OLED Touch Sensor with Color Control Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of a touch sensor with an organic light emitting display device (OLED) poses challenges in achieving a lightweight and thin design while maintaining full-color capability without the need for a separate color filter, as existing solutions require additional substrates and adhesive layers, increasing thickness and process complexity.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a touch sensor on an encapsulation substrate with a lower electrode, color control layers of varying thicknesses, and an upper electrode, which serves both as a touch sensor and a color filter, minimizing the need for separate substrates and adhesive layers, and reducing patterning errors by using a single organic light emitting layer for all sub-pixels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate touch panel is attached to the OLED, then touch sensing function is achieved, but device thickness and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the touch sensor and OLED into a single integrated device structure. The touch sensor is formed directly on the OLED substrate without requiring a separate touch panel attachment, merging two previously separate components into one unified device that maintains both display and touch sensing functions while reducing overall thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The OLED substrate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both the display element and the base substrate for the touch sensor. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated touch panel substrates and adhesive layers, achieving both display and touch sensing capabilities in a single integrated structure.
2Reliability
If a separate touch panel is attached to the OLED, then touch sensing function is achieved, but manufacturing process complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the touch sensor manufacturing process with the OLED fabrication process. Both devices are formed on the same substrate using compatible material deposition and patterning techniques, allowing simultaneous or sequential production without requiring separate assembly steps, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the manufacturing process into distinct but compatible stages: first forming the OLED structure, then forming the touch sensor structure on top. This segmented approach allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining compatibility with the overall integrated device architecture.
3Illumination intensity
If color filter is used for full-color OLED, then full-color display is achieved, but device thickness and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the separate color filter layer from the OLED structure. Instead of using a traditional color filter to achieve full-color display, the invention uses an organic light emitting layer that can emit different colors directly, removing the need for additional color filtering components and reducing device thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the emission parameters of the organic light emitting layer to achieve different colors. By adjusting the molecular structure and emission characteristics of the organic materials, the device can produce red, green, and blue colors directly from the light emitting layer itself, eliminating the need for external color filters.
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 allows for a lightweight, thin OLED with reduced process time and costs, while ensuring accurate touch sensing and full-color implementation without a separate color filter, enhancing large-area application capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
an organic light emitting layer extending over the first to third sub-pixels, wherein the organic light emitting layer is not patterned at each of the sub-pixels
Implementation Method 2
a first color control layer disposed on the lower electrode to correspond to the first sub-pixel; a second color control layer disposed on the lower electrode to correspond to the second sub-pixel; a third color control layer disposed on the lower electrode to correspond to the third sub-pixel; and an upper electrode disposed on the first to third color control layers, wherein the first to third color control layers have different thicknesses
Data Source
AI summary
An organic light emitting display device includes: a substrate including a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel; a driving thin film transistor and a light emitting diode provided at each of the first to third sub-pixels; an encapsulation substrate configured to cover the driving thin film transistor and the light-emitting diode; and a touch sensor disposed on the encapsulation substrate, wherein the touch sensor includes: a lower electrode disposed on the encapsulation substrate; a first color control layer disposed on the lower electrode to correspond to the first sub-pixel; a second color control layer disposed on the lower electrode to correspond to the second sub-pixel; a third color control layer disposed on the lower electrode to correspond to the third sub-pixel; and an upper electrode disposed on the first to third color control layers, wherein the first to third color control layers have different thicknesses.