Display panels and electronic devices including them

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention discloses a display panel and an electronic device including the same, the display panel including: a substrate including a polymer resin; a first pixel circuit and a second pixel circuit arranged on the substrate, each including a thin film transistor; a first light emitting diode connected to the first pixel circuit and located in a first display region; a second light emitting diode connected to the second pixel circuit and located in a sub-display region of the second display region; a lower metal layer located in the second display region and between the substrate and the second pixel circuit; and a protective layer located between the substrate and the lower metal layer but corresponding to the first display region and the second display region, wherein the lower metal layer includes a first opening located in a transmissive region adjacent to the sub-display region of the second display region, and the protective layer includes a second opening located in the transmissive region overlapping the first opening.

Claims

1. A substrate containing a polymer resin, The substrate is arranged to include a first pixel circuit and a second pixel circuit, each containing a thin-film transistor, A first light-emitting diode is electrically connected to the first pixel circuit and located in the first display area, A second light-emitting diode is electrically connected to the second pixel circuit and is located in a sub-display area of ​​the second display area, A lower metal layer located in the second display area and disposed between the substrate and the second pixel circuit, The protective layer includes a protective layer located in the first display area and the second display area, with a portion corresponding to the second display area located between the substrate and the lower metal layer, A display panel wherein the lower metal layer includes a first opening located in a transparent region adjacent to the sub-display region of the second display region, and the protective layer includes a second opening located in the transparent region and superimposed on the first opening.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the width of the second opening is smaller than the width of the first opening.

3. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the protective layer includes amorphous silicon, Si-rich silicon oxynitride, or a multilayer structure of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.

4. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein each of the thin-film transistors in the first pixel circuit and the second pixel circuit comprises a semiconductor layer containing polysilicon.

5. The above second pixel circuit includes a plurality of thin-film transistors, The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the lower metal layer is superimposed on the plurality of thin-film transistors.

6. The display panel according to claim 1, further comprising an additional metal layer between the substrate and the first pixel circuit, wherein the additional metal layer is superimposed on one or some of the plurality of thin-film transistors of the first pixel circuit.

7. The display panel according to claim 6, wherein the thickness of the additional metal layer is smaller than the thickness of the lower metal layer.

8. The display panel according to claim 6, further comprising an interlayer insulating layer between the additional metal layer and the lower metal layer.

9. The present invention further includes a laminate of inorganic insulating layers disposed on the substrate and positioned below the first light-emitting diode and the second light-emitting diode, The laminated body is The display panel according to claim 1, comprising a third opening located in the transparent region and overlapping with the first opening in the lower metal layer and the second opening in the protective layer.

10. The laminate further includes an organic insulating layer disposed on the laminate and positioned below the first light-emitting diode and the second light-emitting diode, The display panel according to claim 9, wherein a portion of the organic insulating layer is present in the third opening of the laminate.

11. The display panel according to claim 10, wherein a portion of the organic insulating layer is present in the second opening of the protective layer.

12. The display panel according to claim 10, wherein a portion of the organic insulating layer is in contact with the substrate through the second opening of the protective layer and the third opening of the laminate.

13. The aforementioned substrate is A first base layer containing a polymer resin, A first barrier layer is placed on a first base layer and includes an inorganic insulator, A second base layer, which is disposed on the first base layer and contains a polymer resin, The second barrier layer, which is disposed on the second base layer and includes an inorganic insulator, The display panel according to claim 12, wherein a portion of the organic insulating layer is in contact with the second barrier layer.

14. A display panel comprising: a first display area; and a second display area at least partially surrounded by the first display area, including a sub-display area and a transparent area; Includes a component positioned below the display panel so as to be located in the second display area, The aforementioned display panel is circuit board and A first light-emitting diode is arranged in the first display area, on the substrate, and electrically connected to a first pixel circuit including a thin-film transistor, A second light-emitting diode is arranged in the sub-display area of ​​the second display area, on the substrate, and electrically connected to a second pixel circuit including a thin-film transistor, A lower metal layer interposed between the substrate and the second pixel circuit in the second display region, and having a first aperture located in the transparent region, An electronic device comprising: a protective layer interposed between the substrate and the lower metal layer, having a second opening superimposed on the first opening.

15. The aforementioned display panel is The electronic device according to claim 14, further comprising a laminate of inorganic insulating layers disposed on the lower metal layer, wherein the laminate includes a third opening that overlaps with the first opening of the lower metal layer and the second opening of the protective layer.

16. The aforementioned display panel is The laminate further includes an organic insulating layer disposed on the laminate and positioned below the first light-emitting diode and the second light-emitting diode, The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein a portion of the organic insulating layer is located within the third opening and the second opening of the laminate.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein a portion of the organic insulating layer is in direct contact with the substrate through the third opening of the laminate and the second opening of the protective layer.

18. The aforementioned substrate is A first base layer containing a polymer resin, A first barrier layer is placed on a first base layer and includes an inorganic insulator, A second base layer, which is disposed on the first base layer and contains a polymer resin, The second barrier layer, which is disposed on the second base layer and includes an inorganic insulator, The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein a portion of the organic insulating layer is in contact with the second barrier layer.

19. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the width of the second opening is smaller than the width of the first opening.

20. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the protective layer comprises a material having a transmittance of about 10% or less in a wavelength band ranging from about 250 nm to about 350 nm.

21. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the protective layer includes amorphous silicon, Si-rich silicon oxynitride, or a multilayer structure of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.

22. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein each of the thin-film transistors in the first pixel circuit and the second pixel circuit comprises a semiconductor layer containing polysilicon.

23. The above second pixel circuit includes a plurality of thin-film transistors, The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the lower metal layer is superimposed on the plurality of thin-film transistors.

24. The aforementioned display panel is The electronic device according to claim 14, further comprising an additional metal layer between the substrate and the first pixel circuit.

25. The electronic device according to claim 24, wherein the thickness of the additional metal layer is smaller than the thickness of the lower metal layer.

26. The electronic device according to claim 24, wherein the additional metal layer is superimposed on one or some of the plurality of thin-film transistors of the first pixel circuit.

27. The aforementioned display panel is The electronic device according to claim 24, further comprising an interlayer insulating layer between the additional metal layer and the lower metal layer.

28. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the component includes a sensor or a camera.

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