US 9299730

US Patent 9299730, titled "Thin film transistor array substrate and organic light-emitting diode display," was issued to Samsung Display Co Ltd on March 29, 2016, from an application filed on March 13, 2013. The inventors are Won-Se Lee, Won-Kyu Kwak, and Se-Ho Kim.

Abstract:
The patent describes a thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate and an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. Key to the invention is a capacitor design that aims to maintain a constant capacitance even if manufacturing misalignments occur. The capacitor includes a lower electrode on a first insulation layer, and an upper electrode that completely overlaps the lower electrode and extends beyond its edges. This upper electrode features an opening. A second insulation layer insulates the upper electrode from the lower one. A node contact hole passes through the inter-layer and second insulation layers, located within the opening, and connects the lower electrode to at least one TFT via a connection node.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a basic Thin Film Transistor (TFT) array substrate. It features a substrate with a first insulation layer. On this layer is a capacitor with two electrodes: a lower electrode and an upper electrode. The upper electrode is designed to completely cover the lower electrode, extend past its edges, and have a hole (opening) in it. A second insulation layer separates these two electrodes. A connection point, or node contact hole, goes through the insulation layers and is located inside the upper electrode's opening. This connection point electrically links the lower electrode of the capacitor to at least one thin film transistor (TFT) through a connection line (connection node).
• Claim 3: This claim builds on the concepts of Claim 1, specifically adding how the upper electrode of the capacitor receives power. It states that the upper electrode is designed to get a driving voltage through a driving voltage line. This driving voltage line is made from the same material layer as the connection line that links the lower electrode to the TFTs.
• Claim 5: This claim also expands on Claim 1 by integrating a driving TFT with the capacitor. It specifies that a driving TFT is positioned to overlap the capacitor. Furthermore, the lower electrode of the capacitor itself acts as the driving gate electrode for this driving TFT.
• Claim 10: This claim describes a full Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display. It includes a substrate, insulation layers, and various signal lines like scan, data, and driving voltage lines that cross each other. The display contains a pixel circuit with at least one TFT and a capacitor, and an OLED that emits light using power from the pixel circuit. The capacitor's structure is defined similarly to Claim 1: it has a lower electrode and an upper electrode that fully overlaps the lower electrode, extends beyond its edges, and includes an opening. A second insulation layer separates these electrodes. A node contact hole passes through the insulation layers within the opening and connects the lower electrode to at least one TFT via a connection node.
• Claim 12: Similar to Claim 10, this claim specifies that the upper electrode of the capacitor in the OLED display is configured to receive a driving voltage. This driving voltage is supplied via a driving voltage line, which is made from the same material layer as the connection node used to link the lower electrode to the TFTs.
• Claim 14: Building on Claim 10 for the OLED display, this claim further includes a driving TFT positioned to overlap the capacitor. It specifies that the driving gate electrode of this driving TFT is the lower electrode of the capacitor.

As of April 26, 2026, a search for CAFC dockets for US9299730 did not yield any specific cases scheduled or filed in 2026. The patent's information notes other litigation, including a PTAB case (IPR2025-01499) filed in 2025 that has been settled, and a US District Court case filed in the Texas Eastern District Court (2:25-cv-00426), but no CAFC dockets for the current year were found in the provided information or in the conducted search.