Flexible OLED Routing Wire Layout Across the Bending Section
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible organic EL display devices face breaks in routing wires due to the edge portions of inorganic insulating films near the bending section, which is costly to address with a planarization film.
Innovation Solution
A display device with a slit in the inorganic insulating film in the bending section, filled by a planarization film, and routing wires extending parallel to each other, connected via contact holes, using the same material and layer as the wiring layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If inorganic insulating films are removed in the bending section and a planarization film is provided to cover the edge portions, then breaks in routing wires are prevented, but manufacturing cost increases due to the use of costly planarization film material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the costly planarization film with a cheaper organic insulating film that serves the same protective function in the bending section. This organic insulating film is formed to cover the edge portions of the removed inorganic insulating films and provides sufficient protection against routing wire breaks while reducing manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different materials in different regions: inorganic insulating films are removed only in the bending section where stress concentration occurs, while the rest of the device maintains the original inorganic insulating film structure. The organic insulating film is specifically applied only in the bending section to provide localized protection.
2Area of stationary object
If the frame area is bent to reduce the area occupied by the frame area, then the display device achieves a narrower frame, but the wiring in the frame area could break
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or removes the inorganic insulating films specifically in the bending section of the frame area where bending occurs. This removal creates a flexible region that can accommodate the bending deformation without causing wire breaks, while allowing the frame area to be reduced for narrower frame design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an organic insulating film as an intermediary material in the bending section. This organic insulating film serves as a mediator that provides mechanical flexibility to accommodate bending while still providing electrical insulation and structural support for the routing wires.
Data Source
AI summary
A display device includes: a resin substrate layer; a thin film transistor layer on the resin substrate layer, the thin film transistor layer including a sequential stack of an inorganic insulating film, a wiring layer, and a planarization film; and a light-emitting element layer, wherein a frame area is provided, a terminal section is provided, a bending section is provided between the display area and the terminal section, a plurality of routing wires are provided in the bending section and two sides of the bending section, and at least one of the plurality of routing wires includes: a display-side wiring section on an edge portion of the inorganic insulating film; a terminal-side wiring section on another edge portion of the inorganic insulating film; and an intermediate wiring section electrically connected to the display-side wiring section and the terminal-side wiring section respectively.