Flexible Display Encapsulation Segmentation for Bending Stress Relief

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Solution Overview

Problem

Flexible display panels face issues with excessive stress and poor anti-bending performance due to integrated inorganic encapsulation layers, leading to potential fracture during bending operations.

Innovation Solution

The flexible thin-film encapsulation unit in the bending region is divided into multiple first and second thin-film encapsulation units, with a specific width range and spacing, and the inorganic insulation layer is partially or completely removed, allowing an organic buffer layer to reduce stress and improve bending curvature.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If an integrated inorganic encapsulation layer is used in the bending region, then water and oxygen insulation performance is improved, but stress concentration occurs leading to poor anti-bending performance and potential fracture

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater and oxygen insulation performanceVSAvoidanti-bending performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The encapsulation layer is divided into multiple independent encapsulation units (first and second thin-film encapsulation units) arranged along the bending axis. This segmentation allows each unit to independently accommodate bending stress without causing overall layer fracture, while maintaining effective insulation through the arrangement of multiple units.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Strength

If the encapsulation layer is divided into multiple units with spacing, then anti-bending performance is improved by reducing stress, but the continuous insulation barrier is disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanti-bending performanceVSAvoidinsulation performance

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The organic buffer layer serves as an intermediary substance filling the spacing regions between adjacent encapsulation units. This intermediary maintains the insulation function by providing a continuous protective barrier while allowing the inorganic encapsulation units to be separated for stress relief during bending.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Strength

If the inorganic insulation layer is partially or completely removed in spacing regions, then bending curvature is improved, but insulation coverage is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebending curvatureVSAvoidinsulation coverage

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The inorganic insulation layer is selectively removed only in the spacing regions between encapsulation units, while being retained in the encapsulation units themselves. This local differentiation allows bending curvature improvement in spacing regions without compromising insulation coverage in the functional encapsulation regions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS10608206B2Display panel and display device

Publication Date: 2020.03.31 WUHAN TIANMA MICRO ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A display panel and a display device are provided. The display panel is a flexible bendable or foldable display panel. In order to improve the anti-bending performance of a bending region, a flexible thin-film encapsulation unit in the bending region is divided into a plurality of first thin-film encapsulation units and a plurality of second thin-film encapsulation units extending in a direction of the bending axis, thereby solving the problems of a large stress caused by the integrated encapsulation units in the original bending region, and a poor anti-bending performance caused thereby.