Flexible OLED Partition Wall Water Ingress Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing OLED devices face challenges in preventing water ingress, particularly from side surfaces, due to the limitations of the face seal structure and the introduction of foreign materials, which can lead to oxidation and reliability issues.
Innovation Solution
A flexible organic electroluminescent device is designed with a partition wall pattern formed outside the active area to enclose the panel, preventing water introduction and enhancing reliability, and a method for fabricating this device involves forming a partition wall pattern on the interlayer insulating layer or bank in the non-active area to isolate the active area from potential water ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a face seal structure is used to encapsulate the OLED device, then the device can be sealed to prevent external contamination, but water can still ingress from side surfaces through the adhesive layer and bank structure
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulation structure is segmented into multiple functional layers: a lower encapsulation layer (bank and adhesive) providing base sealing, and an upper encapsulation layer (passivation layer and barrier film) providing additional protection. The partition wall pattern further segments the non-active area to create a water ingress barrier, dividing the potential contamination path into isolated zones that cannot reach the active area.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection strategy transitions from two-dimensional face sealing (adhesive layer between substrate and barrier film) to three-dimensional encapsulation by adding vertical partition wall structures. These partitions extend upward from the bank, creating lateral barriers that block water ingress from side surfaces, effectively adding a vertical dimension to the sealing approach.
2Device complexity
If traditional encapsulation methods are used, then the device structure is simple, but foreign materials can be introduced during manufacturing and water can ingress through side surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The partition wall pattern is formed during the manufacturing process before final encapsulation, creating a pre-established barrier structure. The bank and adhesive layer are formed first, followed by the partition wall pattern that extends upward, and finally the passivation layer and barrier film are applied. This preliminary structuring prevents foreign material introduction and water ingress before final assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The encapsulation system uses composite material structures: the bank provides mechanical support, the adhesive layer provides bonding, the partition wall pattern (formed from organic layer material) provides lateral barrier, the passivation layer provides chemical protection, and the barrier film provides moisture vapor barrier. This multi-material composite approach enhances protection while managing complexity through functional specialization.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the OLED device is driven at low voltage, then power consumption is reduced and circuit design is simplified, but the device remains vulnerable to water ingress that causes oxidation
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple protective layers are applied beforehand to cushion against potential water ingress: the bank provides structural containment, the adhesive layer provides initial sealing, the partition wall pattern provides lateral barrier, the passivation layer provides chemical protection, and the barrier film provides moisture vapor barrier. This multi-layer cushioning approach protects the low-voltage device from oxidation before water can reach sensitive components.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a flexible organic electroluminescent device, and a method for fabricating the same. The flexible organic electroluminescent device comprises a non-active area formed outside an active area of a substrate; a switching thin film transistor and a driving thin film transistor on the substrate; an interlayer insulating layer formed on the substrate; a first electrode formed on the interlayer insulating layer; a bank formed in the non-active area of the substrate; an organic light-emitting layer formed on the first electrode; a second electrode formed on the organic light-emitting layer; a first passivation layer formed on the substrate; an organic layer formed on the first passivation layer; a partition wall pattern formed on the first passivation layer; a second passivation layer formed on the first passivation layer; and a barrier film disposed to face the substrate.