Flexible Display Apparatus with Patterned Insulating Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current flexible display technologies face challenges in achieving both flexibility and durability, particularly in maintaining image quality and preventing moisture infiltration when bent or folded, due to stress accumulation and potential cracking.
Innovation Solution
The flexible display apparatus incorporates a substrate with a patterned inorganic gate insulating and inter-insulating layer structure, where the inorganic layers are removed from the bendable region and organic layers are used in stress-absorbing components like the via layer and pixel defining layer, with a metal dam and thin film encapsulation to prevent moisture infiltration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If inorganic insulating layers are used to ensure durability and moisture barrier, then reliability is improved, but flexibility deteriorates due to stress accumulation and cracking when bent
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating layer is segmented into two distinct regions: a first region with removed inorganic layers for flexibility, and a second region with patterned inorganic layers for durability. This segmentation allows each region to serve its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different structural qualities are applied to different regions: the first region has a simplified structure without inorganic layers to enable bending, while the second region retains patterned inorganic layers for moisture barrier and durability. Each region's structure is optimized for its local requirements.
2Ease of operation
If inorganic layers are removed from bendable region to enhance flexibility, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential moisture infiltration
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into a first bendable region without inorganic layers and a second non-bendable region with patterned inorganic layers. This segmentation ensures that flexibility is provided where needed while moisture barrier is maintained in the functional display region.
Solution Approach 2:
The via layer acts as an intermediary structure that connects the gate line in the second region to the data line, providing both electrical connection and stress relief. The organic material in the via layer accommodates bending stress while maintaining connectivity.
3Reliability
If patterned inorganic layers are used in second region to maintain durability, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inorganic layers are selectively removed from the first region and retained only in the second region with a specific pattern. This segmentation reduces overall device complexity by eliminating unnecessary inorganic layers from the bendable region while maintaining them where needed for durability.
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible display apparatus includes: a substrate; a gate insulating layer including an inorganic layer disposed on the substrate; a gate line disposed on the gate insulating layer; an inter-insulating layer including an inorganic layer and covering the gate line; and a data line disposed on the inter-insulating layer, where the flexible display apparatus has a first region which is bendable and second regions at opposite sides of the first region, respectively, portions of the gate insulating layer and the inter-insulating layer in the first region are removed, and the gate insulating layer and the inter-insulating layer in the second region have a patterned structure.