Foldable Display Insulating Layers for Line Break Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Display panels, especially those used in foldable devices, face stress and potential line breaks due to folding, which can lower the reliability of the display device.
Innovation Solution
A display device design featuring a substrate with distinct areas, including a display area, a mount area, and a fold area, where a first inorganic insulating layer is applied in the display and mount areas, and a second inorganic insulating layer is applied over the lines, extending to overlay the first insulating layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the display panel is folded to improve design and performance, then the adaptability and compactness are enhanced, but the stress on the lines increases and reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The display panel is divided into three distinct areas: a first area with display elements, a second area with mounting structures, and a third fold area between them. This segmentation allows the fold area to be specifically optimized for flexibility while other areas maintain structural integrity, enabling the panel to be folded without compromising line reliability in critical regions.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the display panel are given different structural properties. The fold area has reduced line density and different insulating layer configurations compared to the display and mount areas. This local differentiation allows the panel to be folded at the designated area while maintaining reliability in other regions where lines are more densely packed and cannot tolerate folding stress.
2Reliability
If the lines are made more robust to prevent breaks during folding, then the reliability improves, but the flexibility and ease of folding deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The panel structure is segmented into regions with different line configurations. The fold area has sparser line arrangements and optimized insulating layers that allow flexibility, while other areas have more robust line structures. This segmentation enables the panel to be folded without requiring all lines to be overly robust, thus maintaining flexibility while ensuring reliability where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making all lines excessively robust throughout the entire panel (which would prevent folding), the invention applies enhanced protection measures only where necessary. The fold area uses optimized insulating layers and reduced line density to provide sufficient protection against breaks while maintaining flexibility, avoiding the need for excessive reinforcement that would compromise folding capability.
3Reliability
If the insulating layers are extended to overlay areas to protect lines, then the line protection and reliability improve, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating layer structure is segmented into a first inorganic insulating layer and a second inorganic insulating layer with different spatial extensions. The first layer provides base insulation across the panel, while the second layer extends specifically to overlay the first layer in critical areas, providing enhanced protection where lines are most vulnerable during folding. This segmented approach protects lines without requiring a uniformly complex insulating structure throughout the entire panel.
Solution Approach 2:
The extended insulating layer configuration is applied locally rather than uniformly across the entire panel. The second inorganic insulating layer extends to overlay the first layer specifically in regions where line protection is most critical, such as near the fold area and mounting structures. This local application of enhanced insulation provides necessary protection while avoiding the complexity of extending such structures across the entire panel surface.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a display device including, a substrate including a first area including a display area, a second area including a mount area, and a third area located between the first area and the second area, a first inorganic insulating layer provided on the substrate in the first area and the second area, a line provided on the first inorganic insulating layer and extending across the first area, the second area, and the third area, and, a second inorganic insulating layer provided on the line, the second inorganic insulating layer extending to an area overlaid on at least the first inorganic insulating layer.