Crosslinked Flexible Substrate for Impact-Resistant Folding Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Display devices with flexible substrates face issues with impact resistance due to the use of plastic films with low stiffness, which compromises their structural integrity and folding characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A flexible substrate is designed with multiple layers of polymers having different mechanical properties, cross-linked to enhance stiffness while maintaining softness, eliminating the need for separate adhesive layers by integrating them through cross-linkage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a plastic film is used as a rear substrate to maintain flexibility, then the softness and flexible characteristic are improved, but the stiffness and impact resistance are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by creating a multi-layer structure consisting of a first polymer layer, second polymer layers, and interfacial crosslinked layers. Each layer has different mechanical properties, with the first polymer layer providing stiffness and the second polymer layers providing softness. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by combining materials with complementary properties to achieve both flexibility and impact resistance simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by assigning different mechanical properties to different regions of the substrate. The first polymer layer (with higher stiffness) is positioned at specific locations to provide structural support and impact resistance, while the second polymer layers (with higher softness) are positioned in other regions to maintain flexibility and folding characteristics. This spatial differentiation of material properties allows the substrate to exhibit both stiff and soft characteristics in different areas.
2Strength
If multiple layers with different polymers are used to improve stiffness and softness, then the mechanical properties are improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing process are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by integrating the adhesive layer functionality into the interfacial crosslinked layers that already exist between the first and second polymer layers. The crosslinked layers serve dual purposes: providing structural bonding between layers and functioning as the adhesive layer. This eliminates the need for a separate adhesive layer, reducing the total number of layers and simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining the required mechanical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The interfacial crosslinked layers are designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously. They provide structural support, bond the first and second polymer layers together, and serve as the adhesive layer for bonding the flexible substrate to the display panel. This multi-functionality reduces the overall complexity of the device structure by eliminating redundant components.
3Strength
If adhesive layers are added to bond layers together, then the bonding strength is improved, but the manufacturing process complexity and productivity are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the adhesive layer with the interfacial crosslinked layers, so that the same layer provides both structural bonding and adhesive functionality. This eliminates the need for separate adhesive layer application processes, reducing the number of manufacturing steps and improving productivity while maintaining strong bonding between layers through the crosslinked polymer network.
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
The substrate achieves improved impact resistance and folding characteristics while simplifying the manufacturing process by bonding layers through cross-linkage, ensuring high softness and stiffness simultaneously.
Implementation Method 1
first interfacial crosslinked layers which are located between the first polymer layer and the second polymer layers and include a first crosslinked polymer having a network structure in which the first polymer and the second polymer are crosslinked
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible substrate, a method for preparing the same, and a display device including the same, and more particularly, to a flexible substrate including: a first polymer layer including a first polymer; second polymer layers which include second polymers and are located above and below the first polymer layer; and first interfacial crosslinked layers which are located between the first polymer layer and the second polymer layers and include a first crosslinked polymer having a network structure in which the first polymer and the second polymer are crosslinked, in which the stiffness of the first polymer layer is higher than the stiffness of the second polymer layer and the softness of the second polymer layer is higher than the softness of the first polymer layer, a method for preparing the same, and a display device including the same.