OLED Lighting Apparatus Encapsulation Via Electrode Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current OLED lighting technologies face challenges in achieving reliable and cost-effective manufacturing due to the limitations of substrates in organic light emitting diode (OLED) lighting apparatuses, including high manufacturing costs and reduced reliability at high temperatures.
Innovation Solution
The OLED lighting apparatus omits a substrate and features an encapsulation layer over both active and non-active areas on a buffer layer, with a via electrode passing through the encapsulation layer to connect to a pad, allowing for stable electrical connections and eliminating the need for expensive transparent polyimide films, enabling high-temperature processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a substrate is used in OLED lighting apparatus, then manufacturing cost increases and reliability decreases at high temperatures, but structural support and stability are provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the substrate component entirely from the OLED lighting apparatus structure. By extracting the substrate, the invention eliminates the associated problems of high manufacturing cost and poor high-temperature reliability, while maintaining structural integrity through alternative support mechanisms using the encapsulation layer and buffer layer configuration.
2Ease of manufacture
If transparent polyimide films are used as substrates, then manufacturing cost increases, but flexibility and encapsulation are provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the transparent polyimide film substrate from the device structure. By removing this component, the invention resolves the contradiction by avoiding both the high manufacturing cost and the poor high-temperature reliability associated with polyimide materials, while achieving the necessary flexibility and encapsulation through the buffer layer and encapsulation layer combination.
3Reliability
If via electrodes pass through encapsulation layer to connect pads, then electrical connection reliability improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The via electrode structure is segmented into distinct functional portions: a first portion within the encapsulation layer providing electrical connection, and a second portion extending to the pad. This segmentation allows the via electrode to reliably connect the pad to the underlying structure while maintaining manufacturability through clear separation of functions and simplified processing steps.
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 solution enhances the reliability of OLED lighting devices by allowing high-temperature processing and reduces manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for expensive substrates, while maintaining stable electrical connections and improved color rendering properties.
Implementation Method 1
the pad disposed in the non-active area of the buffer layer can be stably secured by the encapsulation layer bonded thereto
Implementation Method 2
a via electrode passing through the encapsulation layer in the non-active area to be connected to the pad
Implementation Method 3
an OLED lighting apparatus using an organic light emitting device formed of an organic luminescent material
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Disclosed herein is an OLED lighting apparatus which can achieve both improvement in reliability and reduction in manufacturing cost. In the OLED lighting apparatus, an encapsulation layer is disposed over the active area and the non-active area on a buffer layer, such that a pad disposed in the non-active area of the buffer layer can be stably secured by the encapsulation layer bonded thereto. Accordingly, upon tape automated bonding between an FPCB substrate with a COF tape attached thereto and a via electrode, the COF tape does not directly contact the pad but contacts the via electrode connected to the pad, particularly a connection terminal of the via electrode disposed on an upper surface of the encapsulation layer, thereby establishing electrical connection between the FPCB substrate and the via electrode. In this way, the connection terminal of the via electrode is electrically connected to the FPCB substrate via the COF tape, whereby a signal from the outside can be applied to the pad connected to the via electrode.