This patent application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0107463, filed on Aug. 30, 2019, and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. § 119, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

(1) Field

The present disclosure herein relates to a display device with improved reliability.

(2) Description of the Related Art

A display device includes a display panel including a plurality of pixels and a drive chip for driving the pixels. The drive chip is disposed on a flexible film, and the flexible film is connected to the display panel. The drive chip is connected to the pixels of the display panel through the flexible film. This connection method is defined as a chip-on-film method. The drive chip and the flexible film together may be referred to as a circuit unit (or circuit member).

A plurality of electrodes connected to the drive chip is disposed on the flexible film, and a plurality of pads electrically connected to the pixels is disposed on one surface of the display panel. The pads contact and are connected to the electrodes respectively, and thus, the drive chip is electrically connected to the pixels. The pads and the electrodes are connected to each other in various methods. For example, the pads and the electrodes may be electrically connected to each other by an anisotropic conductive film. Alternatively, the pads and the electrodes may be connected to each other in an ultrasonic bonding method.

SUMMARY

One or more embodiment provides a display device with a reduced bezel width.

In addition, one or more embodiment provides a display device with improved reliability.

An embodiment provides a display device including: a display panel including a side surface; on the side surface of the display panel: a pad through which an electrical signal is provided to the display panel from outside thereof; and an auxiliary layer in a same layer as the pad and spaced apart from the pad along a thickness direction of the display panel; and a circuit member facing the side surface of the display panel and coupled to both the pad and the auxiliary layer.

In an embodiment, the circuit member may include an electrode facing the pad and an auxiliary electrode facing the auxiliary layer.

In an embodiment, the auxiliary layer and the pad may include a same material as each other, the electrode and the auxiliary electrode may include a same material as each other, and a shape of the auxiliary electrode may correspond to a shape of the auxiliary layer.

In an embodiment, the pad may be directly coupled to the electrode, and the auxiliary layer may be directly coupled to the auxiliary electrode.

In an embodiment, the display device may further include an anisotropic conductive film which is between the pad and the electrode and couples the pad to the electrode.

In an embodiment, the pad may be provided in plural including a plurality of pads spaced apart from each other and defining a space between adjacent pads. The display device may further include at the space between the adjacent pads, a filling layer between the circuit member and the display panel.

In an embodiment, the plurality of pads may be arranged along a first direction crossing the thickness direction of the display panel, and a width in the first direction of each of the plurality of pads may be smaller than a width in the first direction of the auxiliary layer.

In an embodiment, the auxiliary layer may surround at least a portion of an area where a plurality of pads is disposed.

In an embodiment, the plurality of pads may be arranged in a first direction crossing the thickness direction of the display panel, and the auxiliary layer may extend in the first direction be disposed to be spaced apart from the plurality of pads along the thickness direction.

In an embodiment, the plurality of pads may be arranged in a first direction crossing the thickness direction of the display panel, and the auxiliary layer may include a first auxiliary region extended along the first direction and spaced apart from each of the plurality of pads along the thickness direction of the display panel, a second auxiliary region extended along the thickness direction of the display panel, from a first end of the first auxiliary region, and spaced apart from the plurality of pads along the first direction, and a third auxiliary region extended along the thickness direction of the display panel, from a second end of the first auxiliary region which is opposite to the first end thereof, and spaced apart from the plurality of pads along the first direction. The first auxiliary region may connect the second auxiliary region and the third auxiliary region to each other.

In an embodiment, the auxiliary layer may further include a fourth auxiliary region which connects the second auxiliary region and the third auxiliary region to each other, the fourth auxiliary region facing the first auxiliary region with the plurality of pads therebetween, and the plurality of pads may be surrounded by the auxiliary layer including the first auxiliary region, the second auxiliary region, the third auxiliary region, and the fourth auxiliary region.

In an embodiment, the display panel may include a first substrate including a side surface, and a second substrate facing the first substrate and including a side surface, and at the side surface of the display panel, the pad may correspond to the side surface of the first substrate, and the auxiliary layer may correspond to the side surface of the second substrate.

In an embodiment, the display panel may include a first substrate including a side surface, and a second substrate facing the first substrate and including a side surface, and at the side surface of the display panel, the pad may correspond to both the side surface of the first substrate and the side surface of the second substrate, and the auxiliary layer may correspond to both the side surface of the first substrate and the side surface of the second substrate.

In an embodiment, the display panel may include an image display surface defining a top surface, and a bottom surface which is opposite to the top surface along the thickness direction of the display panel, and along the thickness direction of the display panel, the auxiliary layer may be between the top surface and the pad.

In an embodiment, a display device includes: a display panel including a side surface; on the side surface of the display panel: a plurality of pads arranged spaced apart from each other along a first direction and through which an electrical signal is provided to the display panel from outside thereof; and an auxiliary layer spaced apart from the plurality of pads, the auxiliary layer including a first auxiliary region extending in the first direction along the plurality of pads; and a circuit member facing each of the plurality of pads and the auxiliary layer and electrically connected to the display panel at the plurality of pads.

In an embodiment, the circuit member may include a plurality of electrodes corresponding to the plurality of pads and an auxiliary electrode corresponding to the auxiliary layer, where the plurality of pads and the auxiliary layer include a same material as each other, and the plurality of electrodes and the auxiliary electrode include a same material as each other.

In an embodiment, at a space between the plurality of pads, the display device may further include a filling layer between the circuit member and the display panel.

In an embodiment, the display panel may include an image display surface defining a top surface, and a bottom surface which is opposite to the top surface along a thickness direction of the display panel which crosses the first direction, and along the thickness direction of the display panel, the auxiliary layer may be disposed between the top surface and the plurality of pads.

In an embodiment, the auxiliary layer may include a second auxiliary region extended along the thickness direction, from a first end of the first auxiliary region, and spaced apart from the plurality of pads along the first direction, and a third auxiliary region extended along the thickness direction from a second end of the first auxiliary region which is opposite to the first end thereof, and spaced apart from the plurality of pads along the first direction. The first auxiliary region may connect the second auxiliary region and the third auxiliary region to each other.

In an embodiment, the auxiliary layer may further include a fourth auxiliary region connecting the second auxiliary region and the third auxiliary region to each other, and spaced apart from the first auxiliary region with the plurality of pads therebetween. The plurality of pads may be surrounded by the auxiliary layer including the first auxiliary region, the second auxiliary region, the third auxiliary region, and the fourth auxiliary region.

