Electromagnetic wave emitting structure

Abstract

The application provides an electromagnetic wave emitting structure. The electromagnetic wave emitting structure comprises a substrate and a plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units. The substrate has a first flat portion and a bending portion connected to the first flat portion. The plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units are arranged on the substrate. Two adjacent electromagnetic wave emitting units in the plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units are arranged on the first flat portion and have a first pitch in a first direction parallel to the surface of the first flat portion. Another two adjacent electromagnetic wave emitting units in the plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units are arranged on the bending portion and have a second pitch in a second direction parallel to the surface of the bending portion, and the second pitch is different from the first pitch.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on April 8, 2020, with application number 202010267650.8 and title "Electronic Device". Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to an electromagnetic wave emitting structure, and more particularly to an electromagnetic wave emitting structure having a curved portion. Background Technology

[0003] In recent years, the operating areas (such as display areas and sensing areas) of many electronic devices have been extended to the sides and / or back. However, due to structural limitations, the traditional electromagnetic wave emitting structures (such as backlight modules) result in unsatisfactory functions or quality of the operating areas on the sides and / or back. Therefore, it is necessary to further modify the relevant designs to improve the functions or quality of the operating areas on the sides and / or back. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention provides an electromagnetic wave emitting structure. The electromagnetic wave emitting structure includes a substrate and a plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units. The substrate has a first flat portion and a bent portion connecting the first flat portion. The plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units are disposed on the substrate. Two adjacent electromagnetic wave emitting units are disposed on the first flat portion and have a first pitch in a first direction parallel to the surface of the first flat portion. Another two adjacent electromagnetic wave emitting units are disposed on the bent portion and have a second pitch in a second direction parallel to the surface of the bent portion, and the second pitch is different from the first pitch. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0006] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of an electromagnetic wave emitting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0007] Figure 3 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of an electronic device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] Figure 4 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of an electronic device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 5 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of an electronic device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 6 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of an electronic device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 7 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of an electronic device according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 8 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 9 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the display effect of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 10-Panel; 11-First polarizing element; 12-First substrate; 13-Dielectric layer; 14-Second substrate; 15-Second polarizing element; 16-Attachment; 18-Supporting substrate; 20-Electromagnetic wave emitting structure; 21-Supporting member; 22-Substrate; 23-Electromagnetic wave emitting unit; 23A-First electromagnetic wave emitting unit; 23B-Second electromagnetic wave emitting unit; 24-Electromagnetic wave receiving unit; 24A-First electromagnetic wave receiving unit; 24B-Second electromagnetic wave receiving unit; 30-Functional layer; 80-Connection structure; 81-Conductive material; 82-Conductive pad; 83-Perforation structure; 91-First circuit structure; 92-Second circuit structure; 101-107-Electronic device; C11-Curved surface; C12-Curved surface; C21-Curved surface; D1-Horizontal direction; D2-Vertical direction Direction; DS1 - First distance; DS2 - Second distance; F11 - First plane; F12 - Second plane; F13 - Plane; F21 - First plane; F22 - Second plane; L1 - Extended plane; L1' - Extended plane; L2 - Extended plane; L2' - Extended plane; N1 - First normal direction; N2 - Second normal direction; NS - End portion; PC1 - First pitch; PC2 - Second pitch; R11 - First curved portion; R12 - Flat portion; R21 - Second curved portion; R22 - Flat portion; S1 - First surface; S2 - Second surface; S3 - Side; SE1 - Side edge; SE2 - Side edge; SS1 - Surface; SS2 - Surface; SS1' - First inner surface; SS2' - Second inner surface; TK1 - Thickness; TK1' - Thickness; TK2 - Thickness; TK3 - Thickness. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The present invention can be understood by referring to the following detailed description and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, for ease of understanding and to keep the drawings concise, many of the drawings in this invention only depict a portion of the electronic device, and specific components in the drawings are not drawn to scale. Furthermore, the number and size of each component in the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0016] Throughout this specification and claims, certain terms are used to refer to specific elements. Those skilled in the art will understand that electronic device manufacturers may use different names to refer to the same element. This document is not intended to distinguish between elements that have the same function but different names. In the following specification and claims, words such as "comprising," "containing," and "having" are open-ended terms and should therefore be interpreted as "containing but not limited to...". Thus, when the terms "comprising," "containing," and / or "having" are used in the description of this invention, they specify the presence of the corresponding feature, area, step, operation, and / or component, but do not exclude the presence of one or more of the corresponding feature, area, step, operation, and / or component.

[0017] The directional terms used herein, such as "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," and "right," are merely for reference to the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. In the accompanying drawings, the various figures illustrate general features of the methods, structures, and / or materials used in specific embodiments. However, these figures should not be construed as defining or limiting the scope or nature covered by these embodiments. For example, for clarity, the relative dimensions, thicknesses, and positions of various films, regions, and / or structures may be reduced or enlarged.

[0018] When a component (e.g., a membrane or element) is referred to as "set or formed on another component," it can be directly set or formed on another component, or there may be other components between them. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as "directly set or formed on another component," there are no components between them. Furthermore, when a component is referred to as "set or formed on another component," the two components have a vertical relationship in the planar view, and this component can be above or below the other component, depending on the orientation of the device.

[0019] It should be understood that when a component or membrane is referred to as being "connected to" another component or membrane, it can be directly connected to this other component or membrane, or there can be an intercalated component or membrane between them. When a component is referred to as being "directly connected to" another component or membrane, there is no intercalated component or membrane between them. Additionally, when a component is referred to as being "coupled to another component (or a variant thereof)," it can be directly connected to this other component, or indirectly connected (e.g., electrically connected) to this other component through one or more components.

[0020] The terms “approximately,” “equal to,” “same,” “substantially,” or “roughly” are generally interpreted as being within 20% of a given value or range, or as being within 10%, 5%, 3%, 2%, 1%, or 0.5% of a given value or range.

[0021] The ordinal numbers used in the specification and claims, such as "first," "second," etc., to modify elements, do not in themselves imply or represent any prior ordinal number of that element (or those elements), nor do they represent the order of one element with another, or the order of manufacturing processes. The use of these ordinal numbers is solely to clearly distinguish one named element from another element with the same name. The claims and specification may not use the same terminology; therefore, a first element in the specification may be a second element in the claims.

[0022] It should be understood that the features described below can be replaced, recombined, or mixed in several different embodiments to complete other embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention. Features between embodiments can be arbitrarily mixed and combined as long as they do not violate the spirit of the invention or conflict with it.

[0023] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of an electronic device 101 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment provides an electronic device 101, which includes a panel 10 and an electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20. The panel 10 has a first curved portion R11 and a flat portion R12 adjacent to the first curved portion R11. The electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20 has a second curved portion R21 and a flat portion R22 adjacent to the second curved portion R21, the second curved portion R21 corresponding to the first curved portion R11. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20 includes a substrate 22 and a plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units 23. The plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units 23 are disposed on the substrate 22, and at least one of the plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units 23 is disposed in the second curved portion R21. The description or definition of the first curved portion R11, the flat portion R12, the second curved portion R21, and the flat portion R22 will be explained in detail later.

[0024] In some embodiments, the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20 may further include a support member 21 attached to the substrate 22, which can be used to support the substrate 22. In some embodiments, the stiffness or Young's modulus of the support member 21 may be greater than that of the substrate 22. For example, the substrate 22 may include a flexible substrate, and the support member 21 may include a rigid substrate, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the substrate 22 may include a polymer material, such as polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), other suitable flexible materials, or combinations thereof, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the support member 21 may include glass, ceramic, other suitable materials, or combinations thereof, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the support member 21 or the substrate 22 may include a single-layer structure or a composite structure. In some embodiments, the thickness (not shown) of the support member 21 may be greater than the thickness TK2 of the substrate 22. In some embodiments, the support member 21 may selectively include a light-guiding material and / or a reflective material, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the support member 21 may have opposing first surfaces S1 and second surfaces S2, and a side surface S3 connecting the first surface S1 and the second surface S2. In some embodiments, the substrate 22 is disposed on the support member 21 (e.g., the first surface S1) and extends and bends onto the support member 21 (e.g., the second surface S2), but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, a portion of the substrate 22 may contact the first surface S1 and / or the second surface S2, but not the side surface S3.

[0025] Please refer to Figure 1In some embodiments, the flat portion R22 of the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20 is, for example, generally parallel to and extends along the horizontal direction D1. Specifically, a portion of the substrate 22 disposed on the first surface S1 may have a surface SS1 (the surface of the substrate 22 adjacent to the support member 21), and surface SS1 is generally parallel to the horizontal direction D1. An extending plane L1 extends from surface SS1. Additionally, a portion of the substrate 22 disposed on the second surface S2 may have a surface SS2 (the surface of the substrate 22 adjacent to the support member 21), and surface SS2 is generally parallel to the horizontal direction D1. An extending plane L2 extends from surface SS2. It should be noted that portions of the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20 that are not parallel to and offset from the aforementioned extending planes L1 and / or L2 can be defined as the second curved portion R21, while portions of the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20 that are parallel to and not offset from the extending planes L1 and / or L2 can be defined as the flat portion R22. It should be noted that the above example uses surfaces SS1 and SS2 of substrate 22 to obtain the extension planes L1 and L2 respectively, and defines the second curved portion R21 and the flat portion R22 in the above manner, but is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, extension planes (not shown) similar to the above-described extension planes L1 and L2 can be defined based on the inner surface of the layer with the smallest bending curvature among all the layers included in the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20. The portion of the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20 that is not parallel to and offset from these extension planes can be defined as the second curved portion R21, and the portion of the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20 that is parallel to and not offset from these extension planes can be defined as the flat portion R22. In other words, a portion of substrate 22 and support member 21 can be located in the flat portion R22, and a portion of substrate 22 can be located in the second curved portion R21. In some embodiments, the portion of substrate 22 located in the flat portion R22 can be located on the first surface S1 of support member 21, and may even selectively extend beyond the first surface S1, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, a portion of the substrate 22 located in the flat portion R22 may be located on the second surface S2 of the support member 21, or may even selectively extend beyond the second surface S2, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, a portion of the substrate 22 located in the second curved portion R21 may be connected to portions of the substrate 22 located on the first surface S1 and portions of the substrate 22 located on the second surface S2, respectively, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20 may further include a driving element (not shown) or a wire (not shown) disposed on the substrate 22, the driving element or wire being selectively electrically connected to the electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23, thereby driving or controlling the electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23. In other embodiments, other layers may be selectively inserted between the support member 21 and the substrate 22.

[0026] Please refer to Figure 1In some embodiments, the panel 10 has a first substrate 12, a second substrate 14, and a dielectric layer 13 disposed between the first substrate 12 and the second substrate 14. The first substrate 12 may be disposed between the dielectric layer 13 (e.g., liquid crystal material, electrochromic (EC) material, but not limited thereto) and the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the panel 10 may include a liquid crystal cell structure. In some embodiments, the electronic device may be regarded as a liquid crystal antenna device. In some embodiments, the panel 10 may include a display device (e.g., a display liquid crystal cell), and the plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units 23 may be light emitting units, but is not limited thereto. The light emitting units 23 described above may include mini-LEDs, micro-LEDs, quantum dot LEDs (QD-LEDs, QLEDs), phosphorescent materials, fluorescent materials, quantum dot materials, other suitable light emitting structures, or combinations thereof, but are not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic wave emitting units 23 may be encapsulated by different encapsulation materials; in other words, an encapsulation layer may be located on or cover one electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23, but this is not a limitation. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic wave emitting units 23 may be encapsulated by a single encapsulation layer (not shown) simultaneously on multiple electromagnetic wave emitting units 23. In other words, an encapsulation layer may be located on or cover multiple electromagnetic wave emitting units 23, but this is not a limitation.

[0027] Please refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, panel 10 may further include driving elements (not shown) or circuitry (not shown), but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, panel 10 may further include a color filter layer (not shown) or a shielding layer (not shown) disposed between the first substrate 12 and the second substrate 14, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, panel 10 may include a first polarizing element 11 and / or a second polarizing element 15. In some embodiments, the first polarizing element 11 may be disposed between the first substrate 12 and the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20, and the second polarizing element 15 may be disposed on the side of the second substrate 14 away from the dielectric layer 13, but is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the positions of the first polarizing element 11 and / or the second polarizing element 15 may be varied as needed. The first substrate 12 and the second substrate 14 described above may each be a flexible substrate.

[0028] In some embodiments, as described above, panel 10 has a first curved portion R11 and a flat portion R12 adjacent to the first curved portion R11, the flat portion R12 extending, for example, parallel to the horizontal direction D1. In some embodiments, flat portion R22 is provided corresponding to flat portion R12, and second curved portion R21 is provided corresponding to first curved portion R11. Specifically, panel 10 has, for example, a first inner surface SS1' (e.g., the surface of the first polarizing element 11) adjacent to the first surface S1 of support member 21, the first inner surface SS1' being generally parallel to the horizontal direction D1, and an extension plane L1' extending from the first inner surface SS1'. Additionally, panel 10 has, for example, a second inner surface SS2' (e.g., the surface of the first polarizing element 11) adjacent to the second surface S2 of support member 21, the second inner surface SS2' extending generally parallel to the horizontal direction D1, and an extension plane L2' extending from the second inner surface SS2'. It should be noted that the portion of panel 10 that is not parallel to and offset from the aforementioned extending planes L1' and / or L2' can be defined as the first curved portion R11, while the portion of panel 10 that is parallel to and not offset from the extending planes L1' and / or L2' can be defined as the flat portion R12. It should also be noted that while the first inner surface SS1' and second inner surface SS2' of panel 10 are exemplified by the surface of the first polarizing element 11, they are not limited thereto. The first inner surface SS1' and second inner surface SS2' of panel 10 can be defined based on the inner surface of the layer with the smallest bending curvature among the layers included in the actual panel 10, forming an extending plane (not shown) similar to the aforementioned extending planes L1' and L2'. The portion of panel 10 that is not parallel to and offset from these extending planes can be defined as the first curved portion R11, while the portion of panel 10 that is parallel to and not offset from these extending planes can be defined as the flat portion R12.

[0029] Please refer to Figure 1In some embodiments, a portion of the first polarizing element 11, a portion of the first substrate 12, a portion of the dielectric layer 13, a portion of the second substrate 14, and / or a portion of the second polarizing element 15 in the panel 10 may be respectively disposed in the flat portion R12. In some embodiments, a portion of the first polarizing element 11, a portion of the first substrate 12, a portion of the dielectric layer 13, a portion of the second substrate 14, and / or a portion of the second polarizing element 15 in the panel 10 may be respectively disposed in the first curved portion R11. With the above design, the flat portion R12 and / or the first curved portion R11 of the panel 10 of the electronic device 101 can selectively perform functional operations (e.g., display, sensing, or other functional operations). In some embodiments, the first substrate 12 and / or the second substrate 14 may respectively comprise polymer materials such as polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), other suitable flexible materials, or combinations thereof, but are not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the thickness of the substrate 22, the first substrate 12, and / or the second substrate 14 may be adjusted according to actual needs (e.g., considering the manufacturing process or the degree of bending). In some embodiments, the thicknesses of substrate 22, first substrate 12 and second substrate 14 may be between 5 micrometers (µm) and 50 micrometers (5 µm ≤ thickness ≤ 50 µm), or between 10 micrometers and 40 micrometers (10 µm ≤ thickness ≤ 40 µm), but are not limited thereto.

[0030] Please refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the thickness of the first polarizing element 11 and / or the second polarizing element 15 may be between 50 micrometers and 500 micrometers (50 micrometers ≤ thickness ≤ 500 micrometers), or between 175 micrometers and 300 micrometers (175 micrometers ≤ thickness ≤ 300 micrometers), but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the panel 10 may further include an attachment 16 disposed between the first substrate 12 and the second substrate 14. The attachment 16 may, for example, surround the dielectric layer 13, and may include a sealant.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 2The diagram shows a partial cross-sectional view of an electromagnetic wave emitting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. In some embodiments, the flat portion R12 of the panel 10 may have a first plane F11 (e.g., the outer surface of a portion of the second polarizing element 15) and / or a second plane F12 (e.g., the outer surface of a portion of the second polarizing element 15), the first plane F11 being disposed adjacent to or corresponding to the first surface S1, and the second plane F12 being disposed adjacent to or corresponding to the second surface S2. In some embodiments, the first curved portion R11 may have a curved surface C11 connected to the first plane F11 and / or the second plane F12. Similarly, in some embodiments, the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20 may have a first plane F21 (e.g., the outer surface of a portion of the substrate 22) and / or a second plane F22 (e.g., the outer surface of a portion of the substrate 22), the first plane F21 being disposed adjacent to or corresponding to the first surface S1, and the second plane F22 being adjacent to or corresponding to the second surface S2. In some embodiments, the substrate 22 in the second curved portion R21 of the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20 may have a curved surface C21 connected to the first plane F21 and / or the second plane F22.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 2In some embodiments, a portion of the electromagnetic wave emitting units 23 may be disposed on the substrate 22 located in the flat portion R22, while another portion of the electromagnetic wave emitting units 23 may be disposed on the substrate 22 located in the second curved portion R21, but this is not limited to these embodiments. For example, the plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units 23 may include a plurality of first electromagnetic wave emitting units 23A and a plurality of second electromagnetic wave emitting units 23B. The plurality of first electromagnetic wave emitting units 23A may be disposed in the flat portion R22 (i.e., disposed on the substrate 22 located in the flat portion R22), while the plurality of second electromagnetic wave emitting units 23B may be disposed in the second curved portion R21 (i.e., disposed on the substrate 22 located in the second curved portion R21). In some embodiments, the plurality of first electromagnetic wave emitting units 23A may have a first pitch PC1, and the plurality of second electromagnetic wave emitting units 23B may have a second pitch PC2, and the second pitch PC2 may be the same as or different from the first pitch PC1. In some embodiments, the second pitch PC2 may be smaller than the first pitch PC1. The first pitch PC1 can be defined as the pitch between two adjacent first electromagnetic wave emitting units 23A on the first plane F21, and the second pitch PC2 can be defined as the pitch between two adjacent second electromagnetic wave emitting units 23B on the curved surface C21. In some embodiments, the first distance DS1 between two adjacent first electromagnetic wave emitting units 23A may be the same as or different from the second distance DS2 between two adjacent second electromagnetic wave emitting units 23B. The first distance DS1 can be defined as the shortest distance between two adjacent first electromagnetic wave emitting units 23A on the first plane F21, and the second distance DS2 can be defined as the shortest distance between two adjacent second electromagnetic wave emitting units 23B on the curved surface C21. In some embodiments, the second distance DS2 may be less than the first distance DS1, but is not limited thereto. In other embodiments (not shown), the plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units 23 may include a plurality of first electromagnetic wave emitting units 23A and at least one second electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23B. For example, when there is only one second electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23B, the second pitch PC2 can be defined as the pitch between this second electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23B and its adjacent first electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23A on a surface (the surface from the first plane F21 to the curved surface C21), and the second distance DS2 can be defined as the shortest distance between this second electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23B and its adjacent first electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23A on a surface (the surface from the first plane F21 to the curved surface C21). In other embodiments (not shown), the second pitch PC2 may also be greater than the first pitch PC1 as required by the design, or the second distance DS2 may be greater than the first distance DS1.

[0033] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2In some embodiments, the curved surface C11 of the first curved portion R11 can be considered as the light-emitting surface of the side of the electronic device 101, the first plane F11 of the flat portion R12 can be considered as the front light-emitting surface, and the second plane F12 of the flat portion R12 can be considered as the back light-emitting surface. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic waves generated or emitted by the second electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23B located in the second curved portion R21 can pass through the panel 10 and be emitted generally in the direction of the curved surface C11, and the electromagnetic waves generated or emitted by the first electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23A located in the flat portion R22 can pass through the panel 10 and be emitted generally in the direction of the first plane F11 and / or the second plane F12, but are not limited thereto. In some embodiments (such as Figure 2 The first electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23A may be disposed on the substrate 22 portion located on the first surface S1 and the substrate 22 portion located on the second surface S2, and the second electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23B may be disposed on the substrate 22 portion located in the second curved portion R21, so that the front, side and / or back side of the electronic device 101 can perform functional operations, but is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the second electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23B may, for example, not be disposed on the substrate 22 portion located on the second surface S2.

[0034] In some embodiments, the substrate 22, the first substrate 12, and the second substrate 14 may have the same or different thicknesses depending on the material and / or the degree of bending. For example, the radius of curvature of the substrate 22 in the second bending portion R21 is relatively smaller than the radius of curvature of the first substrate 12 and / or the second substrate 14 in the first bending portion R11. Therefore, the thickness TK2 of the substrate 22 may be designed to be smaller than the thickness TK1 of the first substrate 12 and / or the thickness TK1' of the second substrate 14 to facilitate the bending condition with a small radius of curvature, but this is not a limitation. In some embodiments, the thickness TK2 of the substrate 22 may be less than 30 micrometers, for example, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the thickness TK1 of the first substrate 12 and / or the thickness TK1' of the second substrate 14 may be between 5 micrometers (µm) and 50 micrometers (5 micrometers ≤ thickness 50 micrometers), or between 10 micrometers and 40 micrometers (10 micrometers ≤ thickness ≤ 40 micrometers), for example, but is not limited thereto.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 2In some embodiments, the substrate 22 can be bent and extended such that the end portion NS of the substrate 22 can be located on the second surface S2 of the support member 21. The first plane F11 of the substrate 22 located on the flat portion R22 can have a first normal direction N1, and the surface of the end portion NS of the substrate 22 can have a second normal direction N2. The angle between the first normal direction N1 and the second normal direction N2 can be greater than or equal to 90 degrees and less than or equal to 180 degrees, but is not limited thereto. As described above, when the end portion of the substrate 22 is located on the second surface S2, the angle between the first normal direction N1 and the second normal direction N2 can be approximately close to 180 degrees, but is not limited thereto.

[0036] In other embodiments (not shown), the end portion NS of substrate 22 may not extend onto the second surface S2, meaning the end portion NS of substrate 22 may be located within the second curved portion R21. As described above, when the end portion NS of substrate 22 is located within the second curved portion R21, the angle between the first normal direction N1 and the second normal direction N2 may be approximately greater than or equal to 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees, but is not limited thereto. In other words, substrate 22 is partially located within the flat portion R22 and partially within the second curved portion R21. The substrate 22 located in the flat portion R22 has a first normal direction N1, and the substrate 22 (end portion NS) located in the second curved portion R21 has a second normal direction N2, and the angle between the first normal direction N1 and the second normal direction N2 is greater than or equal to 90 degrees and less than or equal to 180 degrees. In other embodiments (not shown), the angle between the first normal direction N1 and the second normal direction N2 may be greater than or equal to 20 degrees and less than or equal to 90 degrees.

[0037] In some embodiments, a gap may be present between a portion of the substrate 22 located in the second bend R21 and the side surface S3 of the support member 21. Other materials (e.g., adhesive, not shown) may be selectively disposed in or filled into the gap to improve the adhesion or bonding between the substrate 22 in the second bend R21 and the support member 21. In some embodiments (not shown), other components (e.g., adhesive and / or spacers) may be disposed between the substrate 22 and the panel 10 to strengthen the bonding between the panel 10 and the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20, but are not limited thereto.

[0038] Please refer to Figure 1In some embodiments, the electronic device 101 may further include a first circuit structure 91 electrically connected to the panel 10. The first circuit structure 91 may be electrically connected to components (e.g., conductive pads, not shown) on the first substrate 12 and / or the second substrate 14. For example, the first circuit structure 91 may be disposed on the first substrate 12 away from the first surface S1 and electrically connected to components (e.g., conductive pads, not shown) on the first substrate 12, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the electronic device 101 may further include a second circuit structure 92 electrically connected to the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20 (e.g., electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23). For example, the second circuit structure 92 may be disposed on the substrate 22 and away from the first surface S1. In some embodiments, the first circuit structure 91 and / or the second circuit structure 92 may include a printed circuit board (PCB), a tape carrier package (TCP) structure, a chip-on-film (COF) structure, other suitable circuit structures, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the first circuit structure 91 and the second circuit structure 92 may partially overlap in the vertical direction D2 (or the normal direction of the support member 21). In some embodiments, viewed in the vertical direction D2 (the top view of the electronic device 101), the first circuit structure 91 and / or the second circuit structure 92 may overlap with the flat portion R12, for example, and the first circuit structure 91 and / or the second circuit structure 92 may be disposed adjacent to the second surface S2, for example, to reduce the functional impact of the first circuit structure 91 and / or the second circuit structure 92 on the electronic device 101 or to reduce its visual appearance observable by the user, but this is not a limitation. In some embodiments, the first circuit structure 91 and the second circuit structure 92 may be electrically connected to each other (e.g., through wiring and / or leads) as required by the design, but this is not a limitation.

[0039] The following description will focus on different embodiments of the present invention. For the sake of simplicity, the description will mainly focus on the different parts of each embodiment, and will not repeat the same parts. In addition, the same elements in the various embodiments of the present invention are identified by the same reference numerals to facilitate comparison between the embodiments. Features between the various embodiments can be arbitrarily combined and used as long as they do not violate the spirit of the invention or conflict with it.

[0040] Please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device 102 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3As shown, the electronic device 102 may further include a connection structure 80. The first circuit structure 91 can be electrically connected to the electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23 in the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20 through the connection structure 80 and the conductive pad (not shown) on the substrate 22. Therefore, the second circuit structure in the first embodiment can be omitted, but it is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the connection structure 80 may include a conductive material 81, such as metal, a transparent conductive layer, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the connection structure 80 may be formed by screen printing or other suitable methods, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the connection structure 80 may be partially disposed on the side SE1 of the substrate 22 and / or the side SE2 of the first substrate 12 and connected to the first circuit structure 91. The conductive material 81 may be, for example, a side conductive pattern, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the connection structure 80 may include multiple wires (not shown) for electrically connecting the first circuit structure 91 and the electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23. In some embodiments (not shown), other protective structures (not shown) may be selectively provided on the outside of the connection structure 80 to reduce the chance of the connection structure 80 being damaged or oxidized. The conductive material 81 in this embodiment may be required to be applied in other embodiments.

[0041] Please refer to Figure 4 . Figure 4 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device 103 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 As shown, in the electronic device 103, the connection structure 80 may include a conductive pad 82 and a through-hole structure 83. The conductive pad 82 may be disposed on the substrate 22, and the through-hole structure 83 may, for example, penetrate the first substrate 12 and / or the first polarizing element 11. The first circuit structure 91 is electrically connected to the conductive pad 82 through the through-hole structure 83. The conductive pad 82 is electrically connected, for example, to the electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23. In some embodiments (not shown), the placement position or size of the first polarizing element 11 may be adjusted as needed, so that the through-hole structure 83 can selectively connect the first circuit structure 91 and the conductive pad 82 without penetrating the first polarizing element 11. The conductive pad 82 and the through-hole structure 83 of this embodiment may be applied to other embodiments as needed.

[0042] Please refer to Figure 5 . Figure 5 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device 104 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5As shown, in the electronic device 104, the first polarizing element 11 may be disposed, for example, between the first substrate 12 and the dielectric layer 13, and the second polarizing element 15 may be disposed between the second substrate 14 and the dielectric layer 13, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the first polarizing element 11 and the second polarizing element 15 may each include a wire grid polarizer (WGP), but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the thickness of the first polarizing element 11 and / or the second polarizing element 15 may be, for example, less than 10 micrometers, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, at least one of the first polarizing element 11 and the second polarizing element 15 may be disposed between the dielectric layer 13 and the substrate of the panel 10 (e.g., the first substrate 12 or the second substrate 14). Furthermore, the structure and placement of the first polarizing element 11 and the second polarizing element 15 may also be applied to other embodiments of the present invention as needed for design purposes.

[0043] Please refer to Figure 6 . Figure 6 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device 105 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 As shown, the electronic device 105 may further include a functional layer 30 disposed between the panel 10 and the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20. In some embodiments, the functional layer 30 may include a diffuser, an adhesive layer, an encapsulation layer, a heat dissipation layer, a stress adjustment layer, a brightness enhancement film, a structure and / or material with other functions, or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the functional layer 30 may selectively contact or not contact the panel 10 and / or the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20. In other embodiments (not shown), the functional layer 30 may selectively protrude from or be recessed from the panel 10. Furthermore, the functional layer 30 of this embodiment may also be applied to other embodiments of the present invention as needed by the design.

[0044] Please refer to Figure 7 . Figure 7The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of an electronic device 106 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device 106 may be, for example, an antenna device (e.g., a liquid crystal antenna), but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the electronic device 106 may include a plurality of electromagnetic wave receiving units 24 disposed on a substrate 22 for receiving electromagnetic waves. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic wave receiving units 24 may be located between the support member 21 and the substrate 22. In other words, the electromagnetic wave receiving units 24 and the electromagnetic wave emitting units 23 may be located on different surfaces of the substrate 22, but are not limited thereto. In some embodiments (not shown), the electromagnetic wave receiving units 24 and the electromagnetic wave emitting units 23 may be located on the same surface of the substrate 22, but are not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic wave receiving units 24 and the electromagnetic wave emitting units 23 may be staggered. In other words, in the vertical direction D2, the electromagnetic wave receiving units 24 and the electromagnetic wave emitting units 23 do not overlap, reducing interference between them, but this is not a limitation. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic wave receiving unit 24 may include a plurality of first electromagnetic wave receiving units 24A and a plurality of second electromagnetic wave receiving units 24B. The plurality of first electromagnetic wave receiving units 24A are disposed in the flat portion R22, and the plurality of second electromagnetic wave receiving units 24B are disposed in the second curved portion R21. The pitch and minimum distance between two adjacent first electromagnetic wave receiving units 24A may be different from or the same as the pitch and minimum distance between two adjacent second electromagnetic wave receiving units 24B, depending on design requirements. The definition of the pitch and / or minimum distance between the first electromagnetic wave receiving units 24A described above may be similar to that of the first electromagnetic wave transmitting unit 23A described above, and the definition of the pitch and / or minimum distance between the second electromagnetic wave receiving units 24B may be similar to that of the second electromagnetic wave transmitting unit 23B described above, and therefore will not be repeated. In some embodiments, the pitch and / or minimum distance between two adjacent second electromagnetic wave receiving units 24B may be less than or greater than the pitch and / or minimum distance between two adjacent first electromagnetic wave receiving units 24A. In some embodiments, the panel 10 in the electronic device 106 may optionally include a support substrate 18, which may be disposed between the first substrate 12 and the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the material of the support substrate 18 may be different from the material of the first substrate 12. For example, the material of the support substrate 18 may include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and the material of the first substrate 12 may include polyimide (PI), but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the hardness and / or Young's coefficient of the support substrate 18 may be greater than the hardness and / or Young's coefficient of the first substrate 12 and / or the second substrate 14, providing a support effect. In some embodiments, the thickness TK3 of the support substrate 18 may be the same as or different from the thickness TK1 of the first substrate 12 and / or the thickness TK1' of the second substrate 14.In some embodiments, the thickness TK3 of the support substrate 18 may be greater than the thickness TK1 of the first substrate 12 and / or the thickness TK1' of the second substrate 14. In some embodiments, the thickness TK3 of the support substrate 18 may be greater than 100 micrometers, and the thickness TK1 of the first substrate 12 may be between 10 micrometers and 20 micrometers (10 micrometers ≤ thickness TK1 ≤ 20 micrometers), but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic wave receiving unit 24 and / or the electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23 may contact the support member 21 or may be bonded or attached to the support member 21 through other components (e.g., adhesive layer, encapsulation layer or other suitable materials), but is not limited thereto.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 8 . Figure 8 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device 107 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 As shown, in the electronic device 107, the first curved portion R11 of the panel 10 may have a curved surface C11, a curved surface C12, and / or a plane F13. The plane F13 may be located between or connected to the curved surface C11 and the curved surface C12, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the curved surface C11 may be located between or connected to the first plane F11 and the plane F13, and the curved surface C12 may be located between the plane F13 and the second plane F12, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the angle between the normal direction (not shown) of the plane F13 of the first curved portion R11 and the normal direction (not shown) of the first plane F11 of the flat portion R12 may be approximately 80 degrees to 100 degrees (80 degrees ≤ angle ≤ 100 degrees), but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the curved surface C11 and / or the curved surface C12 may also be changed to inclined or other irregular surfaces as required by the design, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the plane F13 of the first curved portion R11 may be, for example, the light-emitting surface of the side of the electronic device 107, and the electromagnetic waves generated by the second electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23B located in the second curved portion R21 may pass through the panel 10 and partially emit toward the plane F13, but are not limited thereto. In some embodiments, depending on the light emission angle design of the second electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23B, the electromagnetic waves generated by the second electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23B may also pass through the panel 10 and partially emit toward the first plane F11, the second plane F12, the curved surface C11 and / or the curved surface C12, but are not limited thereto. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the number and / or density of the electromagnetic wave emitting units 23 corresponding to the plane F13 may be different from the number and / or density of the electromagnetic wave emitting units 23 corresponding to the first plane F11, but are not limited thereto.

[0046] Please refer to Figure 9 Please refer to this as well. Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 8 . Figure 9 The diagram illustrates the display effect of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In some embodiments, the electronic device (e.g., a display device) may include at least one first curved portion R11, which may be adjacent to different sides of a flat portion R12. The at least one first curved portion R11 and the flat portion R12 may be used to display different images. In some embodiments, at least two first curved portions R1 may be arranged adjacent to each other, but this is not a limitation. In some embodiments, the resolution of the image displayed by the flat portion R12 may be the same as or different from the resolution of the image displayed by the at least one first curved portion R11. For example, the resolution of the image displayed by the flat portion R12 may be higher or lower than the resolution of the image displayed by the first curved portion R11, but this is not a limitation. In some embodiments, the image displayed by the flat portion R12 and the image displayed by the first curved portion R11 may be controlled or operated separately. In some embodiments, the front display and side display status of the display device may be determined by controlling the operation of the first electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23A correspondingly disposed in the flat portion R12 and the second electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23B correspondingly disposed in the first curved portion R11, but this is not a limitation. In some embodiments, only the side view may be displayed, while the front view may not be displayed. For example, when the electronic device is a touch display device, touching the electronic device in sleep mode can trigger the first curved portion R11 to display the side view first. At this time, the second electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23B disposed in the first curved portion R11 can be turned on, while the first electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23A disposed in the flat portion R12 can be turned off. In addition, the flat portion R12 can then be turned on to display the front view by unlocking, at which time the first electromagnetic wave emitting unit 23A disposed in the flat portion R12 can be turned on. In some embodiments, the flat portion R12 can be used to display a variable image, and the first curved portion R11 can be used to display a relatively fixed image (e.g., device and / or brand name, battery indicator, incoming call notification, message notification, etc.), but is not limited thereto.

[0047] In summary, in the electronic device of the present invention, a portion of the electromagnetic wave emitting unit can be disposed in the second curved portion (corresponding to the first curved portion of the panel) of the electromagnetic wave emitting structure 20, thereby improving the relevant operational performance of the electronic device in the curved portion (approximately corresponding to the side).

[0048] While the embodiments and advantages of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that anyone skilled in the art can make modifications, substitutions, and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the processes, machines, manufacturing, material composition, apparatus, methods, and steps described in the specific embodiments of the specification. Anyone skilled in the art can understand from the disclosure of the present invention that current or future developed processes, machines, manufacturing, material composition, apparatus, methods, and steps can be used according to the present invention as long as they can perform substantially the same function or obtain substantially the same results in the embodiments described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention includes the aforementioned processes, machines, manufacturing, material composition, apparatus, methods, and steps. In addition, each claim constitutes an individual embodiment, and the scope of protection of the present invention also includes combinations of various claim claims and embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claim claims.

[0049] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention can have various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements 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 electromagnetic wave launching structure, characterized by, Comprising: a substrate having a first flat portion and a bending portion connecting the first flat portion; and a plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units disposed on the substrate, wherein two adjacent electromagnetic wave emitting units of the plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units are disposed on the first flat portion and have a first pitch in a first direction parallel to a surface of the first flat portion, another two adjacent electromagnetic wave emitting units of the plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units are disposed on the bending portion and have a second pitch in a second direction parallel to a surface of the bending portion, and the second pitch is different from the first pitch; and a circuit structure electrically connected to the plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units, wherein the circuit structure overlaps the plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units on the first flat portion in a normal direction of the first flat portion, and the circuit structure comprises a printed circuit board, a tape carrier package structure, or a flip chip on film structure. The second pitch is smaller than the first pitch.

2. The electromagnetic wave launching structure of claim 1, wherein The plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units are a plurality of light emitting units.

3. The electromagnetic wave launching structure of claim 1, wherein Further comprising:

4. The electromagnetic wave launching structure of claim 1, wherein a support member disposed under the substrate. The thickness of the support member is greater than the thickness of the substrate.

5. The electromagnetic wave launching structure of claim 4, wherein Further comprising:

6. The electromagnetic wave launching structure of claim 1, wherein a packaging layer disposed on the plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units. The substrate further has a second flat portion, the bending portion connects the first flat portion and the second flat portion, and still another two adjacent electromagnetic wave emitting units of the plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units are disposed on the second flat portion and have a third pitch in a third direction parallel to a surface of the second flat portion, wherein the third pitch is different from the second pitch.

7. The electromagnetic wave launching structure of claim 1, wherein The first pitch is equal to the third pitch.

8. The electromagnetic wave launching structure of claim 7, wherein A first distance between the two adjacent electromagnetic wave emitting units of the plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units disposed on the first flat portion is different from a second distance between the other two adjacent electromagnetic wave emitting units of the plurality of electromagnetic wave emitting units disposed on the bending portion.

9. The electromagnetic wave launching structure of claim 1, wherein The second distance is smaller than the first distance.

10. The electromagnetic wave launching structure of claim 9, wherein, ​

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