OLED Manufacturing via Split Substrate Annealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing OLED manufacturing methods face challenges in achieving precise alignment and reliable electrical connections between TFTs and OLEDs, leading to inefficiencies and poor performance, particularly due to the rarity and high cost of suitable cathode materials and the inferior quality of electrical paths in reverse OLED structures.
Innovation Solution
The method involves depositing the first and second terminals on separate substrates, forming a plurality of layers into two portions, and aligning them to join at an intralayer interface, with the common layer being annealed to form a unified layer, allowing for improved alignment and contact quality without relying on separate contacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate contacts are used to connect TFT and OLED, then electrical connection is established, but alignment precision and connection reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the TFT drain electrode and OLED anode electrode into a single unified electrode structure. The TFT active layer is deposited directly over the OLED anode, eliminating the need for separate contact elements. This integration ensures perfect alignment between the TFT and OLED while establishing reliable electrical connection through the shared electrode structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the OLED into two portions: the anode portion with the first terminal deposited on the first substrate, and the cathode portion with the second terminal deposited on the second substrate. These portions are then joined together, allowing each to be optimized independently while achieving precise alignment through the shared electrode structure.
2Reliability
If reverse OLED structure is used to isolate TFT voltage, then voltage influence is reduced, but cathode material availability and performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional OLED structure by placing the anode at the bottom (on the first substrate) and the cathode at the top (on the second substrate), with the TFT deposited over the anode. This inverted arrangement allows the TFT to be electrically connected to the anode while being physically isolated from the cathode, achieving voltage stability without requiring rare high-work-function cathode materials.
3Reliability
If encapsulation glass method is used to create reverse OLED, then TFT voltage isolation is achieved, but contact quality and display performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the TFT drain electrode with the OLED anode electrode into a single unified structure, eliminating the need for separate contacts that require precise alignment and pressure application. This integration achieves perfect contact quality by default, as the electrode is continuous and requires no external contact elements.
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 reliability and efficiency of OLEDs by ensuring stable electrical connections and reducing the impact of OLED voltage shifts on drive transistor voltages, resulting in improved light output and reduced dead pixels across the display.
Implementation Method 1
The two parts of the common layer are annealed together to form a unified common layer, and thereby join together the first and second portions of the OLED.
Implementation Method 2
OLEDs can be developed by sequentially depositing layers of material onto a substrate.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure provide for manufacturing an organic light emitting diode (OLED) by forming two terminals of the OLED on two substrates of the display, and then depositing a plurality of layers of the OLED on one or both of the two terminals to form a first portion and a second portion of the OLED on each substrate. The two portions are joined together to form an assembled OLED. The deposition of the two portions can be stopped with each portion having approximately half of a common layer exposed. The two portions can then be aligned to be joined together and an annealing process can be employed to join together the two parts of the common layer and thereby form the OLED.