Flexible Display Manufacturing via Glass Substrate Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of flexible organic light emitting devices faces challenges with substrate flexibility, electrical interference, chemical treatment difficulties, and low thermal stability, particularly with plastic substrates, which hinder mass production and result in poor device characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the formation of a releasing layer on a mother substrate, followed by a metal and insulating layer, and bonding a flexible substrate, allowing for the separation of the mother substrate using an external force, with the releasing layer composed of materials like MgO or ITO, and the metal layer made of metals such as Ag or Au, to create a flexible device with improved performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a plastic substrate is used for flexible device manufacturing, then flexibility and low cost are improved, but thermal stability is poor and device characteristics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into two distinct phases: first manufacturing on a thermally stable glass substrate, then transferring to a flexible plastic substrate. This segmentation allows each substrate to serve its optimal function - glass for thermal stability during processing, plastic for final flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The glass substrate acts as an intermediary medium during the manufacturing process. It provides thermal stability and structural support while the device is being fabricated, then is removed after the device is complete, allowing the flexible plastic substrate to provide the final flexibility without compromising manufacturing stability.
2Ease of manufacture
If a plastic substrate is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but chemical treatment difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The process segments chemical treatment requirements: glass substrate receives standard chemical treatments during manufacturing, while the plastic substrate is introduced later in a form that requires minimal or no chemical treatment, avoiding the difficulties of treating flexible plastic substrates.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a plastic substrate is used, then flexibility is improved, but substrate alignment difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
Alignment operations are performed on the rigid glass substrate where precise positioning is easy to achieve. After alignment and device fabrication, the completed device is transferred to the flexible plastic substrate, separating the alignment-critical operations from the flexibility-providing substrate.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a glass substrate is used, then thermal stability and device characteristics are improved, but flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The glass substrate serves as a temporary intermediary that provides thermal stability during manufacturing, then is removed to allow the flexible plastic substrate to provide the desired flexibility in the final product.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process is divided into a glass-substrate phase for thermal stability and a plastic-substrate phase for flexibility, with transfer operations connecting the two phases.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a method of separating a metal layer and an organic light emitting diode. A method of manufacturing a flexible device and a method of manufacturing a flexible display include forming a releasing layer on a substrate, forming a metal layer on the releasing layer, forming an insulating layer on the metal layer, forming a releasable layer on the insulating layer, bonding a plastic to the releasable layer, and separating the substrate and the releasing layer at an interface therebetween to manufacture a flexible device. Since the conventional process equipment using the glass substrate can be compatibly used, the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, since the glass substrate has less limitation in the process temperature compared with the plastic substrate, an electric device having a superior performance can be manufactured. Furthermore, the glass substrate has good thermal /chemical stability and is less deformed compared with the plastic substrate, whereby process control such as substrate alignment becomes easy.