OLED Pixel Circuit Layout for Leakage-Stable Luminance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing display devices experience issues with leakage currents from the gate electrode of driving transistors, leading to undesired brightness variations and deterioration of light emitting elements due to IR drops in the driving power source.

Innovation Solution

A display device design incorporating specific transistor configurations and capacitors to minimize leakage currents, utilizing N-type transistors and capacitors to stabilize node voltages, and employing alternating scan signal polarities to enhance driving reliability and power efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If a liquid crystal display device is miniaturized, then the size is reduced, but the aperture ratio decreases leading to insufficient luminance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay device sizeVSAvoidluminance
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The pixel electrode is divided into multiple segments (first pixel electrode and second pixel electrode) arranged in different directions. This segmentation allows each electrode to collect charges more effectively in its specific direction, improving overall aperture ratio and luminance while maintaining the miniaturized display size.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different electrode structures are applied in different regions of the pixel. The first pixel electrode extends in a first direction while the second pixel electrode extends in a second direction, creating local optimizations for charge collection in various areas of the pixel to enhance overall aperture ratio.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Illumination intensity

If the aperture ratio is increased to improve luminance, then the luminance increases, but the pixel structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveluminanceVSAvoidpixel structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple pixel electrodes are merged into a single integrated structure where the first and second pixel electrodes are electrically connected. This merging achieves a high aperture ratio equivalent to having multiple electrodes while simplifying the overall structure by reducing the number of separate components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The pixel electrode structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both the first pixel electrode extending in the first direction and the second pixel electrode extending in the second direction, while also functioning as the common electrode. This multi-functionality increases aperture ratio without proportionally increasing structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of manufacture

If organic light-emitting materials are used, then the device can be manufactured, but they deteriorate due to oxidation and emit unwanted wavelengths

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovemanufacturabilityVSAvoidmaterial stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A hole blocking layer is introduced as an intermediary between the hole transport layer and the organic light-emitting material. This intermediary layer prevents direct contact between the organic material and oxygen/moisture from the environment, thereby preventing oxidation and deterioration while allowing the device to be manufactured with organic materials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Device complexity

If the hole blocking layer is positioned between the anode and hole transport layer, then the structure is simple, but the electron-hole recombination efficiency is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelayer structure simplicityVSAvoidrecombination efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The hole blocking layer is repositioned from the traditional position between the anode and hole transport layer to a new position between the hole transport layer and the organic light-emitting material. This dimensional repositioning in the layer stack allows the hole blocking layer to effectively control charge distribution at the critical interface where electron-hole recombination occurs, improving recombination efficiency without significantly increasing structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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

The solution effectively reduces leakage currents, maintains desired brightness, and prevents deterioration of light emitting elements by stabilizing voltage levels and compensating for threshold voltage changes in the organic light emitting diodes.

Implementation Method 1

a light-emitting diode that emits blue light

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectroluminescence: Electroluminescence

Implementation Method 2

a color conversion layer that converts a wavelength of the light emitted from the light-emitting diode into another wavelength

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotoluminescence: Photoluminescence

Data Source

PatentEP3968314B1Pixels, display device comprising pixels, and driving method therefor
Publication Date: 2026.05.06 SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP3968314B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3968314B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3968314B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

In a pixel, a display device including the pixel, and a method of driving the display device, the pixel includes a first transistor connected between a first power source and a fourth node and having a gate electrode connected to a first node, a second transistor connected between a third node and a data line and turned on in response to a scan signal supplied to an i-th first scan line, where i is a natural number, a third transistor connected between the first node and the fourth node and turned on in response to a scan signal supplied to an i-th third scan line, a fourth transistor connected between the second node and an initialization voltage and turned on in response to a scan signal supplied to an i-th second scan line, a first capacitor connected between the third node and the first node, a second capacitor connected between the first node and the second node, and an organic light emitting diode connected between the second node and a second power source, wherein the third transistor is an N-type transistor.