Ultra-thin Glass Flexible OLED Substrate Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current flexible OLED display manufacturing process requires a laser to peel off the substrate glass, which is challenging due to high cleanliness and laser uniformity requirements, and prone to failure from foreign particles, especially on large-sized screens.
Innovation Solution
The process involves forming a display module with a driving circuit layer, light-emitting functional layer, and encapsulation layer on ultra-thin glass, eliminating the need for a laser lift-off process by using ultra-thin glass instead of polyimide flexible films, and incorporating a supporting structure with a backplate and stainless-steel film for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a laser lift-off process is used to separate substrate glass and PI flexible film layer, then the flexible OLED display screen can be manufactured, but the process requires high cleanliness and laser uniformity which makes it difficult to implement on large-sized display screens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the PI flexible film layer from the manufacturing process entirely. Instead of separating substrate glass from PI film using laser lift-off, the design directly uses ultra-thin glass as the flexible substrate, eliminating the need for the problematic separation process and its associated precision requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the substrate material parameter from conventional glass to ultra-thin glass with specific thickness (30-60 microns). This parameter change enables the glass itself to provide the flexibility needed while maintaining structural integrity, removing the need for PI film and laser separation processes
2Ease of manufacture
If a laser lift-off process is used to separate substrate glass and PI flexible film layer, then the flexible OLED display screen can be manufactured, but foreign particles can cause the PI flexible film layer to break and the flexible OLED display screen to fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the vulnerable PI flexible film layer from the structure entirely. By using ultra-thin glass as the flexible substrate, the design eliminates the weak point that could break due to foreign particles during the laser lift-off process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the delicate PI film layer with ultra-thin glass that has superior durability. The ultra-thin glass substrate is more resistant to damage from foreign particles and can withstand the manufacturing process without requiring careful separation operations
3Stability of the object's composition
If conventional substrate glass is used, then the display screen can be manufactured, but the glass is too thick to provide the required flexibility and foldability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by reducing the glass thickness from conventional thickness to ultra-thin thickness (30-60 microns). This parameter change enables the glass to bend and fold while maintaining structural integrity, achieving both stability and flexibility simultaneously
Data Source
AI summary
A display module, a manufacturing process thereof, and a display device are provided. In the manufacturing process of the display module, a substrate glass of a display panel is thinned to form an ultra-thin glass with a predetermined thickness, which replaces a conventional polyimide (PI) flexible film layer that is used to support the panel, and thus a laser lift-off process is not required to separate the substrate glass and the PI flexible film layer. It solves a problem that a laser is required to peel the substrate glass and a peeling effect is not good in current manufacturing process of a flexible OLED display screen.