Flexible OLED Panel Polyimide Barrier Layer Water Oxygen Ingress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible OLED displays face challenges in blocking oxygen and water penetration through polyimide layers, which affects the lifespan of the luminescent material in TFT and OLED structures.
Innovation Solution
A flexible OLED display panel is designed with a stacked structure of first and second polyimide layers, a barrier layer made of silicon dioxide or silicon nitride, and an optional oxygen barrier layer, along with an organic film, to effectively block water and oxygen, and a manufacturing method involving a laser lift-off process to create a flexible panel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a polyimide layer is used as a flexible substrate for TFT and OLED structures, then flexibility is achieved, but water and oxygen penetration occurs which reduces device lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining polyimide flexible substrate with inorganic barrier layers (silicon oxide and silicon nitride) to create a multi-layer structure that simultaneously provides flexibility and effective water/oxygen barrier performance, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and barrier performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the barrier function into multiple thin layers (first barrier layer with silicon oxide, second barrier layer with silicon nitride, and third barrier layer with silicon oxide) rather than using a single thick layer, achieving better barrier performance while maintaining flexibility
2Reliability
If the barrier layer thickness is increased to block water and oxygen, then protection performance improves, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier function is segmented into multiple thin layers (each 50-200 nm thick) with alternating materials, achieving effective barrier performance without requiring any single layer to be excessively thick, thus managing complexity through functional distribution
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the thickness parameters of each barrier layer to be within 50-200 nm, and controls the total barrier layer thickness to be 0.1-2.0 μm, achieving effective barrier performance while managing device complexity through precise parameter control
3Reliability
If a barrier layer is added between polyimide layers to block water and oxygen, then protection performance improves, but manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical barrier approaches with thin-film deposition techniques (chemical vapor deposition or atomic layer deposition) to form the barrier layers, enabling precise thickness control and material composition without complex mechanical assembly processes
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process utilizes parameter control in thin-film deposition (temperature, pressure, deposition rate) to achieve the desired barrier layer properties, simplifying the manufacturing process compared to traditional mechanical assembly methods
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
The solution effectively prolongs the lifespan of the OLED display panel by preventing water and oxygen ingress, enhancing the panel's durability and flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
the polyimide layer has poor ability of blocking oxygen (O2) and water (H2O), which would result in an amount of water or oxygen penetrating through the polyimide layer into circuits of the TFT structure
Implementation Method 2
applying a laser lift-off process to separate the rigid substrate and the first polyimide layer
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel, which includes a first polyimide layer, a barrier layer and a second polyimide layer that are sequentially stacked and a thin film transistor (TFT) structure and an OLED structure that are sequentially disposed on the second polyimide layer, in which a material of the barrier layer includes at least one of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride. By arranging a flexible base as an upper polyimide layer and a lower polyimide layer and adding a barrier layer between the two polyimide layers, the present invention can effectively block water and oxygen from entering an interior of a component through a flexible polyimide base, thereby protecting the TFT structure and the OLED structure and improving the lifespan of the OLED display panel. The present invention further provides a manufacturing method of a flexible OLED display panel.