Staggered Touch Electrodes for Flexible OLED Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing touch structure in On-Cell type touch display panels fails to combine flexibility with light transmittance, making it unsuitable for meeting usage requirements.
Innovation Solution
A touch display panel design featuring a substrate, a thin film encapsulation layer, an OLED element layer, and a touch structure where the OLED element layer is between the substrate and the thin film encapsulation layer, and the touch structure is positioned on the thin film encapsulation layer away from the substrate, with a staggered arrangement of touch electrodes to avoid overlapping with light-emitting devices, allowing for better flexibility and light transmittance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the touch structure is disposed on the display panel (On-Cell type), then the integration of touch panel and display panel is achieved making the device thinner and lighter, but the touch structure cannot simultaneously achieve flexibility and light transmittance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a planar 2D touch electrode arrangement to a 3D spatial configuration by disposing the touch structure on the outer surface of the display panel rather than integrating it into the panel layers. This dimensional change allows the touch electrodes to be positioned in a separate spatial plane, enabling the use of flexible transparent materials that can maintain both flexibility and light transmittance while achieving integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible transparent touch electrode materials such as transparent conducting oxides (ITO, IZO) or transparent conductive polymers (PEDOT:PSS) that can be deposited as thin films on the display panel surface. These thin film structures provide the necessary flexibility while maintaining high light transmittance, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and optical performance in integrated touch displays.
2Device complexity
If the touch-control electrodes are disposed on the display panel, then integration is achieved and the device becomes thinner, but light transmittance is reduced due to electrode coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using transparent conductive materials with optimized conductivity and transmittance characteristics in different regions. The touch electrodes are designed with varying transparency and conductivity properties to balance touch sensitivity and light transmission, allowing high light transmittance in display areas while maintaining effective touch detection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes composite transparent conductive materials combining metal oxides (such as ITO, IZO) or conductive polymers with specific ratios and compositions to achieve optimal balance between electrical conductivity and optical transparency. These composite materials enable the touch electrodes to maintain both flexibility and high light transmittance while integrated with the display panel.
3Ease of operation
If conventional touch electrode materials are used, then touch functionality is achieved, but flexibility is compromised due to material rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by transitioning from rigid metal electrode materials to flexible transparent conductive materials with adjusted conductivity and mechanical properties. By modifying material composition (using transparent conducting oxides or conductive polymers) and controlling film thickness, the patent achieves both adequate touch functionality and enhanced flexibility for bendable and flexible display applications.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to the field of touch technology, and in particular, to a touch display panel and a manufacturing method thereof, and a touch display device, which is used to solve the problem that the touch structure existing in the prior art cannot meet the usage requirements due to inability to combine flexibility with light transmittance. The touch display panel includes: a substrate, a thin film encapsulation layer, an OLED element layer, and a touch structure; the OLED element layer includes a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged in an array manner, projections of the touch structure and the light-emitting device of the OLED element layer are not overlapped with each other along a direction from the substrate to the thin film encapsulation layer, thereby avoiding the influence of the touch structure on the display effect by staggering the positions of the touch structure and the light-emitting devices, and selecting materials with better flexibility to manufacture the touch structure to meet the usage requirements for a flexible touch display panel.