OLED Lens Aperture for Viewing Angle and Light Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays face challenges in achieving improved viewing angle and light efficiency while minimizing color distortion and ambient light reflection without relying on separate polarizers.
Innovation Solution
The OLED display design incorporates a first and second substrate with a pixel defining layer, an organic light emitting layer, and a black matrix with apertures covered by lenses, which protrude to enhance light collection and reduce ambient light reflection, utilizing a lens structure that collects light and a black matrix to absorb unwanted light, thereby improving viewing angle and light efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a conventional OLED structure without lenses is used, then the device is simpler and has fewer components, but the viewing angle is limited and light efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a lens structure with a curved surface (convex or concave) positioned at the aperture of the pixel defining layer. This curvature refracts and directs light emitted from the organic light emitting layer, improving light extraction efficiency and viewing angle without requiring additional complex optical components outside the basic OLED stack.
Solution Approach 2:
The lens structure adds a third-dimensional element to the otherwise planar OLED structure. By positioning the lens at the aperture and giving it a curved profile in the vertical dimension, the patent enhances light directionality and extraction efficiency, transforming light that would otherwise be trapped or emitted in limited directions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If no black matrix is used, then the device structure is simpler, but ambient light reflection increases and color distortion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The black matrix, which absorbs light and might seem to reduce overall light output, actually improves display performance by absorbing ambient light reflection and preventing color distortion from adjacent pixels. The lens structure compensates for any light loss by improving light extraction efficiency from the organic light emitting layer, effectively converting the potential harm of light absorption into a beneficial filtering function.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a separate polarizer is added to reduce ambient light reflection, then color distortion is reduced, but the device becomes more complex and light efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the separate polarizer component from the OLED structure and replaces its function with an integrated lens structure positioned at the pixel aperture. The lens refracts and directs light to improve viewing angle and reduce color distortion without the light-blocking effects of a polarizer, effectively extracting the necessary optical function while eliminating the harmful component.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the viewing angle is increased using conventional methods, then more viewers can see the display, but color distortion increases and light efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The lens structure with its curved surface refracts light in multiple directions, naturally widening the viewing angle. As viewers move across different angles, the lens continuously directs light toward their eyes, maintaining consistent color and brightness without the need for wide-viewing-angle materials that often sacrifice color accuracy or require additional polarizing layers that reduce light efficiency.
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
This configuration enhances viewing angle and light efficiency while reducing color distortion and ambient light reflection, providing improved display performance without the need for a separate polarizer.
Implementation Method 1
a lens disposed to cover at least a part of the second aperture and protruding toward the first substrate
Implementation Method 2
a black matrix disposed on the second substrate and having a second aperture
Implementation Method 3
A hole injected from the hole injection electrode and an electron injected from the electron injection electrode are combined to form an exciton, and the OLED may emit light by energy generated when the exciton falls from an excited state to a ground state
Data Source
AI summary
An OLED display includes a first substrate, a first electrode on the first substrate, a pixel defining layer having a first aperture exposing the first electrode, an organic light emitting layer on the first electrode, a second electrode on the organic light emitting layer, a second substrate disposed to face the first substrate, a black matrix disposed on the second substrate and having a second aperture, and a lens disposed to cover at least a part of the second aperture and protruding toward the first substrate.