US 11,456,345 B1Granted

Conductive oxide overhang structures for OLED devices

AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.

InventorsJi-young Choung, Chung-Chia Chen, Yu Hsin Lin, Jungmin Lee, Dieter Haas, Si Kyoung Kim

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Abstract

Sub-pixel circuits and methods of forming sub-pixel circuits that may be utilized in an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display are described herein. The overhang structures are permanent to the sub-pixel circuit. The overhang structures include a conductive oxide. A first configuration of the overhang structures includes a base portion and a top portion with the top portion disposed on the base portion. In a first sub-configuration, the base portion includes the conductive oxide of at least one of a TCO material or a TMO material. In a second sub-configuration, the base portion includes a metal alloy material and the conductive oxide of a metal oxide surface. A second configuration of the overhang structures includes the base portion and the top portion with a body portion disposed between the base portion and the top portion. The body portion includes the metal alloy body and the metal oxide surface.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A device, comprising:

a substrate;
pixel-defining layer (PDL) structures disposed over the substrate;
overhang structures disposed over an upper surface of the PDL structures;
a plurality of sub-pixels, each sub-pixel is defined by a first overhang structure and a second overhang structure adjacent to each other, the first overhang structure and the second overhang structure having:
a base portion disposed over the upper surface a PDL structure of the PDL structures, the base portion comprising a first metal of a first composition;
a body portion disposed over the base portion, the body portion comprising a second metal of a second composition different from the first composition;
and
a top portion disposed over the body portion, the top portion comprising a third metal of a third composition different than the first composition and the second composition, a first extension of the top portion of the first overhang structure extending laterally past first sidewalls of the base portion and the body portion, and a second extension of the top portion of the second overhang structure extending laterally past second sidewalls of the base portion and the body portion;
each sub-pixel comprises:
an anode;
an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) material disposed over and in direct contact with the anode;
a cathode disposed over the OLED material, the cathode extending under the first extension of the top portion of the first overhang structure and the second extension of the top portion of the second overhang structure, wherein the cathode directly contacts at least a sidewall of the first overhang structure;
and
an encapsulation layer disposed over the cathode, wherein the encapsulation layer extends:
to directly contact the second metal of the second composition of the body portion;
to directly contact the third metal of the third composition of the top portion at an underside surface of the first extension and the second extension;
and
over at least a first portion of a top surface of the first extension of the first overhang structure and the second extension of the second overhang structure of the top portion.

15 more elements

A device, comprising:

a substrate;
pixel-defining layer (PDL) structures disposed over the substrate;
overhang structures disposed over an upper surface of the PDL structures;
a plurality of sub-pixels, each sub-pixel is defined by a first overhang structure and a second overhang structure adjacent to each other, the first overhang structure and the second overhang structure having:
a base portion disposed over the upper surface a PDL structure of the PDL structures, the base portion comprising a first metal of a first composition;
a body portion disposed over the base portion, the body portion comprising a second metal of a second composition different from the first composition;
and
a top portion disposed over the body portion, the top portion comprising a third metal of a third composition different than the first composition and the second composition, a first extension of the top portion of the first overhang structure extending laterally past first sidewalls of the body portion, and a second extension of the top portion of the second overhang structure extending laterally past second sidewalls of the body portion;
each sub-pixel comprises:
an anode;
an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) material disposed over and in direct contact with the anode;
a cathode disposed over the OLED material, the cathode extending under the first extension of the top portion of the first overhang structure and the second extension of the top portion of the second overhang structure, wherein the cathode directly contacts at least a sidewall of the first overhang structure;
and
an encapsulation layer disposed over the cathode, wherein the encapsulation layer extends:
to directly contact the second metal of the second composition of the body portion;
to directly contact the third metal of the third composition of the top portion at an underside surface of the first extension and the second extension;
and
over at least a first portion of a top surface of the first extension of the first overhang structure and the second extension of the second overhang structure of the top portion.

15 more elements

A device, comprising:

a substrate;
pixel-defining layer (PDL) structures disposed over the substrate;
overhang structures disposed over an upper surface of the PDL structures;
a plurality of sub-pixels, each sub-pixel is defined by a first overhang structure and a second overhang structure adjacent to each other, the first overhang structure and the second overhang structure having:
a base portion disposed over the upper surface a PDL structure of the PDL structures, the base portion comprising a first metal of a first composition;
a body portion disposed over the base portion, the body portion comprising a second metal of a second composition different from the first composition;
and
a top portion disposed over the body portion, the top portion comprising a third metal of a third composition different than the first composition and the second composition, a first extension of the top portion of the first overhang structure extending laterally past first sidewalls of the body portion, and a second extension of the top portion of the second overhang structure extending laterally past second sidewalls of the body portion;
each sub-pixel comprises:
an anode;
an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) material disposed over and in direct contact with the anode;
a cathode disposed over the OLED material, the cathode extending under the first extension of the top portion of the first overhang structure and the second extension of the top portion of the second overhang structure, wherein the cathode directly contacts at least a sidewall of the first overhang structure;
and
an encapsulation layer disposed over the cathode, wherein the encapsulation layer extends:
to directly contact the second metal of the second composition of the body portion;
and
to directly contact the third metal of the third composition of the top portion at an underside surface of the first extension and the second extension.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/662,960Filed 11 May 2022 · continuation
Priority: 23 Apr 2021
Granted: 27 Sep 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H10K 59/173
Passive-matrix OLED displays: comprising banks or shadow masks
H10K 59/122
Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays: pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
H10K 59/80522
Cathodes: combined with auxiliary electrodes
H10K 59/873
Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations: encapsulations

Family

Application63/179,074Us provisional application · filed 23 Apr 2021
Application17/389,934Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Jul 2021
Application17/647,214Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Jan 2022
US 11,348,983 B1Parent of this continuation
US 12,581,825 B2Related patent
US 2022/0344417 A1Published application
US 11,456,345 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.