Pad Area Dam Structure to Prevent Display Insulator Cracks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display devices face issues with cracks in the pad area due to inorganic insulating layers, substrate scattering, and manufacturing defects such as Laser Lift-Off (LLO) failures, which are exacerbated by the use of plastic substrates.
Innovation Solution
The use of a transparent conducting oxide or oxide semiconductor layer as a substrate, combined with a dam member and flexible films, minimizes cracks and defects by supporting inorganic insulating layers and facilitating easy separation from temporary substrates during manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a plastic substrate is used in the pad area, then flexibility is improved, but cracks in the inorganic insulating layers and substrate scattering occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the plastic substrate from the pad area entirely, extracting the problematic component that caused cracks and scattering. The pad area is left exposed or covered only with necessary functional layers, eliminating the source of reliability issues while preserving flexibility in the active display area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different structural qualities to different areas: the active area maintains the plastic substrate for flexibility, while the pad area removes the substrate to prevent cracks. This local differentiation allows each area to have the properties it needs without compromising the other.
2Ease of manufacture
If a plastic substrate is used, then manufacturing is simplified, but reliability in the pad area deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic substrate is extracted from the pad area to eliminate reliability issues. This selective removal targets only the problematic region while maintaining the substrate in the active area, achieving improved reliability without substantially complicating the manufacturing process.
3Ease of manufacture
If the substrate extends into the pad area, then manufacturing is simplified, but substrate scattering occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is extracted from the pad area to eliminate the scattering problem. By removing the substrate material from this region, the harmful scattering effect is eliminated while the manufacturing process remains relatively simple through selective area removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate presence is differentiated by location: present in the active area for manufacturing simplicity, absent in the pad area to prevent scattering. This local quality approach allows the system to benefit from both simplicity and reduced scattering.
4Reliability
If the seal member overflows to cover the pad area, then crack prevention is improved, but uncured portions remain
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic substrate is extracted from the pad area, eliminating the need for the seal member to cover this region. This removal of the substrate prevents the fundamental crack issue without requiring the seal member to extend into areas where it would remain uncured.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal member coverage is optimized locally: it covers the active area where flexibility is needed and crack prevention is beneficial, but does not extend into the pad area where the substrate has been removed and curing would be problematic.
Data Source
AI summary
In order to achieve the above-described objects, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, a display device includes a substrate which includes an active area and a non-active area extending from the active area and including a pad area and is formed of any one of a transparent conducting oxide and an oxide semiconductor; a plurality of inorganic insulating layers disposed on the substrate; a dam member having one end disposed on the pad area and the other end disposed at the outside of the substrate; and a plurality of flexible films which is disposed to cover the dam member and has one end disposed in the pad area. Accordingly, the dam member which covers the pad area is formed to minimize the crack of the plurality of inorganic insulating layers at the edge of the substrate.