# US 12,016,237 B2 · Display stack with integrated photodetectors

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- Number: US 12,016,237 B2
- Document ID: US12016237B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/079,702
- Filed: 2022-12-12
- Published: 2023-04-13
- Granted: 2024-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-24
- Assignees: Apple Inc.
- Applicants: Apple Inc.
- Inventors: Niva A. Ran; Aleksandr N. Polyakov; Lun Tsai; Meng-Huan Ho; Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12016237B2

## CPC

- H10K 65/00: Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic light-emitting element and at least one organic radiation-sensitive element, e.g. organic opto-couplers (organic image sensors integrated with organic light-emitting devices H10K39/34; OLED displays integrated with photosensors H10K59/13)
- H10K 39/32: Organic image sensors
- H10K 59/32: Stacked devices having two or more layers, each emitting at different wavelengths
- H10K 59/40: OLEDs integrated with touch screens
- H10K 59/60: OLEDs integrated with inorganic light-sensitive elements, e.g. with inorganic solar cells or inorganic photodiodes
- H10K 59/871: {Self-supporting sealing arrangements}
- H10K 59/873: {Encapsulations}
- H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES

## Abstract

An electronic device includes a frame and a display stack. The frame defines a first part of an interior volume. The display stack includes a cover attached to the frame. The cover may define a second part of the interior volume. The display stack also includes an array of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) including an array of emissive electroluminescent (EL) regions, and at least one organic photodetector (OPD) disposed between the cover and at least one emissive EL region in the array of emissive electroluminescent regions. The at least one emissive EL region emits light through the at least one OPD. In alternative embodiments, the OLEDs may be stacked on the OPDs, or the OLEDs and OPDs may be interspersed with each other instead of stacked.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electronic device, comprising:
a display stack including,
an exterior structural component;
an array of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) disposed below the exterior structural component and including an array of emissive electroluminescent (EL) regions, the array of OLEDs operable to generate an electronic image that is viewable through the exterior structural component;
an array of organic photodetectors (OPDs) disposed below the array of OLEDs; and
at least one reflector positioned between the array of OLEDs and the array of OPDs; wherein,
an emissive EL region of the array of EL regions overlaps an OPD in the array of OPDs;
the emissive EL region emits a first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths that passes through the exterior structural component; and
the at least one reflector includes a reflector that reflects at least a first portion of the first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths away from the OPD.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the reflector comprises a distributed Bragg reflector.

### Claim 3

An electronic device, comprising:
a display stack including,
an exterior structural component;
an array of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) disposed below the exterior structural component and including an array of emissive electroluminescent (EL) regions, the array of OLEDs operable to generate an electronic image that is viewable through the exterior structural component; and
an array of organic photodetectors (OPDs) disposed below the array of OLEDs, wherein an emissive EL region of the array of EL regions overlaps an OPD in the array of OPDs; wherein,
the array of OPDs has a material construction configured to absorb electromagnetic radiation in at least a first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths outside a second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths emitted by the array of OLEDs;
a material positioned between the array of OLEDs and the array of OPDs is configured to reflect the second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths; and
the first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths and the second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths are non-overlapping.

### Claim 4

An electronic device, comprising:
a display stack including,
an exterior structural component;
an array of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) disposed below the exterior structural component and including an array of emissive electroluminescent (EL) regions, the array of OLEDs operable to generate an electronic image that is viewable through the exterior structural component;
an array of organic photodetectors (OPDs) disposed below the array of OLEDs, wherein an emissive EL region of the array of EL regions overlaps an OPD in the array of OPDs; and
an electrode, positioned between the emissive EL region and the OPD and electrically connected to a surface of the OPD and the emissive EL region.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The electronic device of claim 4, further comprising:
a processor configured to operate the array of OPDs as an array of health sensors for the array of OLEDs.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:
the array of OPDs comprises at least,
a first sub-array of OPDs configured to detect a second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths; and
a second sub-array of OPDs configured to detect a third range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths;
wherein the second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths and the third range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths are non-overlapping.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:
the OPD is a first OPD; and
the emissive EL region further overlaps a second OPD in the array of OPDs.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:
the at least one reflector passes a second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths, different from the first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths; and
the first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelength includes at least some visible electromagnetic radiation wavelengths; and
the second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelength includes at least some electromagnetic radiation wavelengths in a near infrared (NIR) range.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:
the at least one reflector passes a second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths, different from the first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths; and
the first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelength includes a first range of visible electromagnetic radiation wavelengths; and
the second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelength includes a second range of visible electromagnetic radiation wavelengths, different from the first range of visible electromagnetic radiation wavelengths.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a collimator disposed to narrow a field of view of the OPD.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a microlens disposed over the OPD.

### Claim 12 (depends on 3)

The electronic device of claim 3, wherein:
the material positioned between the array of OLEDs and the array of OPDs comprises a color filter.

### Claim 13 (depends on 4)

The electronic device of claim 4, further comprising:
a processor; wherein,
the processor operates the array of OPDs,
in an OLED emission measurement mode during at least a first time period, in which the processor activates the array of OPDs contemporaneously with the array of OLEDs; and
in at least one of an ambient electromagnetic radiation sensing mode or a reflective sensing mode during at least a second time period, different from the first time period, in which the processor activates the array of OPDs and array of OLEDs at different times.

### Claim 14 (depends on 4)

The electronic device of claim 4, wherein:
the array of OPDs comprises at least,
a first sub-array of OPDs configured to detect a first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths; and
a second sub-array of OPDs configured to detect a second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths;
wherein the first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths and the second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths are non-overlapping.

### Claim 15

An electronic device, comprising:
a display stack including,
an exterior structural component;
an array of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) disposed below the exterior structural component and including an array of emissive electroluminescent (EL) regions, the array of OLEDs operable to generate an electronic image that is viewable through the exterior structural component;
an array of organic photodetectors (OPDs) disposed below the array of OLEDs, wherein an emissive EL region of the array of EL regions overlaps an OPD in the array of OPDs; and
a charge generation layer (CGL), positioned between the emissive EL region and a surface of the OPD and configured to charge the emissive EL region and the OPD.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The electronic device of claim 15, further comprising:
a processor; wherein,
the processor operates the array of OPDs,
in an OLED emission measurement mode during at least a first time period, in which the processor activates the array of OPDs contemporaneously with the array of OLEDs; and
in at least one of an ambient electromagnetic radiation sensing mode or a reflective sensing mode during at least a second time period, different from the first time period, in which the processor activates the array of OPDs and array of OLEDs at different times.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The electronic device of claim 15, further comprising:
a processor configured to operate the array of OPDs as an array of health sensors for the array of OLEDs.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The electronic device of claim 15, wherein:
the array of OPDs comprises at least,
a first sub-array of OPDs configured to detect a first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths; and
a second sub-array of OPDs configured to detect a second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths;
wherein the first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths and the second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths are non-overlapping.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the CGL comprises metal.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the CGL is an all-organic interlayer.
