OLED Encapsulation Structure with Hydrophobic Particles for Flexible Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
The encapsulation structures for OLED display devices face challenges in effectively blocking moisture and oxygen due to the poor bendability of inorganic layers, leading to air channels and reduced encapsulation effectiveness, which shortens the lifespan of the OLED devices.
Innovation Solution
An encapsulation structure comprising alternating layers of inorganic and organic layers, where the organic layers include hydrophobic particles with inorganic nanoparticles and hydrophobic groups, enhancing moisture and oxygen blocking capabilities and flexibility, and optionally incorporating a hydrophobic layer with higher elasticity than the inorganic layer, formed using methods like ink jet printing or spin coating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If inorganic layers are used for encapsulation, then moisture and oxygen blocking capability is improved, but bendability deteriorates leading to air channel formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using organic layers as flexible encapsulation films that can bend without forming air channels, while still providing effective moisture and oxygen blocking when combined with inorganic layers in a stacked structure. The organic layers act as the flexible component that prevents the brittleness issues of pure inorganic encapsulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements composite encapsulation by stacking inorganic layers and organic layers together. The inorganic layers provide superior moisture and oxygen blocking, while the organic layers provide flexibility and bendability. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by combining materials with complementary properties.
2Adaptability or versatility
If organic layers are used to improve bendability, then flexibility is improved, but moisture and oxygen blocking capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite encapsulation structures where organic layers provide flexibility and bendability, while inorganic layers stacked with them provide the moisture and oxygen blocking capability. Neither layer alone would satisfy both requirements, but their combination does.
Solution Approach 2:
The encapsulation function is segmented into different layers with specialized roles: organic layers handle flexibility and bendability, while inorganic layers handle moisture and oxygen blocking. This division of functional responsibilities allows each layer to optimize its specific function.
3Reliability
If inorganic layers are used for encapsulation, then moisture blocking is improved, but flexibility and adaptability to bending deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates organic layers as flexible films that can accommodate bending deformations, preventing the air channel formation that occurs with rigid inorganic layers. These flexible layers maintain moisture blocking effectiveness while enabling the encapsulation structure to adapt to flexible display requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
By stacking inorganic and organic layers together, the patent creates a composite structure where the inorganic layers provide moisture blocking and the organic layers provide flexibility. The combination achieves both moisture protection and adaptability to bending.
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
The proposed solution significantly improves the encapsulation effectiveness by blocking moisture and oxygen, extending the lifespan of OLED devices and enabling flexible display applications while maintaining high transparency and mechanical properties.
Implementation Method 1
the organic layer comprises an organic layer matrix and hydrophobic particles, wherein the hydrophobic particle comprises an inorganic nanoparticle and a hydrophobic group
Implementation Method 2
the inorganic layers have the ability to block moisture and oxygen, and the main function thereof is to isolate the OLED device from the air in the environment
Implementation Method 3
The organic layer has bendability (or called elasticity), and the main function thereof is to achieve flexible displaying of the OLED device
Implementation Method 4
the encapsulation structure further comprises a hydrophobic layer between the inorganic layer and the organic layer, wherein the elasticity of the hydrophobic layer is larger than that of the inorganic layer
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are an encapsulation structure, a method for producing the same, and a display apparatus. The encapsulation structure comprising a plurality of layers covering the outside of a device to be encapsulated, wherein the plurality of layers comprises an inorganic layer and an organic layer, which are stacked alternatively, wherein the organic layer comprises an organic layer matrix and hydrophobic particles, and wherein the hydrophobic particle comprises an inorganic nanoparticle and a hydrophobic group.