Organic Light Emitting Display device

Abstract

An organic light-emitting display device according to an embodiment of the present specification comprises a substrate having a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area, and may include a display pad disposed in the non-display area of ​​the substrate to transmit a signal to the display area. An insulating layer covering the upper part of the substrate and a portion of a plurality of display pads may be disposed. A protrusion pattern may be located between a plurality of display pads. The protrusion pattern may protrude upward from the substrate. Through this, when mounting the driving IC of an organic light-emitting display device onto a substrate, it is possible to prevent the display pads to which the driving IC is attached from being short-circuited due to the clumping of conductive balls of the ACF during the attachment process. This prevents display defects of the display device, thereby providing an organic light-emitting display device with improved reliability.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] This specification relates to an organic light-emitting display device, and more specifically, to an organic light-emitting display device with improved durability of the connection pad portion. Background Technology

[0002] As information technology advances, the market for display devices, which serve as a medium connecting users and information, is growing. Consequently, the use of display devices such as Organic Light Emitting Displays (OLEDs) and Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) is increasing.

[0003] The display device includes a display panel comprising a plurality of subpixels and a driving unit for driving the display panel. The driving unit includes a scan driving unit that supplies a scan signal (or gate signal) to the display panel and a data driving unit that supplies a data signal to the display panel. When the scan signal and data signal are supplied to subpixels arranged in a matrix form, the above display device is able to display an image by causing the selected subpixel to emit light.

[0004] Meanwhile, some of the display devices described above manufacture display panels based on soft substrates instead of hard substrates. Since display devices manufactured based on soft substrates can be given flexibility, the display panel can be bent into a specific shape.

[0005] Furthermore, such display devices establish an interface with the user using various input devices. There is a growing demand for input devices that are convenient, simple, and capable of reducing malfunctions. Accordingly, a touch element has been proposed that allows the user to input information by directly contacting the screen. In particular, when applied to an organic light-emitting display, the elements constituting the touch element can be formed on the upper or lower surface of an encapsulation film that protects the light-emitting part of the electroluminescent display. That is, touch driving electrodes constituting the touch driving signal transmission channel and touch sensing electrodes constituting the touch recognition signal reception channel are formed on the upper surface and / or lower surface of the encapsulation film covering the display elements of the electroluminescent display.

[0006] Such a display device displays an image on the screen of a display panel in which data lines and gate lines (or scan lines) intersect and pixels are arranged in a matrix form. A driver for driving one or more of the data lines and gate lines of a flat panel display device can be implemented as an integrated circuit (IC) mounted on a chip.

[0007] In addition, Chip on Panel (COP), in which the driver IC is attached to the substrate of the display panel, is preferred for cost reduction and structural convenience regarding the driver IC that drives the data lines and / or gate lines of the display device. The problem to be solved

[0008] The present specification aims to propose a structure of a display pad on a display panel that is electrically connected to a driving IC in a Chip on Panel (COP) structure of an organic light-emitting display device. The problems of the present specification are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0009] To achieve the objective as described above, an organic light-emitting display device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a substrate having a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area, and may include a display pad disposed in the non-display area of ​​the substrate to transmit a signal to the display area. An insulating layer covering the upper part of the substrate and a portion of the display pads may be disposed. A protrusion pattern may be located between the display pads. The protrusion pattern may protrude upward from the substrate. Specifically, the protrusion pattern may be made of the same material as the planarization layer located on the thin-film transistor of the display area. The protrusion pattern may be a stripe structure extending in the same direction as the direction in which the display pads extend.

[0010] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings. Effects of the invention

[0011] According to the present invention, when a driving IC is mounted on a substrate, it is possible to prevent the display pads to which the driving IC is attached from being short-circuited due to the clumping of conductive balls of the Anisotropic Conductive Film (ACF) during the attachment process. This has the effect of preventing display defects in the display device and providing an organic light-emitting display device with improved reliability.

[0012] The effects according to the present invention are not limited to those exemplified above, and various other effects are included in this specification. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0013] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an organic light-emitting display device with an integrated touch sensor. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an organic light-emitting display device illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an organic light-emitting display device cut along line “I - I’” in FIG. 2. Figure 4 is a detailed plan view of part A of Figure 2. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of an organic light-emitting display device cut along line “II - II’” in FIG. 4. Figure 6 is a drawing showing the display area when the display pad is short-circuited. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of an organic light-emitting display device. FIG. 8 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of the pad portion according to the present invention. FIGS. 9a and 9b are perspective views schematically showing the structure of a protrusion pattern (short-circuit prevention structure) according to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0014] The advantages and features of the present invention and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims.

[0015] Shapes, sizes, ratios, angles, numbers, etc. disclosed in the drawings for explaining embodiments of the present invention are exemplary, and therefore the present invention is not limited to the depicted details. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components. Furthermore, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related prior art may unnecessarily obscure the essence of the present invention, such detailed description is omitted. Where terms such as "includes," "has," or "is made up" are used in this specification, other parts may be added unless "only" is used. Where a component is expressed in the singular, it includes cases where it is included in the plural unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0016] In interpreting the components, they are interpreted to include a margin of error even in the absence of a separate explicit statement.

[0017] In the case of describing positional relationships, for example, when the positional relationship between two parts is described using expressions such as 'on,' 'upper,' 'lower,' or 'next to,' one or more other parts may be located between the two parts unless 'immediately' or 'directly' is used.

[0018] When an element or layer is referred to as "on" another element or layer, it includes cases where another layer or element is placed directly on top of or in between.

[0019] Although terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one component from another. Accordingly, the first component mentioned below may be the second component within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0020] Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0021] The size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are illustrated for convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to the size and thickness of the illustrated components.

[0022] The features of each of the various embodiments of the present invention may be combined or combined with one another, either partially or wholly, and as will be fully understood by those skilled in the art, various technical interlocking and operation are possible, and each embodiment may be implemented independently of one another or together in an interlocking relationship.

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an organic light-emitting display device having a touch sensor according to the present invention.

[0025] An organic light-emitting display device having a touch sensor illustrated in FIG. 1 senses the presence or absence of a touch and the touch location by detecting a change in mutual capacitance (Cm; touch sensor) caused by a user's touch through the touch electrodes (152e, 154e) illustrated in FIG. 2 during the touch period. Additionally, the organic light-emitting display device having a touch sensor illustrated in FIG. 1 displays an image through a unit pixel comprising a light-emitting element (120). The unit pixel is composed of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) subpixels (PXL), or red (R), green (G), blue (B), and white (W) subpixels (PXL).

[0026] To this end, the organic light-emitting display device illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a plurality of subpixels (PXL) arranged in a matrix form on a substrate (111), an encapsulation portion (140) disposed on the plurality of subpixels (PXL), and mutual capacitance (Cm) disposed on the encapsulation portion (140).

[0027] Each of the multiple subpixels (PXL) is equipped with a pixel driving circuit and a light-emitting element (120) connected to the pixel driving circuit.

[0028] The pixel driving circuit includes a switching transistor (T1), a driving transistor (T2), and a storage capacitor (Cst).

[0029] The switching transistor (T1) is turned on when a scan pulse is supplied to the scan line (SL) and supplies the data signal supplied to the data line (DL) to the gate electrode of the storage capacitor (Cst) and the driving transistor (T2).

[0030] The driving transistor (T2) controls the amount of light emitted by the light-emitting element (120) by controlling the current supplied from the high voltage (VDD) supply line to the light-emitting element (120) in response to the data signal supplied to the gate electrode of the driving transistor (T2). And even if the switching transistor (T1) is turned off, the driving transistor (T2) supplies a constant current by means of the voltage charged in the storage capacitor (Cst) until the data signal of the next frame is supplied, thereby allowing the light-emitting element (120) to maintain light emission.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, this driving thin-film transistor (T2, 130) comprises a gate electrode (132), a semiconductor layer (134) that overlaps the gate electrode (132) with the gate insulating film (112) in between, and source and drain electrodes (136, 138) formed on the interlayer insulating film (114) and in contact with the semiconductor layer (134). The gate electrode (132) may be formed from various conductive materials, such as magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), gold (Au), or alloys thereof.

[0032] The gate insulating film (112) can be formed from an insulating material such as silicon oxide (SiOx) or silicon nitride (SiNx), and can also be formed from an insulating organic material.

[0033] Here, the semiconductor layer (134) is formed on the gate insulating film (112) using at least one of an amorphous semiconductor material, a polycrystalline semiconductor material, and an oxide semiconductor material.

[0034] A planarization layer (118) may be positioned on a thin-film transistor. The planarization layer (118) has a contact hole that exposes the drain electrode (138) of the thin-film transistor. The planarization layer (118) functions to uniformly roughen the surface of the substrate so that the light-emitting stack (124) constituting the organic light-emitting device can be applied in a smooth flat state. The planarization layer (118) can be configured in various forms, such as being formed from an organic insulating film such as BCB (Benzocyclobutene) or Acryl, or an inorganic insulating film such as silicon nitride (SiNx) or silicon oxide (SiOx), and various modifications are possible, such as being formed as a single layer or composed of double or multiple layers.

[0035] The light-emitting element (120) comprises an anode electrode (122), at least one light-emitting stack (124) formed on the anode electrode (122), and a cathode electrode (126) formed on the light-emitting stack (124). The anode electrode (122) is electrically connected to the drain electrode (138) of a driving thin-film transistor (130, T2) exposed through a pixel contact hole (148) penetrating a protective film (116).

[0036] At least one light-emitting stack (124) is formed on an anode electrode (122) of a light-emitting region provided by a bank (128). At least one light-emitting stack (124) is formed by stacking a hole-related layer, an organic light-emitting layer, and an electron-related layer in that order or in reverse order on the anode electrode (122). In addition, the light-emitting stack (124) may have first and second light-emitting stacks facing each other with a charge generation layer (CGL) in between. In this case, one of the first and second light-emitting stacks' organic light-emitting layer generates blue light, and the other of the first and second light-emitting stacks' organic light-emitting layer generates yellow-green light, thereby generating white light through the first and second light-emitting stacks. The white light generated in this light-emitting stack (124) is incident on a color filter (not shown) located above or below the light-emitting stack (124), so that a color image can be realized. In addition, a color image can be realized by generating color light corresponding to each subpixel in each light-emitting stack (124) without a separate color filter. That is, the light-emitting stack (124) of the red (R) subpixel can generate red light, the light-emitting stack (124) of the green (G) subpixel can generate green light, and the light-emitting stack (124) of the blue (B) subpixel can generate blue light.

[0037] The cathode electrode (126) is formed to face the anode electrode (122) with the light-emitting stack (124) in between and is connected to a low voltage (VSS) supply line.

[0038] The bank (128) is formed in the remaining area excluding the light-emitting region. Accordingly, the bank (128) has a bank hole that exposes an anode electrode (122) corresponding to the light-emitting region. The bank (128) may be made of an inorganic insulating material such as silicon nitride (SiNx) or silicon oxide (SiOx), or an organic insulating material such as BCB, acrylic resin, or imide resin.

[0039] A spacer can be formed on the bank (128). The spacer can be formed from an organic film such as acrylic resin, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, polyamide resin, or polyimide resin. The spacer may be omitted.

[0040] The encapsulation portion (140) blocks external moisture or oxygen from penetrating into the light-emitting element (120), which is vulnerable to external moisture or oxygen. To this end, the encapsulation portion (140) is provided with a plurality of inorganic encapsulation layers (142, 146) and an organic encapsulation layer (144) disposed between the plurality of inorganic encapsulation layers (142, 146), such that the inorganic encapsulation layer (146) is disposed on the top layer. At this time, the encapsulation portion (140) is provided with at least two layers of inorganic encapsulation layers (142, 146) and at least one layer of organic encapsulation layer (144). In the present invention, the structure of the encapsulation portion (140) in which the organic encapsulation layer (144) is disposed between the first and second inorganic encapsulation layers (142, 146) will be described as an example.

[0041] A first inorganic encapsulation layer (142) is formed on a substrate (111) on which a cathode electrode (126) is formed so as to be closest to the light-emitting element (120). This first inorganic encapsulation layer (142) is formed from an inorganic insulating material capable of low-temperature deposition, such as silicon nitride (SiNx), silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride oxide (SiON), or aluminum oxide (Al2O3). Accordingly, since the first inorganic encapsulation layer (142) is deposited in a low-temperature atmosphere, damage to the light-emitting stack (124), which is vulnerable to high-temperature atmospheres, can be prevented during the deposition process of the first inorganic encapsulation layer (142).

[0042] The organic encapsulation layer (144) acts as a buffer to relieve stress between layers due to bending of the organic light-emitting display device and enhances planarization performance. Silicon oxycarbon (SiOCz) may be used, or acrylic or epoxy-based resins may be used, but are not limited thereto. For example, if the organic encapsulation layer (144) is formed from SiOCz, the organic encapsulation layer (144) may be formed by a CVD process. SiOCz is an inorganic material, but it can be classified as an organic material under specific conditions. Specifically, the flowability of SiOCz varies depending on the atomic ratio (C / Si) of silicon and carbon. For example, if the flowability of SiOCz is poor, it has characteristics similar to an inorganic material, so the performance of compensating for foreign substances is reduced, and if the flowability is good, it has characteristics similar to an organic material, so the performance of compensating for foreign substances is improved. The C / Si ratio of SiOCz can be controlled by adjusting the ratio of oxygen (O2) and hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) during the CVD process. In particular, when an organic encapsulation layer (144) is formed with SiOCz, the thickness of the encapsulation portion (140) can be made very thin, and the thickness of the organic light-emitting display device can be reduced.

[0043] For example, if the organic encapsulation layer (144) is formed from an acrylic or epoxy-based resin, the organic encapsulation layer (144) may be formed by a slit coating or screen printing process. In this case, the epoxy-based resin may be high-viscosity bisphenol-A-epoxy or low-viscosity bisphenol-F-epoxy. The organic encapsulation layer (144) may further include additives. For example, a wetting agent to reduce the surface tension of the resin to improve the uniformity of the resin, a leveling agent to improve the surface flatness of the resin, and a defoaming agent to remove bubbles contained in the resin may be further added as additives. The organic encapsulation layer (144) may further include an initiator. For example, it is possible to use antimony-based or anhydride-based initiators that cure liquid resin by initiating a chain reaction by heat.

[0044] Additionally, as the temperature of the resin rises, the viscosity of the liquid resin decreases rapidly; however, after a certain period, curing begins and the viscosity spikes until curing is complete. Nevertheless, because the resin maintains high fluidity during the period when the viscosity is decreasing, the likelihood of over-coating increases significantly during this time.

[0045] The organic encapsulation layer (144) functions to cover foreign matter or particles that may occur during the process. For example, the first inorganic encapsulation layer (142) may have defects caused by cracks resulting from foreign matter or particles. However, these irregularities and foreign matter can be covered by the organic encapsulation layer (144), and the upper surface of the organic encapsulation layer (144) is flattened. That is, the organic encapsulation layer (144) compensates for foreign matter and flattens the display area. As a result, the organic encapsulation layer (144) may be referred to as a compensation layer.

[0046] The second inorganic encapsulation layer (146) is formed to cover the upper and side surfaces of the organic encapsulation layer (144) and the upper surface of the first inorganic encapsulation layer (142) exposed by the organic encapsulation layer (144). Accordingly, the second inorganic encapsulation layer (146) minimizes or blocks external moisture or oxygen from penetrating into the first inorganic encapsulation layer (142) and the organic encapsulation layer (144). This second inorganic encapsulation layer (146) is formed from an inorganic insulating material such as silicon nitride (SiNx), silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride oxide (SiON), or aluminum oxide (Al2O3). The first and second inorganic encapsulation layers (142, 146) may be made of the same material, and each may be multiple layers.

[0047] It is preferable that the total thickness of the above-mentioned bag portion (140) be formed to be 10㎛ to 30㎛ so as to sufficiently prevent moisture penetration from the outside and prevent flow and influence of internal particles.

[0048] Meanwhile, the above-mentioned sealing portion (140) covers at least the active area, and thus the side is located in the non-active area. Furthermore, the side exposed to the non-active area is limited to an inorganic sealing layer to effectively prevent the penetration of outside air. That is, the organic sealing layer (144) is located in the inner area closer to the active area (AA) than the upper and lower inorganic sealing layers (142, 146), and the upper second inorganic sealing layer (146) covers the upper and side of the organic sealing layer (144) together, and is formed to extend relative to the organic sealing layer (144) so ​​as to meet the first inorganic sealing layer (142), which protrudes relatively more than the organic sealing layer (144), from the side.

[0049] On the packaging portion (140), a touch sensing line (154) and a touch driving line (152) are arranged to intersect with a touch insulating film (158) in between. A mutual capacitance (Cm) is formed at the intersection of the touch sensing line (154) and the touch driving line (152). Accordingly, the mutual capacitance (Cm) charges an electric charge by a touch driving pulse supplied to the touch driving line (152), and discharges the charged electric charge to the touch sensing line (154), thereby acting as a touch sensor.

[0050] The touch driving line (152) has a plurality of first touch electrodes (152e) and first bridges (152b) that electrically connect the plurality of first touch electrodes (152e).

[0051] A plurality of first touch electrodes (152e) are spaced apart at regular intervals along the first direction, the Y direction, on the second inorganic encapsulation layer (146). Each of these plurality of first touch electrodes (152e) is electrically connected to an adjacent first touch electrode (152e) through a first bridge (152b).

[0052] The first bridge (152b) is placed on the second inorganic encapsulation layer (146) which is in the same plane as the first touch electrode (152e) and is electrically connected to the first touch electrode (152e) without a separate contact hole.

[0053] The touch sensing line (154) has a plurality of second touch electrodes (154e) and second bridges (154b) that electrically connect the plurality of second touch electrodes (154e).

[0054] A plurality of second touch electrodes (154e) are spaced apart at regular intervals along the second direction, X direction, on the second inorganic encapsulation layer (146). Each of these plurality of second touch electrodes (154e) is electrically connected to an adjacent second touch electrode (154e) through a second bridge (154b).

[0055] The second bridge (154b) is formed on the touch insulating film (158) and is exposed through a touch contact hole (150) penetrating the touch insulating film (158) to be electrically connected to the second touch electrode (154e). This second bridge (154b) is positioned to overlap with the bank (128) just like the first bridge (152b), so that the opening ratio can be prevented from being reduced by the first and second bridges (152b, 154b).

[0056] Each of these first and second touch electrodes (152e, 154e) and first and second bridges (152b, 154b) is formed in a single-layer or multi-layer structure using a conductive layer that has strong corrosion resistance and acid resistance and good conductivity, such as Al, Ti, Cu, and Mo. For example, each of the first and second touch electrodes (152e, 154e) and first and second bridges (152b, 154b) is formed in a stacked three-layer structure such as Ti / Al / Ti or Mo / Al / Mo.

[0057] Each of the first and second touch electrodes (152e, 154e) and the first and second bridges (152b, 154b) is formed in a mesh shape. Accordingly, the resistance and capacitance of the first and second touch electrodes (152e, 154e) and the first and second bridges (152b, 154b) themselves are reduced, thereby reducing the RC time constant and improving touch sensitivity. In addition, the line width of each of the mesh-shaped first and second touch electrodes (152e, 154e) and the first and second bridges (152b, 154b) is very thin, so that the aperture ratio and transmittance are prevented from being reduced due to the mesh-shaped first and second touch electrodes (152e, 154e) and the first and second bridges (152b, 154b).

[0058] Each of the touch driving line (152) and touch sensing line (154) of the present invention is connected to a touch driving unit (not shown) through a routing line (156) and a touch pad (170) placed in a non-active (bezel) area.

[0059] Accordingly, the routing line (156) transmits a touch driving pulse generated from the touch driving unit to the touch driving line (152) through the touch pad (170) and transmits a touch signal from the touch sensing line (154) to the touch pad (170). This routing line (156) is positioned between the first and second touch electrodes (152e, 154e) and the touch pad (170), and is directly connected to the first and second touch electrodes (152e, 154e) without a separate contact hole. Since this routing line (156) is formed using the same material as the first bridge (152b) and the same mask process as the first bridge (152b), it is protected by a touch insulating film (158).

[0060] The routing line (156) connected to the first touch electrode (152e) extends to at least one of the upper and lower sides of the active area as shown in FIG. 2 and is connected to the touch pad (170). The routing line (156) connected to the second touch electrode (154e) extends to at least one of the left and right sides of the active area and is connected to the touch pad (170). Meanwhile, the arrangement of the routing line (156) is not limited to the structure of FIG. 2 and can be varied according to the design specifications of the display device.

[0061] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the organic light-emitting display device is in a form that can form subpixels (PXL) and a data driver on a substrate (111). This is called a “COP (Chip on Panel)” because it is a structure that can form a chip on the substrate (111), and the pad portion that enables this is called a “COP Pad”.

[0062] FIG. 5 is an exemplary cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of an organic light-emitting display device of the present specification.

[0063] As illustrated in FIG. 5, an organic light-emitting display device may include a substrate (111) comprising a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area. FIG. 4 illustrates a non-display area having a display pad (180). The display pad (180) may be placed in the non-display area of ​​the substrate (111) to transmit a signal to the display area. The display pad (180) may include a first electrode layer (162), a second electrode layer (164), and a third electrode layer (168) stacked sequentially from the substrate (111). The first electrode layer (162) may be made of the same metal as the gate electrode (132) of the display area. A first insulating layer (163) covering the top of the first electrode layer (162) may be disposed. For example, the first insulating layer (163) may be made of the same material as the gate insulating film (112) and / or the interlayer insulating film (114) of the display area. Although not shown in the drawing, the first electrode layer (162) and the second electrode layer (164) may be electrically connected through a contact hole in the first insulating layer (163). The second electrode layer (164) may be formed of the same metal as the source and drain electrodes (136, 138) of the display area. The third electrode layer (168) may be made of the same material as the touch electrodes (152e, 154e).

[0064] On the upper part of the display pad (180), there may be at least one driving IC (1510) and at least one connecting electrode (1520) that transmits a signal generated from the driving IC (1510) to the display pad (180). The connecting electrode (1520) may be positioned protruding from the lower part of the driving IC (1510). Between the connecting electrode (1520) and the display pad (180), an adhesive member (1600) may be further included to attach the connecting electrode (1520) and the display pad (180) and electrically connect them. For example, the adhesive member (1600) may be an anisotropic conductive film (ACF). The adhesive member (1600) may include an adhesive layer (1610) and a conductive ball (1620) located inside the adhesive layer (1610). The connection electrode (1520) of the driving IC (1510) and the display pad (180) on the substrate are electrically contacted by the conductive ball of the adhesive member (1600).

[0065] As described above, a data driving unit (1500) including a data driving IC (1510) can be attached to a display pad (180) on a substrate (111) to form a COP (Chip on Panel) structure, but the inventors of this specification have discovered that there is also a problem related to the display pad (180) having the structure described above. That is, in the adhesive member (1600) that connects the connecting electrode (1520) of the driving IC (1510) and the display pad (180), conductive balls (1620) are irregularly arranged, so the spacing between the conductive balls (1620) cannot be perfectly controlled. Consequently, a problem occurs in which the conductive balls (1620) clump together among the display pads (180) and electrically short-circuit adjacent display pads (180). The phenomenon in which adjacent display pads (180) are electrically connected in this manner causes the brightness to be uneven compared to normal pixels as shown in FIG. 6, or causes pixels that should not emit light to emit light due to unnecessary driving signals, thereby causing a defect in the display quality of the display device. Accordingly, the inventors have devised an improved structure that can prevent electrical short circuits of the display pads (180) caused by clumping of conductive balls (1610).

[0066] FIG. 7 is an exemplary drawing illustrating another embodiment of the present specification. As illustrated in FIG. 7, an organic light-emitting display device may include a substrate (111) comprising a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area. The substrate (111) may support various components of the organic light-emitting display device. The substrate may include glass, metal, or plastic and may be formed from a flexible material. Non-limiting examples may include polyethersulfone, polyacrylate, polyetherimide, polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyphenylene sulfide, polyallylate, polyimide, polycarbonate, cellulose triacetate, cellulose acetate propionate, etc. FIG. 7 illustrates a non-display area having a display pad (180). The display pad (180) may be placed in the non-display area of ​​the substrate (111) to transmit a signal to the display area. The display pad (180) may include a first electrode layer (162), a second electrode layer (164), and a third electrode layer (168) sequentially stacked from the substrate (111). The first electrode layer (162) may be made of the same metal as the gate electrode (132) of the display area. The second electrode layer (164) may be formed of the same metal as the source and drain electrodes (136, 138) of the display area. The third electrode layer (168) may be made of the same material as the touch electrodes (152e, 154e).

[0067] On the upper part of the display pad (180), there may be at least one driving IC (1510) and at least one connecting electrode (1520) that transmits a signal generated from the driving IC (1510) to the display pad (180). The connecting electrode (1520) may be positioned protruding from the lower part of the driving IC (1510). Between the connecting electrode (1520) and the display pad (180), an adhesive member (1600) may be further included to attach the connecting electrode (1520) and the display pad (180) and electrically connect them. For example, the adhesive member (1600) may be an anisotropic conductive film (ACF). The adhesive member (1600) may include an adhesive layer (1610) and a conductive ball (1620) located inside the adhesive layer (1610). The connection electrode (1520) of the driving IC (1510) and the display pad (180) on the substrate are electrically contacted by the conductive ball (1620) of the adhesive member (1600).

[0068] An insulating layer (167) may be disposed covering the upper portion of the substrate (111) and a portion of the display pads (180). For example, the insulating layer (167) may cover the side of the second electrode layer (164) and a portion of the upper surface of the second electrode layer (164) so ​​as to expose the upper surface of the central portion of the second electrode layer (164) of the display pad (180). A third electrode layer (168) may be located on the upper surface of the second electrode layer (164) exposed by the insulating layer (167). The third electrode layer (168) may be in direct contact with the second electrode layer (164). The insulating layer (167) may be made of the same material as the touch insulating film (158). Unlike the embodiment of FIG. 5, a protrusion pattern (165) may be located between the display pads (180). The protrusion pattern (165) may protrude upward from the substrate (111). The protrusion pattern (165) may be made of the same material as the flattening layer (118) located on the top of the thin-film transistor in the display area. The protrusion pattern (165) may be a stripe structure extending in the same direction as the direction in which the display pad (180) is extended. The length of the protrusion pattern (165) may be formed to be equal to or longer than the length of the display pad (180) so that adjacent display pads (180) are not short-circuited to each other by the clustering of conductive balls. The gap between the protrusion pattern (165) and the driving IC (1510) may be smaller than the diameter of the conductive ball (1620) so that the conductive ball (1620) cannot be located on the top of the protrusion pattern (165).

[0069] As described above, in order to attach the display pad (180) and the data driving unit (1500) on the substrate (111), an anisotropic conductive film (1600) must be positioned at the corresponding location, and high temperature / pressure must be applied to the data driving unit (1500) using a pressing block (or head). In this embodiment, since a protrusion pattern (165) is positioned between the display pads (180), when attaching the display pad (180) and the data driving unit (1500), the phenomenon of the conductive balls (1620) clumping together between the display pads (180) due to the protrusion pattern (165) can be minimized. Accordingly, the protrusion pattern (165) can be referred to as a short-circuit prevention structure.

[0070] The protrusion pattern (165) located between the display pads (180) can be implemented in various ways, as long as it prevents the conductive balls from clumping together and does not electrically connect adjacent pads.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 8, the protrusion pattern may be an integrated structure formed in a stripe shape. This is the most optimized form in terms of preventing short circuits between pads by minimizing the clumping of conductive balls between display pads.

[0072] FIGS. 9a and FIGS. 9b are perspective views schematically showing the shape of a protrusion pattern according to the present invention.

[0073] Referring to FIGS. 9a and 9b, the protrusion pattern may be formed as a plurality of island-shaped separated structures of protrusion patterns (165a, 165b), rather than an integral structure formed in a stripe shape as in FIG. 8. The spacing between the protrusion patterns may be smaller than the diameter of the conductive ball. In this case, short circuits between pads can also be minimized. An organic light-emitting display device according to various embodiments of the present invention can be described as follows.

[0074] An organic light-emitting display device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a substrate having a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area, and includes a display pad located in the non-display area and configured to transmit a signal to the display area. It may include an insulating layer covering the upper part of the substrate and a portion of a plurality of display pads. Between the plurality of display pads, a protrusion pattern protruding upward from the substrate may be included.

[0075] The upper portion of the display pad may include at least one driving IC and at least one connecting electrode that transmits a signal generated from the driving IC. It may further include an adhesive member that connects the connecting electrode and the display pad. The adhesive member may include an adhesive layer and conductive balls, which are a conductive material dispersed within the adhesive layer. The display pad may include a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode that are sequentially stacked. On the substrate, it may further include a plurality of touch electrodes arranged intersecting each other and a touch insulating film that insulates the touch electrodes. The third electrode may be made of the same material as the touch electrode. An insulating layer covering the upper portion of the substrate and a portion of the display pads may be made of the same material as the touch insulating film.

[0076] The display area may further include at least one thin-film transistor and an organic light-emitting diode electrically connected to the thin-film transistor. A planarization layer that flattens the top surface of the thin-film transistor may be disposed on the top surface of the thin-film transistor. The protrusion pattern may be made of the same material as the planarization layer. The length of the protrusion pattern may be formed to be equal to or longer than the length of the display pad.

[0077] The conductive material is spherical with a predetermined diameter, and the gap between the protrusion pattern and the driving IC may be smaller than the diameter of the conductive material.

[0078] An organic light-emitting display device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate comprising a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area. At least one thin-film transistor and an organic light-emitting element electrically connected to the thin-film transistor may be disposed in the display area. A plurality of display pads may be provided in the non-display area to transmit a signal to the display area. The display pads may include a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode stacked sequentially. The upper portion of the display pads may include at least one driving IC and at least one connecting electrode that transmits a signal generated from the driving IC.

[0079] An adhesive member that electrically connects a connecting electrode and a display pad may include conductive balls. It may include a short-circuit prevention structure that prevents two adjacent display pads among a plurality of display pads from short-circuiting each other due to the clumping of conductive balls. The short-circuit prevention structure may be formed of an organic insulating film and positioned between two display pads.

[0080] The organic light-emitting display device further includes a touch element on top of the organic light-emitting element, and the touch element may include a plurality of touch electrodes and a touch insulating film. The third electrode of the display pad may be formed of the same material as the touch electrode. It may include an insulating layer covering the upper part of the substrate, the side of the second electrode, and a portion of the upper surface of the second electrode. The insulating layer may completely cover the short-circuit prevention structure. The insulating layer may be made of the same material as the touch insulating film.

[0081] The short-circuit protection structure can be formed from the same material as the planarization layer that flattens the top of the thin-film transistor. The length of the short-circuit protection structure can be formed to be equal to or longer than the length of the display pad. The gap between the short-circuit protection structure and the driving IC can be smaller than the diameter of the conductive ball.

[0082] Although the embodiments of this specification have been described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, this specification is not necessarily limited to these embodiments and may be modified in various ways within the scope of the technical concept. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are intended to explain, not limit, the technical concept of the invention, and the scope of the technical concept of the invention is not limited by these embodiments. The features of each of the various embodiments of the invention may be combined or combined with one another, either partially or wholly, and may be technically interconnected and operated in various ways by those skilled in the art. Furthermore, each embodiment may be implemented independently of one another or together in an associated relationship. The scope of protection of the invention shall be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical concepts within an equivalent scope shall be interpreted as being included within the scope of rights of the invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0083] 111: Board 120: Light-emitting element 130: Driving thin-film transistor 140: Bag layer 162: First electrode layer 163: First insulating layer 164: Second electrode layer 165: Protrusion pattern 167: Insulating layer 168: Third electrode layer 170: Touchpad 180: Display pad 1500: Drive unit 1510: Driver IC 1520: Connecting electrode 1600: Adhesive member 1610: Adhesive layer 1620: Challenge Ball

Claims

Claim 1 An organic light-emitting display device comprising: a substrate including a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area; a plurality of display pads located in the non-display area and configured to transmit a signal to the display area; a plurality of touch pads disposed in the non-display area; an insulating layer covering the upper portion of the substrate and a portion of each of the plurality of display pads; and a protrusion pattern between the plurality of display pads, wherein the protrusion pattern protrudes upward from the substrate, at least one driving IC is attached to the display pad, and a connecting electrode protruding from the lower portion of the at least one driving IC is included, and a plurality of first conductive balls disposed between the connecting electrode and the display pad to electrically connect the connecting electrode and the display pad, and a plurality of second conductive balls disposed between the insulating layer and the at least one driving IC to electrically disconnect from the display pad, wherein each of the plurality of display pads, the at least one driving IC, the plurality of first conductive balls, and the plurality of second conductive balls is disposed closer to the display area than to the plurality of touch pads. Claim 2 An organic light-emitting display device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting electrode transmits a signal generated from the driving IC and further comprises an adhesive member connecting the connecting electrode and the display pad. Claim 3 In claim 2, the adhesive member comprises an adhesive layer and a plurality of first conductive balls and a plurality of second conductive balls dispersed within the adhesive layer, forming an organic light-emitting display device. Claim 4 In claim 1, the display pad comprises an organic light-emitting display device including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode stacked sequentially. Claim 5 An organic light-emitting display device according to claim 4, further comprising a plurality of touch electrodes and a touch insulating film arranged intersecting each other on the substrate. Claim 6 In claim 5, the third electrode is an organic light-emitting display device made of the same material as the touch electrode. Claim 7 In claim 5, the insulating layer is an organic light-emitting display device made of the same material as the touch insulating film. Claim 8 An organic light-emitting display device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one thin-film transistor disposed in the display area and an organic light-emitting element electrically connected to the thin-film transistor. Claim 9 In claim 8, the protrusion pattern is an organic light-emitting display device made of the same material as the planarization layer on top of the thin-film transistor. Claim 10 In claim 9, the length of the protrusion pattern is equal to or longer than the length of the display pad in the organic light-emitting display device. Claim 11 An organic light-emitting display device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of first conductive balls and the plurality of second conductive balls comprise a conductive material, the conductive material is spherical having a predetermined diameter, and the gap between the protrusion pattern and the driving IC is smaller than the diameter of the plurality of second conductive balls. Claim 12 A substrate comprising a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area; at least one thin-film transistor disposed in the display area and an organic light-emitting diode electrically connected to the thin-film transistor; a plurality of display pads disposed in the non-display area and configured to transmit a signal to the display area; a plurality of touch pads disposed in the non-display area; at least one driving IC located above the display pad and at least one connecting electrode transmitting a signal generated from the driving IC; and an adhesive member comprising a conductive ball and electrically connecting the connecting electrode and the display pad through the conductive ball. An organic light-emitting display device comprising a short-circuit prevention structure that prevents two adjacent display pads among the plurality of display pads from being short-circuited to each other due to the clumping of the conductive balls, wherein the short-circuit prevention structure is formed of an organic insulating film and is positioned between the two display pads, and wherein the conductive balls include a plurality of first conductive balls disposed between the connecting electrode and the display pad to electrically connect the connecting electrode and the display pad, and a plurality of second conductive balls disposed between an insulating layer covering the upper part of the substrate and a part of each of the plurality of display pads and the at least one driving IC to be electrically disconnected from the display pad, and wherein each of the plurality of display pads, the at least one driving IC, the plurality of first conductive balls, and the plurality of second conductive balls is positioned closer to the display area than the plurality of touch pads. Claim 13 In claim 12, the display pad comprises an organic light-emitting display device including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode stacked sequentially. Claim 14 In claim 13, the organic light-emitting display device further comprises a touch element on the upper portion of the organic light-emitting element, wherein the touch element comprises a plurality of touch electrodes and a touch insulating film. Claim 15 In claim 14, the third electrode is an organic light-emitting display device made of the same material as the touch electrode. Claim 16 In claim 14, the insulating layer covers the upper part of the substrate, the side of the second electrode, and a portion of the upper surface of the second electrode in an organic light-emitting display device. Claim 17 In claim 16, the insulating layer covers the short-circuit prevention structure of the organic light-emitting display device. Claim 18 An organic light-emitting display device according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the insulating layer is made of the same material as the touch insulating film. Claim 19 In claim 12, the short-circuit prevention structure is an organic light-emitting display device made of the same material as the planarization layer on top of the thin-film transistor. Claim 20 In claim 12, the length of the short-circuit prevention structure is equal to or longer than the length of the display pad in the organic light-emitting display device. Claim 21 In claim 12, the gap between the short-circuit prevention structure and the driving IC is smaller than the diameter of the conductive ball in the organic light-emitting display device.

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