Flexible Display Substrate Films for Narrow-Bezel Bending
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Solution Overview
Problem
Glass substrates in display devices are heavy, rigid, and prone to breakage, limiting the flexibility and reducing the bezel width of the display device.
Innovation Solution
A flexible substrate with a first protection film having higher light transmittance and tensile modulus than a second protection film, disposed on either side of a bending area, along with adhesive layers of different storage modulus, to support the flexible display device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a glass substrate is used for the display device, then the display device has high strength and stability, but the display device becomes heavy and rigid, making it difficult to bend and reducing flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid glass substrate with a flexible substrate that can be bent. The flexible substrate is combined with protection films having different tensile moduli to achieve both flexibility and structural integrity. This allows the display device to be bent without breaking while maintaining sufficient strength to protect internal components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure consisting of a flexible substrate combined with multiple protection films having different mechanical properties. The first protection film has a higher tensile modulus than the second protection film, creating a gradient structure that optimizes both flexibility and strength. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between needing strength and needing flexibility.
2Area of stationary object
If the dead space is reduced by bending the display device at the edge, then the bezel width is reduced, but the substrate may crack or break at the bending area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different protection films with different tensile moduli to different regions of the substrate. The first protection film with higher tensile modulus is applied to regions requiring greater strength, while the second protection film with lower tensile modulus is applied to the bending area to allow controlled flexibility. This local differentiation enables bending without cracking while maintaining overall structural reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the tensile modulus parameter of protection films based on location. By using a gradient of tensile moduli across different regions, the substrate can bend at designated areas without cracking while maintaining strength in other areas. This parameter variation resolves the contradiction between reducing bezel width through bending and maintaining substrate reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single protection film is used on the substrate, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the substrate cannot simultaneously achieve high strength, flexibility, and optimized bending performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses multiple protection films with different properties applied to different regions of the substrate. This allows optimization of specific areas for different functions (strength, flexibility, bending) while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process. The localized approach enables performance optimization without requiring complex multi-step manufacturing.
Data Source
AI summary
A display device includes a flexible substrate including a display area and a non-display area. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. A first protection film is disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The first protection film is disposed over the display area of the substrate. A second protection film is disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The second protection film is disposed over the non-display area of the substrate. A light transmittance of the first protection film is higher than that of the second protection film.