OLED Display Panel Concave Groove Encapsulation for Camera Aperture
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing OLED display panels cannot prevent lateral erosion of OLED electrodes and materials from water and oxygen after the opening process, which compromises their reliability and longevity.
Innovation Solution
The OLED display panel incorporates a concave groove that penetrates through the encapsulation and light emitting functional layers, with a touch functional layer covering the groove to enhance encapsulation, and a convex groove on the substrate to reduce thickness and improve transparency, while maintaining the integrity of the TFT structure layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a through hole is formed by laser cutting to place a built-in camera, then 100% transmittance display area is achieved, but water and oxygen can erode OLED electrode and material from lateral side
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a flat 2D surface structure to a 3D stepped structure by creating a first groove that extends into the substrate. This dimensional change allows the encapsulation layer to wrap around and cover the lateral sides of the opening, providing three-dimensional protection against water and oxygen erosion while maintaining the camera opening functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The opening structure is segmented into multiple levels: the first groove extending into the substrate, the second groove at a different depth, and the encapsulation layer forming steps between them. This segmentation creates multiple encapsulation surfaces that collectively protect the OLED components from lateral erosion while allowing camera integration.
2Reliability
If encapsulation layer is made thicker to prevent water and oxygen ingress, then protection is improved, but transparency of light transmission area deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulation layer is configured with different thicknesses at different locations: it forms steps with varying heights around the opening to provide enhanced protection where needed, while the light transmission area maintains thinner sections that allow optimal light passage. This local variation in encapsulation thickness achieves both protection and transparency requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of uniformly increasing encapsulation thickness in the vertical direction (which would block light), the patent uses vertical stepped structures around the opening periphery. This allows the encapsulation to provide lateral protection through vertical steps while keeping the central light transmission path clear and thin for optimal transparency.
3Illumination intensity
If substrate thickness is reduced to improve transparency, then light transmission is improved, but structural strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is segmented into regions of different thicknesses: the light transmission area has reduced thickness for optimal transparency, while the peripheral areas containing the first and second grooves maintain greater thickness for structural strength. This segmented thickness distribution allows the substrate to be both transparent and strong.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate exhibits local quality variations with different thicknesses in different regions. The central light transmission zone is thin for transparency, while the peripheral zones forming the grooves and steps are thicker for mechanical strength, creating a functionally optimized non-uniform thickness profile.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel and an OLED display device. The OLED display panel comprises a light transmission area and a display area surrounding a periphery of the light transmission area; a concave groove is disposed in the OLED display panel corresponding to the light transmission area, and the concave groove penetrates through at least an encapsulation layer, a light emitting function layer and a part of a thin film transistor (TFT) structure layer; and at least a part of a touch function layer extends from the display area toward the concave groove and covers the concave groove.