Stretchable Display Encapsulation with Polymer Wells Against Cracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stretchable electronic displays are prone to cracking when bent or stretched due to brittle inorganic materials in the encapsulation layer, leading to moisture infiltration and visual defects, and the stress distribution across layers results in critical components being positioned outside the stress-neutral plane, causing failures.
Innovation Solution
A thin-film encapsulation layer comprising polymer dots or lattices interspersed with conformal dielectric layers, which can splay outward and compress to accommodate bending or stretching, maintaining the dielectric layer's length and reducing the risk of cracking, while positioning the back-plane and front-plane within the stress-neutral plane for increased robustness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional inorganic materials are used in the encapsulation layer, then the encapsulation provides good barrier protection, but the display is prone to cracking when bent or stretched
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition of the encapsulation layer from conventional inorganic materials to a hybrid structure comprising a polymer matrix with dispersed inorganic particles. This parameter change in material composition maintains the barrier protection function while significantly improving flexibility and crack resistance, allowing the display to be bent and stretched without cracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining a polymer matrix with dispersed inorganic particles to form the encapsulation layer. This composite structure integrates the advantages of both materials: the polymer provides flexibility and elongation, while the inorganic particles maintain barrier protection, thereby resolving the contradiction between protection and flexibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the display is bent or stretched, then flexibility is improved, but stress distribution causes critical components to be positioned outside the stress-neutral plane, leading to failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the mechanical properties of the encapsulation layer by using a polymer-based composite material with appropriate viscosity and elasticity parameters. This allows the encapsulation to deform uniformly with the display during bending and stretching, maintaining proper stress distribution and keeping critical components within the stress-neutral plane.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a dynamic encapsulation system where the polymer matrix can deform and recover with the display structure. The encapsulation layer adapts its shape and stress distribution in real-time during bending and stretching operations, ensuring that critical components remain properly positioned within the stress-neutral plane throughout the deformation cycle.
Data Source
AI summary
A display device includes a display layer having a plurality of light-emitting diodes and an encapsulation layer covering a light-emitting side of the display layer. The encapsulation layer includes a plurality of first polymer projections on display layer, the plurality of first polymer projections having spaces therebetween, and a first dielectric layer conformally covering the plurality of first polymer projections and any exposed underlying surface in the spaces between the first polymer projections, the dielectric layer forming side walls along sides of the first polymer projections and defining wells in spaces between the side walls.