Flexible OLED Display with Integrated Touch Panel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing OLED display devices with built-in touch panels face challenges in manufacturing flexibility and thickness due to limitations in processes like chemical vapor deposition on plastic films, restricting the integration of touch arrays with OLED arrays on flexible substrates.
Innovation Solution
The OLED display device features an OLED array on a lower flexible substrate and a touch array on an upper flexible substrate, connected via an adhesive layer, with both arrays formed on separate flexible substrates made of organic materials, allowing for reduced thickness and increased flexibility by using anisotropic conductive paste for electrical connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a touch array is attached to a plastic film using an add-on type, then the device can be made flexible, but the thickness cannot be reduced and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the OLED array and touch array into a single integrated structure where both arrays are formed on the same flexible substrate. The touch array electrodes are positioned between the OLED cathode and the encapsulation layer, allowing the touch panel and display to function as one unified device rather than separate components that need to be attached.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the device into distinct functional layers: the flexible substrate, OLED array, touch array with X and Y electrodes, encapsulation layer, and touch controller. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall flexibility and reducing the need for additional attachment processes.
2Manufacturing precision
If chemical vapor deposition or sputtering is performed on a plastic film, then thin film formation is possible, but the process cannot be performed on flexible substrates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming the touch array electrodes and routing lines on the flexible substrate before final assembly and encapsulation. This allows the electrodes to be precisely positioned and connected while the substrate is still accessible for processing, avoiding the need to perform delicate thin film deposition on the final flexible product.
3Length of stationary object
If the OLED array and touch array are integrated on the same substrate, then thickness is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating distinct regions on the flexible substrate: the OLED array region with its specific electrode patterns, the touch array region with overlapping X and Y electrodes, and the routing line regions for electrical connections. Each region is optimized for its specific function while maintaining precise spatial relationships through controlled formation processes.
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
This configuration enables the production of thinner, more flexible OLED display devices with integrated touch panels, reducing manufacturing costs by integrating the PCB for the OLED array with the FPCB for the touch array, while maintaining reliable electrical connections.
Implementation Method 1
the pad part is connected to the OLED array via an anisotropic conductive paste
Implementation Method 2
an adhesive layer adhering the upper flexible substrate to the lower flexible substrate such that the touch array and the OLED array face each other
Data Source
AI summary
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device having a built-in touch panel and a manufacturing method thereof in which an OLED array and a touch array are formed on a flexible substrate and thus the OLED display device has flexibility, and a flexible printed circuit board for driving the touch array is integrally formed with a printed circuit board for driving the OLED array and thus manufacturing costs are reduced are disclosed. The OLED display device includes an OLED array formed on a lower flexible substrate, a touch array formed on an upper flexible substrate, and an adhesive layer adhering the upper flexible substrate to the lower flexible substrate such that the touch array and the OLED array face each other.