Flexible Array Substrate with Organic Filling Layer for Dynamic Folding

Solution Overview

Problem

Current OLED display panel manufacturing technologies use inorganic layers with poor bending resistance, leading to stress accumulation and potential cracking during bending, limiting the panels to static folding and resulting in inferior display quality.

Innovation Solution

An array substrate is developed using a flexible substrate with thin film transistors and an organic filling layer made of polyimide or acrylic, replacing the inorganic layer to enhance bendability and maintain transistor functionality, allowing for dynamic folding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If an inorganic layer is used in the array substrate, then the thin film transistor function is maintained, but the bending resistance is poor and the layer is easily broken or cracked during bending

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebending resistanceVSAvoidlayer integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from inorganic to organic filling layer, fundamentally altering the mechanical properties of the array substrate. This material substitution transforms the substrate from rigid and brittle to flexible and crack-resistant, enabling dynamic folding while maintaining TFT functionality through the organic material's inherent flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite structure by integrating the organic filling layer with other functional layers (thermal insulation layer, buffer layer, active layer, insulating layers, and metal layers). This composite approach combines the flexibility of organic materials with the functional requirements of inorganic components, achieving both bendability and device performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If an inorganic layer is used in the array substrate, then the thin film transistor function is maintained, but stress accumulates and causes cracking during bending process

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethin film transistor functionVSAvoidstress accumulation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from inorganic to organic filling layer, fundamentally altering the mechanical properties of the array substrate. This material substitution transforms the substrate from rigid and brittle to flexible and crack-resistant, enabling dynamic folding while maintaining TFT functionality through the organic material's inherent flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The organic filling layer acts as an intermediary stress-absorbing layer between the flexible substrate and the rigid TFT structures. It mediates the stress distribution during bending, preventing stress concentration that would otherwise cause cracking in the inorganic layers while preserving TFT operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If an inorganic layer is used in the array substrate, then the manufacturing process is established, but the panel can only achieve static folding with inferior display quality

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing processVSAvoidfolding capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from inorganic to organic filling layer, fundamentally altering the mechanical properties of the array substrate. This material substitution transforms the substrate from rigid and brittle to flexible and crack-resistant, enabling dynamic folding while maintaining TFT functionality through the organic material's inherent flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions the substrate from a static, rigid state to a dynamic, flexible state. The organic filling layer enables the substrate to dynamically adapt to bending motions, allowing the display panel to achieve dynamic folding with high-quality display performance rather than being limited to static folding configurations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11342397B2Array substrate and manufacturing method thereof

Publication Date: 2022.05.24 WUHAN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS SEMICONDUCTOR DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO LTD

AI summary

An array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The array substrate includes a flexible substrate, a plurality of thin film transistors, a plurality of replacement units, an organic filling layer, a source and drain layer, a planarization layer, an anode layer, and a pixel definition layer. The organic filling layer is made of a flexible material which has good bendability. Thus, a risk of breakage or crack during a bending process is reduced, thereby realizing a dynamic folding of the array substrate.