Bent Display Conductive Layer Segmentation and Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional display apparatuses face defects such as disconnections during manufacturing processes, particularly when bent, which can reduce their lifespan due to tensile stress and material hardness differences.
Innovation Solution
A display apparatus design featuring a substrate with a bending area, an organic material layer, and a conductive layer with through holes, where the conductive layer has a multi-layered structure and is covered by inorganic protective layers to reduce stress and prevent corrosion, and the organic material layer partially fills openings in the inorganic insulating layer to mitigate tensile stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the display apparatus is bent to improve visibility and reduce non-display area, then visibility and compactness are improved, but defects such as disconnections occur due to tensile stress and material hardness differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different material properties to different regions: the bending area uses materials with lower hardness and higher flexibility (organic material layer with hardness 1-5 g, metal layer with tensile strength 10-100 kgf/mm²) compared to non-bending areas, allowing the display to bend without cracking while maintaining structural integrity in rigid areas
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure combining organic materials (lower hardness, higher flexibility) and metal materials (higher strength, lower flexibility) in specific layers. This composite approach allows the bending area to flex while the non-bending areas maintain rigidity, resolving the contradiction between bendability and defect prevention
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional manufacturing processes are used for bent display apparatuses, then production is simpler, but lifespan is reduced due to defects from tensile stress and material hardness differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise parameter ranges for materials in the bending area: organic material hardness of 1-5 g and metal layer tensile strength of 10-100 kgf/mm². These controlled parameters ensure the materials can withstand bending stresses without cracking, extending the display apparatus lifespan while maintaining manufacturability through standard processes
3Reliability
If the conductive layer is made continuous to ensure electrical connectivity, then electrical conductivity is improved, but the layer becomes more prone to disconnection during bending due to tensile stress
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive layer is divided into multiple segments separated by through-holes in the bending area. These segmented conductive layers remain electrically connected through alternative paths via the substrate, maintaining conductivity while the segmentation allows the layer to flex and stretch during bending without continuous cracking
Data Source
AI summary
A display apparatus capable of reducing defects such as disconnections during manufacturing processes, while ensuring longer lifespan thereof. The display apparatus includes: a substrate including a bending area between a first area and a second area, the bending area of the substrate being bent or bendable about a bending axis; an organic material layer positioned on the substrate corresponding at least to the bending area; a conductive layer extending from the first area to the second area through the bending area, positioned over the organic material layer, and including a plurality of through holes positioned corresponding to the bending area; and first protective layers spaced apart from one another so as to at least partially cover sides of the plurality of through holes.