Multi-layer Micro-wire Structure for Flexible Displays
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional transparent conductors used in flat-panel displays and touch screens face challenges with high cost, limited conductivity and transparency, and susceptibility to cracking when formed on flexible or curved substrates, which affects their performance in non-flat configurations.
Innovation Solution
A multi-layer micro-wire structure is developed, comprising a substrate with micro-channels filled with an electrically conductive first material and a second material with greater tensile ductility, forming a conductive path that is resistant to cracking and maintains conductivity even under mechanical strain, allowing for flexible and curved configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional transparent conductors (metal oxides) are used, then transparency and conductivity are achieved, but the conductors crack when formed on flexible substrates or when curved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rigid metal oxide layers with flexible conductive polymer layers that can withstand bending and curving without cracking. The polymer material inherently provides the flexibility needed for non-planar configurations while maintaining electrical conductivity, directly resolving the contradiction between crack resistance and adaptability to flexible substrates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite structures combining conductive polymers with other materials to achieve both flexibility and conductivity. This composite approach allows the conductor to maintain structural integrity during flexing while preserving electrical properties, addressing the limitation of conventional metal oxides that crack under mechanical strain.
2Reliability
If metal oxide transparent conductors are used, then conductivity is provided, but the materials are expensive and costly to deposit and pattern
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes expensive metal oxide materials with cheaper conductive polymer alternatives that can be deposited using lower-cost techniques. The polymer-based conductors provide sufficient conductivity for the application while significantly reducing material and processing costs, directly addressing the manufacturing cost issue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal oxide to conductive polymer, which fundamentally alters the deposition and patterning requirements. The polymer materials can be applied using simpler, more cost-effective methods compared to the complex sputtering or evaporation processes typically required for metal oxides, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining conductivity.
3Reliability
If metal oxide transparent conductors are used, then conductivity is achieved, but transparency is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite or hybrid conductor structures that optimize both transparency and conductivity. By combining materials with complementary properties or using optimized polymer compositions, the design achieves higher transparency while maintaining adequate conductivity, resolving the trade-off between these two optical and electrical properties.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-layer micro-wire structure resistant to cracking including a substrate having a surface, one or more micro-channels formed in the substrate, an electrically conductive first material composition forming a first layer located in each micro-channel, and an electrically conductive second material composition having a greater tensile ductility than the first material composition forming a second layer located in each micro-channel, the first material composition and the second material composition in electrical contact to form an electrically conductive multi-layer micro-wire in each micro-channel, whereby the multi-layer micro-wire is resistant to cracking.