Nano-groove OLED Transporting Layers for Flexible Display Substrates
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Solution Overview
Problem
OLED display apparatuses face limitations in flexibility due to the fragility of gate lines, data lines, and display units when bent, particularly in smart wearable devices, as they are prone to breaking during bending processes.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of nano-grooves on the surface of the hole transporting and electron transporting layers, with a distance between adjacent nano-grooves on a nanometric order of magnitude, increases the contact area with the electroluminescent layer, enhancing the bending resistance of display units and incorporating a display stress releasing layer with nano-grooves to improve the structural integrity of gate lines and data lines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional flat structures are used for transporting layers, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the bending resistance is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces nano-grooves with curved hemispherical shapes into the transporting layers. These curved nano-structures enable the layers to better accommodate bending stresses, improving flexibility and bending resistance while maintaining structural integrity during flexing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The transporting layers are designed with nano-groove structures that create a porous-like morphology at the nanoscale. This porous structure increases the surface area and provides stress relief pathways, enhancing bending resistance without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the contact area between transporting layers and electroluminescent layer is small, then the manufacturing is easier, but the luminescent efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The nano-groove structures create a porous-like morphology that dramatically increases the contact surface area between the transporting layers and the electroluminescent layer. This enhanced contact area improves charge injection efficiency and luminescent efficiency without requiring complex multi-layer structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a flat two-dimensional interface to a three-dimensional nano-groove structure, increasing the contact area between layers. This dimensional change enables greater luminescent efficiency through improved interfacial contact while maintaining a relatively simple layered architecture.
3Adaptability or versatility
If gate lines and data lines are made rigid for structural stability, then the manufacturing is straightforward, but the flexibility is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The nano-groove structures in the transporting layers provide curved pathways that allow stress distribution during bending, enabling the gate lines and data lines to maintain structural integrity while achieving flexibility for wearable applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The transporting layers with nano-groove structures function as flexible intermediate films that decouple the rigidity requirements of the conductive lines from the flexibility requirements of the overall display structure, allowing both structural integrity and flexibility to coexist.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure discloses a display substrate and a manufacturing method thereof, a display panel, and a display apparatus. The display substrate comprises: a base substrate, and display units on the base substrate; each of the display units comprises: an anode, a hole transporting layer, an electroluminescent layer, an electron transporting layer and a cathode, all of which are superposed in sequence; a plurality of nano-grooves are disposed on a surface of at least one of the hole transporting layer and the electron transporting layer, the surface is in contact with the electroluminescent layer; and a distance between any two adjacent nano-grooves is on a nanometric order of magnitude. The present disclosure is useful in improving the capability of the display units in resisting bending and preventing the display units from being ruptured due to a bending process.