OLED Wire Line Protection via Hard Protrusions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Organic light emitting displays are prone to scratches on wire lines due to external physical impacts, leading to potential shorts and deterioration in pixel driving.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating protrusions made of materials with higher Mohs hardness, such as silicon nitride or silicon oxide, between wire lines, and forming wire lines in concave portions of the interlayer insulating layer to reduce exposure and protect against physical damage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If wire lines are formed on the surface of the pixel substrate to enable signal input and pixel control, then the display functionality is achieved, but the wire lines become exposed to external physical impacts causing scratches and shorts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewire line durabilityVSAvoidexternal physical impact

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A protrusion made of a hard material (silicon nitride or silicon oxide) is introduced as an intermediary protective element between external impacts and the wire lines. This protrusion acts as a mediator that absorbs and dissipates physical impacts, preventing direct contact between harmful external forces and the vulnerable wire lines, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining wire line accessibility and protecting them from damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The protrusion is formed in advance before the wire lines are subjected to external impacts during device operation. This pre-formed protective structure provides beforehand cushioning by creating a physical barrier that absorbs incoming impacts before they can reach the wire lines, preventing scratches and shorts before they occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Reliability

If protrusions are added between wire lines to protect them from scratches, then wire line durability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing steps increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewire line protectionVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The protrusion formation process is merged with existing manufacturing steps by utilizing the interlayer insulating layer formation process. The protrusion is created as part of the interlayer insulating layer structure, combining multiple functions (insulation and protection) into a single integrated structure, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining protective functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The interlayer insulating layer serves multiple functions: it provides electrical insulation between conductive layers and simultaneously forms the protrusion that protects wire lines from physical damage. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate protective structures, simplifying the overall device design while achieving both insulation and protection goals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS8040051B2Organic light emitting display and method of manufacturing the same

Publication Date: 2011.10.18 SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO LTD

AI summary

An organic light emitting display is capable of preventing or reducing a scratch and a short between the wire lines due to the scratch. The organic light emitting display includes a pixel substrate including an organic light emitting element formed on a pixel region and wire lines formed in a surrounding area of the pixel region; and a protrusion formed between the wire lines.