Display Panel Laser Cutting with Total Internal Reflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ultrashort laser cutting methods for display panels can damage peripheral elements due to laser penetration beyond the cut area, causing unintended damage to conductive wiring and other components.
Innovation Solution
A laser cutting apparatus and method that utilizes a light guide to refract the laser beam at a threshold angle for total reflection within the second substrate, preventing the laser from emitting to the periphery and ensuring the beam remains inside for cutting without damaging adjacent elements, with the light guide optionally having the same or different refractive index as the substrate and using index matching liquids to control incident angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ultrashort laser is used to cut the encapsulation substrate, then cutting efficiency is improved, but peripheral elements such as conductive wiring may be damaged by laser penetration
Solution Approach 1:
A light guide is introduced as an intermediary component between the laser source and the encapsulation substrate. The light guide receives the laser beam and guides it to the cutting position, allowing control over the laser's incident angle. This intermediary structure enables the laser to cut the substrate while preventing direct damage to peripheral elements by controlling the beam's path and reflection angle.
Solution Approach 2:
The incident angle of the laser beam is changed as a critical parameter. By adjusting the incident angle to be equal to or greater than the threshold angle for total internal reflection, the laser beam is confined within the encapsulation substrate during cutting. This parameter change ensures that the laser energy is directed into the substrate for cutting while preventing penetration and damage to peripheral elements.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If laser incident angle is increased to achieve total reflection, then peripheral damage is prevented, but cutting precision may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide serves as a precise optical intermediary that controls the laser beam's incident angle. By designing the light guide's geometry and optical properties, the system achieves both total internal reflection (preventing peripheral damage) and precise beam delivery to the cutting position (maintaining cutting precision). The light guide acts as a controlled interface between the laser source and substrate.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from directly controlling the laser-substrate interface to controlling the laser-light guide-substrate interface. By introducing the light guide dimension, the system can optimize the incident angle for total reflection while maintaining precise beam positioning. This additional optical element provides another degree of freedom for controlling both reflection and precision.
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 method effectively prevents damage to conductive wiring and other elements by ensuring total reflection of the laser beam within the substrate, enhancing cutting precision and reducing peripheral damage, thus improving the manufacturing process for display panels.
Implementation Method 1
A laser cutting apparatus and method that utilizes a light guide to refract the laser beam at a threshold angle for total reflection within the second substrate
Implementation Method 2
refract the laser beam at a threshold angle for total reflection within the second substrate, preventing the laser from emitting to the periphery
Implementation Method 3
removing a portion of the second substrate to expose the conductive wiring by emitting a laser beam to the second substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A laser cutting apparatus and method, and a method of manufacturing a display panel by using a laser cutting method are provided. A laser cutting method includes: providing a panel in which a second substrate is stacked on a first substrate including a conductive wiring; and removing a portion of the second substrate to expose the conductive wiring by emitting a laser beam to the second substrate, and the laser beam is emitted to the second substrate at an incident angle equal to or greater than a threshold angle at which total reflection occurs in the second substrate.