Organic light-emitting display device

Abstract

To provide a pixel arrangement structure for an organic light emitting display device having an improved aperture ratio of pixels with gaps between the pixels efficiently set up.SOLUTION: A pixel arrangement structure for an organic light emitting display device includes: a first pixel; a second pixel separated from the first pixel and having its center located at a first vertex of a virtual square in which the center of the virtual square is the center of the first pixel; and a third pixel separated from the second pixel and having its center located at a second vertex neighboring the first vertex of the virtual square.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pixel array structure of an organic light emitting display device, and more particularly, to a pixel array structure of an organic light emitting display device in which a plurality of pixels emit light to display an image.

Background Art

[0002] A display device is a device for displaying an image, and recently, an organic light emitting diode display has been attracting attention. An organic light emitting display device has self-emitting characteristics and does not require a separate light source unlike a liquid crystal display device, so that its thickness and weight can be reduced. In addition, the organic light emitting display device exhibits high-quality characteristics such as low power consumption, high brightness, and high response speed.

[0003] Generally, an organic light emitting display device includes a plurality of pixels that emit light of different colors from each other, and the plurality of pixels emit light to display an image. Here, a pixel means the minimum unit for displaying an image, and between adjacent pixels, power lines such as a gate line, a data line, and a driving power line for driving each pixel, and an insulating layer such as a pixel definition film for defining the area or shape of each pixel, etc. can be arranged.

[0004] The organic light emitting layer constituting the pixels of a conventional organic light emitting display device was formed by vapor deposition using a mask such as a fine metal mask (FMM). However, when forming a short gap between adjacent pixels to secure the aperture ratio of the pixels, there is a problem that the vapor deposition reliability decreases, and when forming a long gap between pixels to improve the vapor deposition reliability, there is a problem that the aperture ratio of the pixels decreases.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] One embodiment of the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and the object of the present invention is to provide a pixel array structure for an organic light-emitting display device in which the aperture ratio of the pixels is improved and the gap between pixels is efficiently set. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned technical problems is to provide a pixel array structure for an organic light-emitting display device that includes a first pixel, a second pixel spaced apart from the first pixel and whose center point is located at the first vertex of a virtual square whose center point is the center point of the first pixel, and a third pixel spaced apart from the second pixel and whose center point is located at the second vertex of the virtual square adjacent to the first vertex.

[0007] The second pixels are multiple, and the multiple second pixels can be separated from each other via the first pixels. There are multiple third pixels, and these multiple third pixels can be separated from each other via the first pixel. Each of the aforementioned plurality of second pixels and plurality of third pixels can be arranged alternately on a virtual straight line so as to surround the first pixel.

[0008] Each of the first, second, and third pixels has a polygonal shape, and the second and third pixels may have a larger area than the first pixel. The first pixel may have a rectangular shape, and the second and third pixels may each have an octagonal shape. The first pixels may be multiple, and each of the multiple first pixels may have the same rectangular shape.

[0009] The second and third pixels each have the same area, the distances between the first, second, and third pixels each have the same first length, and the distance between adjacent first pixels may have a second length that is longer than the first length. The second pixel has a larger area than the third pixel, the distance between the second and third pixels has a third length, the distance between the first and second pixels and the distance between the first and third pixels each have the same fourth length, and the distance between adjacent first pixels may have a fifth length that is longer than the third and fourth lengths. The first pixels may be multiple, and each adjacent first pixel among the multiple first pixels may have a symmetrical quadrilateral shape.

[0010] The second pixel may have a larger area than the third pixel. The third pixel may have a larger area than the second pixel.

[0011] Each of the first, second, and third pixels is capable of emitting light of a different color from each other. The first pixel, the second pixel, and the third pixel can each emit green, blue, and red light, respectively. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to one of the various embodiments of the solution of the present invention described above, a pixel array structure for an organic light-emitting display device is provided in which the aperture ratio of the pixels is improved and the gaps between pixels are efficiently set. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a drawing showing the pixel array structure of an organic light-emitting display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a drawing showing the pixel array structure of an organic light-emitting display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a drawing showing the pixel array structure of an organic light-emitting display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a drawing showing the pixel array structure of an organic light-emitting display device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can easily implement it. The present invention can be realized in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In order to clearly explain the present invention, parts unnecessary for the explanation are omitted, and the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

[0015] Also, in various embodiments, components having the same configuration are given the same reference numerals and are typically described in the first embodiment, and in other embodiments, only the configurations different from those in the first embodiment are described. Further, in the drawings, the sizes and thicknesses of each component are arbitrarily shown for convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those shown.

[0016] Also, throughout the specification, when a certain part "includes" a certain component, this means that, unless otherwise stated to the contrary, it does not exclude other components and can further include other components. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1, the pixel array structure of the organic light-emitting display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a drawing schematically showing a part of a plurality of pixels constituting the organic light-emitting display device.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing the pixel array structure of the organic light-emitting display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the pixel array structure of the organic light-emitting display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of first pixels 100, a plurality of second pixels 200, and a plurality of third pixels 300.

[0018] Here, a pixel means the smallest unit for displaying an image. Between the first pixel 100, the second pixel 200, and the third pixel 300, power lines such as gate lines, data lines, and drive power lines for driving each pixel, and insulating layers such as pixel definition films for defining each pixel can be arranged. An organic light emitting diode including an anode electrode, an organic light emitting layer, and a cathode electrode can be arranged corresponding to each of the first pixel 100, the second pixel 200, and the third pixel 300. Since these configurations are conventional technologies, they will not be described for the sake of convenience. The form of each pixel is defined by a plurality of power lines, pixel definition films, or anode electrodes, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0019] The first pixel 100 has a smaller area than the adjacent second pixel 200 and third pixel, and has a square shape among polygonal shapes. There are a plurality of the first pixels 100, and the plurality of first pixels 100 have the same square shape as each other. The plurality of first pixels 100 are arranged at intervals on a virtual first straight line VL1. The first pixel 100 emits green light and includes an organic light emitting layer that emits green light. The second pixel 200 is located at the first vertex P1 of a virtual square VS with the center point of the first pixel 100 as the center point of the square, and the third pixel 300 is located at the second vertex P2 of the virtual square VS.

[0020] The second pixel 200 is separated from the first pixel 100, and the center point is located at the first vertex P1 of the virtual square VS. The second pixel 200 has a larger area than the adjacent first pixel 100 and has an octagonal shape among polygonal shapes. There are a plurality of the second pixels 200, and the plurality of second pixels 200 have the same octagonal form as each other. The plurality of second pixels 200 are separated from each other with the first pixel 100 intervening therebetween. The second pixel 200 emits blue light and can include an organic light emitting layer that emits blue light.

[0021] The third pixel 300 is separated from the first pixel 100 and the second pixel 200, and its center point is located at the second vertex P2 adjacent to the first vertex P1 of a virtual square VS. The third pixel 300 has a larger area than the adjacent first pixel 100, while simultaneously having the same area as the second pixel 200, and has an octagonal shape in its polygonal form. There are multiple third pixels 300, and each of the multiple third pixels 300 has the same octagonal shape. The multiple third pixels 300 are separated from each other by the first pixel 100. The third pixel 300 emits red light and may include an organic light-emitting layer that emits red light.

[0022] Each of the multiple third pixels 300 and each of the multiple second pixels 200 are arranged alternately on a virtual second line VL2, so that each of the multiple second pixels 200 whose center point is located at the first vertex P1, and each of the multiple third pixels 300 whose center point is located at the second vertex P2, surrounds the first pixel 100. Thus, the center point of the second pixel 200 is located at the first vertex P1 of a virtual square VS whose center point is the center point of the first pixel 100, and the center point of the third pixel 300 is located at the second vertex P2. Since the second pixel 200 and the third pixel 300 have the same area, the distances between the first pixel 100, the second pixel 200, and the third pixel 300 are all the same first length L1, and the distances between adjacent first pixels 100 are longer than the first length L1, resulting in a second length L2.

[0023] As a result, a gap of first length L1 is formed between each of the first pixel 100, second pixel 200, and third pixel 300, and at the same time, a gap of second length L2, which is longer than the first length L1, is formed between adjacent first pixels 100. This improves the reliability of the deposition process when using a fine metal mask to form the green, blue, and red organic light-emitting layers contained in each of the first, second, and third pixels 100, second pixel 200, and third pixel 300, respectively. Furthermore, by arranging multiple second pixels 200 and multiple third pixels 300 so as to surround each of the first pixels 100, the aperture ratio of each of the first, second, and third pixels 100, second pixel 200, and third pixel 300 can be improved. This reduces the overall manufacturing time and cost of the organic light-emitting display device, while simultaneously improving the quality of the image displayed by the organic light-emitting display device.

[0024] As described above, the pixel array structure of the organic light-emitting display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention does not simply have polygonal shapes for each of the first pixel 100, second pixel 200, and third pixel 300. Rather, taking into account the deposition process of the organic light-emitting layer, which is an inherent manufacturing characteristic of organic light-emitting displays, the center point of the first pixel 100 is placed at the center point of a virtual square VS, the center point of the second pixel 200 is placed at the first vertex P1, and the center point of the third pixel 300 is placed at the second vertex P2.

[0025] On the other hand, in the pixel array structure of the organic light-emitting display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the first pixel 100, the second pixel 200, and the third pixel 300 each emit green, blue, and red light, respectively. However, in the pixel array structure of the organic light-emitting display device according to other embodiments of the present invention, the first pixel, the second pixel, and the third pixel can each emit light of a different color from each other. For example, one or more pixels among the second and third pixels can emit light such as white.

[0026] The pixel array structure of the organic light-emitting display device according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figure 2. In the following description, only the characteristic parts that distinguish this second embodiment from the first embodiment will be highlighted, and any parts that are omitted from the description will be those of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment of the present invention, for the sake of convenience, the same components will be described using the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the pixel array structure of an organic light-emitting display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the pixel array structure of the organic light-emitting display device according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of first pixels 100, a plurality of second pixels 200, and a plurality of third pixels 300. Multiple first pixels 100 have the same rectangular shape as each other. The second pixel 200 and the third pixel each have different areas, with the second pixel 200 having a larger area than the third pixel 300.

[0028] Thus, the center point of the second pixel 200 is located at the first vertex P1 of a virtual square VS whose center point is the center point of the first pixel 100, and the center point of the third pixel 300 is located at the second vertex P2. Because the second pixel 200 has a larger area than the third pixel 300, the distance between the second pixel 200 and the third pixel 300 has a third length L3, the distance between the first pixel 100 and the second pixel 200 and the distance between the first pixel 100 and the third pixel 300 each have the same fourth length L4, and the distance between adjacent first pixels 100 has a fifth length L5 which is longer than the second length L2 and the fourth length L4.

[0029] As a result, gaps of a third length L3 or a fourth length L4 are formed between the first pixel 100, the second pixel 200, and the third pixel 300, respectively, while gaps of a fifth length L5, which are longer than the third length L3 and fourth length L4, are formed between adjacent first pixels 100. This improves the reliability of the deposition process when using a fine metal mask to form the green, blue, and red organic light-emitting layers contained in the first, second, and third pixels 100, respectively. Furthermore, by arranging multiple second pixels 200 and multiple third pixels 300 so as to surround the first pixel 100, the aperture ratio of each of the first, second, and third pixels 100, 200, and 300 can be improved. This reduces the overall manufacturing time and cost of the organic light-emitting display device, while simultaneously improving the quality of the image displayed by the organic light-emitting display device.

[0030] Furthermore, in the pixel array structure of the organic light-emitting display device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the second pixel 200, which emits blue light and has a shorter lifespan than the other pixels among the first pixel 100, second pixel 200, and third pixel 300, has a larger area than the third pixel 300, thereby suppressing the overall reduction in the lifespan of the organic light-emitting display device. In other words, a pixel array structure of an organic light-emitting display device with an improved lifespan is provided. The pixel array structure of the organic light-emitting display device according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figure 3.

[0031] In the following description, only the characteristic parts that distinguish this third embodiment from the first embodiment will be extracted and explained, and parts that are not described will be those of the first embodiment. In the third embodiment of the present invention, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the same components will be described using the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the pixel array structure of an organic light-emitting display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, the pixel array structure of the organic light-emitting display device according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of first pixels 100, a plurality of second pixels 200, and a plurality of third pixels 300. Among multiple first pixels 100, each adjacent first pixel 100 has a symmetrical quadrilateral shape.

[0032] The second pixel 200 and the third pixel each have different areas, with the second pixel 200 having a larger area than the third pixel 300. Thus, the center point of the second pixel 200 is located at the first vertex P1 of a virtual square VS with the center point of the first pixel 100 as the center point of the square, and the center point of the third pixel 300 is located at the second vertex P2. Each adjacent first pixel 100 has a symmetrical square shape, and at the same time, the second pixel 200 has a larger area than the third pixel 300. This improves the deposition reliability during the deposition process using a fine metal mask to form the green organic light-emitting layer, blue organic light-emitting layer, and red organic light-emitting layer contained in the first pixel 100, second pixel 200, and third pixel 300, respectively. Furthermore, by arranging multiple second pixels 200 and multiple third pixels 300 so as to surround the first pixel 100, the aperture ratio of each of the first pixel 100, second pixel 200, and third pixel 300 can be improved. This reduces the overall manufacturing time and cost of the organic light-emitting display device, while simultaneously improving the quality of the image displayed by the organic light-emitting display device.

[0033] Furthermore, in the pixel array structure of the organic light-emitting display device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the second pixel 200, which emits blue light with a shorter lifespan compared to the other pixels among the first pixel 100, second pixel 200, and third pixel 300, has a larger area than the third pixel 300, thereby suppressing the overall reduction in the lifespan of the organic light-emitting display device. In other words, a pixel array structure of an organic light-emitting display device with an improved lifespan is provided. The pixel array structure of the organic light-emitting display device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figure 4.

[0034] In the following description, only the characteristic parts that distinguish this embodiment from the first embodiment will be extracted and explained, and parts that are not described will be those of the first embodiment. In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the same components will be described using the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the pixel array structure of an organic light-emitting display device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 4, the pixel array structure of the organic light-emitting display device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of first pixels 100, a plurality of second pixels 200, and a plurality of third pixels 300. Each adjacent first pixel 100 among the multiple first pixels 100 has a symmetrical quadrilateral shape.

[0035] The second pixel 200 and the third pixel each have different areas, with the third pixel 300 having a larger area than the second pixel 200. Thus, the center point of the second pixel 200 is located at the first vertex P1 of a virtual square VS with the center point of the first pixel 100 as the center point of the square, and the center point of the third pixel 300 is located at the second vertex P2. Each adjacent first pixel 100 has a symmetrical square shape, and at the same time, the third pixel 300 has a larger area than the second pixel 200. This improves the deposition reliability during the deposition process using a fine metal mask to form the green organic light-emitting layer, blue organic light-emitting layer, and red organic light-emitting layer contained in the first pixel 100, second pixel 200, and third pixel 300, respectively. Furthermore, by arranging multiple second pixels 200 and multiple third pixels 300 so as to surround the first pixel 100, the aperture ratio of each of the first pixel 100, second pixel 200, and third pixel 300 can be improved. This reduces the overall manufacturing time and cost of the organic light-emitting display device, while simultaneously improving the quality of the image displayed by the organic light-emitting display device.

[0036] Although the present invention has been described above through preferred embodiments, it is readily apparent to anyone in the art to which the present invention pertains that the present invention is not limited thereto, and that a variety of modifications and variations are possible as long as they do not deviate from the concepts and scope of the claims described below. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 100th pixel 200 2nd pixel 300 third pixels

Claims

[Claim 1] An organic light-emitting display device, Multiple first pixels and A second pixel is separated from the first pixel and is located at the first vertex of a virtual square whose center point is the center point of the square, It includes a third pixel that is spaced apart from the first and second pixels and is located at the second vertex adjacent to the first vertex of the virtual square, The aforementioned second pixel is multiple, All second pixels are separated from each other by the first or third pixel, The aforementioned third pixel is multiple, All third pixels are separated from each other by the first or second pixel, The organic light-emitting display device includes a pixel definition layer that defines the regions of the first pixel, the second pixel, and the third pixel. The first pixel, the second pixel, and the third pixel are configured to emit light of different colors. The first pixels are arranged in a first set of pixels extending along a first direction, each forming a first line. The second and third pixels are alternately arranged in a second set of pixels extending along the first direction, forming their respective second lines parallel to the first line. One of the second lines passes through the center of the second and third pixels in a corresponding second set of pixels in the second set of pixels, and passes between the first pixels in a corresponding adjacent first set of pixels in the first set of pixels. The first line and the second line are arranged alternately. The first pixel is also arranged in a third set of pixels extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, each forming a third line. The second and third pixels are alternately arranged in a fourth set of pixels extending along the second direction, forming a fourth line parallel to the third line. The third line and the fourth line are arranged alternately. The first pixel and either the second pixel or the third pixel are arranged alternately along a third direction that intersects the first direction and the second direction. The center point of the second pixel is located at the first vertex of the virtual square, the center point of the third pixel is located at the second vertex of the virtual square, and each of the plurality of second pixels and the plurality of third pixels is arranged to surround the first pixel. The first pixel has a smaller area than the adjacent second and third pixels. The second pixel has a larger area than the third pixel. The first pixel is a parallelogram, The second and third pixels are octagonal, The distance between the second pixel and the third pixel has a third length. The distance between the first pixel and the second pixel, and the distance between the first pixel and the third pixel, each have the same fourth length. The distance between adjacent first pixels has a fifth length that is longer than the third and fourth lengths. The first shortest distance between the two closest first pixels in one of the first pixel sets is greater than the second shortest distance between one of the closest second pixels and one of the closest third pixels in one of the second pixel sets. Organic light-emitting display device.

Images