Porous PTFE Substrate for Bubble-Free Flexible OLED Fabrication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for fabricating flexible OLED devices face issues such as bubble generation, thermal damage, peeling risks of metal electrodes, and high production costs due to the use of glass substrates and laser lift-off processes, which complicate the separation and increase the complexity of the process.
Innovation Solution
A method using a porous substrate with filling materials in its pores to facilitate the separation of flexible OLED devices, involving steps like filling materials into the pores, forming a flexible film layer, removing the filler, and then separating the porous substrate using a solvent and air pressing method.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a glass substrate with sacrificial layer is used for flexible OLED fabrication, then the device structure is stable during manufacturing, but bubbles are generated during array and evaporation processes causing mask damage and defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a porous PTFE membrane as carrier substrate that allows bubbles to escape through its porous structure during array and evaporation processes, preventing bubble accumulation and mask damage while maintaining structural stability throughout fabrication
2Ease of manufacture
If laser irradiation is used to separate flexible OLED from glass substrate, then separation is achieved, but thermal damage occurs to the flexible OLED device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable porous PTFE membrane carrier substrate that can be easily separated from the flexible OLED through simple mechanical peeling without requiring laser irradiation, thereby avoiding thermal damage to the device while maintaining separation effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The porous PTFE membrane acts as an intermediary carrier substrate that facilitates easy separation through its unique properties, eliminating the need for harmful laser irradiation while achieving complete device separation
3Adaptability or versatility
If polymer material is used for flexible film layer, then flexibility is achieved, but peeling risk occurs between metal electrode and flexible film due to thermal expansion mismatch
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a thin adhesive layer specifically at the interface between the metal electrode and flexible film to locally compensate for thermal expansion mismatch, preventing peeling while preserving the overall flexibility of the polymer-based flexible film layer
4Object-generated harmful factors
If carrier substrate with pores is used for bubble release, then bubble problem is solved, but adhesive residue cleaning becomes difficult and process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a disposable porous PTFE membrane that is discarded after single use, eliminating the need for complex adhesive residue cleaning processes and reducing overall process complexity while effectively releasing bubbles during fabrication
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 reduces bubble-related defects, eliminates thermal damage, prevents peeling risks, and allows for reusable substrates, thereby improving product yield and reducing production costs by avoiding laser irradiation and high-temperature processes.
Implementation Method 1
the major drawback of the conventional technology is that the gas is easily mixed between the flexible film layer and the glass substrate, bubbles are generated during the later array process and the pre-deposition baking process
Implementation Method 2
removing the porous substrate to obtain the thin film transistor
Implementation Method 3
removing the porous substrate by a solvent isolation method combined with an air pressing method
Data Source
AI summary
The present application discloses a fabricating method for a thin film transistor, including steps of: S1, filling filling materials into the pores of the porous substrate to obtain a carrier substrate; S2, fabricating a flexible film layer on the carrier substrate; S3, removing the filler material; S4, fabricating an organic light emitting diode on the flexible film layer; and S5, removing the porous substrate to obtain the thin film transistor. The fabricating method of the thin film transistor according to the present application is based on a porous substrate having a microporous structure, due to the presence of microporous, the bubbles generated during the OLED fabricating process can be released to avoid the damage of the bubbles during the laser irradiation and to the deposition metal mask; and eliminating the process of removing the sacrificial layer by laser irradiation, and the heating the heating process in the conventional technology.