Flexible OLED Bending-Area Wiring Layout to Prevent Shorts
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Solution Overview
Problem
In flexible OLED display devices, wires in the bending area are prone to disconnection or short-circuiting due to bending stress, leading to device malfunctions.
Innovation Solution
The wires in the bending area are formed on the same layer and parallel to each other, avoiding overlap and cross-section, with connections made through contact holes to different layers in other areas, using the same material as the source and drain electrodes of the TFTs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wires are formed in the bending area to enable flexible display, then the display can be bent and rolled, but the wires may disconnect or short-circuit during bending
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the display into active area and non-active area, with the bending area located in the non-active area. This segmentation allows the flexible bending region to be isolated from the rigid display region, preventing wire damage in the bending area from affecting the overall device reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from planar wire routing to three-dimensional stacked wiring in the bending area. By forming wires on multiple layers (first wire layer and second wire layer) with different orientations, the design accommodates bending stress without causing disconnection or short-circuiting, thus maintaining reliability during flexible deformation.
2Area of stationary object
If wires cross each other in the bending area to minimize bezel width, then the display achieves compact design, but the wires are prone to disconnection or short-circuiting
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having wires cross each other on the same plane, the patent stacks wires on different layers (first wire layer and second wire layer) with different orientations. This three-dimensional arrangement allows wires to pass through each other's paths without actual crossing, eliminating disconnection and short-circuit risks while achieving compact bezel design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate insulating layers between different wire layers. These insulating layers act as mediators that prevent electrical contact between wires on different layers, ensuring that even when wires are positioned close together or cross in the projection, no short-circuiting occurs.
3Ease of manufacture
If wires are formed on the same layer in the bending area, then manufacturing is simplified, but wires may overlap and cause short-circuiting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the overlap issue by transitioning from two-dimensional planar wiring to three-dimensional stacked wiring. By forming first wires on a first wire layer and second wires on a second wire layer above it, the design eliminates overlapping and short-circuiting risks while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through systematic layer-based fabrication processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate insulating layers between the first wire layer and second wire layer. These insulating layers serve as mediators that prevent electrical contact between wires on different layers, ensuring reliable insulation even when wires are positioned close together in the bending area.
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.