Ring-Shaped Retaining Walls for OLED Coating Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current methods for increasing the screen-to-body ratio of flexible OLED display devices, such as laser cutting, lead to gas accumulation in grooves during the coating process, causing uneven coating and potential water and oxygen invasion.
Innovation Solution
A display panel design featuring ring-shaped retaining walls with openings and a T-shaped cross-section groove structure in the peripheral area, which extends the gas discharge path and prevents water and oxygen intrusion, improving coating uniformity and panel stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a groove with an undercut is used to block lateral invasion of water and oxygen, then the reliability of the display device is improved, but gas accumulates in the grooves during coating process causing uneven coating
Solution Approach 1:
The groove structure is segmented by introducing through holes that divide the continuous groove into multiple sections. This segmentation allows gas to escape through the holes while the groove walls still provide effective barrier against water and oxygen, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and coating uniformity
Solution Approach 2:
Through holes are introduced as intermediary structures that serve dual functions: they act as gas escape channels during coating process and maintain the barrier function against water and oxygen. The holes mediate between the conflicting requirements of preventing gas accumulation and maintaining protective functionality
2Adaptability or versatility
If the screen-to-body ratio is increased by placing camera in display area using laser cutting, then the display device performance is improved, but water and oxygen directly invade laterally along the cathode
Solution Approach 1:
The groove structure with undercut is prepared in advance before the coating process, creating a pre-formed barrier that extends laterally to block water and oxygen invasion paths. This preliminary structural preparation ensures protection is in place before any harmful factors can penetrate
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from a two-dimensional surface barrier to a three-dimensional groove structure with lateral extension. By adding the depth dimension and creating undercut geometry, the barrier effectively blocks invasion paths that would otherwise penetrate through the cathode layer
Data Source
AI summary
A display panel includes an opening area, a peripheral area surrounding at least a part of the opening area, and a display area. The display panel further includes: a thin film transistor substrate; a plurality of ring-shaped retaining walls disposed on a part of the thin film transistor substrate corresponding to the peripheral area, and disposed around the opening area; and a filling layer disposed in the peripheral area. Any one of the ring-shaped retaining walls is provided with at least an opening.