OLED Display Substrate Crack Prevention via Segmented Insulating Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
During the fabrication of OLED display substrates, cracks in the organic material layer of the buffer area can propagate towards the display area, allowing air and oxygen to enter, which adversely affects the display quality and reliability of the substrate.
Innovation Solution
A display substrate design featuring a functional area surrounded by a buffer area with insulating layers and an encapsulating structure, including a first and second enclosure ring, where the second part of the insulating layers is spaced apart from the first part by a groove, forming a crack prevention barrier to prevent cracks from propagating from the buffer area into the functional area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the inorganic layer is made continuous across the buffer area and functional area, then the encapsulation integrity is improved, but cracks can propagate from the buffer area into the functional area, allowing air and oxygen to enter
Solution Approach 1:
The inorganic layer is divided into a first part in the functional area and a second part in the buffer area, which are spaced apart by a groove. This segmentation prevents cracks from propagating across the entire encapsulation structure while maintaining encapsulation integrity in both regions separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove acts as an intermediary element between the first part and second part of the inorganic layer. It serves as a physical barrier that stops crack propagation from the buffer area into the functional area, while allowing both parts to maintain their encapsulation function independently.
2Reliability
If the insulating layers are made discontinuous with a groove, then crack propagation is prevented, but the encapsulation structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating layers are segmented into first and second parts separated by a groove, creating a discontinuous structure that prevents crack propagation. This segmentation is implemented in a way that maintains manufacturing feasibility while achieving the desired crack resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The discontinuous structure with the groove is applied locally in the buffer area where cracks originate, while the functional area maintains its encapsulation integrity. This localized approach prevents crack propagation without unnecessarily complicating the entire encapsulation structure.
3Reliability
If the first enclosure ring is made with greater width, then crack propagation is more effectively blocked, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The first enclosure ring is designed with greater width specifically at the interface with the second part of the insulating layer, where crack propagation is most likely to occur. This localized reinforcement provides enhanced crack prevention without requiring increased precision across the entire enclosure ring structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The wider first enclosure ring acts as a pre-designed buffer zone that cushions against potential crack propagation before cracks can reach the functional area. This design provides a margin of safety that reduces the need for extremely tight manufacturing tolerances.
Data Source
AI summary
A display substrate is provided. The display substrate includes a functional area; and a buffer area substantially surrounding the functional area, wherein the functional area includes a display area and a peripheral area between the display area and the buffer area; one or more insulating layers on a base substrate, and in the functional area and the buffer area; and an encapsulating structure on a side of the one or more insulating layers away from the base substrate, and encapsulating a plurality of light emitting elements in the display area. The one or more insulating layers include a first part in the functional area and at least a second part in the buffer area. The second part is spaced apart from the first part. The display substrate further includes a first enclosure ring on a side of the second part away from the base substrate.