Flexible Display Panel Hollow Structure for Crack-Resistant Bending
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible display panels with inorganic encapsulation layers are prone to breakage when bent due to the direct contact with inorganic layers, leading to potential cracks and malfunction.
Innovation Solution
A flexible display panel design featuring a multilayered encapsulation structure with a hollow organic layer that penetrates through the support, pixel definition, and planarization layers, including elongated grooves in the non-display region to distribute stress and prevent crack propagation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an inorganic encapsulation layer is used to protect the display panel, then the protection performance is improved, but the brittleness increases and causes breakage when bent
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulation layer is divided into multiple segments: inorganic encapsulation layers (first and second) separated by an organic encapsulation layer, with hollow structures creating additional segmentation. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function while the organic layer and hollow structures provide flexibility to prevent breakage during bending.
Solution Approach 2:
The encapsulation structure uses a composite multilayer design combining inorganic materials (for protection and barrier properties) with organic materials (for flexibility). The first inorganic encapsulation layer, organic encapsulation layer, and second inorganic encapsulation layer form a composite structure that balances protection and bending resistance.
2Strength
If a multilayered encapsulation structure is introduced to improve flexibility, then the bending resistance is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulation system is segmented into functional units: inorganic encapsulation layers for protection, organic encapsulation layer for flexibility, and hollow structures for stress relief. This segmentation allows complex functionality to be achieved through modular, manageable layers rather than a monolithic complex structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible display panel is provided, which includes a base substrate, a thin film transistor (TFT) array layer, and an encapsulation layer. The TFT array layer includes an inorganic layer. An organic layer is disposed on the TFT array layer in a non-display region. The organic layer is defined with a hollow structure at least penetrating the organic layer and the encapsulation layer covers the hollow structure. The organic layer includes a planarization layer, a pixel definition layer, and a support layer. The hollow structure includes grooves with different groove levels, which improves a bending resistance of the flexible display panel and prevents cracks from extending to a display region.