OLED Bank Layer Hydrophobicity Control via Plasma Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manufacturing processes for organic light emitting display panels face challenges in enhancing display quality due to organic residual layers on electrodes, which affect the hydrophobic characteristics of bank materials and complicate the inkjet printing process, leading to reduced OLED characteristics and process complexity.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a bank layer with hydrophilic lateral surfaces and a deposition process to form organic material layers, including a hole injection layer, emission layer, and electron transport layers, while using plasma treatments to manage hydrophobicity and improve layer stacking, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and enhancing display quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ultraviolet or plasma treatment is performed to remove organic residual layer, then OLED characteristics are improved, but hydrophobic characteristic of second bank is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary plasma treatment to the first bank before forming the second bank, which removes organic residual layers in advance. This preliminary action prevents the organic residual layer from interfering with subsequent processes, while the plasma treatment is controlled to maintain the hydrophobic characteristics of the second bank, enabling the inkjet printing process to proceed smoothly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the surface energy parameters of the bank layers through controlled plasma treatment. By adjusting the plasma treatment conditions (power, time, gas flow), the surface energy of the first bank is increased to remove organic residues, while the second bank's hydrophobicity is preserved by controlling the treatment parameters, thus maintaining compatibility with inkjet printing.
2Ease of manufacture
If organic residual layer remains on first electrode, then manufacturing process is simpler, but OLED characteristics are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a preliminary plasma treatment step after forming the first bank and before forming the second bank. This preliminary action removes organic residual layers from the first electrode surface, ensuring clean interfaces for subsequent layer formation. The treatment is integrated into the manufacturing flow without requiring complete process redesign, maintaining relative simplicity while improving OLED characteristics.
3Ease of operation
If second bank material has hydrophobic characteristic, then inkjet printing process can be performed, but organic residual layer interferes with the process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful organic residual layer from the first electrode surface through plasma treatment before the inkjet printing process. By taking out this interfering substance in advance, the hydrophobic second bank material can perform its function of enabling inkjet printing without interference from organic residues, ensuring proper material deposition and pattern formation.
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 approach simplifies the manufacturing process, improves the hydrophobic characteristics of bank layers, and enhances the display quality by reducing organic residual layers and pile-up effects, allowing for more precise and efficient formation of organic material layers.
Implementation Method 1
a bank layer disposed on a substrate at a boundary portion between adjacent subpixel areas, a lateral surface of the bank layer being hydrophilic
Implementation Method 2
a surface of the first organic material layer on the bank layer being hydrophobic
Implementation Method 3
as an ultraviolet (UV) or plasma treatment can be performed for removing the organic residual layer
Data Source
AI summary
Discussed is a method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display panel for simplifying a manufacturing process and enhancing display quality. The organic light emitting display panel can include a first electrode disposed in each of subpixel areas of a substrate, bank layers disposed on the substrate at a boundary portion between adjacent subpixel areas, a lateral surface of the bank layers being hydrophilic, a first organic material layer disposed on the bank layers and the first electrode, a surface of the first organic material layer on the bank layers being hydrophobic, a second organic material layer disposed on the first organic material layer between adjacent bank layers, a third organic material layer disposed on the second organic material layer and the first organic material layer, and a second electrode disposed on the third organic material layer.