Flexible Display Bezel Design Using Folded Substrate and Protective Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible display panels face issues with cracks in the internal circuit layer and inability to achieve the required warpage level when bending the edge portions, leading to damage of signal lines and thin film transistors during the bending process.
Innovation Solution
A flexible display panel design with a multi-layer structure including an active area, a non-active area with a gate driving circuit, and a bending area that is warped in the rear surface direction, featuring an auxiliary line for electrical connection and a protective layer to minimize damage during bending, along with a substrate with a polyimide material and a supporting film to maintain the bending structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the edge portion of the flexible display panel is bent to achieve a narrow bezel structure, then the bezel width is reduced, but cracks are generated in the internal circuit layer and signal lines are damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The display panel is divided into a flat area and a bending area, with the gate driving circuit positioned in the flat area. This segmentation allows the edge portion to be bent without damaging the internal circuit layer, as the circuit layer is confined to the flat area that remains planar during bending.
Solution Approach 2:
An auxiliary line is introduced as an intermediary element to electrically connect the gate driving circuit in the flat area to the pixel area. This auxiliary line is specifically designed to accommodate bending stresses, allowing the panel to be bent at the edge while maintaining electrical connectivity without damaging the main signal lines.
2Area of stationary object
If the edge portion is bent to achieve narrow bezel, then the display area is maximized, but the required warpage level is not attainable and the bending structure cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
Different areas of the display panel are assigned different functional qualities: the flat area maintains a planar structure to accommodate the gate driving circuit and maintain structural stability, while the bending area is specifically designed to be warped to enable narrow bezel formation. This local differentiation allows the panel to achieve both narrow bezel and structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The display panel is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing the bending area to be warped during the module process to achieve the desired narrow bezel shape. The auxiliary line and flexible substrate enable this dynamic shaping while maintaining electrical connectivity and structural integrity throughout the manufacturing process.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a supporting film is added to maintain the bending structure during module process, then the structural stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting film is applied in advance during the module process to maintain the bending structure before final assembly. This preliminary action ensures that the narrow bezel shape is preserved throughout subsequent manufacturing steps, and the film can be removed or integrated in later stages, simplifying the overall process flow.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a flexible display panel for suppressing a problem in which a crack such as disconnection on an internal circuit layer or the like is generated or a required warpage level is not attainable in a warped area while bending an edge portion thereof. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the layer structure of a signal line portion for electrically connecting elements provided within a display area and a non-active area may be simplified, and a protective member may be formed thereon, thereby obtaining the effect of minimizing the damage of the layer structure due to bending.