# US 12,604,641 B2 · Display device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,604,641 B2 - Document ID: US12604641B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/560,871 - Filed: 2021-06-22 - Published: 2024-08-01 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2021-06-22 - Assignees: Sharp Display Technology Corporation - Applicants: Sharp Display Technology Corporation - Inventors: Hiroyuki Madono - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12604641B2 ## CPC - H10K 59/873: {Encapsulations} - 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) - H10K 50/00: Organic light-emitting devices (integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10K59/00, H10K65/00; organic semiconductor lasers H01S5/36) - H10K 59/00: Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic light-emitting element covered by group H10K50/00 - H10K 59/1213: {the pixel elements being TFTs} - H10K 59/131: Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals - H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES - G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS ## Abstract A plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions are provided so as to surround a through-hole in a non-display region, each of the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions includes a resin portion constituted by a resin substrate layer and separated by a plurality of substrate slits, and inorganic insulating layers provided on the resin portion, a first inorganic encapsulation film covers the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions and the plurality of substrate slits, and a metal layer is provided on the inorganic insulating layer in at least one of the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A display device comprising: a resin substrate layer; a thin film transistor layer provided on the resin substrate layer and sequentially layered with an inorganic insulating film and a metal wiring layer; a light-emitting element layer provided on the thin film transistor layer and sequentially layered with a plurality of first electrodes, a common light-emitting function layer, and a common second electrode corresponding to a plurality of subpixels constituting a display region; and a first inorganic encapsulation film covering the light-emitting element layer, wherein a non-display region having an island shape is provided inside the display region, a through-hole penetrating through the resin substrate layer in a thickness direction of the resin substrate layer is provided in the non-display region, a plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions surrounding the through-hole are provided in the non-display region, each of the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions includes a resin portion formed of the resin substrate layer and an inorganic insulating layer provided on the resin portion and formed of a material identical to a material of the inorganic insulating film in a layer identical to a layer of the inorganic insulating film, the resin portion included in each of the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions is separated by corresponding slits of a plurality of substrate slits, the plurality of substrate slits surrounding the through-hole on a surface on a side of the thin film transistor layer of the resin substrate layer, the inorganic insulating layer protrudes in an eaves shape toward at least one of a side of the through-hole and a side of the display region from the resin portion in each of the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions, the first inorganic encapsulation film covers the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions and the plurality of substrate slits in a region provided with the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions and the plurality of substrate slits, a metal layer formed of a material identical to a material of the metal wiring layer in a layer identical to a layer of the metal wiring layer is provided on the inorganic insulating layer in at least one of the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions, and an upper slit penetrating through the inorganic insulating layer is formed at an intermediate portion in a width direction of the inorganic insulating layer, and the metal layer covers both side surfaces and a bottom surface of the upper slit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The display device according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer has a cross section having a U-shape in the upper slit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The display device according to claim 2, wherein a base coat film, a gate insulating film, a first interlayer insulating film, and a second interlayer insulating film are sequentially provided as the inorganic insulating film on the resin substrate layer, the resin portion is sequentially provided with, as the inorganic insulating layer, a first inorganic insulating layer formed of a material identical to a material of the base coat film in a layer identical to a layer of the base coat film, a second inorganic insulating layer formed of a material identical to a material of the gate insulating film in a layer identical to a material of the gate insulating film, a third inorganic insulating layer formed of a material identical to a material of the first interlayer insulating film in a layer identical to a layer of the first interlayer insulating film, and a fourth inorganic insulating layer formed of a material identical to a material of the second interlayer insulating film in a layer identical to a layer of the second interlayer insulating film, and the upper slit is formed in the third inorganic insulating layer and the fourth inorganic insulating layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The display device according to claim 3, wherein the thin film transistor layer includes a gate wiring layer provided between the gate insulating film and the first interlayer insulating film, and each of the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions includes a gate metal layer provided between the second inorganic insulating layer and the third inorganic insulating layer and formed of a material identical to a material of the gate wiring layer in a layer identical to a layer of the gate wiring layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The display device according to claim 4, wherein a lower slit penetrating through the second inorganic insulating layer is formed at an intermediate portion in a width direction of the second inorganic insulating layer, and the gate metal layer covers both side surfaces and a bottom surface of the lower slit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The display device according to claim 5, wherein the gate metal layer has a cross section having a U-shape in the lower slit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The display device according to claim 3, wherein the upper slit is formed in the second inorganic insulating layer, the third inorganic insulating layer, and the fourth inorganic insulating layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The display device according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer includes a first metal layer, a second metal layer, and a third metal layer that are sequentially layered on the inorganic insulating layer, and peripheral edge portions of the first metal layer and the third metal layer each protrude in an eaves shape with respect to a peripheral edge portion of the second metal layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The display device according to claim 8, wherein each of the first metal layer and the third metal layer is formed of a titanium-based metal film, and the second metal layer is formed of an aluminum-based metal film. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The display device according to claim 1, wherein an organic encapsulation film is layered on the first inorganic encapsulation film, an outer substrate slit is provided in the surface of the resin substrate layer on the side of the thin film transistor layer, the outer substrate slit surrounding the plurality of substrate slits, the inorganic insulating film is separated by the outer substrate slit, the inorganic insulating film protruding in an eaves shape inside the outer substrate slit, and the outer substrate slit is filled with the organic encapsulation film with the first inorganic encapsulation film between the outer substrate slit and the organic encapsulation film. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The display device according to claim 10, wherein a dam wall is provided between the plurality of substrate slits and the outer substrate slit, the dam wall being in contact with a peripheral edge portion of the organic encapsulation film with the first inorganic encapsulation film between the dam wall and the peripheral edge portion of the organic encapsulation film. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The display device according to claim 10, wherein a second inorganic encapsulation film is layered on the organic encapsulation film, the second inorganic encapsulation film is layered on the first inorganic encapsulation film in a region provided with the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions and the plurality of substrate slits, and a layered film of the first inorganic encapsulation film and the second inorganic encapsulation film covers the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions and the plurality of substrate slits. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The display device according to claim 1, wherein an electronic component is installed in the through-hole. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The display device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting function layer is an organic electroluminescence layer. ### Claim 15 A display device comprising: a resin substrate layer; a thin film transistor layer provided on the resin substrate layer and sequentially layered with an inorganic insulating film and a metal wiring layer; a light-emitting element layer provided on the thin film transistor layer and sequentially layered with a plurality of first electrodes, a common light-emitting function layer, and a common second electrode corresponding to a plurality of subpixels constituting a display region; and a first inorganic encapsulation film covering the light-emitting element layer, wherein a non-display region having an island shape is provided inside the display region, a through-hole penetrating through the resin substrate layer in a thickness direction of the resin substrate layer is provided in the non-display region, a plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions surrounding the through-hole are provided in the non-display region, each of the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions includes a resin portion formed of the resin substrate layer and an inorganic insulating layer provided on the resin portion and formed of a material identical to a material of the inorganic insulating film in a layer identical to a layer of the inorganic insulating film, the resin portion included in each of the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions is separated by corresponding slits of a plurality of substrate slits, the plurality of substrate slits surrounding the through-hole on a surface on a side of the thin film transistor layer of the resin substrate layer, the inorganic insulating layer protrudes in an eaves shape toward at least one of a side of the through-hole and a side of the display region from the resin portion in each of the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions, the first inorganic encapsulation film covers the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions and the plurality of substrate slits in a region provided with the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions and the plurality of substrate slits, a metal layer formed of a material identical to a material of the metal wiring layer in a layer identical to a layer of the metal wiring layer is provided on the inorganic insulating layer in at least one of the plurality of inversely tapered protruding portions, and the metal layer includes a first metal layer, a second metal layer, and a third metal layer that are sequentially layered on the inorganic insulating layer, and peripheral edge portions of the first metal layer and the third metal layer each protrude in an eaves shape with respect to a peripheral edge portion of the second metal layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The display device according to claim 15, wherein each of the first metal layer and the third metal layer is formed of a titanium-based metal film, and the second metal layer is formed of an aluminum-based metal film.