Organic Light-Emitting Display Touch Sensor Integration

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing process of manufacturing touchscreen-enabled display devices is complex and costly due to the additional step of attaching a touchscreen to a display panel, which involves complications and increased expenses.

Innovation Solution

An organic light-emitting display device with a touch sensor is designed such that an outer planarization layer fills the space between dams, preventing short circuits and allowing touch electrodes to be disposed on an encapsulation unit, eliminating the need for an additional bonding process, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a touchscreen is separately manufactured and attached to the front of the display panel using adhesive, then the touchscreen can be independently optimized and replaced, but the manufacturing process becomes complicated and cost increases due to the additional attaching step

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetouchscreen replaceabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the touchscreen and display panel into a single integrated structure by forming touch electrodes directly on the display panel substrate. The touch sensor layer is deposited and patterned in the same manufacturing process as the display panel, eliminating the need for separate touchscreen production and attachment. This integration maintains functionality while simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Manufacturing precision

If a touchscreen is separately manufactured and attached to the front of the display panel, then quality control can be performed independently on each component, but the overall manufacturing time and cost increase due to the additional attaching step

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent quality controlVSAvoidmanufacturing cycle time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-forming the touch electrode patterns directly on the display panel substrate during the display panel manufacturing process itself. The touch sensor layers are deposited and patterned before final assembly, allowing quality control to be integrated into the existing manufacturing workflow rather than adding separate attachment steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If touch electrodes are disposed on the encapsulation unit, then an additional bonding process is eliminated and manufacturing is simplified, but the routing lines may be exposed and susceptible to short circuits in the space between dams

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing process simplificationVSAvoidrouting line short circuit prevention
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary planarization layer that fills the spaces between the dams and covers the routing lines. This planarization layer acts as a protective mediator that prevents short circuits while allowing the touch electrodes to remain on the encapsulation unit, thus maintaining both manufacturing simplicity and electrical reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3410275B1Display device
Publication Date: 2023.08.02 LG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP3410275B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3410275B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3410275B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A thin and lightweight display device is disclosed. An organic light-emitting display device having a touch sensor is configured such that an outer planarization layer fills a space between a plurality of dams, thereby preventing a short circuit between routing lines in the space between the dams, and such that touch electrodes are disposed on an encapsulation unit for encapsulating a light-emitting element, with the result that an additional bonding process is not required, whereby the process is simplified and cost is reduced.