Display Device Aging Pad Inspection and Alignment System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Display devices, such as OLEDs, face rapid luminance degradation and white balance issues due to initial degradation phenomena, leading to reduced lifespan and non-uniformity, which existing technologies fail to effectively address.
Innovation Solution
An aging system comprising an aging pad inspector, aligner, and processor that aligns and applies signals to the display device, inspecting the aging pad for deviations and ensuring only devices with less than 15% pixel difference from a normal state image undergo the aging process, thereby improving luminance uniformity and extending device lifetime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an organic light emitting element is directly lit after an organic film is deposited, then the initial degradation phenomenon causes rapid luminance decrease, but performing aging process on all devices regardless of pad quality wastes time and reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary inspection of the aging pad before the aging process to identify devices with defective pads. By performing the inspection action before aging, the system prevents unnecessary aging of devices that would fail anyway, thus improving productivity while maintaining reliability through selective aging of only suitable devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the display device's own aging pad and pixel structure to perform self-inspection before aging. The pixel circuit automatically drives the display panel to capture images of the aging pad, utilizing the device's inherent components for quality assessment without requiring external inspection equipment.
2Reliability
If the aging pad has defects such as foreign particles or carbonization, then the aging process cannot be properly performed, but without inspection all defective devices would undergo ineffective aging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the aging pad inspection function with the existing pixel circuit and display panel structure. The same pixel circuit used for display purposes is also utilized to capture images of the aging pad, combining multiple functions into existing components and avoiding the need for separate inspection hardware, thus minimizing additional time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical inspection systems with an optical imaging approach using the pixel circuit. Instead of using separate mechanical sensors or inspection equipment to detect pad defects, the system uses the display's own pixel array to capture optical images of the aging pad, simplifying the inspection mechanism.
3Productivity
If devices with defective aging pads undergo aging process, then the aging signal cannot be properly applied, but identifying and sorting defective devices requires additional inspection steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the pixel circuit multi-functional by using it for both display operations and aging pad inspection. The same pixel circuit that displays images also captures images of the aging pad for quality assessment, eliminating the need for dedicated inspection circuits and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The display device performs its own inspection using its inherent pixel circuit and display panel. The system is self-sufficient in inspecting the aging pad quality without requiring external complex inspection equipment, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining effective aging throughput through automated self-assessment.
Data Source
AI summary
An aging system according to an embodiment includes an aging pad inspector for inspecting an aging pad of a display device, an aging aligner for aligning the aging pad with a probe, and an aging processor for applying an aging signal to the display device through the aging pad and through the probe.