Flexible Display Substrate Hole Structure for Bend Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible display devices face challenges in maintaining structural stability while incorporating features for flexibility, such as bendability and rollability, which can compromise their structural integrity and require complex manufacturing processes.
Innovation Solution
A display device design featuring a substrate with a hole for an organic layer that contacts the display layer, allowing for bending without compromising stability, combined with a method of manufacturing that includes wet etching and laser processing to form holes and fold the substrate structure, enhancing structural stability and simplifying the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a patterned lattice structure is formed in a partial area to impart flexible characteristic, then bendability is improved, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is divided into a rigid substrate and a flexible substrate, with a hole formed at the interface between them. This segmentation allows each substrate to maintain its inherent properties (rigidity and flexibility) while working together as a unified structure, resolving the contradiction between structural stability and flexible characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
An organic layer is introduced as an intermediary substance filling the hole formed between the rigid and flexible substrates. This organic layer acts as a mediator that bonds the two substrates together, ensuring structural stability while allowing the flexible substrate to provide bendability without compromising the overall structure
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional structures are added to impart flexible characteristic, then bendability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid substrate and flexible substrate are merged into a single integrated structure with a hole at their interface. This merging eliminates the need for separate flexible support structures, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining the flexible characteristic through the inherent properties of the flexible substrate
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible substrate itself serves as the flexible component, eliminating the need for additional flexible support structures. By utilizing the flexible substrate's inherent properties, the design achieves bendability without adding complex flexible support mechanisms
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 provides improved structural stability and robustness against external influences, allowing for flexible display devices that can be folded or bent without risking damage, while also simplifying the manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
an organic layer of which at least a portion is disposed in the hole, and a display layer on the substrate layer. The hole passes through the substrate, and the organic layer may contact at least a portion of the display layer
Implementation Method 2
the organic layer may include a tapered surface extending in an oblique direction with respect to a plane on which the substrate layer is disposed. An angle formed by the tapered surface and the display layer may be equal to or more than 60 degrees and less than 90 degrees
Data Source
AI summary
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a display device includes: a substrate layer including a substrate defining a hole therein and an organic layer of which at least a portion is disposed in the hole, and a display layer on the substrate layer. The hole passes through the substrate, and the organic layer contacts at least a portion of the display layer.