Electronic device

Abstract

An electronic device, which is bendable along a first direction, includes a plurality of light emitting units and a plurality of conductive patterns extending along a second direction. The plurality of conductive patterns overlap at least a portion of the plurality of light emitting units. The first direction and the second direction have an included angle of no more than 30 degrees.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an electronic device, in particular, an electronic device bendable along a first direction. BACKGROUND

[0002] Generally speaking, in recent years, electronic devices or deformable electronic devices have become one of the focuses of new generation electronic technology, and thus the demand for flexible display devices that can be incorporated in electronic devices has also increased accordingly. Electronic devices refer to devices that can be curved, bent, folded, stretched, flexed, rolled, or otherwise deformed.

[0003] When a flexible display device, such as a soft panel display, is in any of the above shape changes, different deformation stresses can be generated in different areas of the soft panel display. Such deformation stresses can increase the probability of damage to some components. For example, the deformation stresses can increase the probability of cracks in conductive pattern traces or damage to brittle material layers. As consumers have increasingly high requirements for flexible electronic devices, how to develop electronic devices with higher reliability is an important issue for manufacturers. SUMMARY

[0004] According to some embodiments of the present application, an electronic device bendable along a first direction is provided, including a plurality of light emitting units, and a plurality of conductive patterns. The plurality of conductive patterns extend along a second direction and overlap at least a portion of the plurality of light emitting units. The first direction and the second direction have an included angle of no more than 30 degrees. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0005] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an electronic device according to a first embodiment of the present application.

[0006] Figure 2 A top view corresponding to Figure 1

[0007] Figure 3 A top view corresponding to Figure 1

[0008] Figure 4 A diagram showing the relationship between the extension direction of the conductive patterns and the bending direction of the flexible substrate when the conductive patterns and the flexible substrate are subjected to simulated bending.

[0009] Figure 5 A diagram showing the relationship between the maximum stress experienced by the conductive patterns and the included angle θ when the conductive patterns and the flexible substrate are subjected to bending according to boundary conditions. ​​

[0010] Figure 6 A partial top view of the conductive pattern in an embodiment of a second embodiment of the electronic device of the present application.

[0011] Figure 7A In the example (I), a partial side view of the conductive pattern along the tangent line A-B of the curve Figure 6 is shown.

[0012] Figure 7B In the example (II), a partial side view of the conductive pattern along the tangent line C-D of the curve Figure 6 is shown.

[0013] Figure 7C In the example (III), a partial side view of the conductive pattern along the tangent line E-F of the curve Figure 6 is shown.

[0014] Figure 8 A partial cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the electronic device of the present application.

[0015] Figure 9 A perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the electronic device of the present application when bent.

[0016] Figure 10 A side view of a fifth embodiment of the electronic device of the present application when bent.

[0017] Figure 11 A partial cross-sectional view of a sixth embodiment of the electronic device of the present application.

[0018] Figure 12 An enlarged view of a partial cross-sectional view of a sixth embodiment of the electronic device of the present application.

[0019] Figure 13 A partial cross-sectional view of a seventh embodiment of the electronic device of the present application.

[0020] 100, 103, 104, 105, 106 - electronic device; 103T - highest point; 109 - bending axis; 110 - pattern layer; 111 - conductive pattern / polarizing element; 112 - metal wire polarizing grid; 120 - flexible substrate; 120S - surface; 121 - substrate; 123 - support film; 124 - support adhesive; 125 - buffer layer; 130 - display layer; 131 - first flat area; 132 - second flat area; 133 - bending area / rolling area; 133' - bonding pad; 134 - first electrode; 134' - circuit layer; 135 - second electrode; 136 - first semiconductor layer; 137 - light emitting layer; 138 - second semiconductor layer; 139 - light emitting unit; 140, 141, 142 - encapsulation layer; 143 - touch layer; 144 - phase delay layer; 150 - functional layer; 151 - common electrode; 152 - privacy material layer; 160 - cover layer; 161 - first area; 162 - second area; 170 - circuit layer; 180 - driving element; 181 - first electrode; 182 - second electrode; 183 - display medium layer; 184 - insulating layer; 185 - insulating layer; 187 - dielectric layer; 234 - line; 260 - substrate; 300 - display panel; 400 - privacy layer; 500 - substrate structure; 510 - polarizing layer; BSP1 - first conductive layer; BSP2 - second conductive layer; BSP3 - third conductive layer; BSa - surface; BSb - recess; Bso - opening; D1 - first direction; D2 - second direction; D3 - third direction; D4 - fourth direction; H - height; Hp1 - thickness; Hp2 - thickness; STE - switching element; DE - drain electrode; GE - gate electrode; IN - insulating layer; SC - semiconductor layer; SE - source electrode; Th1, Th2, Th3 - thickness; Th4 - line width; p - pitch. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The present application can be understood with reference to the following detailed description and drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and wherein:

[0022] In this description and in the claims that follow, reference will be made to certain terms which shall have the following meanings. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the application can have additional embodiments and can be practiced without the other devices described and / or claimed below. Where the description above refers to aspects of the application, it will be understood that such references, like the claims that follow them, are intended to cover both implementing and exercising the application, and wherein:

[0023] In this description and in the claims that follow, the terms "including" and "comprising", etc., are used in the sense of "including but not limited to", and should be interpreted in the manner set out in the remainder of the disclosure itself, as well as by using "by way of example" and "for example" so as to explain the conception of the application.

[0024] It will be understood that when an element or film layer is referred to as being "on" or "connected to" another element or film layer, it can be directly on or connected to the other element or layer or intervening elements or film layers can be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" or "directly connected to" another element or film layer, there are no intervening elements or film layers present.

[0025] While the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Terms of degree such as "first", "second", "third", etc. are not to be construed as limiting the number and / or order of the elements. Thus, in the description below, a first element could be termed a second element without departing from the scope of the present application.

[0026] It must be understood that all business methods described herein can be performed in a different order than described herein without departing from the spirit of the present application.

[0027] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an electronic device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 and Figure 3 is a top view corresponding to Figure 1 Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The electronic device 100 includes a flexible substrate 120; a display layer 130 disposed on the flexible substrate 120; and a pattern layer 110 disposed on the display layer 130. The flexible substrate 120 may be a transparent or opaque organic polymeric material, such as polyimide (PI), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the flexible substrate 120 may also include an adhesive material, but this is not a limitation of the invention. The flexible substrate 120 may also include, for example, thin glass, or any suitable material. The display layer 130 may include any type of display medium, such as liquid crystal, fluorescence, phosphorescence, light-emitting diode, other suitable display media, or combinations thereof, but this is not a limitation of the invention. The display layer 130 may include multiple light-emitting units 139, which may be organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), micro light-emitting diodes (micro-LEDs), sub-millimeter light-emitting diodes (mini-LEDs), quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QDLEDs), nanowire light-emitting diodes (nano wire LEDs), or bar-type light-emitting diodes, but are not limited thereto. The type of light-emitting diode is not limited; for example, it may be a flip-chip type light-emitting diode or a vertical type light-emitting diode, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0028] The electronic device 100 of the present invention can be a flexible electronic device, and can be bent using the bending axis 109 as the axis, such as... Figure 1 As shown. Here, "flexible" means that the electronic device can be curved, bent, folded, rolled, flexible, stretched, and / or otherwise deformed; hereinafter, "bent" refers to the aforementioned deformations. Electronic device 100 may include a display device, an antenna device, a sensing device, or a splicing device, but the present invention is not limited thereto. An antenna device may be, for example, a liquid crystal antenna. A splicing device may be, for example, a display splicing device or an antenna splicing device. It should be noted that the electronic device can be any of the aforementioned arrangements and combinations, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0029] In the following, the flexible display device is taken as an example to illustrate the present application, i.e., the electronic device described in the following can be a display device with flexible function, but the present application is not limited thereto. As shown in Figure 1 , the electronic device 100 is bent with the bending axis 109 as the center. As shown in Figure 2 , the electronic device 100 can be bent along a first direction D1, and the first direction D1 is parallel to the bending axis 109. The pattern layer 110 can include a plurality of conductive patterns 111, and the plurality of conductive patterns 111 can overlap at least part of the plurality of light emitting units 139. The conductive patterns 111 can include metal. For example, the conductive patterns 111 can be gold (Au), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta), niobium (Nb), hafnium (Hf), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), zirconium (Zr), tungsten (W), an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof, but the present application is not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, the plurality of conductive patterns 111 is made of a material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, tin, copper, aluminum, and a combination thereof. The plurality of conductive patterns 111 can be made by imprinting, deposition, coating, or other suitable methods, but the present application is not limited thereto. At least part of the plurality of conductive patterns 111 can be periodically arranged, and can be parallel to each other and can extend along a second direction D2. According to some embodiments, the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 can have an included angle of not more than 30 degrees. According to some embodiments, referring to Figure 2 , the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 can be parallel, and the included angle θ between the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 can be 0 degrees. According to some embodiments, the included angle θ between the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 can be greater than 0 degrees, as shown in Figure 3 , that is, the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 can not be parallel to each other.

[0030] Next, the relationship between the maximum stress of the flexible display device and the included angle θ when the flexible display device is bent is simulated using a finite element model. For example, a software (MSC.MARC, Node: 713504, Element: 590280) can be used for simulation. The boundary conditions of the simulation are that the plurality of conductive patterns 111 can be, for example, aluminum conductive patterns with a height of 0.634 micrometers (μm), the flexible substrate 120 can be, for example, a polyimide film with a thickness of 1.5 micrometers, and the curvature radius of the flexible display device generated by bending is 1 millimeter, but the present application is not limited thereto. Figure 4The diagram illustrates the relationship between the angle θ between the extension direction of multiple conductive patterns and the bending direction axis when a flexible substrate is subjected to simulated bending. For example... Figure 4 The angle θ between the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 was changed, and the maximum stress experienced by the flexible display device was analyzed. The simulation results are as follows: Figure 5 As shown in Table 1.

[0031] Table 1

[0032] Angle θ 0 degrees 10 degrees 20 degrees 22.5 degrees 30 degrees 45 degrees 60 degrees 90 degrees Maximum stress (MPa) 23.98 25.34 29.57 32.45 39.23 55.00 70.15 83.75

[0033] from Figure 5 As shown in Table 1, when the angle θ between the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 is between 0 degrees and 22.5 degrees, the maximum stress on the conductive pattern increases with the increase of angle θ, but the increase in maximum stress is relatively gradual. On the other hand, when the angle θ is between 30 degrees and 60 degrees, the maximum stress on the conductive pattern also increases with the increase of angle θ, but the increase in maximum stress is higher.

[0034] Next, a bending test was used to measure the reliability of the flexible display device when the aforementioned conductive patterns and the flexible substrate were bent to a radius of curvature of 1 mm. The results were analyzed. The flexible display device could be examined using a microscope. After 100,000 folds, Table 2 shows the measured reliability results of the flexible display device at different angles θ.

[0035] Table 2

[0036]

[0037] As shown in Table 2, when the angle θ between the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 is not greater than 30 degrees, the conductive pattern can pass the bending test.

[0038] According to some embodiments, the angle θ between the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 is designed to be no greater than 30 degrees. According to some embodiments, the angle θ between the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 is designed to be no greater than 22.5 degrees. Through the design of these embodiments, when the flexible display device is bent, the flexible display device and the multiple conductive patterns can be subjected to relatively small bending stress. In this way, it can be avoided that the conductive patterns 111 are subjected to excessive stress, causing breakage or peeling, which would cause malfunction of the flexible display device and the conductive patterns. When the flexible electronic device has a display function, the angle design according to the above embodiments can also avoid the probability of display abnormality problems caused by bending stress, so that the flexible display device can still display normally when bent.

[0039] Please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6In an embodiment of the second embodiment of the electronic device of the present application, a partial top view of the conductive pattern 111 is shown. A metal with good ductility can be used in the plurality of conductive patterns 111 to reduce the probability of breakage of the plurality of conductive patterns 111 during the bending process.

[0040] In Example (I), the conductive pattern 111 can have a straight line shape with substantially smooth two side edges. In Example (II), the conductive pattern 111 can be composed of a plurality of portions, such as a portion PI having a shape close to a rectangle or a square, a portion P2 having a shape close to a spiral, and a portion P3 having a shape close to a long strip or a long rectangle, which can be arranged in an interleaved manner, such as one portion P2 arranged between two portions PI and two portions PI arranged between two portions P3. In Example (III), the conductive pattern 111 can be composed of a plurality of portions having different shapes, such as a portion P4 having a shape close to a triangle, a portion P6 having a shape close to a triangle, and a portion P5 having a shape close to a rhombus or an inclined rectangle, wherein the apex of the portion P4 is directed to the right and is located on the right side of the portion P5, the apex of the portion P6 is directed to the left and is located on the left side of the portion P5, and the portion P5 is located between the portion P4 and the portion P6. In Example (IV), the apex of the portion P4 is directed to the right and is located on the left side of the portion P5, the apex of the portion P6 is directed to the left and is located on the right side of the portion P5, and the portion P5 is located between the portion P4 and the portion P6. In Example (V), the conductive pattern 111 can be composed of a plurality of portions having different shapes, such as a portion P7 having a shape close to a pie chart, a portion P8 having a shape close to an ellipse, and a portion P9 having a shape close to a long ellipse, wherein the portion P7 can be located between two or more adjacent portions P8, and the portion P8 can be located between two or more adjacent portions P9. The conductive pattern 111 of the present application is not limited to Figure 6 As shown, any suitable pattern design can be applied to the conductive pattern of the present application. The pitch, width, and line spacing of the conductive pattern of the present application can be designed as required, such as in an electronic device, the conductive pattern can have the same pitch, but the line width and / or line spacing are not completely the same. In another embodiment, the pitch, line width, and / or line spacing of the conductive pattern can all be different.

[0041] Please refer to Figure 7A , Figure 7A In another embodiment of the second embodiment of the electronic device of the present application, in Example (I), the cross-sectional shape of the conductive pattern 111 with a double-layer structure is shown. Figure 7A In another embodiment of the second embodiment of the electronic device of the present application, in Example (I), the cross-sectional shape of the conductive pattern 111 with a double-layer structure is shown. Figure 6 In another embodiment of the second embodiment of the electronic device of the present application, in Example (I), the cross-sectional shape of the conductive pattern 111 with a double-layer structure is shown. Figure 7AAs shown, the conductive pattern 111 is disposed on a surface 120S of the flexible substrate 120. Along a third direction D3 perpendicular to the surface 120S of the flexible substrate 120, there can be other film layers (not shown) between the flexible substrate 120 and the conductive pattern 111. These other film layers can include circuit layers, light-emitting layers, encapsulation layers, functional layers, and insulating layers, but the present application is not limited thereto. Some of these other film layers are shown in Figure 8 and Figure 11 . According to the present application, the conductive pattern 111 can have a composite structure, for example, the conductive pattern 111 can have a bilayer structure or a multilayer structure. The conductive pattern 111 can have a trapezoidal structure with a bottom surface larger than a top surface, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0042] According to some embodiments, as shown in Figure 7A , the bilayer structure of the conductive pattern 111 can include a first conductive layer BSP1 and a second conductive layer BSP2 disposed in sequence on the surface 120S of the flexible substrate 120, and the second conductive layer BSP2 can be disposed on the first conductive layer BSP1, but the present application is not limited thereto. The first conductive layer BSP1 has a thickness Th1, and the second conductive layer BSP2 has a thickness Th2, which can be different from the thickness Th1, for example, the thickness Th2 can be greater than the thickness Th1, but the present application is not limited thereto. The thickness of the conductive pattern 111 is the thickness (or height) along the third direction D3, which is a direction perpendicular to the surface 120S of the flexible substrate 120. In Figure 6 , the line width of the conductive pattern 111 is represented by the symbol Th4, which is the width of the conductive pattern 111 along a fourth direction D4, which is a direction parallel to the surface 120S of the flexible substrate 120. In some embodiments, the ratio of the total thickness Th3 of the conductive pattern to the maximum line width Th4 of the composite structure can be greater than or equal to 0.2 and less than or equal to 15. For example, the first conductive layer BSP1 can be selected to include a material such as titanium or molybdenum having better adhesion, and the second conductive layer BSP2 can be selected to include a material such as aluminum or copper having better wire extension, but the present application is not limited thereto. At least one of the conductive patterns 111 can have an appropriate height / width ratio. The conductive pattern 111 has a total thickness Th3 (or height of the conductive pattern) along the third direction D3 and has a line width (or width) Th4 along the fourth direction D4, where the ratio of the height to the width (referred to as the height / width ratio) can be greater than or equal to 0.2 and less than or equal to 15, according to some embodiments, can be greater than or equal to 5 and less than or equal to 15, according to some embodiments, can be greater than or equal to 0.2 and less than or equal to 2.

[0043] Please continue to refer to Figure 7B , which shows that in Example (II), the conductive pattern 111 has a trapezoidal structure along theFigure 6 (II) is a partial cross-sectional view of the tangent CD. In example (II), the conductive pattern 111 may include a three-layer structure, such as a first conductive layer BSP1, a second conductive layer BSP2, and a third conductive layer BSP3 sequentially disposed on the flexible substrate 120. The first conductive layer BSP1, the second conductive layer BSP2, and the third conductive layer BSP3 together form an opening Bso exposing the substrate 121. At least a portion of the conductive pattern 111 may include a plurality of openings Bso formed thereon. The openings Bso may have a trapezoidal side shape, but the invention is not limited thereto. The thickness of the second conductive layer BSP2 may be greater than the thickness Th1 of the first conductive layer BSP1, and / or the thickness Th2 of the second conductive layer BSP2 may be greater than the thickness Th5 of the third conductive layer BSP3, but the invention is not limited thereto. At least one of the conductive patterns 111 may have a suitable height / width ratio. The conductive pattern 111 includes a total thickness / height Th3 in the third direction D3, and a width Th4 (refer to...). Figure 7A The height-to-width ratio can be greater than or equal to 5 and less than or equal to 15. For example, the first conductive layer BSP1 and the third conductive layer BSP3 can be made of materials with good adhesion, such as titanium or molybdenum, and the second conductive layer BSP2 can be made of materials with good wire ductility, such as aluminum or copper, but are not limited thereto.

[0044] Figure 7C In illustration example (III), the conductive pattern 111 is along... Figure 6 (II) is a partial cross-sectional view along the tangent EF. The conductive pattern 111 may include a first conductive layer BSP1, a second conductive layer BSP2, and a third conductive layer BSP3 sequentially disposed on the flexible substrate 120. The conductive pattern 111 may include a surface BSa with undulations, for example, the first conductive layer BSP1 and the second conductive layer BSP2 together form multiple recesses BSb, thus the third conductive layer BSP3 disposed on the second conductive layer BSP2 forms an uneven surface BSa. In other words, the three-layer composite structure of the conductive pattern 111 includes at least two thicknesses, hp1 and hp2, where the maximum thickness hp1 corresponds to the maximum linewidth Th4 of the conductive pattern 111 (refer to...). Figure 7A The ratio of ) can be greater than or equal to 0.2 and less than or equal to 15, but the invention is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the conductive pattern may also be, for example, a multilayer structure, and the multilayer structure includes at least two or more thicknesses, but is not limited thereto.

[0045] The plurality of conductive patterns 111 can have different functions to serve as different functional elements. According to some embodiments, the plurality of conductive patterns 111 can serve as a polarizer layer, an electrode layer, an anti-reflection layer, a wiring layer, or a combination thereof. For example, the polarizer layer can be a wire grid polarizer (WGP). For example, the electrode layer can be a privacy electrode layer. For example, the wiring layer can be a signal line layer or a power line layer. According to some embodiments, by properly designing the angle between the bending direction (the first direction D1) of the electronic device and the extending direction (the second direction D2) of the conductive patterns, the breakage or peeling of the conductive patterns caused by excessive stress when the electronic device is bent can be avoided. In this way, even when the electronic device is in a bent state, the functions of the conductive patterns can be maintained, and the good display function of the electronic device can be maintained.

[0046] Please refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of an electronic device 103. For example, the electronic device 103 can include a flexible substrate 120, a display layer 130, an encapsulation layer 140, a plurality of conductive patterns 111, a functional layer 150, and a cover layer 160, but is not limited thereto. The display layer 130 can be disposed on the flexible substrate 120, and the display layer can include a plurality of light emitting units 139, such as light emitting diodes. The light emitting diodes can include, for example, flip-chip light emitting diodes. One light emitting unit 139 can include a first electrode 134, a second electrode 135, a first semiconductor layer 136, a light emitting layer 137, and a second semiconductor layer 138. The light emitting layer 137 can be, for example, but is not limited to, a multiple quantum well (MQW) layer. The first electrode 134 can be electrically connected to a shared electrode through a bonding pad 133'. A driving element STE can be electrically connected to the light emitting unit 139. In addition, according to some embodiments, the driving element STE can be a thin film transistor that can include a gate electrode GE, a source electrode SE, a drain electrode DE, and a semiconductor layer SC, in which the source electrode SE and the drain electrode DE are respectively electrically connected to the semiconductor layer SC, and an insulating layer IN is disposed between the gate electrode GE and the semiconductor layer SC. The source electrode SE can be electrically connected to a signal line, for example. The drain electrode DE can be electrically connected to the bonding pad 133' or to a connection layer electrically connected to the corresponding light emitting unit 139. The semiconductor layer SC can be formed of a semiconductor material, such as silicon, or a metal oxide, but is not limited thereto. For example, the semiconductor layer SC can be an amorphous silicon layer, a polysilicon layer, or an indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) layer. The gate electrode GE, the source electrode SE, and the drain electrode DE can be formed of a conductive material, such as a metal, and can be the same or different materials, but are not limited thereto.

[0047] Further, an encapsulation layer 140 can be disposed on the display layer 130. The encapsulation layer 140 can provide protection, encapsulation, and / or planarization for the display layer 130, but the present application is not limited thereto. The encapsulation layer 140 can be an inorganic layer, an organic layer, or a combination thereof. For example, the encapsulation layer 140 can be a multi-layer structure, which can include an inorganic layer, an organic layer, and an inorganic layer.

[0048] A plurality of conductive patterns 111 can be disposed on the encapsulation layer 140, between the encapsulation layer 140 and the functional layer 150. The plurality of conductive patterns 111 can act as a polarizing layer 510. For example, the plurality of conductive patterns 111 can include a plurality of wire grid polarizing elements, and thus act as a wire grid polarizing layer. The plurality of conductive patterns 111 disposed on the plurality of light emitting units 139 can overlap at least a portion of the plurality of light emitting units 139, and thus can polarize light emitted from the plurality of light emitting units 139. Figure 3 Or Figure 2 The plurality of conductive patterns 111 are illustrated as extending in the second direction D2.

[0049] The functional layer 150 can be disposed on the encapsulation layer 140 to increase the functionality of the electronic device 103. For example, the functional layer 150 can be a privacy sheet, which can be disposed partially in the electronic device 103, such that the electronic device 103 can have a narrow viewing angle display function, but the present application is not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, the functional layer 150 can provide an optical function. The functional layer 150 can optionally further have a cover layer 160 disposed thereon. The cover layer 160 can be a transparent cover layer, which can be an insulating material, and can include glass or an organic material, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 9 , Figure 9 FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the electronic device 103 of the present application when bent. The electronic device 103 of the present application can include the pattern layer 110, the display layer 130, and the flexible substrate 120. As previously described, the pattern layer 110 can include the plurality of conductive patterns 111, which will not be described again here. The flexible substrate 120 can be divided into a first flat region 131, a bending region 133, and a second flat region 132. The bending region 133 can be located between the first flat region 131 and the second flat region 132. According to some embodiments, the first flat region 131 and the second flat region 132 are not necessarily completely flat, but are relatively flat compared to the bending region 133. The pattern layer 110 can be disposed on the flexible substrate 120, and can be disposed in the regions of the first flat region 131, the bending region 133, and the second flat region 132. The electronic device 103 can be bent about the bending axis 109 as the center of bending, and the bending axis 109 can be located outside the electronic device 103 of the present application. In the state of the electronic device 103 after being bent, the plurality of conductive patterns 111 disposed on the display layer 130 can be disposed on the first flat region 131, the bending region 133, and the second flat region 132. Figure 9As shown, any two highest points 103T in the bending region 133 of the electronic device 103 are found and connected to form a line 234. The line 234 can define a direction, which is the bending direction (first direction D1) of the electronic device 103. The first direction D1 is parallel to the bending axis 109.

[0051] Referring to Figure 10 , Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a fifth embodiment of the electronic device 104 when being bent. For simplicity, only the flexible substrate 120 and the plurality of conductive patterns 111 are shown. In detail, the electronic device 104 can be rolled. The entire electronic device 104 can be rolled, so the entire electronic device 104 can be a bending region (or a rolling region) 133. As shown, Figure 10 the electronic device 104 can be rolled along a bending axis 109 parallel to the first direction D1 as shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3 . The bending axis 109 is outside the electronic device 104, so the entire rolling region 133 of the electronic device 104 is rolled around the bending axis 109. When being rolled, the rolling region 133 is rolled, so the entire electronic device 104 can be subjected to bending stress. The plurality of conductive patterns 111 extends along a second direction D2 as shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3 . According to some embodiments, the bending angle θ between the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 can be designed to be no more than 30 degrees, for example, to be greater than 22.5 degrees. In this way, the plurality of conductive patterns 111 in the rolling region 133 can be subjected to relatively small bending stress.

[0052] Referring to Figure 11 , Figure 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of a sixth embodiment of the electronic device 105. For example, the electronic device 105 can include a flexible substrate 120, a display layer 130, and a plurality of conductive patterns 111. The display layer 130 can include a circuit layer 170 and a light-emitting layer 137. The light-emitting layer 137 can include a plurality of light-emitting units 139. The plurality of conductive patterns 111 can be disposed on the flexible substrate 120 and can constitute a polarizing layer 510. The plurality of conductive patterns 111 can overlap at least part of the plurality of light-emitting units 139. The electronic device 105 can be bent with the bending axis 109 as the center. That is, the electronic device 105 can be bent along a first direction D1, and the first direction D1 is parallel to the bending axis 109. The plurality of conductive patterns 111 can be arranged as shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3As shown, it extends along the second direction D2. Multiple conductive patterns 111 can serve as a polarization layer 510. For example, the multiple conductive patterns 111 may include multiple wire grid polarization elements, serving as a wire grid polarization layer 510.

[0053] According to some embodiments, the flexible substrate 120 can be attached to the surface of a support film 123 via a support adhesive 124, such that the flexible substrate 120, the support adhesive 124, and the support film 123 constitute a substrate structure 500. A buffer layer 125 can be disposed between the flexible substrate 120 and the display layer 130. The buffer layer 125 may include, for example, an oxide layer, a nitride layer, or other suitable insulating layer, but the present invention is not limited thereto. A circuit layer 170 can be disposed on the buffer layer 125. The circuit layer 170 may include electronic components. Electronic components include, for example, wires, driving elements, switching elements, reset elements, compensation elements, operation control elements, capacitors, or combinations thereof. For example, the circuit layer 170 includes a plurality of driving elements STE arranged in an array. Figure 11 The driving element STE in this invention is represented by a thin-film transistor, but the invention is not limited thereto. A driving element STE can be electrically connected to a corresponding light-emitting unit 139 via a drain DE to drive the light-emitting unit 139. Specifically, the drain DE can be directly connected to the first electrode 181 of the light-emitting unit 139. Furthermore, a dielectric layer 188 can be disposed between the first electrode 181 of the light-emitting unit 139 and the conductive layer forming the source electrode SE and the drain electrode DE. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, Figure 11 The construction of the drive element STE in the middle can be similar to that of the drive element STE in the middle. Figure 8 The STE structure of the driving element shown will not be described in detail here. In this embodiment, the driving element STE can be a top-gate type thin film transistor (TFT), but is not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, a bottom-gate type thin film transistor or other suitable electronic components can be used, and in flexible display devices, the thin film transistor structure is not limited to only one type.

[0054] The light emitting layer 137 includes a plurality of light emitting units 139, and each driving element STE can be electrically connected to a corresponding light emitting unit 139 to drive the corresponding light emitting unit 139. For example, the light emitting unit 139 can include a first electrode 181, a second electrode 182, and a display medium layer 183 disposed between the first electrode 181 and the second electrode 182. For example, the first electrode 181 can be an anode of the light emitting unit 139, and the second electrode 182 can be a cathode of the light emitting unit 139, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. A light emitting region of each light emitting unit 139 can be defined by an insulating layer 184 as a pixel defining layer (PDL). The display medium layer 183 can include one or more layers of emissive material, and the emissive material can be organic or inorganic. For example, the display medium layer 183 can be an organic light emitting layer. In some embodiments, different light emitting units 139 can be fabricated with different materials to emit different colors of light, such as red, green, and blue. In some embodiments, the display medium layers 183 of different light emitting units 139 can be fabricated with the same material to emit the same color of light. The first electrode 181 and the second electrode 182 can include metal or transparent conductive material, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The metal material of the electrodes can include, for example, magnesium, calcium, aluminum, silver, tungsten, copper, nickel, chromium, or a combination thereof, or an alloy of one or more of the above materials, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The transparent conductive material can include, for example, indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, zinc oxide, or indium oxide, or a combination thereof, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. In addition, the surface of the light emitting unit 139 can be covered with an insulating layer 185 as a protective layer. In some embodiments, the display medium layer 183 can be, for example, a liquid crystal material, and in other embodiments, the flexible display device can further include a color filter layer (not shown) and a black matrix (not shown) disposed on the light emitting unit 139, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0055] The encapsulation layer 140 can be disposed on the display layer 130. The first encapsulation layer 141 and the second encapsulation layer 142 can provide protection, encapsulation and / or planarization for the display layer 130, and can include organic materials, inorganic materials, permutations and combinations of the foregoing, or mixtures thereof, but the present application is not limited thereto. For example, the first encapsulation layer 141 and the second encapsulation layer 142 can be a multi-layer structure including an inorganic layer, an organic layer, and an inorganic layer. In some embodiments, the first encapsulation layer 141 and the second encapsulation layer 142 can be replaced by another flexible substrate (not shown in the figure), on which a color filter layer or a black matrix can be disposed, but the present application is not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, the electronic device 105 can include a phase delay layer 144, a functional layer 150, and a cover layer 160. The phase delay layer 144 can be disposed on the first encapsulation layer 141, the functional layer 150 can be disposed on the phase delay layer 144, and the cover layer 160 can be disposed on the functional layer 150. The conductive pattern 111 can be disposed between the functional layer 150 and the phase delay layer 144. The phase delay layer 144 together with the wire grid polarizing layer 510 can have an anti-reflection function.

[0056] On the other hand, according to some embodiments, the flexible display device 105 can also have a touch function, for example, selectively including a touch layer 143, but the present application is not limited thereto. The touch layer 143 can be disposed on the first encapsulation layer 141. The second encapsulation layer 142 can be disposed on the touch layer 143 to provide protection. The conductive pattern 111 can be located above the display layer 130 and the touch layer 143.

[0057] Please refer to Figure 12 , Figure 12 is a partial cross-sectional enlarged view of a sixth embodiment of the electronic device 105 of the present application. The plurality of conductive patterns 111 in the electronic device 105 of the present application can include wire grid polarizing elements. As shown in Figure 12 , the plurality of wire grid polarizing elements 111 are disposed on the flexible substrate 120 to form a polarizing layer 510. Between the flexible substrate 120 and the polarizing layer 510, there can be other film layers, for the sake of simplicity of description, Figure 12The film layers are not shown. The wire grid polarizing elements can have a tower shape, i.e., the wire grid polarizing elements 111 have a larger width on the surface 120S close to the flexible substrate 120 and a smaller width on the surface 120S away from the flexible substrate 120. The width of each wire grid polarizing element 111 at a position of H / 2 of the height H is defined as the half-height width w. Each adjacent wire grid polarizing element 111 can be separated by a proper pitch p. According to some embodiments, the wire grid polarizing elements 111 can be properly designed such that the half-height width ratio / pitch (w / p) can be between 0.2 and 0.5. A proper half-height width ratio / pitch can allow the conductive patterns to have a good polarizing effect and can reduce the influence between the conductive patterns when the electronic device 105 is bent or rolled. For example, Figure 12 The pitch p between the wire grid polarizing elements 111 can be between 200 nm and 300 nm and the half-height width w can be 80 nm, but the present application is not limited thereto. The tips of the wire grid polarizing elements 111 can also include rounded tips. According to some embodiments, the tips of the wire grid polarizing elements 111 can have a circular arc-shaped edge.

[0058] Please refer to Figure 13 , Figure 13 FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of a seventh embodiment of an electronic device 106 of the present application. Figure 13 The electronic device 106 can include a display layer 130 and the conductive patterns 111. The display layer 130 can include a plurality of light emitting units 139. The electronic device 106 can be bent along a first direction D1. The conductive patterns 111 overlap at least a portion of the light emitting units 139 and extend along a second direction D2. The second direction D2 is not parallel to the first direction D1. Figure 13 Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 . In detail, the light emitting units 139 can be disposed on a flexible substrate 120 to form a display panel 300. An electronically switchable layer 400 can be disposed on the display panel 300. The electronically switchable layer 400 can be, for example, a switchable privacy layer. The privacy layer 400 can include the conductive patterns 111 disposed on a substrate 160, a common electrode 151 disposed on a substrate 260, and an electronically switchable material 152 disposed between the conductive patterns 111 and the common electrode 151. The electronically switchable material 152 can be, for example, liquid crystal. The conductive patterns 111 can act as electrodes. By adjusting the voltage of the conductive patterns 111 and the common electrode 151, the optical state of the electronically switchable material 152 can be changed, so that the electronic device 106 can be in a sharing mode or a privacy mode. The optical state of the electronically switchable layer 400 can be switched by adjusting the voltage.

[0059] According to some embodiments, the electronic device 106 can be independently in the sharing mode or the privacy mode in different regions by adjusting the voltage of the electrodes in different regions. For example, referring to Figure 13 , the electronic device 106 can include a first region 161 and a second region 162. The voltage of the plurality of conductive patterns 111 in the first region 161 and the second region 162 can be controlled respectively to independently change the optical state of the electronically switchable material 152. For example, the first region 161 and the second region 162 can be independently in one of the narrow-view privacy mode or the wide-view sharing mode. In this way, the plurality of conductive patterns 111 can serve as privacy electrodes. The electronic device 106 of the present disclosure can be used as a dashboard or a windshield of a vehicle. According to some embodiments, as shown in Figure 13 , different voltages can be applied to the privacy electrodes 111 in the first region 161 and the second region 162, such that the first region 161 at the driver's seat is in the narrow-view privacy mode, and the second region 162 at the passenger's seat is in the wide-view sharing mode. According to some embodiments, the same voltage can be applied to the privacy electrodes 111 in the first region 161 and the second region 162, such that the first region 161 and the second region 162 are both in the privacy mode, and thus the user can be restricted from viewing the image of the first region 161 or the second region 162. Alternatively, according to some embodiments, the first region 161 and the second region 162 can both be in the wide-view sharing mode. According to some embodiments, the boundary between the first region 161 and the second region 162 can be misaligned with the first direction D1 of the bending (as shown in Figure 13 ), or according to some embodiments, the boundary between the first region 161 and the second region 162 can be aligned with the first direction D1 of the bending, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, the plurality of conductive patterns 111 overlap at least part of the plurality of light-emitting units 139, for example, as shown in Figure 13 , at least one conductive pattern 111 can partially overlap at least one light-emitting unit 139. According to some embodiments, one conductive pattern 111 can overlap two or more light-emitting units 139, and the overlap can be complete or partial. According to some embodiments, as shown in Figure 8 and Figure 11 , at least one conductive pattern 111 can completely overlap one light-emitting unit 139. According to some embodiments, two or more conductive patterns 111 can completely overlap one light-emitting unit 139. The number of conductive patterns 111 and the number of light-emitting units 139 can be different. For example, the density of the number of conductive patterns 111 and the density of the number of light-emitting units 139 can be different. For example, according to some embodiments, as shown in Figure 13 , the density of the number of conductive patterns 111 can be less than the density of the number of light-emitting units 139. According to some embodiments, as shown in Figure 8 and Figure 11 , the density of the number of conductive patterns 111 can be greater than the density of the number of light-emitting units 139.The density of the conductive patterns 111 can be greater than the density of the light-emitting units 139. The density can be the number of elements per unit length or the number of elements per unit area.

[0060] like Figure 13 As shown, multiple conductive patterns 111, serving as privacy electrodes, extend along a second direction D2, while the electronic device 106 is bent along a first direction D1. The privacy electrode 111 overlaps with at least a portion of the multiple light-emitting units 139. According to some embodiments, the angle between the extension direction D2 of the privacy electrode 111 and the bending direction D1 can be designed to be no greater than 30 degrees, and more specifically, no greater than 22.5 degrees. Thus, when the electronic device 106 is bent, both the electronic device 106 and the privacy electrode 111 can be subjected to relatively small bending stress. This avoids the privacy electrode 111 from being subjected to excessive stress, causing breakage or peeling and resulting in abnormal privacy function, and also avoids display abnormalities in the electronic device 106 due to stress. According to some embodiments, by appropriately designing the angle between the bending direction D1 of the electronic device and the extension direction D2 of the multiple conductive patterns, functional abnormalities caused by excessive stress during bending of the electronic device can be avoided.

[0061] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic device capable of bending along a first direction, characterized in that, include: A substrate structure, comprising: A supporting membrane; A support adhesive is disposed on the support membrane; and A flexible substrate is disposed on the support adhesive; Multiple light-emitting units are disposed on the substrate structure; An encapsulation layer is disposed on the plurality of light-emitting units; A buffer layer is disposed between the substrate structure and the display layer; Multiple conductive patterns, serving as electrode layers for privacy electrodes, are disposed on the encapsulation layer, overlapping at least a portion of the multiple light-emitting units, and extending along a second direction; and A touch layer is disposed between the plurality of light-emitting units and the plurality of conductive patterns. Wherein, the first direction and the second direction have an included angle of no more than 30 degrees; The plurality of conductive patterns include arc-shaped edges; One of the plurality of conductive patterns includes a bottom surface and a top surface, and in a cross-sectional view, the bottom surface is larger than the top surface; In the top view, a first portion of the plurality of conductive patterns has a different length from a second portion of the plurality of conductive patterns; Wherein, at least one of the plurality of conductive patterns is provided to be subjected to different voltages, such that one of the first area of ​​the electronic device and one of the second area of ​​the electronic device are in a privacy mode or a shared mode.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The included angle is no greater than 22.5 degrees.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of conductive patterns serve as a polarization layer.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of conductive patterns are made of a material from the group consisting of gold, silver, tin, copper, aluminum, and combinations of at least two of gold, silver, tin, copper, and aluminum.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, At least a portion of the plurality of conductive patterns includes a plurality of recesses formed thereon.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, At least a portion of the plurality of conductive patterns includes a plurality of openings formed thereon.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the plurality of conductive patterns includes a first layer and a second layer, the second layer being disposed on the first layer, and the thickness of the first layer being different from the thickness of the second layer.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of light-emitting units are disposed on a surface of the flexible substrate, and at least one of the plurality of conductive patterns includes a height along a third direction and a width along a fourth direction, wherein the third direction is a direction perpendicular to the surface of the flexible substrate, the fourth direction is a direction parallel to the surface of the flexible substrate, and wherein the ratio of the height to the width is greater than or equal to 0.2 and less than or equal to 15.

9. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of conductive patterns are formed by imprinting.

10. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an electronically switchable layer comprising the plurality of conductive patterns.

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