Current-Driven Display Electrode Segmentation for Light Reflection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current-driven displays face challenges in minimizing the area of the upper electrode layer while maintaining the current loop, which leads to potential reflection of ambient light, necessitating a technology to pattern the upper electrode layer into equipotentially connected regions corresponding to each pixel.

Innovation Solution

A current-driven display design featuring a substrate with light-emitting units separated by spacers, where the first electrode layer has distinct regions that contact the light-emitting units and are separated by the spacer, and a second electrode layer that equipotentially connects these regions across the spacer, reducing the size of the upper electrode layer while maintaining functionality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the upper electrode layer area is reduced to minimize ambient light reflection, then the aesthetic appearance and anti-reflection performance are improved, but the current loop formation becomes difficult to maintain

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveambient light reflectionVSAvoidcurrent loop maintenance

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The upper electrode layer is segmented into multiple discrete electrode regions, each corresponding to a light-emitting unit. These segmented regions are separated by spacers and individually connected to lower electrodes, allowing the electrode structure to be distributed across the display area while maintaining current flow paths through the organic light-emitting material.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The organic light-emitting material serves as an intermediary conductor that enables current flow between the segmented upper electrode regions and lower electrode regions. This intermediary material allows the current loop to be maintained even when traditional continuous electrode structures are replaced with spaced-apart regions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Area of stationary object

If the upper electrode layer is patterned into equipotential regions corresponding to each pixel, then the area is reduced and ambient light reflection is minimized, but the structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveupper electrode layer areaVSAvoidelectrode layer structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The upper electrode layer is divided into multiple discrete electrode regions, each corresponding to a light-emitting unit. These regions are separated by spacers and individually connected to lower electrodes, allowing the electrode structure to be distributed across the display area while maintaining current flow paths through the organic light-emitting material.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The organic light-emitting material serves multiple functions: it acts as the active light-emitting layer, serves as an electron transporting medium, and functions as a conductive pathway to maintain current loops between the segmented electrode regions, replacing the need for separate conductive interconnect structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Shape

If the upper electrode layer area is minimized, then the display's aesthetic appearance is enhanced, but the electrical connectivity and current distribution become more challenging

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrode layer configurationVSAvoidelectrical connectivity

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes the vertical stacking dimension to maintain electrical connectivity. By forming upper and lower electrode regions that face each other across the organic light-emitting material in a stacked configuration, current flow is enabled through the thickness dimension rather than requiring extensive lateral connectivity in the plane.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS11114637B2Current-driven display and method for producing the same

Publication Date: 2021.09.07 INT TECH CO LTD

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a current-driven display, including a substrate and a first electrode layer stacked on the substrate in a stacking direction. The substrate includes a plurality of light-emitting units and a spacer separating each of the plurality of light-emitting units from one another. The first electrode layer includes a first region and a second region. The first region and the second region contact one of the plurality of light-emitting units, respectively, and are separated by the spacer. The current-driven display further includes a second electrode layer, which equipotentially connects the first region and the second region across the spacer. The present disclosure also provides a method for producing a current-driven display.