Insulating Dam and Crack Unit for Flexible OLED Moisture Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible organic light-emitting display apparatuses face reliability issues due to external impacts and moisture penetration, which can lead to pixel shrinkage and decreased performance.
Innovation Solution
An organic light-emitting display apparatus design featuring a substrate with a display area and a non-display area, where a thin film encapsulation layer with both organic and inorganic layers covers the display area, and insulating dams with organic and inorganic materials are positioned in the non-display area to prevent moisture ingress, accompanied by a crack unit that surrounds the dams to absorb external impacts and prevent crack propagation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the display apparatus uses a flexible substrate with thin film encapsulation, then the display apparatus achieves flexibility and thin profile, but the reliability decreases due to moisture and outdoor air permeation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a thin film encapsulation layer comprising alternating organic and inorganic layers that conformally covers the display area. This thin film structure provides effective moisture and outdoor air barrier while maintaining the flexible and thin profile of the display apparatus, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and moisture resistance.
2Ease of manufacture
If the display apparatus lacks protective structures at edges, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but external impacts cause crack propagation and pixel shrinkage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a crack unit positioned at the edge of the display area before external impacts can occur. This preventive structure absorbs impact energy and stops crack propagation in advance, protecting the display pixels from shrinkage while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through a straightforward structural addition.
3Reliability
If insulating dams are added to prevent moisture ingress, then the moisture resistance improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the moisture barrier function from the main encapsulation structure and implements it through separate insulating dams positioned at the edges of the display area. These dams extend from the thin film encapsulation layer to provide additional moisture protection, while the modular extraction approach keeps the overall structural complexity manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
An organic light-emitting display apparatus includes a substrate including a display area, and a non-display area adjacent to the display area. A power source line is positioned in the non-display area. A display unit is arranged on the substrate. The display unit includes a thin film transistor. A display device is connected to the thin film transistor. A thin film encapsulation layer substantially covers the display area. The thin film encapsulation layer includes at least one organic layer and at least one inorganic layer. At least one insulating dam is arranged in the non-display area and surrounds the display area. A crack unit is adjacent to the at least one insulating dam in the non-display area. At least a part of the crack unit is in direct contact with the at least one insulating dam.