OLED Pass-Through Hole Encapsulation Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for creating pass-through holes in fully encapsulated OLED panels expose moisture- and oxygen-sensitive layers, leading to potential degradation and reducing the panel's useful lifetime, as re-establishing encapsulation along the cut edges is challenging and unreliable.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the creation of a pass-through hole within the central emission area of an OLED panel, using a support element and sealant to re-establish a barrier against moisture and oxygen, ensuring the encapsulation is maintained by applying a sealant directly to the support element in contact with the cut edges of the hole.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a pass-through hole is created in a fully encapsulated OLED panel, then the panel allows objects to be viewed through the hole, but the moisture- and oxygen-sensitive internal layers are exposed to degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulation is divided into two parts: the original encapsulation that remains intact, and a new sealant application that specifically addresses the hole edges. This segmentation allows the pass-through hole to exist while maintaining protection through separate, targeted sealing at the critical interface zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The method applies sealant to the cut edges of the hole before final assembly or use. This preliminary action prevents moisture and oxygen ingress from the moment the hole is created, proactively protecting the internal layers rather than attempting remediation later.
2Reliability
If the OLED panel is fully encapsulated to protect internal layers, then reliability is improved, but creating a pass-through hole requires breaking encapsulation which exposes sensitive layers
Solution Approach 1:
A sealant acts as an intermediary material between the external environment and the OLED internal layers at the hole interface. This sealant bridges the gap created by the hole, providing a protective barrier without requiring complete re-encapsulation of the entire panel, thus simplifying the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of re-encapsulating the entire OLED panel, the protection is applied locally only at the hole edges where exposure occurs. This local quality approach maintains the beneficial properties of full encapsulation while addressing the specific vulnerability at the hole interface with targeted sealant application.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a pass-through hole is created in the OLED panel, then visibility through the panel is enabled, but the cut edges of the hole create pathways for moisture and oxygen ingress
Solution Approach 1:
The cut edges of the hole, which initially create harmful pathways for moisture and oxygen, are converted into targeted sealing zones. By applying sealant specifically to these cut edges, the previously harmful interfaces become the focal point of protection, transforming the vulnerability into a controlled sealing opportunity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of making an encapsulated OLED panel with a pass-through hole comprising: creating a pass-through hole with side walls within the central emission area of an OLED panel; providing at least a first support element arranged in contact with a portion of a face of the OLED panel and overlapping the edge of the hole such that a portion of the support element is located above or within the hole and is spaced from the side walls; and providing a sealant in contact with the first support element and desirably, the side walls as well. Both the first support element and sealant provide a barrier to moisture and oxygen from entering the internal OLED structures through the cut side wall formed during the creation of the pass-through hole in a previously encapsulated OLED panel.