Plastic Substrate with Metal and Resin Layers for Display Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid crystal display devices using plastic substrates face challenges such as image quality deterioration, parallax issues due to substrate thickness, and manufacturing complexities, including difficulties in forming reflective layers and maintaining alignment precision, which increase costs and reduce yield.
Innovation Solution
A plastic substrate with a metal layer and a resin layer, where the metal layer is thin and conductive, and the resin layer includes conductive materials like carbon nanotubes or indium tin oxide, enhancing electrical conductivity while preventing light obstruction and film cracking, and allowing for high light transmittance without the need for additional gas barriers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of stationary object
If a plastic substrate is used to reduce weight, then the weight of the display device is reduced, but the substrate may suffer from thermal, chemical and mechanical damage deteriorating image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure consisting of a plastic substrate combined with a glass cap. The plastic substrate provides lightweight properties while the glass cap provides thermal, chemical and mechanical stability. This composite approach allows the display device to achieve weight reduction while maintaining image quality and reliability.
2Weight of stationary object
If the substrate thickness is maximally thinned to achieve lightness, then the weight is reduced, but parallax occurs causing defocused images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses the parallax issue by introducing a glass cap that creates a new optical dimension. The glass cap is positioned at a specific distance from the liquid crystal layer, and its optical properties are designed to compensate for the thin substrate thickness, thereby eliminating parallax effects while maintaining the lightweight advantage of thin plastic substrates.
3Illumination intensity
If a reflective layer is formed on the plastic substrate, then reflectivity is improved, but the plastic substrate may crack due to thermal expansion mismatch
Solution Approach 1:
The glass cap serves as an intermediary layer between the reflective layer and the external environment. It protects the plastic substrate from thermal stress and mechanical damage that would otherwise cause cracking, while still allowing the reflective layer to function effectively. The glass cap absorbs and distributes thermal expansion forces, preventing them from concentrating on the plastic substrate.
4Reliability
If additional gas barrier layers are added to prevent deterioration, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The glass cap performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical strength, thermal stability, chemical resistance, and acts as a gas barrier. By combining these functions into a single component, the patent eliminates the need for separate gas barrier layers and other protective layers, thereby reducing device complexity and manufacturing cost while maintaining reliability.
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
The solution improves electrical conductivity and image clarity by preventing light obstruction and film cracking, reduces manufacturing costs, and increases yield by simplifying the manufacturing process and maintaining image quality, while also reducing the weight of display devices.
Implementation Method 1
the metal layer is thin and conductive
Implementation Method 2
the resin layer includes conductive materials like carbon nanotubes or indium tin oxide, enhancing electrical conductivity while preventing light obstruction and film cracking
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a plastic substrate, which includes a plastic film, a metal layer, and a resin layer having a conductive material dispersed therein and which is useful as a lower substrate of a transmissive electronic paper display device or a display device.