# US 12,114,522 B2 · Display device and method that prevent foreign substance generation at a dam wall resulting in higher quality of display for manufacturing same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,114,522 B2 - Document ID: US12114522B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/280,840 - Filed: 2018-09-28 - Published: 2022-01-06 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-28 - Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Tohru Sonoda; Takashi Ochi; Jumpei Takahashi; Tohru Senoo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12114522B2 ## CPC - H10K 59/88: Dummy elements, i.e. elements having non-functional features - G09F 9/00: Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements (in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00) - G09F 9/30: in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements (panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00) - H05B 33/04: Sealing arrangements {, e.g. against humidity} - H05B 33/10: Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources - H05B 33/22: characterised by the chemical or physical composition or the arrangement of auxiliary dielectric or reflective layers - H10K 59/131: Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals - H10K 59/1201: {Manufacture or treatment} - H10K 59/871: {Self-supporting sealing arrangements} - H10K 59/8731: {multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers} - H10K 71/851: {Division of substrate} - H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES - G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL ## Abstract In an organic EL display device in which an outer peripheral shape of a display region is a variant shape different from a rectangular shape and having rounded corner portions and a notch portion, a protruding portion having a height equal to or greater than heights of a first dam wall and a second dam wall is provided at positions facing the rounded corner portions and the notch portion in the display region through the second dam wall and the first dam wall positioned inside the second dam wall, on the outer side of the second dam wall in a frame region. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A display device comprising: a base substrate; a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer provided on the base substrate; a light-emitting element provided on the TFT layer; a sealing film provided to cover the light-emitting element, a display region for displaying an image by light emission of the light-emitting element; and a frame region positioned around the display region, wherein, the frame region is provided with a dam wall surrounding the display region, and the sealing film includes an organic layer provided on an inner side of the dam wall, the display region is provided in a variant shape including a variant portion, an outer peripheral shape of the variant portion being different from a rectangular shape, a protruding portion having a height equal to or greater than a height of the dam wall is provided at a position facing the variant portion in the display region through the dam wall on an outer side of the dam wall in the frame region, the frame region is provided with a lead wiring line electrically connected to a wiring line in the display region, the dam wall intersects the lead wiring line, and the protruding portion does not intersect the lead wiring line. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The display device according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion is higher than the dam wall. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The display device according to claim 1, wherein the dam wall includes a first dam wall portion provided on the display region side and overlapping a peripheral end portion of the organic layer and a second dam wall portion provided to surround the first dam wall portion, and the second dam wall portion is higher than the first dam wall portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The display device according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion is formed in an island shape with respect to the variant portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The display device according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion is formed in a shape conforming to an outer edge of the variant portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The display device according to claim 1, wherein the frame region is provided in a frame shape having a plurality of sides, a terminal portion is provided on one side of the frame region, and the lead wiring line intersects the dam wall at one side of the frame region where the terminal portion is provided. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The display device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting element includes a plurality of pixel electrodes provided for each pixel constituting the display region, and an edge cover provided to cover peripheral end portions of the pixel electrodes, and at least a portion of the protruding portion is formed of an identical material in an identical layer as the edge cover. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The display device according to claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the dam wall is formed of an identical material in an identical layer as the edge cover. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display region is provided in a shape in which the variant portion is provided at four corners of a rectangular shape, and the protruding portion is provided for each of the four corners that are the variant portions in the display region. ### Claim 10 The display device comprising: a base substrate; a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer provided on the base substrate; a light-emitting element provided on the TFT layer; a sealing film provided to cover the light-emitting element; a display region for displaying an image by light emission of the light-emitting element; and a frame region positioned around the display region, wherein the frame region is provided with a dam wall surrounding the display region, and the sealing film includes an organic layer provided on an inner side of the dam wall, the display region is provided in a variant shape including a variant portion, an outer peripheral shape of the variant portion being different from a rectangular shape, a protruding portion having a height equal to or greater than a height of the dam wall is provided at a position facing the variant portion in the display region through the dam wall on an outer side of the dam wall in the frame region, the frame region is provided in a frame shape having a plurality of sides, a terminal portion is provided at one side of the frame region, an intermediate portion on one side positioned on a side opposite to the terminal portion in the display region constitutes a notch portion as the variant portion provided in a bent recessed shape on an inner side of the display region when seen in a plan view, and a contour of corner portions equivalent to two end portions of the one side constitutes a rounded corner portion as the variant portion provided in a curved shape, and the protruding portion is provided continuously at locations facing both the notch portion and the rounded corner portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The display device according to claim 10, wherein the protruding portion is higher than the dam wall. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The display device according to claim 10, wherein the dam wall includes a first dam wall portion provided on a display region side and overlapping a peripheral end portion of the organic layer and a second dam wall portion provided to surround the first dam wall portion, and the second dam wall portion is higher that the first dam wall portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The display device according to claim 10, wherein the protruding portion is formed in an island shape with respect to the variant portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The display device according to claim 10, wherein the protruding portion is formed in a shape conforming to an outer edge of the variant portion. ### Claim 15 A method of manufacturing a display device, the method comprising: a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer forming step of forming a TFT layer on a base substrate; a light-emitting element forming step of forming a light-emitting element on the TFT layer; a sealing film forming step of forming a sealing film including an organic layer to cover the light-emitting element; a division step of forming the TFT layer, the light-emitting element, and the sealing film in each of a plurality of panel constituent regions of a mother substrate using the mother substrate including the panel constituent regions constituting a display panel as the base substrate, and dividing the mother substrate in units of the display panels after the sealing film forming step, wherein a dam wall surrounding a display region is formed in a frame region positioned around the display region for displaying an image by light emission of the light-emitting element before the sealing film forming step, spreading of an organic resin material forming the organic layer outside the frame region is dammed back by the dam wall in the sealing film forming step, the display region is provided in a variant shape including a variant portion, an outer peripheral shape of the variant portion being different from a rectangular shape, a protruding portion having a height equal to or greater than a height of the dam wall is formed at a position facing the variant portion in the display region through the dam wall on an outer side of the dam wall in the frame region after the TFT layer forming step, and the protruding portion is formed on an outer side of a division line dividing the protruding portion in units of the display panels of the mother substrate in the division step. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of manufacturing a display device according to claim 15, wherein the protruding portion is formed in an island shape with respect to the variant portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of manufacturing a display device according to claim 15, wherein the protruding portion is formed in a shape conforming to an outer edge of the variant portion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of manufacturing a display device according to claim 15, wherein a film forming mask is used to form the light-emitting element in the light-emitting element forming step, the film forming mask includes a mask frame, a plurality of mask sheets stretched from one side of the mask frame to an opposing side and having through-holes for film formation formed therein, and a plurality of supporting members that support the plurality of mask sheets, a supporting member of the plurality of supporting members is provided with a shielding portion for partially shielding the through-holes to form the variant portion in the display region, and the protruding portion is formed at a position facing the shielding portion of the supporting member when film formation is performed using the film forming mask. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of manufacturing a display device according to claim 15, wherein the dam wall and the protruding portion are simultaneously formed using a gray tone mask. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of manufacturing a display device according to claim 19, wherein pixel electrodes are formed for each pixel constituting the display region in the light-emitting element forming step, and an edge cover that covers peripheral end portions of the pixel electrodes is formed simultaneously with the dam wall and the protruding portion.