# US 10,873,053 B2 · Display panel with substrate comprising an opening and adjacent grooves

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- Number: US 10,873,053 B2
- Document ID: US10873053B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/717,723
- Filed: 2019-12-17
- Published: 2020-04-23
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-30
- Assignees: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Wooyong Sung; Wonwoo Choi; Sooyoun Kim; Junghan Seo; Seoyeon Lee; Hyoungsub Lee; Moonwon Chang; Seunggun Chae; Seungyong Song
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10873053B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display}
- G06F 3/0443: {using a single layer of sensing electrodes}
- H10K 50/844: Encapsulations
- H10K 59/121: characterised by the geometry or disposition of pixel elements
- H10K 59/122: Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
- H10K 59/124: Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements
- H10K 59/40: OLEDs integrated with touch screens
- H10K 59/8731: {multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers}
- H10K 77/111: {Flexible substrates}
- H10W 10/0121: {in regions recessed from the surface, e.g. in trenches or grooves}
- H10W 10/13: formed using local oxidation of silicon [LOCOS], e.g. sealed interface localised oxidation [SILO] or side-wall mask isolation [SWAMI]
- G06F 3/0445: {using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer}
- G06F 3/0446: {using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes}
- H10K 50/84: Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
- H10K 59/12: Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
- H10K 2102/311: {Flexible OLED}
- Y02E 10/549: Organic PV cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A display device includes: a substrate that includes an opening and a display area that surrounds the opening; a plurality of grooves formed in the substrate between the opening and the display area; a display element layer on the substrate and that includes a plurality of display elements in the display area; a thin-film encapsulation layer disposed on the display element layer, the thin-film encapsulation layer including a first inorganic encapsulation layer, an organic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer which are sequentially stacked; a planarization layer disposed over the plurality of grooves and that includes an organic insulating material, wherein the planarization layer is disposed over the second inorganic encapsulation layer, and the organic encapsulation layer is disposed below the second inorganic encapsulation layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A display panel, comprising:
a substrate including an opening area and a display area that surrounds the opening area;
a display element layer disposed in the display area and including a plurality of display elements;
a thin-film encapsulation layer covering the display element layer and including an organic encapsulation layer and an inorganic encapsulation layer;
a first groove and a second groove, each being between the opening area and the display area, each of the first and second grooves having an undercut structure;
a planarization layer disposed between the opening area and the display area and including an organic insulating material; and
an input sensing layer disposed in the display area over the thin-film encapsulation layer,
wherein the planarization layer is disposed over the inorganic encapsulation layer, and the organic encapsulation layer is disposed below the inorganic encapsulation layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The display panel of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a first base layer, a first inorganic layer, a second base layer, and a second inorganic layer which are sequentially stacked, and
a bottom surface of each of the first groove and the second groove corresponds to a bottom surface of the second base layer or to a virtual surface located between a top surface and the bottom surface of the second base layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The display panel of claim 1, wherein the thin-film encapsulation layer includes a first inorganic encapsulation layer, the organic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer which are sequentially stacked.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The display panel of claim 3, wherein the first inorganic encapsulation layer covers an inner surface of each of the first groove and the second groove.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The display panel of claim 3, wherein the second inorganic encapsulation layer directly contacts the first inorganic encapsulation layer in a region between the opening area and the display area.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The display panel of claim 1, wherein a portion of the planarization layer overlaps the organic encapsulation layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The display panel of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a first opening that corresponds to the opening area, and the organic encapsulation layer includes a hole overlapping the first opening.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The display panel of claim 7, wherein an end of the planarization layer adjacent to the first opening is located on a same vertical line as an end of the substrate or is spaced apart from the end of the substrate by a predetermined interval.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The display panel of claim 1, further comprising a barrier layer disposed on the planarization layer and including an inorganic material.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The display panel of claim 9, wherein the input sensing layer includes a plurality of layers, and the barrier layer includes a same material as that of at least one of the plurality of layers included in the input sensing layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The display panel of claim 9, further comprising an additional planarization layer disposed on the barrier layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The display panel of claim 1, wherein the input sensing layer includes an organic material, and the planarization layer includes a material that is the same as the organic material of the input sensing layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The display panel of claim 1, further comprising a lower barrier layer disposed between the planarization layer and the thin-film encapsulation layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The display panel of claim 13, wherein the input sensing layer includes an inorganic material, and the lower barrier layer includes a material that is the same as the inorganic material of the input sensing layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The display panel of claim 13, wherein the lower barrier layer is in direct contact with the inorganic encapsulation layer.

### Claim 16

A display panel comprising:
a substrate including an opening;
a display element layer disposed in a display area of the substrate, the display area at least partially surrounding the opening;
a thin-film encapsulation layer disposed on the display element layer and including an organic encapsulation layer and an inorganic encapsulation layer;
a first groove and a second groove being in a groove area of the substrate, wherein the groove area is between the opening and the display area; and
a planarization layer disposed on the groove area and over the organic encapsulation layer with the inorganic encapsulation layer therebetween.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The display panel of claim 16, wherein the planarization layer includes an organic material.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The display panel of claim 16, wherein each of the first groove and the second groove penetrate into the substrate and have an undercut structure.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The display panel of claim 18, wherein the substrate includes a first base layer, a first inorganic layer, a second base layer, and a second inorganic layer which are sequentially stacked.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The display panel of claim 19, wherein the second inorganic layer includes first holes that respectively correspond to each of the first groove and the second groove, and the second base layer includes second holes or recesses that correspond to the first holes.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The display panel of claim 20, wherein a lateral surface of each first hole in the second inorganic layer protrudes further toward a center of the first holes than a lateral surface of the second holes or recesses in the second base layer.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The display panel of claim 16, wherein the first groove surrounds the opening, and the second groove surrounds the opening and is between the opening and the first groove.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The display panel of claim 22, wherein the thin-film encapsulation layer includes a first inorganic encapsulation layer, the organic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer which are sequentially stacked, and the first inorganic encapsulation layer covers an inner surface of each of the first groove and the second groove.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The display panel of claim 23, wherein a portion of the planarization layer overlaps the organic encapsulation layer.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The display panel of claim 23, wherein portion of the second inorganic encapsulation layer is in direct contact with the first inorganic encapsulation layer.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The display panel of claim 25, wherein the planarization layer or the organic encapsulation layer at least partially fills the second groove.

### Claim 27 (depends on 16)

The display panel of claim 16, further comprising a barrier layer disposed on the planarization layer.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The display panel of claim 27, wherein the barrier layer is in direct contact with the inorganic encapsulation layer around the opening.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The display panel of claim 27, wherein the barrier layer includes at least one of a metal layer or an inorganic insulating layer.

### Claim 30 (depends on 27)

The display panel of claim 27, further comprising an additional planarization layer disposed on the barrier layer.

### Claim 31 (depends on 16)

The display panel of claim 16, further comprising an input sensing layer disposed in the display area and that includes first sensing electrodes and second sensing electrodes.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The display panel of claim 31, wherein the input sensing layer includes an organic insulating layer that covers the first sensing electrodes and the second sensing electrodes, and the planarization layer includes a same material as that of the organic insulating layer.

### Claim 33 (depends on 16)

The display panel of claim 16, further comprising a lower barrier layer interposed between the planarization layer and the thin-film encapsulation layer.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The display panel of claim 33, wherein the lower barrier layer is in direct contact with the inorganic encapsulation layer.

### Claim 35 (depends on 33)

The display panel of claim 33, wherein the lower barrier layer includes at least one of a metal layer or an inorganic insulating layer.

### Claim 36 (depends on 33)

The display panel of claim 33, wherein the lower barrier layer covers at least the second groove.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The display panel of claim 36, further comprising a third groove disposed between the opening and the second groove,
wherein the lower barrier layer covers the second and third grooves.

### Claim 38 (depends on 33)

The display panel of claim 33, further comprising an input sensing layer disposed on the display element layer and that includes an inorganic material.

### Claim 39 (depends on 38)

The display panel of claim 38, wherein the lower barrier layer includes a material that is the same as the inorganic material of the input sensing layer.

### Claim 40

A display panel comprising:
a substrate including an opening;
a display element layer disposed in a display area of the substrate;
a thin-film encapsulation layer disposed on the display element layer and including a first inorganic encapsulation layer, an organic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer;
an input sensing layer disposed on the display element layer;
a plurality of grooves in a groove area of the substrate, the groove area is between the opening and the display area; and
a barrier layer covering at least one of the plurality of grooves and including an inorganic material.

### Claim 41 (depends on 40)

The display panel of claim 40, further comprising a planarization layer disposed in the groove area,
wherein the planarization layer is disposed on the second inorganic encapsulation layer, and the organic encapsulation layer is disposed under the second inorganic encapsulation layer.

### Claim 42 (depends on 41)

The display panel of claim 41, wherein the input sensing layer includes a plurality of layers, and at least one of the barrier layer or the planarization layer includes a same material as that of at least one of the plurality of layers of the input sensing layer.

### Claim 43 (depends on 40)

The display panel of claim 40, wherein each of the plurality of grooves has an undercut structure.

### Claim 44 (depends on 40)

The display panel of claim 40, wherein the substrate includes a first base layer, a first inorganic layer, a second base layer, and a second inorganic layer which are sequentially stacked.

### Claim 45 (depends on 44)

The display panel of claim 44, wherein the second inorganic layer includes a plurality of first holes that respectively correspond to each of the plurality of grooves,
the second base layer includes a plurality of second holes or recesses that respectively correspond to each of the plurality of first holes, and
a lateral surface of the second inorganic layer in each of the first holes protrudes further toward a center of the first holes than a lateral surface of the second base layer in each of the second holes or recesses.

### Claim 46 (depends on 40)

The display panel of claim 40, wherein the plurality of grooves include a first groove adjacent to the display area, and a second groove closer to the opening than the first groove, and wherein the organic encapsulation layer covers the first groove and at least partially fills the first groove.

### Claim 47 (depends on 46)

The display panel of claim 46, further comprising an organic material inside the second groove,
wherein the organic material includes a same material as that of the organic encapsulation layer.

### Claim 48 (depends on 47)

The display panel of claim 47, wherein the second groove is covered by the barrier layer.