OLED Pixel Post Structures for Uniform Organic Layer Deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacture of organic electronic devices, such as OLED displays, faces challenges in controlling the spreading of deposited liquid compositions, leading to non-uniform thickness variations in organic layers, which result in luminance and color issues, as well as electrical property degradation due to reduced effective emitting areas and confinement structure limitations.
Innovation Solution
The use of post structures within the perimeter of pixel areas or corresponding to the perimeter of organic electronic components, along with confinement structures, helps in achieving uniform thickness by modifying the thickness variation and confining the liquid composition effectively, thereby reducing the need for additional confinement structures and improving surface area utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If confinement structures (well structures or channels) are used to prevent liquid composition flow into undesirable areas, then liquid confinement is improved, but useful surface area for deposition is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the liquid confinement function from the confinement structure walls and transfers it to the post structures. The posts act as nucleation sites that guide liquid flow along the substrate surface, eliminating the need for extensive confinement structures and thereby preserving useful surface area while maintaining reliable liquid confinement.
Solution Approach 2:
The post structures serve as intermediary elements between the liquid composition and the substrate. These posts mediate the liquid flow by providing controlled nucleation sites, allowing the liquid to spread uniformly across the substrate without requiring confining walls, thus preserving surface area while ensuring proper liquid confinement.
2Reliability
If confinement structures are used to improve liquid confinement, then liquid confinement is improved, but manufacturing complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the liquid confinement function from complex confinement structures and reassigns it to simple post structures. This simplifies the overall device architecture by eliminating the need for elaborate well structures or channels, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining effective liquid confinement through the posts.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using extensive confinement structures across the entire device, the invention applies local quality by placing discrete post structures at specific locations. These localized posts provide sufficient liquid confinement guidance without requiring global structural complexity, thereby simplifying manufacturing while maintaining reliability.
3Manufacturing precision
If thickness variations near walls of confinement structure are reduced, then uniformity of organic layer is improved, but useful surface area is further reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the thickness control function from the confinement structure walls and transfers it to the post structures. The posts create controlled flow patterns that ensure uniform organic layer deposition without requiring thick confinement walls, thereby achieving manufacturing precision while preserving useful surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The post structures act as intermediaries that mediate liquid composition flow to achieve uniform thickness. By providing controlled nucleation sites, the posts ensure even distribution of the organic layer without requiring confining walls that would reduce surface area, thus achieving both uniformity and area preservation.
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 approach enhances the uniformity of organic layers, improves the effective aperture ratio of pixels, reduces luminance and color variations, and maintains electrical property uniformity in organic electronic devices without the need for additional confinement structures or surface energy modifications.
Implementation Method 1
The confinement structure could be fluorinated to improve the confinement through an increased contact angle and reduced surface energy
Implementation Method 2
The confinement structure could be fluorinated to improve the confinement through an increased contact angle and reduced surface energy
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes a substrate, a first organic electronic component overlying the substrate, wherein, from a plan view, the first organic electronic component defines a perimeter of a first pixel area, and at least one post structure, wherein the at least one post structure lies within the perimeter of the first pixel area. The electronic device can also include a confinement structure overlying the substrate and having a first opening, wherein from a plan view, the first opening has a perimeter that substantially corresponds to a perimeter of the first organic electronic component.