Flexible Substrate with Glass Core and Resin Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flexible substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs) face challenges in achieving both flexibility and sufficient gas barrier properties, with glass substrates lacking impact resistance and resin films failing to provide adequate gas barrier properties required for organic electroluminescence displays.
Innovation Solution
A flexible substrate configuration featuring an inorganic glass core sandwiched between resin layers, with an inorganic thin film on one side of the resin layers and optionally a smoothing layer, providing enhanced gas barrier properties and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If glass substrates are thinned to impart flexibility, then flexibility is improved, but impact resistance deteriorates and the substrate becomes prone to cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite structure consisting of a glass substrate combined with resin layers. The glass substrate provides gas barrier properties and dimensional stability, while the resin layers provide impact resistance and flexibility. This composite material approach allows the substrate to maintain both rigidity and flexibility simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between thinning for flexibility and maintaining impact resistance.
2Ease of operation
If resin films are used instead of glass substrates to achieve flexibility and light weight, then flexibility and weight are improved, but gas barrier properties deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite substrate where a glass substrate (providing excellent gas barrier properties) is combined with resin layers (providing flexibility and impact resistance). The glass substrate maintains its integrity to block gas and moisture penetration, while the resin layers bonded to its surfaces provide the necessary flexibility and toughness, thus resolving the contradiction between flexibility and gas barrier properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate is segmented into distinct functional layers: a glass substrate layer for gas barrier properties and resin layers for flexibility and impact resistance. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function optimally without compromising the other, with the resin layers bonded to the glass substrate surfaces.
3Weight of moving object
If the inorganic glass is thinned for weight reduction, then weight is reduced, but the substrate becomes more prone to cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The resin layers are applied beforehand to the glass substrate surfaces, creating a cushioning effect that protects the thinned glass from cracking. These resin layers absorb and distribute mechanical stresses, preventing crack propagation in the brittle glass substrate, thus allowing the glass to be thinned for weight reduction while maintaining crack resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure of thinned glass substrate combined with resin layers allows the glass to be made thinner for weight reduction while the resin layers provide the necessary mechanical strength and crack resistance, resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and crack resistance.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a flexible substrate having excellent flexibility and gas barrier properties. A flexible substrate 100 according to the present invention includes: a base material 20 including an inorganic glass 10 and resin layers 11 and 11′ placed on both sides of the inorganic glass 10; and an inorganic thin film 12 placed on a side of one of the resin layers where the inorganic glass is not placed, wherein the inorganic thin film 12 is formed on at least a peripheral edge of one surface of the base material.