Stretchable Display Panel Segmented Substrate Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stretchable display devices face challenges in balancing flexibility with durability, as soft materials used for flexibility are prone to damage from high temperatures during manufacturing, while rigid materials that withstand heat lack flexibility, and overstretching can cause damage to the display.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a lower substrate with a soft base substrate and rigid second substrates spaced apart, where the soft substrate is made of materials like PDMS or PU, and the rigid substrates are made of materials like PI, with overstretching suppression patterns to prevent damage from excessive stretching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If soft materials like PDMS or PU are used for the base substrate to provide flexibility, then the display can be bent or stretched, but the substrate is prone to damage from high temperatures during manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate system is segmented into multiple functional layers: a flexible base substrate (PDMS/PU) for bendability, and separate rigid second substrates (PI) for heat resistance and structural support. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specialized function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures where flexible polymer materials (PDMS, PU) are combined with rigid polyimide materials in a multi-layer configuration. This composite approach integrates the advantages of both material types: flexibility from the base substrate and thermal stability from the rigid second substrates.
2Reliability
If rigid materials like polyimide are used for the second substrates to withstand high temperatures, then heat resistance is improved, but the overall flexibility of the display is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Rigid polyimide second substrates are strategically positioned only in specific regions where high-temperature components (light emitting elements, transistors) are located. The base substrate remains flexible in other areas, allowing the display to maintain overall flexibility while providing localized heat resistance where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid support function is segmented and distributed across multiple discrete second substrates rather than using a single rigid layer throughout. This allows flexibility in regions without second substrates while providing structural support and heat resistance in regions with light emitting elements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the display is made highly flexible to enable stretching, then adaptability is improved, but the display becomes susceptible to damage from overstretching
Solution Approach 1:
Suppression patterns are pre-formed on the base substrate to create regions of increased rigidity that actively resist overstretching forces before damage can occur. These patterns serve as preventive structural reinforcements that limit excessive deformation while allowing normal flexible operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The suppression patterns create localized regions of enhanced mechanical strength in specific areas of the flexible substrate. This allows the display to maintain overall flexibility while providing localized reinforcement against overstretching damage in critical regions.
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 configuration allows for both flexibility and durability, enabling the display to withstand high temperatures during manufacturing and prevent damage from overstretching, while maintaining the ability to be bent or stretched without compromising the integrity of the components.
Implementation Method 1
a first substrate, and a plurality of second substrates on the first substrate... allows for both flexibility and resistance to high temperatures, preventing damage during stretching or bending
Data Source
AI summary
A display device includes a lower substrate that includes a first substrate, and a plurality of second substrates on the first substrate. The plurality of second substrates have higher rigidity than a rigidity of the first substrate. The plurality of second substrates may be spaced apart from each other. The lower substrate also includes one or more light emitting elements disposed on each of the plurality of second substrates.