AMOLED Display Panel Thickness Reduction via Plastic Substrate

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for achieving full-color effect in AMOLED display panels, such as fine metal mask technology and white OLED plus color filter methods, face challenges like color blending, low yield, and difficulty in achieving high resolution, while the use of glass substrates and circular polarizers result in a cumbersome and thick panel that is not conducive to lightweight and thin properties.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a water blocking layer made from inorganic and organic materials between the CF layer and the array substrate, eliminating the need for a glass substrate and reducing panel thickness, combined with an anti-reflecting layer comprising a 1/4 wave plate, adhesive, and linear polarizer to enhance contrast and reduce reflection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a glass substrate is used in the CF substrate to guarantee cell-assembly accuracy and improve reliability, then the reliability and assembly accuracy are improved, but the thickness and weight of the AMOLED panel increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecell-assembly accuracyVSAvoidpanel thickness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter of the substrate from traditional glass to plastic material, fundamentally altering the physical properties. This enables the substrate to achieve both sufficient mechanical strength for assembly accuracy and the flexibility needed for thin, lightweight panel construction, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and thickness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a plastic substrate that can be formed into thin-film structures while maintaining adequate mechanical properties. The flexible nature of plastic materials allows the substrate to achieve the required cell-assembly accuracy through precise film formation and bonding processes, eliminating the need for thick glass substrates and thereby reducing overall panel thickness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Illumination intensity

If a circular polarizer is bonded to the CF substrate to reduce external light reflection and increase contrast, then the contrast is improved, but the panel becomes cumbersome and thicker

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecontrastVSAvoidpanel structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates the polarizing function directly into the plastic substrate through in-mold labeling technology, merging the substrate and polarizer into a single component. This eliminates the need for a separate circular polarizer layer, thereby maintaining high contrast performance while simplifying the overall panel structure and reducing thickness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The plastic substrate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support, enables flexible form factor, and delivers optical polarization functionality through integrated labeling. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate polarizer components, reducing structural complexity while maintaining contrast performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Illumination intensity

If FMM technology is used to form RGB CF layer by vapor deposition to achieve full-color display, then the full-color effect is achieved, but color blending problems occur and yield is low

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefull-color display effectVSAvoidcolor accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses color filters printed on the plastic substrate as a template or copy of the desired color pattern, which is then transferred to the OLED structure. This printing-based approach avoids the color blending issues of vapor deposition while maintaining precise color accuracy and full-color display capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical vapor deposition process with a printing-based color filter formation method. This substitution eliminates the inherent color blending problems of vapor deposition while achieving comparable or superior color accuracy and manufacturing yield

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach results in a lighter, thinner AMOLED display panel with improved contrast and protection against water intrusion, while maintaining effective full-color display and flexibility.

Implementation Method 1

an anti-reflecting layer comprising a 1/4 wave plate, adhesive, and linear polarizer to enhance contrast and reduce reflection

Methodology Applied
Scientific Effect1/4 wave plate: Polarisation

Data Source

PatentEP3166149B1Preparation method for an amoled display panel
Publication Date: 2023.04.19 BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO LTD
  • EP3166149B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2c
  • EP3166149B1 patent drawingFigure 2d~2f
  • EP3166149B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4c

AI summary

An active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display panel, which includes an array substrate (1) and a color filter (CF) substrate (2) which are cell-assembled, is disclosed. The CF substrate (2) includes an anti-reflecting layer (21), a water blocking layer (24) and a CF layer (22) and a black matrix (BM) (23) arranged on the same layer. The anti-reflecting layer (21) is disposed on a side of the CF layer (22) and the BM (23) facing away from the array substrate (1). The water blocking layer (24) is disposed on a side of the CF layer (22) and the BM (23) close to the array substrate (1), or the water blocking layer (24) is disposed between the anti-reflecting layer (21) and the CF layer (22) and the BM (23). The AMOLED display panel can prevent water from entering the AMOLED display panel and is lighter and thinner.