Organic electro luminescent display and method for fabricating the same

Abstract

An organic electro luminescent display with auxiliary layers on a cathode contact and an encapsulating junction region to easily remove polymer organic layers of the junction and a method for fabricating the same. The organic electro luminescent display has the first electrode formed on a lower insulating substrate, a pixel defining layer formed to make some portions of the first electrode opened over the entire surface of the lower insulating substrate, an organic emission layer formed on an opening of the first electrode, the second electrode formed on the organic emission layer, an upper substrate for encapsulating the first electrode, the organic emission layer and the second electrode, and auxiliary layers formed on the cathode contact and the encapsulating junction region of the lower insulating substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An organic electro luminescent display, comprising:
 a lower insulating substrate on which TFTs and light emitting elements are formed; 
 an upper substrate attached to the lower insulating substrate; 
 an encapsulating junction region adapted to encapsulate and attach the upper substrate to the lower insulating substrate via a sealant; and 
 a reflecting plate arranged only in the encapsulating junction region at any one an inner side of any one of the upper substrate and the lower insulating substrate, the reflecting plate being arranged between the inner side and the sealant. 
 
     
     
       2. The display of  claim 1 , the reflecting plate being formed on an the inner side of one of the upper substrate and the lower insulating substrate, the reflecting plate facing the other of the upper substrate and the lower insulating substrate. 
     
     
       3. The display of  claim 1 , the reflecting plate being formed on an outer side of one of the upper substrate and the lower insulating substrate. 
     
     
       4. The display of  claim 1 , the sealant being an optical curing sealant. 
     
     
       5. The display of  claim 4 , the sealant being an optical curable sealant cured by exposure to light in either a visible ray range or an ultraviolet ray range. 
     
     
       6. The display of  claim 1 , the reflecting plate comprising a metal thin layer deposited on any one the inner side of the upper substrate and the lower insulating substrate. 
     
     
       7. The display of  claim 1 , the reflecting plate comprising a mirror attached to the outer side of one of the upper substrate and the lower insulating substrate. 
     
     
       8. The display of  claim 1 , wherein a distance from the reflecting plate to a nearest surface of a substrate opposing the reflecting plate is designed so that curing light reflected off the reflective plate constructively interferes with curing light incident to the reflective plate. 
     
     
       9. The display of  claim 1 , the reflecting plate being a mirror. 
     
     
       10. An organic electro luminescent display, comprising:
 a lower insulating substrate on which a pixel portion is arranged; 
 an upper substrate arranged over the lower insulating substrate; and 
 a sealing material arranged between the upper substrate and the lower insulating substrate and adapted to seal the upper substrate to the lower insulating substrate, wherein a metal layer is arranged between the lower insulating substrate and the sealing material, wherein the sealing material is formed along the peripheries of the substrates and not in the pixel portion of the display, and wherein the metal layer is formed coextensively along with the sealing material and is of the shape of a closed polygon. 
 
     
     
       11. The display of  claim 10 , wherein the metal layer is formed discontinuously in separate unconnected pieces around a perimeter of the display and along the sealing material. 
     
     
       12. The display of  claim 10 , the metal layer comprising a material being selected from the group consisting of Al, Mo, Ti, Ag, Mg and an alloy containing at least one of Al, Mo, Ti, Ag and Mg. 
     
     
       13. The display of  claim 10 , wherein at least 25% of the total surface area of the sealing material is in contact with said metal layer. 
     
     
       14. An organic electro luminescent display, comprising:
 a lower insulating substrate on which a pixel portion is formed; 
 an upper substrate arranged on the lower insulating substrate; and 
 a sealing material arranged between the upper substrate and the lower insulating substrate, the sealing material being adapted to attach the upper substrate to the lower insulating substrate, the sealing material being arranged along peripheries of the substrates and outside of the pixel portion; and 
 a reflecting plate arranged between the lower insulating substrate and the sealing material, wherein the reflecting plate is arranged to be coextensive with the sealing material and is in the shape of a closed polygon. 
 
     
     
       15. The display of  claim 14 , the reflecting plate being a plurality of separate unconnected segments arranged essentially along the sealing material. 
     
     
       16. The display of  claim 14 , wherein at least 25% of an outer surface of the sealing material is in contact with the reflecting plate. 
     
     
       17. The display of  claim 14 , the reflecting plate being a mirror. 
     
     
       18. The display of claim  17 , the metal 14, a material for the reflecting plate being selected from a the group consisting of Al, Mo, Ti, Ag, Mg and an alloy containing at least one metal of Al, Mo, Ti, Ag and Mg. 
     
     
       19. The display of claim 10, wherein the metal layer is formed continuously around a perimeter of the display and along the sealing material. 
     
     
       20. The display of claim 10, wherein the metal layer is located at corners of the shape of the closed polygon. 
     
     
       21. The display of claim 10, wherein the metal layer does not serve to conduct electricity. 
     
     
       22. An organic electro luminescent display, comprising:
 a lower insulating substrate on which a pixel portion is arranged, the pixel portion comprising a plurality of light emitting elements;   an upper substrate arranged over the lower insulating substrate; and   a sealing material arranged between the upper substrate and the lower insulating substrate and adapted to seal the upper substrate to the lower insulating substrate,   wherein a metal layer is arranged between the lower insulating substrate and the sealing material,   wherein the sealing material is formed along the peripheries of the substrates and not in the pixel portion of the display, and   wherein the metal layer is formed coextensively along with the sealing material and is formed discontinuously in separate unconnected pieces around a perimeter of the display along the shape of a closed polygon.   
     
     
       23. The display of claim 22, wherein the metal layer does not serve to conduct electricity. 
     
     
       24. The display of claim 22, wherein the closed polygon has a shape of a rectangle. 
     
     
       25. The display of claim 22, further comprising a plurality of thin film transistors in the pixel portion, each of the thin film transistors comprising an active layer, a gate electrode, a drain electrode, and a source electrode. 
     
     
       26. The display of claim 25, wherein the metal layer comprises the same material as at least one of the gate electrode, the drain electrode, and the source electrode. 
     
     
       27. The display of claim 26, wherein the metal layer comprises the same material as the gate electrode. 
     
     
       28. The display of claim 25, wherein the metal layer is on a same layer as at least one of the gate electrode, the drain electrode, and the source electrode. 
     
     
       29. The display of claim 25, wherein each of the light emitting elements comprises:
 an anode on the lower insulating substrate;   an organic layer on the anode; and   a cathode on the organic layer.   
     
     
       30. The display of claim 29, wherein the organic layer comprises a multi-layered structure comprising an emission layer and at least one of a hole injection layer, a hole transporting layer, an electron transporting layer, and an electron injection layer. 
     
     
       31. The display of claim 29, further comprising a pixel defining layer on the thin film transistors, the pixel defining layer exposing a portion of each of the anodes. 
     
     
       32. The display of claim 31, wherein the anodes are electrically connected to ones of the thin film transistors,
 wherein the organic layers are on the exposed portions of the anodes, and   wherein the organic layers are electrically connected to the ones of the thin film transistors and are configured to emit light.   
     
     
       33. The display of claim 22, wherein at least 25% of a total surface area of the sealing material contacts the metal layer. 
     
     
       34. The display of claim 22, wherein the metal layer comprises a reflecting plate. 
     
     
       35. The display of claim 22, wherein the metal layer comprises at least four unconnected pieces. 
     
     
       36. The display of claim 22, wherein the metal layer is entirely outside of the pixel portion. 
     
     
       37. The display of claim 22, wherein an encapsulating junction region surrounds the pixel portion, and
 wherein the metal layer is only in the encapsulating junction region.   
     
     
       38. The display of claim 22, wherein the sealing material comprises a light-cured material. 
     
     
       39. An organic electro luminescent display, comprising:
 a lower insulating substrate on which a pixel portion is arranged, the pixel portion comprising a plurality of thin film transistors, each of the thin film transistors comprising   an active layer, a gate electrode, a drain electrode, and a source electrode;   an upper substrate arranged over the lower insulating substrate; and   a sealing material arranged between the upper substrate and the lower insulating substrate and adapted to seal the upper substrate to the lower insulating substrate,   wherein a metal layer is arranged between the lower insulating substrate and the sealing material,   wherein the sealing material is formed along the peripheries of the substrates and not in the pixel portion of the display, and   wherein the metal layer is formed coextensively along with the sealing material and is formed discontinuously of separate unconnected pieces around a perimeter of the display along the shape of a closed polygon.   
     
     
       40. The display of claim 39, wherein the metal layer does not serve to conduct electricity. 
     
     
       41. The display of claim 39, wherein the closed polygon has a shape of a rectangle. 
     
     
       42. The display of claim 39, further comprising:
 an anode electrically connected to one of the thin film transistors and on the lower insulating substrate;   a pixel defining layer on the one of thin film transistors, the pixel defining layer exposing a portion of the anode;   an organic layer on the exposed portion of the anode, the organic layer being configured to emit light and being electrically connected to the one of thin film transistors; and   a cathode on the organic layer.   
     
     
       43. The display of claim 42, wherein the organic layer comprises a multi-layered structure comprising an emission layer and at least one of a hole injection layer, a hole transporting layer, an electron transporting layer, and an electron injection layer. 
     
     
       44. The display of claim 39, wherein the metal layer comprises the same material as at least one of the gate electrode, the drain electrode, and the source electrode. 
     
     
       45. The display of claim 44, wherein the metal layer comprises the same material as the gate electrode. 
     
     
       46. The display of claim 39, wherein the metal layer is on a same layer as at least one of the gate electrode, the drain electrode, and the source electrode. 
     
     
       47. The display of claim 39, wherein at least 25% of a total surface area of the sealing material contacts the metal layer. 
     
     
       48. The display of claim 39, wherein the metal layer comprises at least four unconnected pieces. 
     
     
       49. The display of claim 39, wherein the metal layer is entirely outside of the pixel portion. 
     
     
       50. The display of claim 39, wherein an encapsulating junction region surrounds the pixel portion, and
 wherein the metal layer is only in the encapsulating junction region.   
     
     
       51. The display of claim 39, wherein the metal layer comprises a reflecting plate. 
     
     
       52. An organic electro luminescent display, comprising:
 a lower insulating substrate on which a pixel portion is arranged;   an upper substrate arranged over the lower insulating substrate; and   a sealing material arranged between the upper substrate and the lower insulating substrate and adapted to seal the upper substrate to the lower insulating substrate,   wherein a metal layer is arranged between the lower insulating substrate and the sealing material, the metal layer not being configured to conduct electricity,   wherein the sealing material is formed along the peripheries of the substrates and not in the pixel portion of the display,   wherein the metal layer is formed coextensively along with the sealing material and is formed discontinuously in separate unconnected pieces around a perimeter of the display along the shape of a closed polygon, and   wherein the metal layer has unconnected portions at corners of the shape of the closed polygon.   
     
     
       53. An organic electro luminescent display, comprising:
 a lower insulating substrate on which a pixel portion is arranged;   an upper substrate arranged over the lower insulating substrate; and   a sealing material arranged between the upper substrate and the lower insulating substrate and adapted to seal the upper substrate to the lower insulating substrate,   wherein a metal layer is arranged between the lower insulating substrate and the sealing material,   wherein the sealing material is formed along the peripheries of the substrates and not in the pixel portion of the display,   wherein the metal layer is formed coextensively along with the sealing material and is formed discontinuously of separate unconnected pieces around a perimeter of the display along the shape of a closed polygon, the closed polygon having a rectangular shape, and   wherein the metal layer does not serve to conduct electricity.   
     
     
       54. An organic electro luminescent display, comprising:
 a lower insulating substrate on which a pixel portion is arranged;   a thin film transistor including an active layer, a gate electrode, a drain electrode and a source electrode disposed on the lower insulating substrate in the pixel portion;   an anode formed on the lower insulating substrate;   an organic layer formed on the anode;   a cathode formed on the organic layer;   an upper substrate arranged over the cathode; and   a sealing material arranged between the upper substrate and the lower insulating substrate and adapted to seal the upper substrate to the lower insulating substrate,   wherein a metal layer is arranged between the lower insulating substrate and the sealing material,   wherein the sealing material is formed along the peripheries of the substrates and not in the pixel portion of the display,   wherein the metal layer is formed coextensively along with the sealing material and is of the shape of a closed polygon,   wherein the metal layer is formed in unconnected pieces around a perimeter of the display and along the sealing material,   wherein the metal layer is formed of the same material and same layer as at least one of the gate electrode, the drain electrode and the source electrode,   wherein the organic layer has a multi-layered structure made up of an emission layer (EML), and at least one of a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transporting layer (HTL), an electron transporting layer (ETL), and an electron injection layer (EIL), and   wherein the sealing material comprises light-cured material.