Composite Film for Flexible OLED Encapsulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing encapsulation methods for OLEDs face challenges in achieving both flexibility and water-tightness, with traditional hard substrates being rigid and requiring complex, costly processes for flexible OLEDs, and previous composite films either lack bendability or water-tightness.
Innovation Solution
A composite film comprising multiple matrix membranes with staggered and spaced waterproof films, allowing for flexibility and effective water and oxygen blocking, which can be directly applied to OLEDs, simplifying the encapsulation process and reducing production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hard encapsulation substrate (glass or metal plate) is used, then water-tightness is improved, but flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulation substrate is segmented into multiple layers: a flexible substrate layer and multiple waterproof film layers (including inorganic films like SiOx and organic films). This segmentation allows each layer to contribute specific functions - the substrate provides flexibility while the waterproof films provide water-tightness, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and water-tightness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite material structure combining flexible substrate materials with waterproof film materials (both inorganic and organic). This composite structure integrates the advantages of different materials - the flexibility of the substrate with the water-blocking properties of the waterproof films, enabling both flexibility and water-tightness to be achieved simultaneously.
2Reliability
If a dense inorganic film (e.g., SiOx) is used as waterproof film, then water-tightness is improved, but bendability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The waterproofing function is segmented across multiple thin film layers rather than relying on a single thick dense film. The combination of multiple inorganic and organic film layers provides equivalent or superior water-tightness while maintaining flexibility, as each thin layer can bend without cracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces thick dense inorganic films with multiple thin film layers that can flex. The thin film structure maintains water-tightness through multiple barriers while the reduced thickness and combination with flexible substrate enables bending, resolving the contradiction between water-tightness and bendability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple film layers with alternating inorganic and organic films are used, then both water-tightness and bendability are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the formation of multiple waterproof film layers into a single integrated manufacturing process. Instead of separately manufacturing each inorganic and organic film layer requiring different equipment and processes, all waterproof films are formed in one process on the flexible substrate, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining the multi-layer waterproof structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process is designed with universality to handle multiple film types (inorganic and organic) using the same equipment and process conditions. This multi-functional approach allows a single process to deposit both SiOx and polymer films, eliminating the need for multiple specialized processes and reducing overall manufacturing complexity.
4Reliability
If multiple film layers are manufactured with corresponding processes for each material, then water-tightness is improved, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple waterproof film layers are formed in a single continuous manufacturing process rather than separate processes. This merging of operations deposits all inorganic and organic waterproof films in one pass, maintaining the multi-layer water-tight structure while significantly reducing production time and improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process operates continuously to form all waterproof film layers without interruption or repositioning. The substrate moves through the process once and all films are deposited in sequence during this single continuous action, eliminating downtime between layers and maximizing production efficiency while ensuring water-tightness.
5Manufacturing precision
If manufacturing is performed under inert protecting environment (vacuum or nitrogen), then film quality is improved, but equipment complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses an inert protecting environment (vacuum or nitrogen) during the manufacturing process to prevent oxidation and contamination of the waterproof films. This inert atmosphere ensures high film quality and water-tightness while the process design allows for practical implementation with standard equipment, balancing quality requirements with equipment complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a composite film, a manufacturing method thereof and an encapsulation structure comprising the composite film. The composite film comprises at least one matrix membrane, each of which comprises at least one waterproof film. In the technical solutions provided by the present invention, the composite film comprises a matrix membrane comprising at least one waterproof film, and therefore, the composite film can be directly disposed on an OLED when the OLED is encapsulated by using the composite film. Accordingly, during an encapsulation process, the used process is simple, the process steps become less, the process time is short, and the required equipment is simpler, so that the production cost is reduced, and the production efficiency is improved.