Patent Application
20230402439
This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0069544, filed on Jun. 8, 2022, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a microchip and a display apparatus including the same, and more particularly, to a microchip having a structure suitable for alignment in a fluidic self-assembly method and a display apparatus including the same.
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have increased industrial demand because of their advantages of low power consumption and eco-friendliness, and are used for lighting devices or liquid crystal display (LCD) backlights, and also applied as pixels of display apparatuses. Recently, a micro LED display apparatus using a micro-sized LED chip as a pixel has been developed. In manufacturing a display apparatus using a micro-sized LED chip, a laser lift off or pick and place method is used as a method of transferring the micro LED. However, in this method, as the size of the micro LED becomes smaller and the size of the display apparatus increases, productivity is lowered.
One or more example embodiments provide a microchip having a structure suitable for alignment in a fluidic self assembly method.
One or more example embodiments also provide a display apparatus that may be manufactured in a fluidic self assembly method.
Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of example embodiments of the disclosure.
According to an aspect of an example embodiment, there is provided a microchip including a chip body having a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface, and an electrode layer on the second surface, wherein a surface roughness of the first surface is smaller than a surface roughness of an upper surface of the electrode layer such that van der Waals force between the first surface and an external contact surface are greater than van der Waals force between the electrode layer and the external contact surface.
A width of the first surface may be greater than a distance between the first surface and the upper surface of the electrode layer.
A width of the first surface may be in a range from 5 μm to 500 μm.
A distance between the first surface and the upper surface of the electrode layer may be in a range from 1 μm to 100 μm.
A root mean square (rms) roughness of the first surface may be less than or equal to 1 nm, and a rms roughness of the upper surface of the electrode layer may be greater than or equal to 2 nm.
The rms roughness of the first surface may have a uniformity within ±20% over an entire area of the first surface, and the rms roughness of the upper surface of the electrode layer may have a uniformity of at least ±30% over an entire area of the upper surface of the electrode layer.
An area of the first surface may be greater than an area of the second surface.
The chip body may include a first semiconductor layer doped with a first conductivity type, a light-emitting layer on an upper surface of the first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer on an upper surface of the light-emitting layer and doped with a second conductivity type electrically opposite to the first conductivity type, an insulating layer on an upper surface of the second semiconductor layer, and a planarization layer on a lower surface of the first semiconductor layer, wherein the first surface is a lower surface of the planarization layer and the second surface is an upper surface of the insulating layer.
The electrode layer may include a first electrode on the upper surface of the insulating layer and electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer, and a second electrode on the upper surface of the insulating layer and electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer.
The planarization layer may include at least one of aluminum nitride, polyimide, and parylene.
The microchip may further include a plurality of light-scattering patterns in the first semiconductor layer.
The light-scattering patterns may penetrate the planarization layer and have an engraved form protruding from the lower surface of the first semiconductor layer.
The first surface may be a single surface that is not separated by the light-scattering patterns.
The plurality of light-scattering patterns may have an engraved form protruding from the lower surface of the first semiconductor layer in contact with an upper surface of the planarization layer.
The microchip may further include a plurality of light-scattering patterns having an engraved form protruding from an upper surface of the planarization layer in contact with the first semiconductor layer.
The first surface may be hydrophilic.
The microchip may include at least one of a light-emitting diode (LED), a laser diode, a photodiode, a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS), a high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT), a thin-film battery, and an antenna element.
According to another aspect of an example embodiment, there is provided a display apparatus including a display substrate including a driving circuit, and a plurality of microchips on the display substrate, wherein each of the plurality of microchips includes a chip body having a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface, and an electrode layer on the second surface, wherein a surface roughness of the first surface is smaller than a surface roughness of an upper surface of the electrode layer such that van der Waals force between the first surface and an external contact surface are greater than van der Waals force between the electrode layer and the external contact surface.
The display substrate may include a plurality of grooves, and a partition wall adjacent to the plurality of grooves, wherein each of the plurality of microchips is in a corresponding groove among the plurality of grooves.
In each groove, a bottom surface of the groove may have a root mean square (rms) roughness less than or equal to 1 nm.
Each of the plurality of microchips may be disposed such that the first surface contacts a bottom surface of the groove within the groove.
A width of the first surface may be greater than a distance between the first surface and the upper surface of the electrode layer.
A width of the first surface may be in a range from 5 μm to 500 μm.
A distance between the first surface and the upper surface of the electrode layer may be in a range from 2 μm to 100 μm.
A rms roughness of the first surface may be less than or equal to 1 nm, and a rms roughness of the upper surface of the electrode layer may be greater than or equal to 2 nm.
The rms roughness of the first surface may have a uniformity within ±20% over an entire area of the first surface, and the rms roughness of the upper surface of the electrode layer may have a uniformity of at least ±30% over an entire area of the upper surface of the electrode layer.
An area of the first surface may be greater than an area of the second surface.
The display substrate may include a plurality of first electrode pads and a plurality of second electrode pads on an upper surface of the display substrate, and the electrode layer of each of the plurality of microchips may include a first electrode in contact with a first electrode pad among the plurality of first electrode pads and a second electrode in contact with a second electrode pad among the plurality of second electrode pads.
The above and/or other aspects, features, and advantages of example embodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. In this regard, the example embodiments may have different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the descriptions set forth herein. Accordingly, the example embodiments are merely described below, by referring to the figures, to explain aspects. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Expressions such as “at least one of,” when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list. For example, the expression, “at least one of a, b, and c,” should be understood as including only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, or all of a, b, and c.
Hereinafter, a microchip and a display apparatus including the same will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same components, and the size of each component in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of description. Further, the example embodiments described below are merely exemplary, and various modifications are possible from these example embodiments.
Hereinafter, what is described as “upper part” or “on” may include not only those directly above by contact, but also those above non-contact. The terms of a singular form may include plural forms unless otherwise specified. In addition, when a certain part “includes” a certain component, it means that other components may be further included rather than excluding other components unless otherwise stated.
The use of the term “the” and similar designating terms may correspond to both the singular and the plural. If there is no explicit order or contradictory statement about the steps constituting the method, these steps may be performed in an appropriate order, and are not necessarily limited to the order described.
In addition, terms such as “unit” and “module” described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and this may be implemented as hardware or software, or may be implemented as a combination of hardware and software.
The connection or connection members of lines between the components shown in the drawings are illustrative of functional connections and/or physical or circuit connections, and may be represented as a variety of functional connections, physical connections, or circuit connections that are replaceable or additional in an actual device.
The use of all examples or illustrative terms is merely for describing technical ideas in detail, and the scope is not limited by these examples or illustrative terms unless limited by the claims.
The microchip 100 may be configured to be more easily aligned in one direction using a fluidic self assembly method. Then, when aligning the plurality of microchips 100 on an external object such as a substrate using the fluidic self assembly method, most or all of the plurality of microchips 100 may be aligned in the same direction. For example, a plurality of microchips 100 may be aligned such that the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 is in contact with an external object and the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120 is not in contact with an external object. Here, the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120 is a surface opposite to the surface of the electrode layer 120 in contact with the second surface S3 of the chip body 110.
The microchip 100 may be configured such that the van der Waals force between the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 and the external contact surface is greater than the van der Waals force between the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120 and the external contact surface. In this case, when in contact with the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 and the external contact surface, it does not fall off relatively easily, and when the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120 comes into contact with the external contact surface, the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120 may be detached relatively easily. Accordingly, when aligning the microchip 100, the probability that the microchip 100 is disposed such that the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 comes into contact with the external contact surface may increase.
The van der Waals force may increase as two objects in contact with each other are in close contact with each other or as the contact area between two objects in contact with each other increases. Accordingly, according to an example embodiment, the surface roughness of the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 may be smaller than the surface roughness of the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120. For example, the root mean square (rms) roughness of the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 may be 1 nm or less, and the rms roughness of the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120 may be 2 nm or more. However, embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the rms roughness of the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120 may be twice or more of the rms roughness of the first surface S1 of the chip body 110. Here, the rms roughness of the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 may be the average rms roughness of the entire area of the first surface S1, and may be different from the rms roughness in a local partial region of the first surface S1 of the chip body 110. Similarly, the rms roughness of the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120 may be the average rms roughness of the entire area of the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120, and may be different from the rms roughness in a local partial region of the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120. As a result, a relatively smooth surface may be formed on the first surface S1, which is the lower portion of the microchip 100, and a relatively rough surface may be formed on the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120, which is an upper portion of the microchip 100.
In addition, the area of the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 is larger than the area of the second surface S2 of the chip body 110 and the area of the second surface S2 of the chip body 110 is larger than the area of the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120. Accordingly, the area of the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 may be larger than the area of the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120. To this end, the radius or width W1 of the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 may be greater than the radius or width W2 of the second surface S2 of the chip body 110. For example, the radius or width W2 of the second surface S2 may be 0.7 times or more and less than 1 time, or 0.8 times or more and 0.95 times or less, the radius or width W1 of the first surface S1. Accordingly, the side surface of the microchip 100 may have an inclined shape.
The microchip 100 may have a small size of sub millimeter (mm) or less. For example, the radius or width W1 of the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 may be in the range of about 5 μm to about 500 μm, or in the range of about 10 μm to about 300 μm.
After a single external force is applied to the microchip 100 in the fluid and the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120 having a relatively small van der Waals force with the substrate 10 is separated from the substrate 10, when the microchip 100 sinks again, with a probability of ½, the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 having a large van der Waals force faces the substrate 10. Assuming that this process is repeated n times, the number of microchips 100 in which the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 faces the substrate 10 may be calculated as the sum of a geometric sequence as in Equation 1 below.
A
n
=a{1−(½)n+1} [Equation 1]
In Equation 1 above, a is the total number of microchips 100, n is the number of times an external force is applied, and An is the number of microchips 100 in which the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 faces the substrate 10 after n trials.
For example,
In
The microchip 100 may be, for example, a micro light emitting device such as a micro LED (light emitting diode), but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may include any kind of semiconductor chip, electronic circuit chip, or optical circuit chip that may be aligned on a substrate in a fluidic self assembly manner. For example, the microchip 100 may include small light emitting elements such as laser diodes in addition to micro LEDs, light receiving elements such as small photodetectors like photodiodes, small electronic elements such as complementary metal-oxide-semiconductors (CMOS) or high electron mobility transistors (HEMT), thin film batteries, ultra-small antenna elements, and the like. Hereinafter, a case in which the microchip 100 is a micro LED will be described as an example.
The first semiconductor layer 111 and the second semiconductor layer 113 may include, for example, a group III-V or group II-VI compound semiconductor. The first semiconductor layer 111 and the second semiconductor layer 113 may serve to provide electrons and holes to the light emitting layer 112. For this, the first semiconductor layer 111 and the second semiconductor layer 113 may be electrically doped with opposite conductivity types. For example, the first semiconductor layer 111 may be doped with n-type and the second semiconductor layer 113 may be doped with p-type, or the first semiconductor layer 111 may be doped with p-type and the second semiconductor Layer 113 may be doped with n-type.
The light emitting layer 112 has a quantum well structure in which quantum wells are disposed between barriers. Light may be generated as electrons and holes provided from the first and second semiconductor layers 111 and 113 are recombined in the quantum well in the light emitting layer 112. The wavelength of light generated from the light emitting layer 112 may be determined according to the energy band gap of the material constituting the quantum well in the light emitting layer 112. The light emitting layer 112 may have only one quantum well, but is not limited thereto, and may have a multi-quantum well (MQW) structure in which a plurality of quantum wells and a plurality of barriers are alternately arranged. The thickness of the light emitting layer 112 or the number of quantum wells in the light emitting layer 112 may be appropriately selected in consideration of the driving voltage and luminous efficiency of the light emitting element.
To more easily align the microchip 100 in a fluidic self assembly method, both the first electrode 121 and the second electrode 122 may be disposed on one surface of the microchip 100. For example, the insulating layer 114 may be formed on the upper surface of the second semiconductor layer 113, and the first electrode 121 and the second electrode 122 may be disposed on the upper surface of the insulating layer 114. To electrically connect the first electrode 121 to the first semiconductor layer 111, the microchip 100 may further include a via hole V penetrating the second semiconductor layer 113 and the light emitting layer 112. Although only one via hole V is illustrated in
To more easily align the microchip 100 in the fluidic self assembly method, the surface roughness (i.e., rms roughness) of the upper surfaces of the first electrode 121 and the second electrode 122 may be 2 nm or more. In addition, to more easily align the microchip 100 in a fluidic self assembly method, the first electrode 121 and the second electrode 122 may be formed of a hydrophobic metallic material to prevent the first electrode 121 and the second electrode 122 of the microchip 100 from closely contacting the external contact surface in the fluid.
The planarization layer 115 provides a first surface S1 for more easily aligning the microchip 100 in a fluidic self assembly method. To this end, the planarization layer 115 may have a very smooth and flat lower surface. For example, the surface roughness (i.e., rms roughness) of the lower surface of the planarization layer 115 may be 1 nm or less.
In addition, the planarization layer 115 may be made of a material having a hydrophilic property. For example, the planarization layer 115 may include at least one of aluminum nitride (AlN), polyimide, and parylene. Accordingly, the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 may have hydrophilicity. Then, in the fluid, the first surface S1 may more easily contact the external contact surface, and the adhesion force with the external contact surface may be further increased.
When the planarization layer 115 includes aluminum nitride (AlN), the planarization layer 115 may serve as a buffer layer for growing the first semiconductor layer 111, the light emitting layer 112, and the second semiconductor layer 113 on a growth substrate such as a silicon substrate. After the microchip 100 is manufactured on the growth substrate, the microchip 100 may be separated from the growth substrate through a chemical lift off method. When the microchip 100 is separated through chemical lift off, the lower surface of the planarization layer 115 made of AlN may have a relatively highly smooth state. When the planarization layer 115 includes polyimide or parylene, after the microchip 100 is manufactured on the growth substrate, the planarization layer 115 may be formed on the lower surface of the first semiconductor layer 111 by, for example, flip chip bonding. Then, for example, a lower surface of the planarization layer 115 may be planarized by a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) method.
After aligning the microchip 100, electrical wiring may be connected to the first electrode 121 and the second electrode 122. For example, in a process of manufacturing the display apparatus, the first electrode 121 and the second electrode 122 of the microchip 100 may be bonded to corresponding electrode pads on the display substrate. To more easily implement such an electrical connection, the first electrode 121 and the second electrode 122 may have a symmetrical shape. For example,
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
As may be seen from
For example,
In addition, referring to
In Equation 2 above, AH is Hamaker's constant, A is the contact area between the two surfaces, Ho is the cut-off distance between the surface of the microchip 100 and the external contact surface, ymax is the surface roughness, r is the radius of the surface asperity, and ρ is the number density. As may be seen from Equation 2, as the contact area between the two surfaces is larger and the surface roughness is smaller, adhesion may increase. Therefore, in the microchip 100 according to the embodiment, the first surface S1 of the chip body 110 has an adhesion force with the external contact surface expressed by Equation 2 greater than that of the upper surface S3 of the electrode layer 120.
Referring to
The liquid supplied to the groove 220 may be any kind of liquid as long as it does not corrode or damage the microchip 100, and may be supplied to the groove 220 by various methods, such as a spray method, a dispensing method, an inkjet dot method, a method for flowing a liquid to the transfer substrate 210, and the like. The liquid may include, for example, one or a combination of a plurality of groups including water, ethanol, alcohol, polyol, ketone, halocarbon, acetone, flux, and organic solvent. The organic solvent may include, for example, isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The amount of liquid supplied may be varied to fit or overflow from the groove 220.
The plurality of microchips 100 may be directly sprayed on the transfer substrate 210 without any other liquid, or may be supplied on the transfer substrate 210 in a state included in a suspension. As a supply method of the microchip 100 included in the suspension, a spray method, a dispensing method for dropping a liquid, an inkjet dot method for discharging a liquid like a printing method, a method for flowing a suspension to the transfer substrate 210, and the like may be used in various ways.
The absorber 30 may be used alone without other auxiliary devices, but is not limited thereto, and may be coupled to the support 40 for convenient scanning of the transfer substrate 210. The support 40 may have various shapes and structures suitable for scanning the transfer substrate 210. For example, the support 40 may have the form of a rod, a blade, a plate, a wiper, or the like. The absorber 30 may be provided on either side of the support 40 or wrap around the support 40. The shape of the support 40 and the absorber 30 is not limited to the illustrated rectangular cross-sectional shape, and may have a circular cross-sectional shape.
The absorber 30 may be scanned while pressing the transfer substrate 210 to an appropriate pressure. Scanning may be performed in various methods, for example, a sliding method, a rotating method, a translating motion method, a reciprocating motion method, a rolling method, a spinning method, and/or a rubbing method of the absorber 30, and may include both a regular manner and an irregular manner. Scanning may be performed by moving the transfer substrate 210 instead of moving the absorber 30, and scanning of the transfer substrate 210 may also be performed in a manner such as a sliding, rotating, translational reciprocating, rolling, spinning, and/or rubbing method. In addition, scanning may be performed by the cooperation of the absorber 30 and the transfer substrate 210.
The operation of supplying the liquid L to the groove 220 of the transfer substrate 210 and the operation of supplying the microchip 100 to the transfer substrate 210 may be performed in the reverse order to the above-described order. In addition, it is also possible that the operation of supplying the liquid L to the groove 220 of the transfer substrate 210 and the operation of supplying the microchip 100 to the transfer substrate 210 are simultaneously performed in one operation. For example, by supplying a suspension including the microchip 100 to the transfer substrate 210, the liquid L and the microchip 100 may be simultaneously supplied to the transfer substrate 210. After the absorber 30 scans the transfer substrate 210, the microchip 100 remaining in the transfer substrate 210 without entering the groove 220 may be removed. The above-described processes may be repeated until the microchip 100 is seated in all the grooves 220. As described above, a large number of microchips 100 may be aligned on a large-area transfer substrate 210 using a fluidic self assembly method.
Using the above-described fluidic self assembly method, one microchip 100 may be disposed in each groove 220. In this case, the partition wall 225 may be provided adjacent to and surround the microchip 100. In the microchip 100, the first and second electrodes 121 and 122 face upward, that is, toward the outside of the groove 220, and the planarization layer 115 (refer to
When the first and second electrodes 121 and 122 contact the bottom surface 221 of the groove 220 within the groove 220, since the van der Waals force is relatively small, the microchip 100 may easily come out of the groove 220 even with a weak force. Therefore, when aligning the microchip 100 using the fluidic self assembly method, the first and second electrodes 121 and 122 of the microchip 100 fixed in the groove 220 may face the outside of the groove 220. In addition, the first and second electrodes 121 and 122 may allow the microchip 100 that is not fixed in the groove 220 and remains on the partition wall 225 to be more easily separated from the transfer substrate 210 in the cleaning operation. In this regard, the disclosed microchip 100 may have a structure suitable for alignment in a fluidic self assembly method. A concave-convex pattern may be further formed on the upper surface of the partition wall 225 so that the microchip 100 may be more easily separated from the partition wall 225.
The plurality of microchips 100 aligned on the transfer substrate 210 may be transferred onto the display substrate of the display apparatus for manufacturing the display apparatus.
Referring to
The transfer substrate 210 may be disposed such that the first and second electrodes 121 and 122 of the microchip 100 face the display substrate 310. Then, the transfer substrate 210 may be pressed onto the display substrate 310 such that the first electrode 121 of the microchip 100 is in contact with the first electrode pad 311 of the display substrate 310 and the second electrode 122 is in contact with the second electrode pad 312 of the display substrate 310. Then, the first electrode 121 may be bonded to the first electrode pad 311 and the second electrode 122 may be bonded to the second electrode pad 312 through a bonding material such as solder bumps.
Referring to
In addition, the display apparatus 300a may further include an insulating layer 330 disposed to cover the plurality of microchips 100 and to fill the plurality of grooves 320, a first wiring 341 electrically connected to the first electrode 121 of the microchip 100, and a second wiring 342 electrically connected to the second electrode 122 of the microchip 100. The first wiring 341 and the second wiring 342 may be disposed on the insulating layer 330. The first end of the first wiring 341 may penetrate the insulating layer 330 and contact the first electrode 121, and the second end may be connected to the driving circuit inside the display substrate 310′ through the insulating layer 330 and the partition wall 325. The first end of the second wiring 342 may penetrate the insulating layer 330 and contact the second electrode 122, and the second end may be connected to the driving circuit inside the display substrate 310′ through the insulating layer 330 and the partition wall 325. The insulating layer 330, the first wiring 341, and the second wiring 342 may be formed after aligning the plurality of microchips 100 in the plurality of grooves 320 of the display substrate 310′.
The wavelength conversion layer 350 may include a first wavelength conversion layer 350R for converting the light emitted from the microchip 100 into light of a first wavelength band, a second wavelength conversion layer 350G for converting light of a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band, and a third wavelength conversion layer 350B for converting light of a third wavelength band different from the first and second wavelength bands. For example, the light of the first wavelength band may be red light, the light of the second wavelength band may be green light, and the light of the third wavelength band may be blue light. The first wavelength conversion layer 350R, the second wavelength conversion layer 350G, and the third wavelength conversion layer 350B are spaced apart with a partition 351 disposed therebetween, and may be disposed to face the corresponding microchip 100, respectively.
When the microchip 100 emits blue light, the third wavelength conversion layer 350B may include a resin that transmits blue light. The second wavelength conversion layer 350G may convert blue light emitted from the microchip 100 to emit green light. The second wavelength conversion layer 350G may include quantum dots or phosphor that are excited by blue light to emit green light. The first wavelength conversion layer 350R may change the blue light emitted from the microchip 100 into red light to be emitted. The first wavelength conversion layer 350R may include quantum dots or phosphors that are excited by blue light to emit red light.
The quantum dots included in the first wavelength conversion layer 350R or the second wavelength conversion layer 350G may have a core-shell structure having a core portion and a shell portion, or may have a particle structure without a shell. The core-shell structure may be a single-shell or multi-shell structure, such as a double-shell structure. The quantum dots may include a group II-VI series semiconductor, a group III-V series semiconductor, a group IV-VI series semiconductor, a group IV series semiconductor, and/or graphene quantum dots. The quantum dots may include, for example, cadmium (Cd), selenide (Se), zinc (Zn), sulfur (S) and/or indium phosphide (InP), and each quantum dot may have a diameter of several tens of nm or less, for example, a diameter of about 10 nm or less. The quantum dots included in the first wavelength conversion layer 350R and the second wavelength conversion layer 350G may have different sizes.
In
The above-described display apparatuses may be applied to various electronic devices having a screen display function.
The processor 8220 may execute software (the program 8240, etc.) to control one or a plurality of other components (such as hardware, software components, etc.) of the electronic device 8201 connected to the processor 8220, and perform various data processing or operations. As part of data processing or operation, the processor 8220 may load commands and/or data received from other components (the sensor module 8276, the communication module 8290, etc.) into the volatile memory 8232, process commands and/or data stored in the volatile memory 8232, and store result data in the nonvolatile memory 8234. The nonvolatile memory 8234 may include an internal memory 8236 mounted in the electronic device 8201 and a removable external memory 8238. The processor 8220 may include a main processor 8221 (such as a central processing unit, an application processor, etc.) and a secondary processor 8223 (such as a graphics processing unit, an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, a communication processor, etc.) that may be operated independently or together. The secondary processor 8223 may use less power than the main processor 8221 and may perform specialized functions.
The secondary processor 8223 may control functions and/or states related to some of the components of the electronic device 8201 (such as the display apparatus 8260, the sensor module 8276, the communication module 8290, etc.) instead of the main processor 8221 while the main processor 8221 is in an inactive state (sleep state), or with the main processor 8221 while the main processor 8221 is in an active state (application execution state). The secondary processor 8223 (such as an image signal processor, a communication processor, etc.) may be implemented as part of other functionally related components (such as the camera module 8280, the communication module 8290, etc.).
The memory 8230 may store various data required by components of the electronic device 8201 (such as the processor 8220, the sensor module 8276, etc.). The data may include, for example, software (such as the program 8240, etc.) and input data and/or output data for commands related thereto. The memory 8230 may include a volatile memory 8232 and/or a nonvolatile memory 8234.
The program 8240 may be stored as software in the memory 8230 and may include an operating system 8242, a middleware 8244, and/or an application 8246.
The input device 8250 may receive commands and/or data to be used for components (such as the processor 8220, etc.) of the electronic device 8201 from outside (a user) of the electronic device 8201. The input device 8250 may include a remote controller, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, and/or a digital pen (such as a stylus pen).
The audio output device 8255 may output an audio signal to the outside of the electronic device 8201. The audio output device 8255 may include a speaker and/or a receiver. The speaker may be used for general purposes such as multimedia playback or recording playback, and the receiver may be used to receive incoming calls. The receiver may be combined as a part of the speaker or may be implemented as an independent separate device.
The display apparatus 8260 may visually provide information to the outside of the electronic device 8201. The display apparatus 8260 may include a display, a hologram device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. The display apparatus 8260 may include the aforementioned display substrate and microchip. The display apparatus 8260 may include a touch circuitry set to sense a touch, and/or a sensor circuit (such as a pressure sensor) set to measure the strength of a force generated by the touch.
The audio module 8270 may convert sound into an electrical signal, or conversely, may convert an electrical signal into sound. The audio module 8270 may acquire sound through the input device 8250 or output sound through speakers and/or headphones of the audio output device 8255, and/or other electronic devices (such as the electronic device 8202) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device 8201.
The sensor module 8276 may detect an operating state (such as power, temperature, and the like) of the electronic device 8201 or an external environmental state (such as a user state, and the like), and generate an electrical signal and/or data value corresponding to the detected state. The sensor module 8276 may include a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and/or an illuminance sensor.
The interface 8277 may support one or more specified protocols that may be used for the electronic device 8201 to connect directly or wirelessly with another electronic device (such as the electronic device 8202). The interface 8277 may include a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, and/or an audio interface.
The connection terminal 8278 may include a connector through which the electronic device 8201 may be physically connected to another electronic device (such as the electronic device 8202). The connection terminal 8278 may include an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, and/or an audio connector (such as a headphone connector).
The haptic module 8279 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (such as vibration, movement, etc.) or an electrical stimulus that a user may perceive through a tactile or motor sense. The haptic module 8279 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, and/or an electrical stimulation device.
The camera module 8280 may capture a still image and a video. The camera module 8280 may include a lens assembly including one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, and/or flashes. The lens assembly included in the camera module 8280 may collect light emitted from a subject that is a target of image capturing.
The power management module 8288 may manage power supplied to the electronic device 8201. The power management module 8388 may be implemented as a part of a Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC).
The battery 8289 may supply power to components of the electronic device 8201. The battery 8289 may include a non-rechargeable primary cell, a rechargeable secondary cell, and/or a fuel cell.
The communication module 8290 may support establishing a direct (wired) communication channel and/or a wireless communication channel, and performing communication through the established communication channel between the electronic device 8201 and other electronic devices (such as the electronic device 8202, the electronic device 8204, the server 8208, and the like). The communication module 8290 may include one or more communication processors that operate independently of the processor 8220 (such as an application processor) and support direct communication and/or wireless communication. The communication module 8290 may include a wireless communication module 8292 (such as a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) communication module, and the like) and/or a wired communication module 8294 (such as a local area network (LAN) communication module, a power line communication module, and the like). Among these communication modules, a corresponding communication module may communicate with other electronic devices through a first network 8298 (a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, WiFi Direct, or Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) or a second network 8299 (a cellular network, the Internet, or a telecommunication network such as a computer network (such as LAN, WAN, and the like)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into one component (such as a single chip, and the like), or may be implemented as a plurality of separate components (a plurality of chips). The wireless communication module 8292 may check and authenticate the electronic device 8201 in a communication network such as the first network 8298 and/or the second network 8299 using the subscriber information (such as international mobile subscriber identifier (IMSI), etc.) stored in the subscriber identification module 8296.
The antenna module 8297 may transmit signals and/or power to the outside (such as other electronic devices) or receive signals and/or power from the outside. The antenna may include a radiator made of a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (such as PCB, etc.). The antenna module 8297 may include one or a plurality of antennas. If multiple antennas are included, an antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network such as the first network 8298 and/or the second network 8299 may be selected from the plurality of antennas by the communication module 8290. Signals and/or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module 8290 and another electronic device through the selected antenna. In addition to the antenna, other components (such as RFIC) may be included as part of the antenna module 8297.
Some of the components are connected to each other and may exchange signals (such as commands, data, and the like) through communication method between peripheral devices (such as bus, General Purpose Input and Output (GPIO), Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MI PI), and the like).
The command or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device 8201 and the external electronic device 8204 through the server 8208 connected to the second network 8299. The other electronic devices 8202 and 8204 may be the same or different types of devices as or from the electronic device 8201. All or some of the operations executed by the electronic device 8201 may be executed by one or more of the other electronic devices 8202, 8204, and 8208. For example, when the electronic device 8201 needs to perform a certain function or service, instead of executing the function or service itself, the electronic device 8201 may request one or more other electronic devices to perform the function or part or all of the service. One or more other electronic devices that receive the request may execute an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit a result of the execution to the electronic device 8201. For this, cloud computing, distributed computing, and/or client-server computing technology may be used.
The display apparatus according to an example embodiment may also be applied to various products such as a rollable television (TV) and a stretchable display.
It should be understood that example embodiments described herein should be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features or aspects within each example embodiment should typically be considered as available for other similar features or aspects in other embodiments. While example embodiments have been described with reference to the figures, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope as defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2022-0069544 | Jun 2022 | KR | national |
