Flexible Display Encapsulation Banks for Inkjet Overflow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the manufacturing of thin and light display apparatuses, there is a challenge in ensuring accurate placement and prevention of overflow of the organic encapsulation layer during the inkjet process, which can lead to defects and contamination due to the lack of precise control over the organic material's location and extent.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a monitoring bank with a height difference between the touch connection line and the dam, along with a buffering bank in the bending area, allows for the observation of the organic encapsulation layer's boundary and prevents overflow by using a combination of planarization layers and dams to control the flow of the organic material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the organic encapsulation layer is coated using an inkjet method, then the manufacturing process becomes more flexible and suitable for thin-film structures, but there is a risk of inaccurate material placement and overflow on the non-display area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming a monitoring bank before the inkjet coating process to establish a reference boundary for material placement. The monitoring bank is created as a physical structure that defines the acceptable range for organic encapsulation layer deposition, allowing the inkjet process to operate with clearer spatial guidance and reducing placement errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring bank serves as an intermediary element between the inkjet coating system and the final encapsulation structure. It provides a visual and physical reference that mediates the relationship between the coating process and the desired material placement accuracy, enabling better control without modifying the inkjet process itself.
2Reliability
If the organic encapsulation layer is coated to cover the non-display area, then encapsulation effectiveness is improved, but material overflow and potential contamination increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a monitoring bank with specific local characteristics that differ from the surrounding structure. The monitoring bank has a defined height and position that creates a localized reference zone, allowing different parts of the structure to serve different functions: the monitoring bank area provides visual reference while the dam area provides containment, thus preventing overflow without compromising encapsulation effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring bank converts the potential harm of material overflow into a benefit by providing a visual reference boundary. The structure that could potentially interfere with material placement actually helps guide the material to the correct location by creating a visible edge that defines the acceptable deposition zone, turning a structural element into a quality control tool.
3Measurement precision
If a monitoring bank with height difference is formed, then material placement monitoring is improved, but device structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring bank structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides a visual reference for material placement monitoring, acts as a physical boundary marker, and integrates with the existing dam structure. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate monitoring components, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity while achieving improved measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the monitoring function with the existing dam structure by integrating the monitoring bank into the same structural framework. Rather than adding a completely separate monitoring system, the monitoring bank is combined with the dam structure, sharing common support and integration points, thus minimizing the increase in device complexity while providing enhanced boundary definition.
Data Source
AI summary
A display apparatus includes a display area including pixels; a non-display area adjacent to the display area; a first planarization layer located in the display area and the non-display area; a second planarization layer on the first planarization layer; an organic insulating layer on the second planarization layer; a first dam on the first planarization layer, including the second planarization layer and the organic insulating layer, and surrounding the display area; a second dam disposed outside the first dam, including the second planarization layer and the organic insulating layer, and surrounding the first dam; and a monitoring bank disposed between the display area and the first dam and including the second planarization layer and the organic insulating layer. A thickness of the second planarization layer included in the monitoring bank is less than a thickness of the second planarization layer included in the first dam.