OLED Common Electrode Segmentation for Resistance Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large-sized organic light emitting diode displays, minimizing the resistance of the common electrode is challenging due to the complexity of manufacturing processes and the need for multiple masks, which affects power consumption, lifespan, and light efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The formation of a barrier member at a position overlapping the auxiliary electrode allows for a thin common emission layer and auxiliary common electrode, enabling their removal through a breakdown voltage, thereby reducing the common electrode's resistance and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional common electrode structure is used in large-sized OLED displays, then the manufacturing process requires multiple masks and complex steps, but the common electrode resistance becomes too high, affecting power consumption and light efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The common electrode is divided into a main common electrode and an auxiliary common electrode. The auxiliary common electrode is positioned at the pixel edge area and connected to the main common electrode through a contact hole, creating a segmented structure that reduces overall resistance while simplifying the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary common electrode extends into the pixel edge area (a different spatial dimension from the main pixel area), allowing electrical connection through the contact hole in the common emission layer. This dimensional approach enables resistance reduction without adding complex lateral structures within the pixel area.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the common emission layer and auxiliary common electrode are made thin to reduce resistance, then power consumption decreases and lifespan increases, but the manufacturing precision required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The common emission layer and auxiliary common electrode are made thin specifically at the pixel edge area where the auxiliary common electrode is located, rather than uniformly thinning the entire structure. This localized thinning reduces resistance where needed while maintaining sufficient thickness in the pixel area for proper device operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple masks are used in the manufacturing process to form the common electrode, then manufacturing precision can be maintained, but productivity decreases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary common electrode is formed in the same manufacturing step as the main common electrode using a single mask pattern, rather than requiring separate masking steps. This merging of formation steps maintains manufacturing precision while significantly improving productivity and reducing manufacturing complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach minimizes the resistance of the common electrode, reducing power consumption, prolonging the display's lifespan, and enhancing light efficiency in large-sized top emission type structures.
Implementation Method 1
enabling their removal through a breakdown voltage
Data Source
AI summary
An organic light emitting diode display includes a substrate, switching elements on the substrate, at least one barrier member on the substrate, a passivation layer covering the switching elements and including a protection opening exposing the barrier member, pixel electrodes on the passivation layer and connected to the switching elements, auxiliary electrodes separated from and formed from a same layer as the pixel electrodes, an organic emission layer including a pixel emission layer and a common emission layer sequentially formed on the pixel electrodes, and a common electrode including an auxiliary common electrode and a main common electrode sequentially formed on the common emission layer. The common emission layer and the auxiliary common electrode have a common contact hole at a position corresponding to a position of the barrier member. The main common electrode is connected with the auxiliary electrode through the common contact hole.