Display module and electronic device

Abstract

A display module and electronic devices are provided. The display module includes a circuit board with a plurality of individual electrodes and a plurality of common electrodes having polarities opposite to those of the individual electrodes; a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), each of the LEDs including a plurality of semiconductor layers, a first pixel electrode connected to the plurality of individual electrodes, and a second pixel electrode in the opposite direction to the first pixel electrode; a top connection layer on the plurality of LEDs and connected to the second pixel electrode; and a plurality of connection elements connecting the top connection layer to the plurality of common electrodes.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application is based on and claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0032805, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on March 7, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] This disclosure relates to a display module and an electronic device, and more specifically, to a display module in which the bonding area between a light-emitting diode (LED) and a circuit board can be increased. [Previous Technology]

[0003] Recently, technologies related to compound semiconductor light-emitting diodes (LEDs) such as GaN, GaAs and GaP are developing rapidly, and there is growing interest in LED display devices that utilize panel configuration technology that directly mounts (transmits) LEDs that emit red (R), green (G) and blue (B) wavelengths of light onto a circuit board.

[0004] More specifically, since LED display devices require LED miniaturization to output high-resolution images, much development infrastructure is being used to refine ultra-small microLEDs smaller than 100 micrometers. In addition, the recently developed process for precisely mounting ultra-small LEDs of tens of micrometers requires correspondingly optimized LED and module manufacturing technologies.

[0005] Generally, prior art descriptions related to micro LEDs use flip-chip LEDs to electrically connect the circuit board to the LED. However, if a flip-chip bonding method like that of the prior art is used, the bonding area that ensures the connection between the LED and the circuit board may be limited because the two electrodes located on the bottom of the LED are connected to the electrodes of the circuit board. Furthermore, when the two electrodes located on the bottom of the LED are connected to the electrodes of the circuit board, the increased risk of short circuits between adjacent electrodes may limit the assurance of process margins and mass production capabilities. Moreover, since the limitations of the prior art described above may increase as LEDs become even more miniaturized, these problems remain issues that must be overcome in miniaturized LEDs. [Summary of the Invention]

[0006] A display module capable of expanding the bonding area between an LED and a circuit board is provided, as well as an electronic device including the display module.

[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, the display module includes: a circuit board including a plurality of individual electrodes and a plurality of common electrodes, the plurality of common electrodes having a polarity opposite to that of the plurality of individual electrodes; a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), each of the plurality of LEDs including a plurality of semiconductor layers, a first pixel electrode connected to the plurality of individual electrodes, and a second pixel electrode located in the opposite direction to the first pixel electrode; a top connection layer located on the plurality of LEDs and connected to the second pixel electrode; and a plurality of connection elements connecting the top connection layer to the plurality of common electrodes.

[0008] The plurality of LEDs may include red LEDs, green LEDs and blue LEDs, each of the plurality of individual electrodes may be configured to drive one of the red LEDs, green LEDs and blue LEDs, and the plurality of common electrodes may be configured to drive the red LEDs, green LEDs and blue LEDs.

[0009] The display module can be divided into multiple pixels, and each of the multiple pixels corresponds to a connecting element of red LED, green LED, blue LED, and one of the multiple connecting elements.

[0010] Each of the plurality of individual electrodes may be an anode, each of the plurality of common electrodes may be a cathode, each of the plurality of LEDs may include a plurality of second pixel electrodes, and the plurality of second pixel electrodes may be arranged in different regions of the light-emitting surface of each of the plurality of LEDs.

[0011] The plurality of semiconductor layers may include an n-type semiconductor layer, a P-type semiconductor layer, and a light-emitting layer located between the n-type semiconductor layer and the P-type semiconductor layer, wherein the P-type semiconductor layer may be connected to a first pixel electrode, the n-type semiconductor layer may be connected to a second pixel electrode, and the plurality of LEDs may further include a reflective layer surrounding the light-emitting layer.

[0012] Each of the plurality of individual electrodes may be a cathode, each of the plurality of common electrodes may be an anode, the second pixel electrode of the red LED may include metal, and the second pixel electrode of each of the green LED and the blue LED may include indium tin oxide (ITO).

[0013] The plurality of semiconductor layers may include an n-type semiconductor layer, a P-type semiconductor layer, and a light-emitting layer located between the n-type semiconductor layer and the P-type semiconductor layer, wherein the P-type semiconductor layer may be connected to a second pixel electrode, the n-type semiconductor layer may be connected to a first pixel electrode, and the plurality of LEDs may further include an insulating layer surrounding the light-emitting layer.

[0014] The display module may further include a lower contact layer on the circuit board, and the lower contact layer may include a plurality of conductive balls connecting a plurality of individual electrodes to a first pixel electrode and connecting a plurality of common electrodes to a plurality of connecting elements.

[0015] The top interconnect layer may be at least one of a first top interconnect layer comprising indium tin oxide (ITO) and a second top interconnect layer comprising a transparent anisotropic conductive film (ACF) and a glass substrate.

[0016] The plurality of connection elements may include at least one of a first connection element, a second connection element comprising metal, and a third connection element comprising a metal-coated polymer, and the first connection element may include a semiconductor layer, an upper electrode located on the upper portion of the semiconductor layer and connected to the top connection layer, and a lower electrode located on the lower portion of the semiconductor layer and connected to a common electrode.

[0017] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device includes a display module, the display module comprising: a circuit board including a plurality of individual electrodes and a plurality of common electrodes, the plurality of common electrodes having a polarity opposite to that of the plurality of individual electrodes; a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), each of the plurality of LEDs including a plurality of semiconductor layers, a first pixel electrode connected to the plurality of individual electrodes, and a second pixel electrode located in the opposite direction to the first pixel electrode; a top connection layer located on the plurality of LEDs and connected to the second pixel electrode; and a plurality of connection elements connecting the top connection layer to the common electrode.

[0018] The plurality of LEDs may include red LEDs, green LEDs and blue LEDs, each of the plurality of individual electrodes may be configured to drive one of the red LEDs, green LEDs and blue LEDs, and the plurality of common electrodes may be configured to drive the red LEDs, green LEDs and blue LEDs.

[0019] The display module can be divided into multiple pixels, and each of the multiple pixels corresponds to a connecting element of red LED, green LED, blue LED, and one of the multiple connecting elements.

[0020] Each of the plurality of individual electrodes may be an anode, each of the plurality of common electrodes may be a cathode, each of the plurality of LEDs may include a plurality of second pixel electrodes, and the plurality of second pixel electrodes may be arranged in different regions of the light-emitting surface of each of the plurality of LEDs.

[0021] The plurality of semiconductor layers may include an n-type semiconductor layer, a P-type semiconductor layer, and a light-emitting layer located between the n-type semiconductor layer and the P-type semiconductor layer, wherein the P-type semiconductor layer may be connected to a first pixel electrode, the n-type semiconductor layer may be connected to a second pixel electrode, and the plurality of LEDs may further include a reflective layer surrounding the light-emitting layer.

Implementation Method

[0032] Various modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein, and various types of embodiments are possible. Therefore, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the figures and described in detail in the detailed description. However, it should be noted that the various embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure to the specific embodiments, but should be construed as including all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives to the embodiments that are within the scope of the ideas and techniques disclosed herein. In the description of the figures, the same reference numerals may be used to denote the same elements.

[0033] In describing this disclosure, detailed descriptions of relevant known technologies or configurations will be omitted if it is determined that such detailed descriptions may unnecessarily obscure the key points of this disclosure.

[0034] Furthermore, the following embodiments can be modified in various different forms, and it should be understood that the scope of the technical spirit of this disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make this disclosure thorough and complete, and to fully convey the technical spirit of this disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0035] The terminology used herein is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless otherwise stated.

[0036] In this disclosure, expressions such as “having,” “may have,” “include,” and “may include” are used to indicate the presence of a corresponding feature (e.g., a numerical value, function, operation, or element) rather than to exclude the presence or possibility of additional features.

[0037] In this disclosure, expressions such as “A or B”, “at least one of A and / or B” or “one or more of A and / or B” may include all possible combinations of the listed items together. For example, “A or B”, “at least one of A and B” or “at least one of A or B” may refer to all cases including (1) only A, (2) only B or (3) both A and B.

[0038] The expressions “first,” “second,” “first,” or “second” used in this disclosure may limit various elements without regard to order and / or importance, and may only be used to distinguish one element from another without limiting the related elements.

[0039] When an element (e.g., a first element) is indicated as "(operationally or communicatively) coupled to" or "connected to" another element (e.g., a second element), it can be understood that the element is directly coupled to the other element or coupled through another element (e.g., a third element).

[0040] Conversely, when an element (e.g., a first element) is indicated as being "directly coupled to" or "directly connected to" another element (e.g., a second element), it can be understood that other elements (e.g., a third element) do not exist between the first element and the other element.

[0041] The expression “configured as... (or set to)” as used in this disclosure may be used interchangeably with, for example, “suitable for...”, “capable of...”, “designed for...”, “adapted to...”, “made as...”, or “capable of...”, depending on the context. The term “configured as... (or set to)” does not necessarily mean “specifically designed for” in terms of hardware.

[0042] Conversely, in some cases, the expression "device configured as..." may mean that the device, together with another device or element, is "capable of performing...". For example, the phrase "processor configured (or set to) perform A, B or C" may mean a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) for performing the relevant operation, or a general-purpose processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or application processor) capable of performing the relevant operation by executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device.

[0043] The terms "module" or "part" used in this embodiment perform at least one function or operation and can be implemented in hardware or software, or in a combination of hardware and software. In addition, apart from "modules" or "parts" that need to be implemented in specific hardware, multiple "modules" or multiple "parts" can be integrated into at least one module and implemented as at least one processor.

[0044] The various elements and areas in the figures have been illustrated schematically. Therefore, the technical spirit of this disclosure is not limited to the relative sizes and distances shown in the figures.

[0045] The embodiments disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings to help those skilled in the art to understand them.

[0046] FIG1 is a diagram illustrating a portion of a display module 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG2 is a diagram illustrating an enlarged portion of the display module 100 shown in FIG1. ​​The following description will refer to FIG1 and FIG2.

[0047] According to this disclosure, "display module 100" can refer to a configuration (or device) capable of displaying images. Specifically, display module 100 may be included in an electronic device and display images. If display module 100 is included in an electronic device, display module 100 can display images under the control of a processor 300 included in the electronic device. The electronic device including display module 100 can be described with reference to FIG9, and various embodiments related to display module 100 will be described below.

[0048] Display module 100 can refer to the entire display panel contained in an electronic device, and multiple display modules 100 can be combined to form a single display panel. That is, display module 100 can be included not only in electronic devices such as digital televisions, monitors, tablet PCs, and smartphones, but also in electronic devices such as digital signage and video walls. However, according to this disclosure, there are no particular limitations on the types of electronic devices using display module 100.

[0049] As shown in FIG1, the display module 100 may include a circuit board 110, multiple light-emitting diodes (LEDs), such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, a top connection layer 130, a connection element 140 and a lower contact layer 150.

[0050] Figure 1 shows a structure including three LEDs and a connecting element 140, but this is only a simplified illustration, showing that there is no particular limitation on the number of LEDs and connecting elements 140 included in the module 100. For the convenience of the following description, multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, will be described first.

[0051] Multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, can emit light through the control of circuit board 110. Specifically, LED can refer to a device that emits light when a voltage is applied in the forward direction, and the term "LED" can mean "LED chip" that has undergone chip-level packaging.

[0052] Referring to FIG2, each of the plurality of LEDs disclosed herein, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, may include a plurality of semiconductor layers and a plurality of pixel electrodes, such as pixel electrode 122 and pixel electrode 123. Furthermore, the plurality of semiconductor layers may include an n-type semiconductor layer 121-3, a p-type semiconductor layer 121-1, and a light-emitting layer 121-2.

[0053] The n-type semiconductor layer 121-3 and the p-type semiconductor layer 121-1 can be implemented as compound semiconductors of Group III-V, Group II-VI, etc. Specifically, the n-type semiconductor layer 121-3 and the p-type semiconductor layer 121-1 can be implemented as nitride semiconductors. For example, the n-type semiconductor layer 121-3 and the p-type semiconductor layer 121-1 can be an n-GaN semiconductor layer and a p-GaN semiconductor layer, respectively. However, the n-type semiconductor layer 121-3 and the p-type semiconductor layer 121-1 according to the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and can be formed from various materials according to various characteristics required by the LED.

[0054] An n-type semiconductor can be a semiconductor that uses free electrons as charge carriers, and can be formed by doping with n-type dopants such as Si, Ge, Sn, and Te. In addition, a p-type semiconductor can be a semiconductor that uses holes as charge carriers, and can be formed by doping with p-type dopants such as Mg, Zn, Ca, and Ba.

[0055] The light-emitting layer 121-2, the n-type semiconductor layer 121-3, and the p-type semiconductor layer 121-1 may be formed of various semiconductors having band gaps corresponding to specific regions within the spectrum. For example, a red LED 120-1 having a light wavelength of 600 nm to 750 nm may include one or more layers based on AlInGaP-based semiconductors. Furthermore, a blue LED 120-3 and a green LED 120-2 having light wavelengths of 450 nm to 490 nm and 500 nm to 570 nm, respectively, may include one or more layers based on AlInGaN-based semiconductors.

[0056] The light-emitting layer 121-2 may be located between the n-type semiconductor layer 121-3 and the p-type semiconductor layer 121-1, and may be a layer where carrier electrons of the n-type semiconductor layer 121-3 and carrier holes of the p-type semiconductor layer 121-1 meet. When electrons and holes meet on the light-emitting layer 121-2, a potential barrier may be formed by the recombination of electrons and holes. Then, when electrons and holes cross the potential barrier to transition to a lower energy level according to the applied voltage, light of the corresponding wavelength may be emitted.

[0057] Here, the luminescent layer 121-2 may have a multi-quantum-well structure, but this disclosure is not limited to this. The luminescent layer 121-2 may have various structures such as a single quantum well or a quantum dot structure. If the luminescent layer 121-2 is formed as a multi-quantum-well structure, the well layer / barrier layer of the luminescent layer 121-2 may be formed as InGaN / GaN, InGaN / InGaN, and GaAs / AlGaAs, but this disclosure is not limited to the above structures. The number of quantum wells contained in the luminescent layer 10 is also not limited to a specific number.

[0058] The three LEDs shown in Figure 1 comprise a red LED 120-1, a green LED 120-2, and a blue LED 120-3 within a single pixel. That is, the display module 100 can be divided into multiple pixels, and the red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3 can constitute a single pixel of the display module 100. However, according to this disclosure, there are no particular limitations on the number or arrangement of LEDs in each pixel.

[0059] "Multiple pixel electrodes," such as pixel electrodes 122 and 123, can refer to electrodes included in each of the multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, for connecting the multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, to the circuit board 110. Specifically, the multiple pixel electrodes, such as pixel electrodes 122 and 123, can be connected to individual electrodes of the circuit board 110, such as electrode 111, and to the top connection layer 130 (or upper connection layer, upper access layer) on the multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, and to the circuit board 110. In this disclosure, the term "pixel electrode" may be used to distinguish it from electrodes arranged on the circuit board 110 (i.e., individual electrodes, such as electrode 111, and common electrodes) and may be replaced by terms such as "pixel electrode pad".

[0060] Multiple pixel electrodes, such as pixel electrode 122 and pixel electrode 123, may be arranged on the upper and lower parts of multiple semiconductor layers and connected to the multiple semiconductor layers, and may include a first pixel electrode 122 and a second pixel electrode 123. "First pixel electrode 122" may refer to a pixel electrode connected to multiple individual electrodes, such as electrode 111, on the circuit board 110, while "second pixel electrode 123" may refer to an electrode arranged in the opposite direction to the first pixel electrode 122 and connected to the top connection layer 130 arranged on multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3.

[0061] Referring to the example in FIG1, the first pixel electrode 122 may be arranged below a plurality of LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, and connected to a plurality of individual electrodes, such as electrode 111, on the circuit board 110. The second pixel electrode 123 may be arranged above a plurality of LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, and connected to the top connection layer 130 arranged on the plurality of LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3. In other words, the plurality of LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, can be implemented in a vertical configuration, wherein each of the first pixel electrode 122 and the second pixel electrode 123 in each of the plurality of LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, is arranged above and below the plurality of LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3. Furthermore, the plurality of LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, can be implemented as micro-LEDs with a horizontal and vertical length greater than or equal to 1 micrometer (µm) and less than or equal to 100µm. However, the size of the plurality of LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3 according to the present disclosure is not particularly limited.

[0062] The first pixel electrode 122 and the second pixel electrode 123 may be implemented as one or more. However, if the second pixel electrode 123 is implemented as multiple, the arrangement of the multiple second pixel electrodes 123 is not particularly limited. In addition, the number of first pixel electrodes 122 and second pixel electrodes 123 included in an LED and the number of their corresponding individual electrodes, such as electrode 111, are not particularly limited.

[0063] "Circuit board 110" may refer to a board (or substrate) containing driving circuitry for driving multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, and multiple driving electrodes, such as electrode 111 and electrode 112. The term "circuit board 110" may be replaced by terms such as "driving board". Multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, may be electrically connected to driving circuitry arranged on circuit board 110. Driving of display module 100 may be performed using an active matrix method or a passive matrix method, and the driving circuitry may be designed for a matched driving method. Circuit board 110 may be one of a thin-film transistor (TFT) substrate, a printed circuit board (PCB) 110, and a glass substrate containing metal wiring, but is not necessarily limited to these.

[0064] The driving circuit may be connected to multiple driving electrodes, such as electrode 111 and electrode 112, and may include multiple circuit elements, such as switching elements. The switching element may be a semiconductor element capable of controlling the driving of multiple LEDs 120 included in the display module 100 and performing a switching type role for individual pixels of the display device. For example, a thin-film transistor may be used as a switching element.

[0065] "Multiple driving electrodes," such as electrodes 111 and 112, may refer to electrodes included in circuit board 110 for connecting multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, to the circuit board 110. Multiple driving electrodes, such as electrodes 111 and 112, may be connected to a driving circuit by being formed on one surface of circuit board 110, and connected to multiple pixel electrodes, such as pixel electrodes 122 and 123, included in the multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3. That is, in this disclosure, the term "driving electrode" may be used to specify electrodes included in circuit board 110 to distinguish them from pixel electrodes included in the multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, and may be replaced by terms such as "driving electrode pad." According to the described method, multiple driving electrodes, such as electrode 111 and electrode 112, and circuit board 110 can be configured separately, and multiple driving electrodes, such as electrode 111 and electrode 112, can be described as being formed on circuit board 110.

[0066] Multiple driving electrodes, such as electrode 111 and electrode 112, may include multiple individual electrodes, such as electrode 111, and multiple common electrodes, such as electrode 112. Here, "individual electrode," such as electrode 111, may refer to a driving electrode individually connected to each of multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, while "common electrode," such as electrode 112, may refer to a driving electrode commonly connected to two or more LEDs. Hereinafter, it may be assumed that the display module 100 includes multiple common electrodes, such as electrode 112, but according to an embodiment, common electrode 112 may be implemented as one.

[0067] The plurality of individual electrodes, such as electrode 111, and the plurality of common electrodes, such as electrode 112, may have opposite polarities. For example, the plurality of individual electrodes, such as electrode 111, may be anodes, while the plurality of common electrodes, such as electrode 112, may be cathodes. Conversely, the plurality of individual electrodes, such as electrode 111, may be cathodes, while the plurality of common electrodes, such as electrode 112, may be anodes.

[0068] For example, as shown in Figure 1, if a plurality of LEDs include a red LED 120-1, a green LED 120-2, and a blue LED 120-3, each of a plurality of individual electrodes, such as electrode 111, may be used to drive one of the red LED 120-1, the green LED 120-2, and the blue LED 120-3, while a plurality of common electrodes, such as electrode 112, may be used to drive the red LED 120-1, the green LED 120-2, and the blue LED 120-3.

[0069] The "top connection layer 130" can be arranged on top of multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, and refers to the configuration of the connecting circuit board 110 with the multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3. Specifically, the top connection layer 130 can be connected to the second pixel electrode 123 by being arranged on top of the multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3. Furthermore, as described below, the top connection layer 130 can be connected to a common electrode, such as electrode 112, through multiple connecting elements 140. The top connection layer may include a transparent electrode. That is, at least a portion of the top connection layer 130 can be formed to be transparent so that light can be emitted from the outside of the display module 100.

[0070] For example, the top interconnect layer 130 may be at least one of a first top interconnect layer 130 comprising indium tin oxide (ITO) and a second top interconnect layer 130 comprising a transparent anisotropic conductive film and a glass substrate. One or more embodiments related to the top interconnect layer 130 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG6.

[0071] "Multiple connecting elements 140" may refer to elements that connect the top connecting layer 130 to a common electrode, such as electrode 112. The term "connecting element 140" may be replaced by terms such as "connecting portion". The upper part of each of the multiple connecting elements 140 may be connected to the top connecting layer 130, and the top connecting layer 130 may be connected to the second pixel electrode 123 of multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3. In addition, the lower part of each of the multiple connecting elements 140 may be connected to the common electrode, such as electrode 112, of the circuit board 110. Therefore, multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, can be connected to the common electrode, such as electrode 112, of the circuit board 110 through the top connecting layer 130 and the multiple connecting elements 140.

[0072] The connecting elements 140 may be arranged in multiple ways with respect to the entire display module 100. Therefore, the following description will assume that the display module 100 includes multiple connecting elements 140, but according to an embodiment, the connecting element 140 may be implemented as one.

[0073] As described above, the display module 100 can be divided into multiple pixels, and each of the multiple pixels can correspond to a red LED 120-1, a green LED 120-2, a blue LED 120-3, and one of the multiple connecting elements 140. That is, the connecting element 140 used to drive the red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3 included in a pixel is also displayed together.

[0074] As shown in Figure 1, the connecting element 140 may have a cylindrical or rectangular column shape, and therefore may be referred to as a "stud". However, the shape of the connecting element 140 need not be particularly limited.

[0075] The plurality of connection elements 140 may include a semiconductor layer and a first connection element 140, the first connection element 140 including an upper electrode arranged on the upper part of the semiconductor layer and connected to the top connection layer 130, and a lower electrode arranged on the lower part of the semiconductor layer and connected to the common electrode 112. Here, the semiconductor layer included in the plurality of connection elements 140 may include at least one of GaN, GaP, GaAs, and Si. In addition, the plurality of connection elements 140 may include at least one of a second connection element 140 comprising a metal and a third connection element 140 comprising a metal-coated polymer. One or more embodiments related to the plurality of connection elements 140 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG7.

[0076] The "lower contact layer 150" can be arranged in the area below a plurality of LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3), and can refer to the configuration connecting the circuit board 110 to the plurality of LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3) and the plurality of connecting elements 140. The lower contact layer 150 can be arranged on the circuit board 110, specifically, it can be formed between the area on the circuit board 110 where no driving electrodes are arranged and the plurality of LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3). Therefore, the lower contact layer 150 can connect to the plurality of individual electrodes (such as electrode 111) included in the circuit board 110 and the plurality of first pixel electrodes 122 included in each plurality of LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3), and connect the plurality of connecting elements 140 to the plurality of common electrodes (such as electrode 112) included in the circuit board 110.

[0077] Specifically, the lower contact layer 150 may be a film that is partly conductive and partly insulating. For example, the lower contact layer 150 may be a so-called anisotropic conductive film (ACF) and may include a plurality of conductive balls 151 and an adhesive. However, the above is not limited to this, and any configuration that can connect the circuit board 110 to a plurality of LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3) and a plurality of connecting elements 140 can correspond to the lower contact layer 150 disclosed herein.

[0078] The plurality of conductive balls 151 may refer to fine conductive particles dispersed within the lower contact layer 150. The plurality of conductive balls 151 may connect a plurality of individual electrodes (such as electrode 111) to the first pixel electrode 122, a plurality of common electrodes (such as electrode 112) to a plurality of connecting elements 140, and a plurality of common electrodes (such as electrode 112) to a plurality of connecting elements 140. In Figures 1 and 2, a reference number for a conductive ball has been described, but the same configuration can represent conductive balls.

[0079] For example, the plurality of conductive balls 151 may include at least one of metal, carbon nanotubes, and conductive polymer particles, and have a diameter of 3 to 15 micrometers. The plurality of driving electrodes (such as electrodes 111 and 112) included in the circuit board 110 and the plurality of first pixel electrodes 122 included in each plurality of LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3) may be electrically connected via at least one of the plurality of conductive balls 151.

[0080] The adhesive serves to fix the lower contact layer 150 to multiple areas. The adhesive may be a thermosetting adhesive and can fix the lower contact layer 150 to multiple areas by curing when heat and pressure are applied. Specifically, the adhesive may include an epoxy resin and a curing agent that cures the adhesive by reacting with the epoxy resin. Furthermore, the lower contact layer 150 may further include supplementary materials for adjusting the curing speed or thermal conductivity of the lower contact layer 150.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 1, the lower contact layer 150 may be arranged on the circuit board 110 and form gaps filling the spaces between multiple LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3). However, the above is not limited to this, and the lower contact layer 150 may be arranged on multiple local areas spaced apart from each other on the circuit board 110. One or more embodiments related to the lower contact layer 150 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5.

[0082] The structure of the display module 100 is shown in Figures 1 and 2 and will be described in more detail below. First, it can be assumed that when multiple LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3) are formed, the P-type semiconductor layer 121-1 is arranged below the light-emitting layer 121-2 (i.e., in the opposite direction of the light-emitting surface), while the n-type semiconductor layer 121-3 is arranged above the light-emitting layer 121-2 (i.e., in the direction of the light-emitting surface).

[0083] Figures 1 and 2 show an embodiment where multiple individual electrodes (e.g., electrode 111) are anodes and multiple common electrodes (e.g., electrode 112) are cathodes. In this case, if multiple LEDs (e.g., red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3) are arranged as in the examples of Figures 1 and 2, the multiple individual electrodes (e.g., electrode 111) serving as anodes can be connected to the P-type semiconductor layer 121-1 of each of the multiple LEDs (e.g., red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3), while the multiple common electrodes (e.g., electrode 112) serving as cathodes can be connected to the n-type semiconductor layer 121-3 of each of the multiple LEDs (e.g., red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3) via multiple connecting elements 140 and a top connecting layer 130. In addition, the P-type semiconductor layer 121-1 can be connected to the first pixel electrode 122, while the n-type semiconductor layer 121-3 can be connected to the second pixel electrode 123.

[0084] The second pixel electrode 123 contained in each of the plurality of LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3) can be a single electrode. In this case, the second pixel electrode 123 can be arranged in the central portion of the top surface of the plurality of LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3). Conversely, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the second pixel electrode 123 contained in each of the plurality of LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3) can be a plurality of electrodes. If there are a plurality of second pixel electrodes 123, the plurality of second pixel electrodes 123 can be arranged in different regions of the light-emitting surface of each of the plurality of LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3). The above is to ensure connectivity with the top connection layer 130 without limiting the light-emitting surfaces of multiple LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3).

[0085] More specifically, the second pixel electrode 123 may be implemented as three, and one of the three second pixel electrodes 123, the second pixel electrode 120, may be arranged in the central portion of the top surface of the LED, while the other two second pixel electrodes 123 may be arranged in the outer portion of the top surface of the LED. Here, the outer portion may be the region corresponding to two non-adjacent vertices of the quadrilateral vertices of the top surface of the LED. Furthermore, if the second pixel electrodes 123 are arranged in the outer portion of the top surface of the LED, the second pixel electrodes 123 may be formed to surround not only the top surface but also the side portion near the outer portion. The above is so that even when multiple LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3) are transferred to the circuit board 110, and some of the multiple LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3) are tilted in any direction, the connection between the portion of the LED and the top connection layer 130 can still be made through at least one second pixel electrode 123.

[0086] Multiple LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3) may further include a reflective layer 124 on the sidewalls of the multiple LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3). Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the multiple LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3) may further include a reflective layer 124 arranged around the light-emitting layer 121-2. Here, the reflective layer 124 can perform the function of increasing the luminous efficiency of the LED by reflecting the light emitted from the light-emitting layer 121-2 of the LED towards the light-emitting surface of the LED element. For example, the reflective layer 124 may be formed as a metal reflector or a distributed Bragg reflector structure.

[0087] FIG3 is a diagram showing a portion of a display module 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, FIG4 is a diagram showing an enlarged portion of the display module 100 shown in FIG3. The following description will refer to FIG3 and FIG4, but overlapping descriptions with those referring to FIG1 and FIG2 will be omitted.

[0088] When Figures 1 and 2 are embodiments in which multiple individual electrodes (such as electrode 111) are anodes and multiple common electrodes (such as electrode 112) are cathodes, Figures 3 and 4 show embodiments in which multiple individual electrodes (such as electrode 111) are cathodes and multiple common electrodes (such as electrode 112) are anodes. In this configuration, if multiple LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3) are arranged as shown in Figures 3 and 4, multiple individual electrodes (such as electrode 111) serving as cathodes can be connected to the n-type semiconductor layer 121-3 of each of the multiple LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3), while multiple common electrodes (such as electrode 112) serving as anodes can be connected to the p-type semiconductor layer 121-1 of each of the multiple LEDs (such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3) via multiple connecting elements 140 and a top connecting layer 130. Furthermore, the p-type semiconductor layer 121-1 can be connected to the second pixel electrode 123, while the n-type semiconductor layer 121-3 can be connected to the first pixel electrode 122.

[0089] In the embodiments of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the second pixel electrode 123 contained in the red LED 120-1 may be metal, while the second pixel electrode 123 contained in the green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3 may be indium tin oxide (ITO). Due to the properties of the material, if ITO is used as an electrode connected to the P-type semiconductor layer 121-1 of the red LED 120-1, ITO may not be able to be used as the second pixel electrode 123 because it cannot ensure suitable electrical characteristics for driving the red LED 120-1; therefore, metal can be used. Conversely, even if ITO is used as an electrode connected to the P-type semiconductor layer 121-1 of the green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, ITO can be used as the second pixel electrode 123 because it can ensure suitable electrical characteristics for driving the green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3.

[0090] Multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, may further include an insulating layer 125 on the sidewalls of the multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3. Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, may further include an insulating layer 125 arranged around the light-emitting layer 121-2. Here, the insulating layer 125 can stabilize the element characteristics of the multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3. For example, the insulating layer 125 may include a material with excellent electrical insulation properties, such as silicon dioxide (SiO2). In the embodiments of Figures 3 and 4, since the multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, are mounted in reverse, unlike the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2, the area around the light-emitting layer 121-2 may be adjacent to the light-emitting surface. Therefore, arranging the insulating layer 125 around the light-emitting layer 121-2 may be more effective in terms of luminous efficiency and component stability than arranging the reflective layer 125 around the light-emitting layer 121-2. Although embodiments of multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, have been described above, further including a reflective layer 124 or an insulating layer 125, various configurations for enhancing the characteristics of the multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, may also be included.

[0091] The above assumes that all the multiple LEDs included in the display panel, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, are vertical LED elements, but the disclosure is not limited to this. For example, some of the multiple light-emitting diodes included in the display panel, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, may be vertical LEDs, while others may be flip-chip LEDs.

[0092] Furthermore, even when manufacturing the display module 100, multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, are implemented as vertical LEDs. After repairing a faulty LED, the multiple LEDs included in the display panel, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, can be implemented in a combination of vertical and flip-chip types. For example, if some LEDs fail, repair can be completed by arranging flip-chip LEDs in adjacent areas after removing the top connection layer 130 above the faulty LED. Therefore, even if a top connection layer 130 such as indium tin oxide is arranged on top of multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, the display module 100 can be easily repaired.

[0093] Although the structures of Figures 1 and 2 and Figures 3 and 4 have been described separately, this is only for the purpose of detailed explanation of the disclosed embodiments, and it should be noted that the disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments. In other words, a display module including a circuit board comprising a plurality of individual electrodes and a plurality of common electrodes having opposite polarities to the plurality of individual electrodes, a plurality of LEDs including a first pixel electrode each connected to the plurality of individual electrodes and a plurality of semiconductor layers and a second pixel electrode arranged in the opposite direction to the first pixel electrode, a top connection layer arranged on the plurality of LEDs and connected to the second pixel electrode, and a plurality of connection elements for connecting the top connection layer and the common electrode may be the display module according to the disclosure.

[0094] According to the various embodiments described above with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the bonding area between the LED and the circuit board 110 can be expanded, and the stability of the LED manufacturing process can be improved. In addition, the performance and stability of the ultra-small to super ultra-small LED display module 100 can be improved accordingly.

[0095] Specifically, in the disclosed display module 100, since one electrode arranged at the bottom of the vertical LED is bonded to the circuit board 110, assuming the lower region of the LED is the same, the bonding area can be at least twice as large as that of the flip-chip LED, where two electrodes arranged at the bottom are bonded to the circuit board 110. Furthermore, since the two electrodes are not arranged in the same direction, process stability related to possible offsets during the transmission and bonding processes can be significantly improved. Moreover, if a vertical LED is used according to the disclosure, unlike the use of a flip-chip LED, the effective light-emitting area is wider due to the absence of recesses or holes, and the luminous efficiency of the LED can be relatively increased.

[0096] FIG5 is a diagram illustrating one or more embodiments related to the disclosed lower contact layer 150.

[0097] In FIG5, only a portion of the top connection layer 130, a connection element 140, a portion of the lower contact layer 150 and a portion of the circuit board 110 as disclosed are shown, but this is only for ease of description. The various embodiments described with reference to FIG5 can be applied to the entire display module 100.

[0098] As described above, the lower contact layer 150 may be arranged in the region including the lower part of a plurality of LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, connecting a plurality of first pixel electrodes 122 contained in each plurality of LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, to a plurality of individual electrodes contained in the circuit board 110, such as electrode 111, and connecting a plurality of connecting elements 140 to a plurality of common electrodes contained in the circuit board 110, such as electrode 112.

[0099] As shown at 510 in FIG5, the lower contact layer 150 may be a film known as an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) and may include a plurality of conductive balls 151 and an adhesive. Specifically, the connection between the circuit board 110 and a plurality of LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, and the connection between the circuit board 110 and a plurality of connecting elements 140 may be performed by the plurality of conductive balls 151, and the remaining area other than the area forming the plurality of conductive balls 151 may be filled with an adhesive (or an adhesive and reinforcing material).

[0100] The adhesive of the lower contact layer 150 may be black or transparent. Specifically, if the lower contact layer 150 is black, by applying black to the entire display module 100, the light interference phenomenon between pixels or sub-pixels of the display module 100, i.e., the occurrence of cross-interference phenomenon, can be reduced.

[0101] As shown at 520 in FIG5, the lower contact layer 150 may include a transparent anisotropic conductive film 150 and a black matrix (BM) 152. Specifically, the adhesive of the lower contact layer 150 may be transparent. In this case, the black matrix 152 may be arranged on the upper part of the adhesive to prevent light interference between pixels or sub-pixels of the display module 100.

[0102] As shown at 530 in FIG5, the lower contact layer 150 may include a metal layer 153 and a molding 154. Specifically, the lower contact layer 150 may include a metal layer for connecting a plurality of first pixel electrodes 122 to a plurality of individual electrodes 111, and a metal layer for connecting a plurality of connecting elements 140 to a plurality of common electrodes, such as electrode 112. That is, the connection between the circuit board 110 and a plurality of LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, and the connection between the circuit board 110 and a plurality of connecting elements 140 may be performed by metal bonding of the metal layer 153 instead of a plurality of conductive balls 151. For example, the metal bonding may be implemented by techniques such as eutectic bonding, soldering, grain attachment (dot), conductive ink, etc., but is not limited thereto. If the lower contact layer 150 includes a metal layer 153, the remaining area, excluding the area where the metal layer is arranged, can protect multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, and can be filled with molding (or encapsulation) 154 to provide stability for the display module 100.

[0103] Although various embodiments of the lower contact layer 150 have been described with reference to FIG5 above, the above are merely simple examples. Any configuration that can connect the circuit board 110 to multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, and multiple connecting elements 140, regardless of their type, can correspond to the lower contact layer 150 according to this disclosure.

[0104] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating one or more embodiments related to the top connection layer 130 according to this disclosure.

[0105] As shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 6 only illustrates a portion of the top connection layer 130, a connection element 140, a portion of the lower contact layer 150, and a portion of the circuit board 110 according to the present disclosure. However, this is only for ease of description, and the various embodiments described with reference to FIG. 6 can be applied to the entire display module 100.

[0106] As described above, the "top connection layer 130" can be arranged on multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, and connected to the second pixel electrode 123, and can be connected to the common electrode 112 through multiple connection elements 140. The top connection layer may include a transparent electrode.

[0107] As shown in Example 610 of FIG6, the top connection layer 130 may be formed as a layer covering the entire upper part of the display module 100. In this case, the layer may include indium tin oxide (ITO). Since ITO is a transparent conductive oxide, it has the property of transmitting light while conducting electricity, and can therefore be used as a transparent electrode. In addition to ITO, the top connection layer 130 may also include materials with light transmittance and conductivity, such as carbon-based materials and carbon nanofibers.

[0108] As shown in Example 620 of FIG6, the top connection layer 130 may contact a portion of the upper electrode region of the connection element 140 (or LED). For example, the top connection layer 130 may be an ITO pattern formed only in a portion of the upper region of the connection element 140 (or LED). In this case, since the top connection layer 130 does not cover the entire light-emitting surface while being connected to multiple LED elements 120, the luminous efficiency can be improved compared to covering the entire light-emitting surface.

[0109] As shown in Example 630 of FIG6, the top connection layer 130 may include an anisotropic conductive film 131 and a glass substrate 134. Specifically, the top connection layer 130 may include the anisotropic conductive film 131 described in FIG5, and may be connected to a plurality of LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, and a plurality of connecting elements 140 through a plurality of conductive balls 151 included in the anisotropic conductive film 131. In this case, the upper part of the anisotropic conductive film 131 may be covered by the glass substrate 134, and the glass substrate 134 may be connected to the plurality of conductive balls 151 through the upper electrode 133.

[0110] Various embodiments of the top connection layer 130 have been described above with reference to FIG6, but the above are merely examples. Any configuration that enables the circuit board 110 to be connected to a plurality of LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, regardless of their type, can correspond to the top connection layer 130 according to this disclosure.

[0111] FIG7 is a diagram illustrating one or more embodiments related to the connecting element 140 according to the present disclosure.

[0112] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, only a portion of the top connection layer 130, a connection element 140, a portion of the lower contact layer 150, and a portion of the circuit board 110 according to this disclosure are shown in Figure 7. However, the above description is for convenience only, and the various embodiments described with reference to Figure 7 can be applied to the entire display module 100.

[0113] As described above, the upper part of each of the plurality of connecting elements 140 can be connected to the top connecting layer 130, and the top connecting layer 130 can be connected to the second pixel electrode 123 of a plurality of LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3. In addition, the lower part of each of the plurality of connecting elements 140 can be connected to the common electrode 112 of the circuit board 110.

[0114] As shown in Example 710 of FIG7, the plurality of connection elements 140 may include a semiconductor layer 141, an upper electrode 142 arranged on the upper part of the semiconductor layer and connected to the top connection layer 130, and a lower electrode 143 arranged on the lower part of the semiconductor layer and connected to the common electrode 112. Here, the semiconductor layer included in the plurality of connection elements 140 may include at least one of GaN, GaP, GaAs and Si, but is not limited thereto.

[0115] As shown in Example 720 of FIG7, the plurality of connecting elements 140 may be formed of metal only. In this case, the metal may include at least one of the metals with high conductivity, such as, but not limited to, gold, silver, copper, aluminum, etc.

[0116] As shown in Example 730 of FIG7, the plurality of connecting elements 140 may be formed of a metal-coated polymer. In this case, the coating metal may be gold, and at least one of a metal with high conductivity may be additionally coated.

[0117] As shown in Example 740 of FIG7, a plurality of connecting elements 140 can be formed by dotting with conductive ink. In this case, the dotted metal can be silver, and at least one of the metals with high conductivity can be additionally dotted.

[0118] The above-described embodiments of the connecting element 140 with reference to FIG7 are described, but the above are merely examples. Any configuration that can connect the top connecting layer 130 and the common electrode 112, regardless of its type, can correspond to the connecting element 140 according to this disclosure.

[0119] FIG8 is a diagram illustrating one or more embodiments relating to the number and position of the connecting elements 140 according to the present disclosure.

[0120] In Figures 1 and 3, various embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described, assuming that a red LED 120-1, a green LED 120-2, a blue LED 120-3, and a connecting element 140 correspond to one pixel. However, the connecting element 140 according to the present disclosure is not necessarily arranged for each pixel.

[0121] Specifically, the number and position of the multiple connecting elements 140 can be determined based on the voltage drop when driving the display module 100. Here, the voltage drop can be determined based on the distance from the connecting element 140, the thickness of the indium tin oxide (ITO) layer 130, etc. For example, the farther the pixel is from the connecting element, the more limited the driving may be due to the voltage drop, while the thicker the indium tin oxide layer, the wider the range of pixels that can withstand the voltage drop may become.

[0122] Furthermore, when determining the number and position of the multiple connecting elements 140, it may be necessary to consider whether the pixels arranged at the outermost corner of the display module can be driven normally according to the voltage drop when driving the display module 100. In addition, when determining the number and position of the multiple connecting elements 140, factors such as the performance of the display module 100, process convenience, and manufacturing cost may also need to be considered.

[0123] Referring to the example in FIG8, the plurality of connecting elements 140 can be arranged one at a time, each 4×4 pixels. Here, region 80 can represent the distance that the corresponding connecting element 140 can cover when driving the display module 100. That is, in the example of FIG8, since one connecting element 140 can cover pixels equivalent to a 4×4 pixel diagonal distance, the plurality of connecting elements 140 can be arranged one at its center, each 4×4 pixels. However, FIG8 is only an example, and the number and position of the plurality of connecting elements 140 can be determined according to the factors mentioned above.

[0124] In Figures 1 and 3, multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, are shown arranged in a line. However, multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, can be arranged in various ways within each pixel. Even for multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, there are no particular restrictions on the positional relationship between them and the connecting element 140.

[0125] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating an electronic device including a display module 100 according to the present disclosure.

[0126] As shown in FIG9, the electronic device according to the present disclosure may include a display module 100, a memory 200, and a processor 300. However, the configuration shown in FIG15 is only an example. When implementing the present disclosure, new configurations may be added in addition to the configuration shown in FIG15, such as communicators, input devices, output devices, etc., or some configurations may be omitted.

[0127] Display module 100 may refer to a configuration capable of displaying images and has a structure according to various embodiments of FIG1 to FIG8. Since display module 100 has been described with reference to FIG1 to FIG13, repeated descriptions of the same description will be omitted. That is, the various embodiments described with reference to FIG1 to FIG13 can also be applied to display module 100 included in electronic device.

[0128] At least one instruction concerning the electronic device may be stored in the memory 200. Furthermore, the memory 200 may store an operating system (O / S) for driving the electronic device. Additionally, the memory 200 may store various software programs or applications for operating the electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the memory 200 may include a semiconductor memory 200, such as flash memory 200, or a magnetic storage medium, such as a hard disk.

[0129] Specifically, various software modules for operating the electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure can be stored in memory 200, and processor 300 can control the operation of the electronic device by executing the various software modules stored in memory 200. That is, processor 300 can access memory 200 and perform data reading / writing / modification / deletion / updating.

[0130] The term "memory 200" in this disclosure may be used to mean memory 200, read-only memory (ROM) in processor 300, random access memory (RAM) or a memory card installed in an electronic device.

[0131] According to one or more embodiments, image data and instructions for displaying images in the display module 100 based on image data can be stored in memory 200. In addition, various information required to achieve the purpose of this disclosure can be stored in memory 200, and the information stored in memory 200 can be received from external devices or updated according to user input.

[0132] The processor 300 can control the overall operation of the electronic device. Specifically, the processor 300 can be connected to the configuration of the electronic device, which includes the display module 100 and the memory 200, and controls the overall operation of the electronic device by executing at least one instruction stored in the memory 200 as described above.

[0133] The processor 300 can be implemented in various ways. For example, the processor 300 can be implemented as at least one of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an embedded processor 300, a microprocessor 300, hardware control logic, a hardware finite state machine (FSM), and a digital signal processor (DSP) 300. In this disclosure, the term "processor 300" can be used to mean including a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a main processing unit (MPU), etc.

[0134] According to one or more embodiments, the processor 300 can control the display module 100 to display images based on image data stored in the memory 200. Specifically, the processor 300 may include at least one timing controller for controlling multiple LED drivers, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2 and blue LED 120-3, and a panel driver for controlling the display panel driver.

[0135] The timing controller can control the panel driver to control multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3. Specifically, the timing controller can adjust the image data stored in the memory 200 into the signal required by the panel driver, and by transmitting the adjusted signal to the panel driver, enable the panel driver to control the driving of multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3.

[0136] The panel driver can control the driving of multiple LEDs, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, based on signals received from a timing controller. For example, the panel driver may include multiple driver integrated circuits (ICs) and multiple pixel driver circuits. Furthermore, the multiple driver integrated circuits can control the emission of multiple light-emitting elements of multiple LEDs connected to each of the multiple pixel driver circuits, such as red LED 120-1, green LED 120-2, and blue LED 120-3, by driving the multiple pixel driver circuits.

[0137] The various elements (e.g., modules or programs) described according to the various embodiments of this disclosure may be configured as a single entity or multiple entities, and some of the aforementioned sub-elements may be omitted, or other sub-elements may be further included in various embodiments. Alternatively or additionally, some elements (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into one entity to perform the same or similar functions as the respective corresponding elements before integration.

[0138] According to various embodiments, operations performed by modules, programs or other elements may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly or heuristically, or at least some operations may be performed in a different order, omitted, or different operations may be added.

[0139] Although this disclosure has been illustrated and described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the various exemplary embodiments are intended to illustrate rather than limit. Those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and full scope of this disclosure, including the appended claims and their equivalents. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0022] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments disclosed herein will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0023] FIG1 is a diagram illustrating a portion of a display module according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the enlarged portion of the display module shown in Figure 1;

[0025] FIG3 is a diagram illustrating a portion of a display module according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the enlarged portion of the display module shown in Figure 3;

[0027] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating one or more embodiments related to the lower contact layer according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating one or more embodiments related to the top connection layer according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating one or more embodiments related to the connecting element according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating one or more embodiments of the present disclosure in relation to the number and location of connecting elements; and

[0031] FIG9 is a diagram illustrating an electronic device including a display module according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A display module, comprising: A circuit board includes a plurality of individual electrodes and a plurality of common electrodes, the plurality of common electrodes having a polarity opposite to that of the plurality of individual electrodes; A plurality of light-emitting diodes, each of the plurality of light-emitting diodes including a plurality of semiconductor layers, a first pixel electrode connected to the plurality of individual electrodes, and a second pixel electrode located in the opposite direction to the first pixel electrode; a top connection layer located on the plurality of light-emitting diodes and connected to the second pixel electrode; and a plurality of connecting elements connecting the top connecting layer to the plurality of common electrodes, wherein each of the plurality of individual electrodes is an anode, each of the plurality of common electrodes is a cathode, each of the plurality of light-emitting diodes includes a plurality of second pixel electrodes, and wherein the plurality of second pixel electrodes are respectively arranged in different regions of the light-emitting surface of each of the plurality of light-emitting diodes.

2. The display module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes includes a red light-emitting diode, a green light-emitting diode, and a blue light-emitting diode, wherein each of the plurality of individual electrodes is configured to drive one of the red light-emitting diode, the green light-emitting diode, and the blue light-emitting diode, and wherein the plurality of common electrodes is configured to drive the red light-emitting diode, the green light-emitting diode, and the blue light-emitting diode.

3. The display module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the display module is divided into a plurality of pixels, and wherein each of the plurality of pixels corresponds to a connecting element of the red light-emitting diode, the green light-emitting diode, the blue light-emitting diode, and one of the plurality of connecting elements.

4. The display module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of semiconductor layers include an n-type semiconductor layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, and a light-emitting layer located between the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer, wherein the p-type semiconductor layer is connected to the first pixel electrode, wherein the n-type semiconductor layer is connected to the second pixel electrode, and wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes further include a reflective layer surrounding the light-emitting layer.

5. The display module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display module further includes a lower contact layer on the circuit board, and wherein the lower contact layer includes a plurality of conductive balls connecting the plurality of individual electrodes to the first pixel electrode and connecting the plurality of common electrodes to the plurality of connecting elements.

6. The display module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top interconnect layer is at least one of a first top interconnect layer comprising indium tin oxide and a second top interconnect layer comprising a transparent anisotropic conductive film and a glass substrate.

7. The display module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of connecting elements includes at least one of a first connecting element, a second connecting element comprising metal, and a third connecting element comprising a metal-coated polymer, and wherein the first connecting element includes a semiconductor layer, an upper electrode located on the upper portion of the semiconductor layer and connected to the top connecting layer, and a lower electrode located on the lower portion of the semiconductor layer and connected to a common electrode.

8. A display module, comprising: A circuit board includes a plurality of individual electrodes and a plurality of common electrodes, the plurality of common electrodes having a polarity opposite to that of the plurality of individual electrodes; A plurality of light-emitting diodes, each of the plurality of light-emitting diodes including a plurality of semiconductor layers, a first pixel electrode connected to the plurality of individual electrodes, and a second pixel electrode located in the opposite direction to the first pixel electrode; a top connection layer located on the plurality of light-emitting diodes and connected to the second pixel electrode; and a plurality of connecting elements connecting the top connecting layer to the plurality of common electrodes, wherein each of the plurality of individual electrodes is a cathode, each of the plurality of common electrodes is an anode, wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes includes a red light-emitting diode, a green light-emitting diode and a blue light-emitting diode, wherein the second pixel electrode of the red light-emitting diode includes metal, and wherein the second pixel electrode of each of the green light-emitting diode and the blue light-emitting diode includes indium tin oxide.

9. The display module of claim 8, wherein the plurality of semiconductor layers include an n-type semiconductor layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, and a light-emitting layer located between the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer, wherein the p-type semiconductor layer is connected to the second pixel electrode, wherein the n-type semiconductor layer is connected to the first pixel electrode, and wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes further include an insulating layer surrounding the light-emitting layer.

10. An electronic device comprising a display module, the display module comprising: A circuit board includes a plurality of individual electrodes and a plurality of common electrodes, the plurality of common electrodes having a polarity opposite to that of the plurality of individual electrodes; A plurality of light-emitting diodes, each of the plurality of light-emitting diodes including a plurality of semiconductor layers, a first pixel electrode connected to the plurality of individual electrodes, and a second pixel electrode located in the opposite direction to the first pixel electrode; a top connection layer located on the plurality of light-emitting diodes and connected to the second pixel electrode; and a plurality of connecting elements connecting the top connecting layer to the plurality of common electrodes, wherein each of the plurality of individual electrodes is an anode, each of the plurality of common electrodes is a cathode, each of the plurality of light-emitting diodes includes a plurality of second pixel electrodes, and wherein the plurality of second pixel electrodes are respectively arranged in different regions of the light-emitting surface of each of the plurality of light-emitting diodes.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes includes a red light-emitting diode, a green light-emitting diode, and a blue light-emitting diode, wherein each of the plurality of individual electrodes is configured to drive one of the red light-emitting diode, the green light-emitting diode, and the blue light-emitting diode, and wherein the plurality of common electrodes is configured to drive the red light-emitting diode, the green light-emitting diode, and the blue light-emitting diode.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the display module is divided into a plurality of pixels, and wherein each of the plurality of pixels corresponds to a connection element of the red light-emitting diode, the green light-emitting diode, the blue light-emitting diode, and one of the plurality of connection elements.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of semiconductor layers include an n-type semiconductor layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, and a light-emitting layer located between the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer, wherein the p-type semiconductor layer is connected to a first pixel electrode, wherein the n-type semiconductor layer is connected to a second pixel electrode, and wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes further include a reflective layer surrounding the light-emitting layer.

14. An electronic device comprising a display module, the display module comprising: A circuit board includes a plurality of individual electrodes and a plurality of common electrodes, the plurality of common electrodes having a polarity opposite to that of the plurality of individual electrodes; A plurality of light-emitting diodes, each of the plurality of light-emitting diodes including a plurality of semiconductor layers, a first pixel electrode connected to the plurality of individual electrodes, and a second pixel electrode located in the opposite direction to the first pixel electrode; a top connection layer located on the plurality of light-emitting diodes and connected to the second pixel electrode; and a plurality of connecting elements connecting the top connecting layer to the plurality of common electrodes, wherein each of the plurality of individual electrodes is an anode, wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes includes a red light-emitting diode, a green light-emitting diode and a blue light-emitting diode, wherein the second pixel electrode of the red light-emitting diode includes metal, and wherein the second pixel electrode of each of the green light-emitting diode and the blue light-emitting diode includes indium tin oxide.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of semiconductor layers include an n-type semiconductor layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, and a light-emitting layer located between the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer, wherein the p-type semiconductor layer is connected to a second pixel electrode, wherein the n-type semiconductor layer is connected to a first pixel electrode, and wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes further include an insulating layer surrounding the light-emitting layer.

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