Display Panel Protective Layer Segmentation for Bending Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display panels require a larger frame due to the need for a gap between the functional film layer and the protective layer to prevent attachment, leading to potential line breakage and reduced reliability during bending, as the protective layer is prone to folding at thinner edges.
Innovation Solution
A display panel design where the protective layer includes a first bending portion with lower rigidity adjacent to the functional film layer and a second bending portion with higher rigidity, allowing the protective layer to be formed with varying thickness and elastic modulus, reducing the likelihood of folding at the first edge and increasing reliability by shifting the folded position towards a more stable area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gap is reserved between the functional film layer and the protective layer to prevent attachment, then the reliability of preventing line breakage is improved, but the frame size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective layer is divided into a first bending portion and a second bending portion with different thicknesses. The first bending portion has smaller thickness to maintain flexibility and prevent folding, while the second bending portion has larger thickness to provide structural support and prevent line breakage. This segmentation allows the frame size to be reduced without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the protective layer are given different thicknesses to serve different functions. The first bending portion adjacent to the functional film layer has smaller thickness to avoid folding, while the second bending portion has larger thickness to prevent line breakage. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between reducing frame size and maintaining reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the protective layer is made with uniform thickness, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the bending performance deteriorates due to folding at thinner edges
Solution Approach 1:
The protective layer is designed with non-uniform thickness distribution, where the first bending portion has smaller thickness and the second bending portion has larger thickness. This local quality differentiation improves bending performance by preventing folding at the first edge while maintaining structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and bending performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective layer is segmented into different thickness zones to optimize bending performance. The first bending portion with smaller thickness flexes more easily during bending, while the second bending portion with larger thickness provides support. This segmentation approach maintains reasonable manufacturing complexity while significantly improving bending performance.
3Strength
If the protective layer thickness is increased to prevent line breakage, then the strength is improved, but the bending performance worsens due to increased rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The protective layer employs local quality differentiation with the first bending portion having smaller thickness for flexibility and the second bending portion having larger thickness for strength. This resolves the contradiction between strength and bending performance by providing the right thickness in the right location.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective layer is segmented into thickness zones where the first bending portion (smaller thickness) handles bending flexibility and the second bending portion (larger thickness) handles line breakage prevention. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both bending performance and strength simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
A display panel and a fabrication method thereof are provided. The display panel includes: an array substrate including a display portion and a bending portion connected to a side of the display portion; a functional film layer at a side of the display portion; and a protective layer covering the bending portion. The protective layer and the functional film layer are at the same side of the array substrate. The protective layer includes a first bending portion arranged adjacent to the functional film layer, and a second bending portion connected to a side of the first bending portion away from the functional film layer. A distance between an edge of the second bending portion away from the first bending portion and the functional film layer in a first direction perpendicular to an interface between the display portion and the bending portion is the largest in the protective layer.