Flexible Printed Circuit With Liquid Conductor For Stretchable Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional flexible printed circuits are not stretchable, leading to signal disruptions and display abnormalities in tensile or wearable devices due to broken signal lines.
Innovation Solution
A flexible printed circuit design featuring a substrate with conductive structures, contact electrodes, an encapsulation layer, and a ventilating film, where a liquid conductive substance in a cavity flows to maintain connectivity with electrodes during stretching, ensuring conductivity and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional flexible printed circuit is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the circuit is not stretchable and signal lines break during use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the conductive material from solid to liquid, allowing the conductive structure to flow and adapt during stretching while maintaining electrical connectivity. The liquid conductive substance can change its configuration in response to mechanical deformation, resolving the contradiction between stretchability and signal integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure combining liquid conductive substance with encapsulation layer and ventilating film. This composite design allows the liquid conductor to maintain contact with electrodes during stretching while the encapsulation structures provide mechanical support and protection, achieving both stretchability and reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a liquid conductive substance is used in a cavity, then stretchability is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulation layer serves multiple functions: it encapsulates the liquid conductive substance to prevent leakage, provides structural support for the flexible circuit, and works with the ventilating film to maintain pressure balance. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, managing complexity while achieving stretchability.
Solution Approach 2:
The ventilating film acts as an intermediary between the liquid storage area and the ambient atmosphere, allowing pressure equalization while preventing liquid leakage. This intermediary component simplifies the overall design by providing a simple yet effective mechanism for pressure management in the stretched state.
3Reliability
If the liquid storage area is sealed, then conductivity is maintained, but pressure buildup occurs during stretching
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilating film is designed with pores that are small enough to prevent liquid conductive substance leakage but large enough to allow gas molecules to pass through. This porous structure enables pressure equalization during stretching while maintaining the sealed environment needed for electrical conductivity, resolving the contradiction between pressure management and conductivity.
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 design allows for stretchable and conductive flexible printed circuits, preventing signal disruptions and enabling normal display functionality in wearable devices by maintaining contact between electrodes and the liquid conductive substance across various states of stretching.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid conductive substance located in the cavity
Implementation Method 2
the ventilating film is configured to encapsulate the liquid storage area, and to enable the liquid storage area to communicate with an ambient atmosphere
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible printed circuit, a method for fabricating the same, and a display device are provided. The circuit includes: a substrate, at least one conductive structure located on the substrate, a contact electrode group, an encapsulation layer configured to encapsulate the conductive structure and the contact electrode group, and a ventilating film. The contact electrode group includes a first and a second contact electrodes, configured to be electrically connected respectively with two ends of the conductive structure; the encapsulation layer and the substrate constitute a cavity and a liquid storage area communicating with each other; the conductive structure includes a liquid conductive substance located in the cavity; and the liquid storage area is configured to store the liquid conductive substance, and the ventilating film is configured to encapsulate the liquid storage area.