Flexible OLED Bending-Area Wiring Layout to Prevent Shorts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flexible OLED display devices experience disconnection or short-circuiting of wires due to bending stress in the bending area, leading to device malfunction.
Innovation Solution
The wires in the bending area are formed on the same layer and in parallel to each other, avoiding overlap and cross-section, with connections through contact holes, using the same material as the source or drain electrodes of the TFTs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If wires are formed to cross each other in the bending area to minimize bezel width, then the bezel width is reduced, but the wires may disconnect or short-circuit during bending
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar wire routing to three-dimensional stacked routing by forming wires on different layers (first wire layer and second wire layer) that are spaced apart from each other. This vertical dimensionality allows wires to cross without physical contact, preventing short-circuits while enabling compact bezel design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nested wire structures where wires are arranged in multiple stacked layers with spacing between them. This nesting approach allows multiple wire paths to occupy the same planar footprint without interfering with each other, achieving both compactness and electrical isolation.
2Reliability
If wires are formed on different layers to prevent short-circuiting, then wire reliability is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wire structure into distinct first and second wire layers, each carrying specific signals. This segmentation allows independent routing and fabrication of each layer while maintaining overall system functionality, making the complexity manageable through modular design.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a display device including: a substrate including an active area, a non-active area, a bending area and a pad area; the active area including pixels to display images, each pixel including an organic light emitting layer and a thin-film transistor (TFT); the non-active area located between the active area and the bending area; and the bending area configured to be bent and located between the non-active area and the pad area, the bending area including a signal line and a power line that are made of a same material as a source electrode or a drain electrode of the TFT in the active area.