-film transistor TR. In this embodiment, for ease of explanation, the case of forming three passivation layers, from the first passivation layer 111 to the third passivation layer 113, is used as an example.

[0077] The first passivation layer 111 may be formed substantially above the entire surface of the substrate 101, covering the thin-film transistor TR (or overlapping with the thin-film transistor TR). The first passivation layer 111 may be formed of an organic insulating material and / or an inorganic insulating material.

[0078] The first reflector (or first reflective electrode) (RE:RE1) can be formed on the first passivation layer 111 in the red sub-pixel SPr.

[0079] The second passivation layer 112 may be formed substantially above the entire surface of the substrate 101 on the first passivation layer 111 on which the first reflector RE1 is formed. The second passivation layer 112 may be formed of an organic insulating material and / or an inorganic insulating material.

[0080] The second reflector (or second reflective electrode) (RE:RE2) can be formed on the second passivation layer 112 in the green sub-pixel SPg.

[0081] The third passivation layer 113 can be formed substantially above the entire surface of the substrate 101 on the second passivation layer 112 on which the second reflector RE2 is formed. The third passivation layer 113 can be formed of organic insulating material and / or inorganic insulating material.

[0082] The third reflector (or third reflective electrode) (RE:RE3) can be formed on the third passivation layer 113 in the blue sub-pixel SPb.

[0083] In addition, a fourth reflector (or fourth reflective electrode) (RE:RE4) can be formed on the third passivation layer 113 in the white sub-pixel SPw.

[0084] The first reflector RE1 to the fourth reflector RE4 can be formed of highly reflective metals such as, but not limited to, Ag, Al, Mo, Ti or APC (Al-Pd-Cu) alloys.

[0085] Meanwhile, a contact hole CH for exposing an electrode of the thin-film transistor TR, such as a drain electrode, can be formed in the first insulating layer 111 to the third insulating layer 113.

[0086] The first reflector RE1 to the fourth reflector RE4 can each be used to reflect upward light generated by the light-emitting diode OD in the corresponding sub-pixel SP and propagate downward.

[0087] On the substrate 101 on which the first reflector RE1 to the fourth reflector RE4 are formed, a first electrode (or anode) 140 of a light-emitting diode OD can be formed for each sub-pixel SP. The first electrode 140 can be formed in a patterned form for each sub-pixel SP.

[0088] The first electrode 140 may be formed of a transparent conductive material such as ITO, IZO or ZnO.

[0089] The first electrode 140 in each of the red sub-pixels SPr and the green sub-pixels SPg can be formed on the third passivation layer 113. In addition, the first electrode 140 in the blue sub-pixel SPb can be formed on the third reflector RE3, and the first electrode 140 in the white sub-pixel SPw can be formed on the fourth reflector RE4.

[0090] The first electrode 140 formed in each sub-pixel SP can be connected to the drain electrode of the thin-film transistor TR of each sub-pixel SP through the contact hole CH.

[0091] A dam (or partition or fence) 143 may be formed on the first electrode 140, positioned along the edge of each sub-pixel SP surrounding the sub-pixel SP. The dam 143 may be made of inorganic or organic insulating material.

[0092] The embankment 143 may have an opening that exposes the first electrode 140 of each sub-pixel SP, and may be configured to cover the edge of the first electrode 140 (or overlap with the edge of the first electrode 140). The opening of the embankment 143 may define a light-emitting area (or light-emitting diode OD) that actually generates light within the sub-pixel SP.

[0093] A trench TC may be formed in at least a portion of the embankment 143 and the passivation layers 111, 112, and 113 below the embankment 143. For example, the trench TC may be formed along the boundary between sub-pixels SP of different colors in the column direction DR2 (or in the second direction). In some cases, the trench TC may also be formed along the boundary between sub-pixels SP of the same color in the row direction DR1 (or in the first direction).

[0094] Therefore, by forming a trench TC, lateral leakage current between adjacent sub-pixels SP can be prevented.

[0095] In this embodiment, for ease of explanation, the case where the trench TC is formed in the third passivation layer 113 to the first passivation layer 111 is used as an example. Alternatively, the trench TC may be formed in the third passivation layer 113, or in the third passivation layer 113 and the second passivation layer 112. Therefore, in the first passivation layer 111 to the third passivation layer 113, the trench TC may be formed in at least one passivation layer, including the third passivation layer 113.

[0096] The light-emitting layer 145 can be formed on the embankment 143 and on the first electrode 140 exposed through the opening in the embankment 143. The light-emitting layer 145 can be formed substantially over the entire substrate 101 (or the entire display area AA).

[0097] The light-emitting layer 145 can be, for example, an organic light-emitting layer formed using organic materials. The light-emitting layer 145 can be formed from a multilayer structure including layers of light-emitting materials that actually emit light.

[0098] The light-emitting layer 145 (or at least a portion thereof) may be separated (or disconnected or divided) by trenches TC formed in the embankment 143 and the first passivation layer 111 to the third passivation layer 113.

[0099] The light-emitting layer 145 can be formed as a single-stacked structure or a multi-stacked structure.

[0100] When the light-emitting layer 145 is formed with a single stacked structure, the light-emitting layer 145 can be separated by trench TC.

[0101] Meanwhile, when the light-emitting layer 145 is configured to have a multi-stack structure, charge-generating layers can be disposed between vertically adjacent stacks. In this case, for example, the lower stack and the charge-generating layers on the lower stack can be separated by a trench TC, and the upper stack can be configured such that at least the upper portion of the upper stack is not separated above the trench TC and is connected above the trench TC.

[0102] The light-emitting layer 145 can, for example, be configured as a white light-emitting layer that emits white light. Therefore, the light-emitting diodes OD of all sub-pixels SP can emit the same white light.

[0103] The second electrode (or cathode) 150 may be formed on the light-emitting layer 145 and substantially above the entire surface of the substrate 101.

[0104] In this respect, the second electrode 150 can be continuously formed between adjacent sub-pixels SP without being separated by the trench TC. Therefore, the second electrode 150 can be continuously formed along all sub-pixels SP of the display area AA.

[0105] Therefore, the second electrode 150 can be formed by deposition along all sub-pixel SPs without a separate patterning process.

[0106] The second electrode 150 may be formed of a transparent electrode with transmission properties. The second electrode 150 may be formed of a transparent oxide conductive material such as ITO, IZO or ZnO, but is not limited thereto.

[0107] The first electrode 140, the light-emitting layer 145, and the second electrode 150 stacked as described above can form a light-emitting diode (OD). Therefore, a light-emitting diode (OD) can be formed in each sub-pixel SP.

[0108] As mentioned above, the light-emitting diode OD can be configured as a light-emitting layer 145 that emits white light, and thus can be used as a white light-emitting diode.

[0109] Therefore, the sub-pixels SP within the display area AA can have light-emitting diodes OD with essentially the same structure, which ensures the uniformity of the light-emitting characteristics among the sub-pixels SP.

[0110] The transmissive plate ST can be formed substantially above the entire surface of the substrate 101 having light-emitting diodes.

[0111] In this respect, similar to the second electrode 150, the transflective plate ST can be continuously formed between adjacent sub-pixels SP within the display area AA without being separated. Therefore, the transflective plate ST can be formed substantially continuously along all sub-pixels SP of the display area AA.

[0112] Therefore, a transmissive plate ST can be formed by deposition along all sub-pixels SP (i.e., red sub-pixels SPr, green sub-pixels SPg, blue sub-pixels SPb, and white sub-pixels SPw) without a separate patterning process.

[0113] The semi-transparent plate ST can be formed of, for example, a metal that exhibits semi-transparent properties, such as, but not limited to, Ag or an alloy of Ag and Mg (AgMg).

[0114] The transflective plate ST positioned in the red sub-pixel SPr, green sub-pixel SPg, and blue sub-pixel SPb can together with the reflective plates (RE: RE1, RE2, and RE3) positioned below the light-emitting diodes OD of the sub-pixels SPr, SPg, and SPb to realize a microcavity structure.

[0115] In this respect, in the red sub-pixel SPr, the first reflector RE1 and the semi-transparent plate ST can be spaced apart by a first resonant distance d1 for red light emission. Therefore, a microcavity structure configured with the first reflector RE1 and the semi-transparent plate ST can be realized in the red sub-pixel SPr. Thus, in the red sub-pixel SPr, white light generated from the light-emitting diode OD can be reflected between the first reflector RE1 and the semi-transparent plate ST of the microcavity structure, thereby generating (or outputting) red light upwards.

[0116] In the green sub-pixel SPg, the second reflector RE2 and the semi-transparent plate ST can be spaced apart by a second resonant distance d2 for green light emission. Therefore, a microcavity structure with the second reflector RE2 and the semi-transparent plate ST configured can be realized in the green sub-pixel SPg. Thus, in the green sub-pixel SPg, white light generated from the light-emitting diode OD can be reflected between the second reflector RE2 and the semi-transparent plate ST of the microcavity structure, thereby generating (or outputting) green light upwards.

[0117] In the blue sub-pixel SPb, the third reflector RE3 and the semi-transparent plate ST can be spaced apart by a third resonant distance d3 for blue light emission. Therefore, a microcavity structure with the third reflector RE3 and the semi-transparent plate ST configured can be realized in the blue sub-pixel SPb. Thus, in the blue sub-pixel SPb, white light generated from the light-emitting diode OD can be reflected between the third reflector RE3 and the semi-transparent plate ST of the microcavity structure, thereby generating (or outputting) blue light upwards.

[0118] The color filter pattern CF can be formed on a transflective plate ST corresponding to each of the red subpixel SPr, green subpixel SPg, and blue subpixel SPb.

[0119] For example, for the red subpixel SPr, a red color filter pattern (or a first color filter pattern) CFr can be formed on the translucent plate ST. Therefore, by directly arranging the red color filter pattern CFr on the translucent plate ST, color purity can be improved.

[0120] For the green subpixel SPg, a green color filter pattern (or a second color filter pattern) CFg can be formed on the translucent plate ST. Therefore, by directly arranging the green color filter pattern CFg on the translucent plate ST, color purity can be improved.

[0121] For the blue subpixel SPb, a blue color filter pattern (or a third color filter pattern) CFb can be formed on the translucent plate ST. Therefore, by directly arranging the blue color filter pattern CFb on the translucent plate ST, color purity can be improved.

[0122] At the same time, a separate color filter pattern CF can be avoided for the white sub-pixel SPw.

[0123] An insulating layer IL can be formed substantially over the entire surface of a substrate 101 on which color filter patterns (CF: CFr, CFg, and CFb) are formed. The insulating layer IL can be made of a transparent oxide insulating material such as Al2O3 or SiO2, or such as SiN. x The insulating layer IL is formed from a transparent nitride insulating material, but is not limited to this. In this embodiment, the case where the insulating layer IL is formed from an oxide insulating material is taken as an example.

[0124] Therefore, the insulating layer IL can be formed to substantially cover the entire sub-pixel SP arranged on the substrate 101 (or overlap with the entire sub-pixel SP arranged on the substrate 101), and can be used as a sealing layer for sealing the light-emitting diode OD.

[0125] More specifically, the insulating layer IL disposed on the red sub-pixel SPr, the green sub-pixel SPg, and the blue sub-pixel SPb can be formed to cover the red color filter pattern CFr, the green color filter pattern CFg, and the blue color filter pattern CFb.

[0126] Simultaneously, the insulating layer IL disposed on the white sub-pixel SPw can be formed on the upper surface of the translucent plate ST that contacts the white sub-pixel SPw. In other words, the insulating layer IL can be directly formed on the translucent plate ST of the white sub-pixel SPw that is not covered by the color filter pattern CF and is exposed.

[0127] Therefore, in the white sub-pixel (SPw), a structure in which the second electrode 150, the semi-transparent plate ST, and the insulating layer IL are stacked sequentially can be realized.

[0128] As mentioned above, the transparent second electrode 150 can be formed of a transparent oxide conductive material, and the insulating layer IL can be formed of a transparent oxide insulating material (or a transparent nitride insulating material).

[0129] Based on this stacked structure of the second electrode 150 / semi-transparent plate ST / insulating layer IL, the transmittance of the semi-transparent plate ST in the white sub-pixel SPw can be increased substantially across the entire wavelength range of visible light.

[0130] Therefore, microcavity effects are not substantially achieved in the white sub-pixel SPw; instead, non-microcavity effects in which visible light is transmitted across the entire visible light spectrum can be achieved.

[0131] In other words, although the transmissive plate ST exists in the white sub-pixel SPw, due to the stacked structure of the second electrode 150 / transmissive plate ST / insulating layer IL, the transmissive plate ST in the white sub-pixel SPw can actually perform the transmission function instead of the transmissive function.

[0132] In this respect, a semitransparent plate ST can have semitransparent properties by forming a metal with a certain thickness (e.g., in the range of about 10 nm to about 30 nm), and the semitransparent plate ST can reflect light when free electrons present on the metal surface react with light energy.

[0133] Typically, a semitransmissive plate (ST) can have the following characteristics: a transmittance peak exists in the ultraviolet region due to the inherent frequency of the free electrons in the metal, and the transmittance decreases with increasing wavelength in the visible region.

[0134] However, when oxides (or nitrides) are placed on the surface of the semitransparent plate ST, the free electrons of the metal react with the oxides, causing the transmittance distribution of wavelengths to shift towards the visible light region, resulting in an overall increase in transmittance in the visible light region.

[0135] Therefore, in the white sub-pixel SPw, by arranging a second electrode 150 formed of oxide and an insulating layer IL on the lower and upper surfaces of the semi-transparent plate ST, a stacked structure of the second electrode 150 / semi-transparent plate ST / insulating layer IL can be formed, so that the white sub-pixel SPw can stably (or effectively) obtain the transmission characteristics of white light.

[0136] Therefore, in this embodiment, the white sub-pixel SPw can be configured with a non-microcavity structure that substantially transmits and outputs white light generated from the light-emitting diode OD.

[0137] Therefore, instead of performing a separate patterning process to remove the translucent plate ST for the white sub-pixel SPw, the translucent plate ST can be formed within the white sub-pixel SP. This simplifies the manufacturing process while efficiently realizing the white sub-pixel SPw.

[0138] In this regard, to form microcavity structures in the red sub-pixels SPr, green sub-pixels SPg, and blue sub-pixels SPb, and non-microcavity structures in the white sub-pixel SPw, a method could be considered that a second electrode 150 with transmissive properties is deposited above the entire surface of the substrate 101 and the second electrode 150 corresponding to the white sub-pixel SPw is removed by an etching process. However, in this case, since the light-emitting layer 145 is located below the second electrode 150 with transmissive properties, there is a problem that the light-emitting layer 145 is damaged during the etching process, therefore this method is not practical.

[0139] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the second electrode 150 can be formed as a transparent electrode, a translucent plate ST on the second electrode 150 can be formed over the entire substrate 101, and an insulating layer IL can be formed on the upper surface of the translucent plate ST in the white sub-pixel SPw. Therefore, while it is possible to realize red sub-pixels SPr, green sub-pixels SPg, and blue sub-pixels SPb having microcavity structures corresponding to the colors of red sub-pixels SPr, green sub-pixels SPg, and blue sub-pixels SPb, it is also possible to realize a white sub-pixel SPw having a non-microcavity structure capable of emitting white light.

[0140] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the transflective plate ST can be formed across the entire sub-pixel SP without the need for a separate process of removing the transflective plate ST from the white sub-pixel SPw, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and effectively realizing the white sub-pixel SPw.

[0141] Meanwhile, in order to ensure that the visible light transmittance (i.e., white light transmittance) is higher than the appropriate level according to the stacked structure of the second electrode 150 / semi-transparent plate ST / insulating layer IL in the white sub-pixel SPw, the thickness of each of the second electrode 150, semi-transparent plate ST and insulating layer IL can be set within a specific range.

[0142] In this regard, for example, in order to achieve transmissive properties and realize microcavity structures in red subpixel SPr, green subpixel SPg and blue subpixel SPb, transmissive plate ST can be formed with a thickness in the range of about 10 nm to about 30 nm.

[0143] Furthermore, in order to achieve transmission characteristics in the white sub-pixel SPw through the stacked structure of the second electrode 150 / semi-transparent plate ST / insulating layer IL, the second electrode 150 below the semi-transparent plate ST can be formed with a thickness in the range of about 10 nm to about 65 nm, and the insulating layer IL on the semi-transparent plate ST can be formed with a thickness in the range of about 35 nm to about 80 nm.

[0144] Therefore, when the sequentially stacked second electrode 150 / semi-transparent plate ST / insulating layer IL are each set to the thickness as described above, microcavity structures that realize the colors of red sub-pixels SPr, green sub-pixels SPg, and blue sub-pixels SPb can be configured in the red sub-pixels SPr, green sub-pixels SPg, and blue sub-pixels SPb, while the white sub-pixels SPw can have a high transmittance level of visible light passing through the semi-transparent plate ST, so that a non-microcavity structure can be effectively realized in the white sub-pixels SPw.

[0145] This can be referenced. Figures 3 to 6D . Figures 3 to 6D This is a view showing the simulated results of visible light transmittance when a stacked structure of a second electrode / semi-transparent plate / insulating layer according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied. Simulation results are shown when the second electrode is formed of IZO, the semi-transparent plate is formed of AgMg, and the insulating layer is formed of Al2O3.

[0146] More specifically, Figure 3 This is a view showing the visible light transmittance based on the thickness of the second electrode and the insulating layer when the thickness of the semitransparent plate is about 18 nm.

[0147] Figure 4A This is a view showing the visible light transmittance of a semi-transparent plate according to its thickness (approximately 15 nm to approximately 20 nm), and Figure 4B This is a view showing the visible light transmittance of a stacked structure of a second electrode / semi-transparent plate / insulating layer, depending on the thickness of the semi-transparent plate (approximately 10 nm to approximately 20 nm). Figure 4BIn the process, the thickness of the second electrode is approximately 40 nm, and the thickness of the insulating layer is approximately 40 nm.

[0148] Figure 5A This is a view of the visible light transmittance of a semi-transparent plate based on its thickness (approximately 10 nm to approximately 30 nm), and... Figure 5B This is a view showing the visible light transmittance of a stacked structure of a second electrode / semi-transparent plate / insulating layer, depending on the thickness of the semi-transparent plate (approximately 10 nm to approximately 30 nm). Figure 5B In this process, the thickness of the second electrode is approximately 35 nm, and the thickness of the insulating layer is approximately 55 nm.

[0149] Figure 6A This is a view showing the visible light transmittance of the second electrode when its thickness is approximately 35 nm. Figure 6B This is a view showing the visible light transmittance of the insulating layer when its thickness is approximately 55 nm. Figure 6C This is a view showing the visible light transmittance of a semi-transparent plate when its thickness is in the range of about 12 nm to about 18 nm. Figure 6D This is a view showing the visible light transmittance of the stacked structure of the second electrode (about 35 nm), the semi-transparent plate (about 12 nm to about 18 nm), and the insulating layer (about 55 nm).

[0150] about Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 6C and Figure 6D The transmittance curves in each of the layers are arranged sequentially in the downward direction as the thickness increases. For example, in... Figure 4A In the diagram, the transmittance curve corresponding to a thickness of approximately 15 nm is located above the transmittance curve corresponding to a thickness of approximately 16 nm.

[0151] Reference Figure 3 With a semitransparent plate ST of 18 nm, when the second electrode 150 is set to about 10 nm to about 65 nm and the insulating layer IL is set to about 35 nm to about 80 nm, the visible light transmittance of the stacked structure of the second electrode 150 / semitransparent plate ST / insulating layer IL is approximately about 0.750 or about 0.750 or higher, which ensures a very high level of transmittance.

[0152] Additionally, refer to Figures 4A to 4BAs can be seen, with the increase of wavelength, the visible light transmittance of the semitransparent plate ST itself decreases to a very low level; on the other hand, when the stacked structure of the second electrode 150 / semitransparent plate ST / insulating layer IL is applied, its visible light transmittance increases to a very high level throughout the visible light range.

[0153] Additionally, refer to Figures 5A to 5B Similar to Figures 4A to 4B As can be seen, with the increase of wavelength, the visible light transmittance of the semitransparent plate ST itself decreases to a very low level; on the other hand, when the stacked structure of the second electrode 150 / semitransparent plate ST / insulating layer IL is applied, its visible light transmittance increases to a significantly high level throughout the visible light range.

[0154] Additionally, refer to Figures 6A to 6D It can be seen that the visible light transmittance of the second electrode 150 itself and the visible light transmittance of the insulating layer IL itself are generally high, while the visible light transmittance of the semitransparent plate ST itself decreases to a very low level with increasing wavelength; on the other hand, when the stacked structure of the second electrode 150 / semitransparent plate ST / insulating layer IL is applied, its visible light transmittance increases to a significantly high level throughout the visible light range.

[0155] Therefore, by applying the stacked structure of the second electrode 150 / semi-transparent plate ST / insulating layer IL to the white sub-pixel SPw, the visible light transmittance of the white sub-pixel SPw can be increased substantially across the entire wavelength range of visible light.

[0156] Therefore, microcavity effects are not essentially achieved in the white sub-pixel SPw; instead, non-microcavity effects that allow for complete transmission of the generated visible light are achieved.

[0157] <Second Implementation Method>

[0158] Figure 7 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a light-emitting display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0159] In the following description, detailed descriptions of components that are the same as or similar to those in the first embodiment described above may be omitted.

[0160] Similar to the first embodiment, in the light-emitting display device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the second electrode 150 may be formed as a transparent electrode, a semi-transparent plate ST on the second electrode 150 may be formed over the entire substrate 101, and an insulating layer IL on the semi-transparent plate ST may be formed on the upper surface of the semi-transparent plate ST in the white sub-pixel SPw.

[0161] Meanwhile, unlike the first embodiment, in this embodiment, the fourth reflector RE4, which is positioned below the light-emitting diode OD of the white sub-pixel SPw, can be formed at the same position as the second reflector RE2 of the green sub-pixel SPg (or on the same plane).

[0162] In other words, during the process of forming the second reflector RE2, the fourth reflector RE4 of the white sub-pixel SPw can be formed simultaneously with the second reflector RE2 of the green sub-pixel SPg, and the fourth reflector RE4 can be positioned on the second passivation layer 112.

[0163] Even if the fourth reflector RE4 is formed in this way, as mentioned in the first embodiment, due to the stacked structure of the second electrode 150 / semi-transparent plate ST / insulating layer IL, the white sub-pixel SPw can have a non-microcavity structure, thereby stably ensuring the white light transmission characteristics of the white sub-pixel SPw.

[0164] <Third Implementation Method>

[0165] Figure 8 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a light-emitting display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0166] In the following description, detailed descriptions of components that are the same as or similar to those in the first and second embodiments described above may be omitted.

[0167] Similar to the first and second embodiments, in the light-emitting display device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the second electrode 150 may be formed as a transparent electrode, a semi-transparent plate ST on the second electrode 150 may be formed over the entire substrate 101, and an insulating layer IL on the semi-transparent plate ST may be formed on the upper surface of the semi-transparent plate ST in the white sub-pixel SPw.

[0168] Meanwhile, unlike the first and second embodiments, in this embodiment, the fourth reflector RE4, located below the light-emitting diode OD of the white sub-pixel SPw, can be formed at the same position as the first reflector RE1 of the red sub-pixel SPr (or on the same layer).

[0169] In other words, during the formation of the first reflector RE1, the fourth reflector RE4 of the white sub-pixel SPw can be formed simultaneously with the first reflector RE1 of the red sub-pixel SPr, and the fourth reflector RE4 can be positioned on the first passivation layer 111.

[0170] Even if the fourth reflector RE4 is formed in this way, as mentioned in the first embodiment above, due to the stacked structure of the second electrode 150 / semi-transmissive plate ST / insulating layer IL, the white sub-pixel SPw can have a non-microcavity structure, thereby stably ensuring the white light transmission characteristics of the white sub-pixel SPw.

[0171] As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a translucent plate can be formed on the second electrode not only in the red, green, and blue sub-pixels, but also in the white sub-pixel, and an insulating layer can be stacked on the translucent plate in the white sub-pixel.

[0172] Therefore, the red, green, and blue subpixels can be configured with microcavity structures to realize light of their corresponding colors, and the white subpixel can be configured with a non-microcavity structure that essentially transmits and outputs white light.

[0173] Therefore, a translucent plate can be formed across the entire subpixel without requiring a separate process to remove the translucent plate from the white subpixel. This simplifies the manufacturing process while effectively realizing the white subpixel, thereby improving the overall luminous efficiency of the light-emitting display device.

[0174] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Therefore, this invention is intended to cover modifications and variations thereof, provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A light-emitting display device, comprising: A substrate, the substrate comprising a plurality of sub-pixels, the plurality of sub-pixels including red sub-pixels, green sub-pixels, blue sub-pixels and white sub-pixels; A light-emitting diode, wherein the light-emitting diode is disposed in each of the plurality of sub-pixels, and includes a first electrode, a light-emitting layer and a second electrode stacked in the thickness direction, the second electrode comprising a transparent conductive material; A semi-transparent plate is disposed on the light-emitting diodes of the red sub-pixel, the green sub-pixel, the blue sub-pixel, and the white sub-pixel; as well as An insulating layer is disposed on the translucent plate of the white sub-pixel.

2. The light-emitting display device according to claim 1, wherein, The second electrode has a thickness in the range of about 10 nm to about 65 nm, the semitransparent plate has a thickness in the range of about 10 nm to about 30 nm, and the insulating layer has a thickness in the range of about 35 nm to about 80 nm.

3. The light-emitting display device according to claim 1, wherein, The semi-transparent plate comprises silver or a silver-magnesium alloy.

4. The light-emitting display device according to claim 3, wherein, The second electrode comprises a transparent oxide conductive material.

5. The light-emitting display device according to claim 3, wherein, The insulating layer comprises a transparent oxide insulating material or a transparent nitride insulating material.

6. The light-emitting display device according to claim 5, wherein, The insulating layer comprises Al2O3.

7. The light-emitting display device according to claim 1, wherein, The light-emitting diodes of the red sub-pixel, the green sub-pixel, the blue sub-pixel, and the white sub-pixel are each configured to emit white light. Specifically, a first reflector, a second reflector, a third reflector, and a fourth reflector are respectively disposed below the light-emitting diodes of the red sub-pixel, the green sub-pixel, the blue sub-pixel, and the white sub-pixel. The first reflector is positioned below the second reflector, and The second reflector is positioned below the third reflector.

8. The light-emitting display device according to claim 7, wherein, The fourth reflector is disposed on the same layer as one of the first, second, and third reflectors.

9. The light-emitting display device according to claim 1, further comprising a red color filter pattern, a green color filter pattern, and a blue color filter pattern respectively disposed on the translucent plate in the red sub-pixel, the green sub-pixel, and the blue sub-pixel. in, The insulating layer overlaps with the red filter pattern, the green filter pattern, and the blue filter pattern.

10. A light-emitting display device, comprising: A substrate, the substrate comprising a plurality of sub-pixels, the plurality of sub-pixels including red sub-pixels, green sub-pixels, blue sub-pixels and white sub-pixels; A light-emitting diode, wherein the light-emitting diode is disposed in each of the plurality of sub-pixels, and includes a first electrode, a light-emitting layer and a second electrode stacked in the thickness direction, the second electrode being transparent; A semi-transparent plate, wherein the semi-transparent plate is disposed on the second electrode; as well as A dielectric layer disposed on the translucent plate of the white sub-pixel.

11. The light-emitting display device according to claim 10, wherein, The second electrode has a thickness in the range of about 10 nm to about 65 nm, the semi-transparent plate has a thickness in the range of about 10 nm to about 30 nm, and the dielectric layer has a thickness in the range of about 35 nm to about 80 nm.

12. The light-emitting display device according to claim 10, wherein, The semi-transparent plate comprises silver or a silver-magnesium alloy. The second electrode comprises a transparent oxide conductive material, and The dielectric layer comprises a transparent oxide insulating material or a transparent nitride insulating material.

13. A light-emitting display device, comprising: A substrate, the substrate comprising a plurality of sub-pixels, the plurality of sub-pixels including red sub-pixels, green sub-pixels, blue sub-pixels and white sub-pixels; A light-emitting diode, wherein the light-emitting diode is disposed in each of the plurality of sub-pixels, and includes a first electrode, a light-emitting layer and a second electrode stacked in the thickness direction, the second electrode comprising a transparent conductive material; A semi-transparent plate, wherein the semi-transparent plate is disposed on the light-emitting diodes of the red sub-pixel, the green sub-pixel, the blue sub-pixel and the white sub-pixel; An insulating layer disposed on the translucent plate; as well as A first reflective electrode is disposed in the red sub-pixel, a second reflective electrode is disposed in the green sub-pixel, a third reflective electrode is disposed in the blue sub-pixel, and a fourth reflective electrode is disposed in the white sub-pixel.

14. The light-emitting display device according to claim 13, wherein, The first reflective electrode and the fourth reflective electrode are disposed on the same layer.

15. The light-emitting display device according to claim 13, wherein, The second reflective electrode and the fourth reflective electrode are disposed on the same layer.

16. The light-emitting display device according to claim 13, wherein, The third reflective electrode and the fourth reflective electrode are disposed on the same layer.

17. The light-emitting display device according to claim 13, wherein: The distance from the third reflective electrode to the semi-transparent plate is greater than the distance from the second reflective electrode to the semi-transparent plate; The distance from the second reflective electrode to the semi-transparent plate is greater than the distance from the first reflective electrode to the semi-transparent plate; as well as The distance from the third reflective electrode to the semi-transparent plate is greater than the distance from the first reflective electrode to the semi-transparent plate.

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