Variable Thickness Rigid Protective Layer for Flexible TFT Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible electronic devices face damage and wire breakage due to bending, as existing designs do not adequately distribute stress across the flexible traces, leading to concentrated stress points that increase the risk of wire breakage.
Innovation Solution
A flexible electronic device with a flexible base substrate and a rigid protective layer, where the thickness of the central region of the protective layer is greater than the edge region, distributing stress and reducing the likelihood of wire breakage by allowing the flexible trace to deform more easily at the edge regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid protective layer is added to protect TFTs, then protection capability is improved, but stress concentration on flexible traces increases leading to wire breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid protective layer is designed with varying thickness: a first thickness in the first area (over TFTs) providing strong protection, and a second thickness in the second area (near flexible traces) reducing stress concentration. This local quality variation resolves the contradiction by providing strong protection where needed while minimizing harm to flexible traces.
2Ease of manufacture
If the rigid protective layer has uniform thickness, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but stress distribution on flexible traces deteriorates causing wire breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The protective layer exhibits local quality variation with different thicknesses in different areas. The first area has a greater thickness for protection, while the second area has a smaller thickness to reduce stress on flexible traces, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and reliability.
3Strength
If the rigid protective layer completely covers the flexible trace, then protection capability is improved, but flexibility and stress distribution deteriorate leading to wire breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The protective layer is designed with spatially varying thickness: a first thickness in the first area providing strong protection, and a second (smaller) thickness in the second area maintaining flexibility. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between protection capability and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective layer is segmented into different thickness regions: a first area with greater thickness for protection and a second area with smaller thickness for flexibility. This segmentation allows the structure to simultaneously achieve protection and flexibility where needed.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a flexible electronic device and a manufacturing method thereof, and a flexible display device. The flexible electronic device includes: a flexible base substrate including a plurality of functional element regions spaced away from each other; at least one thin-film transistor disposed in each of the plurality of functional element regions on the flexible base substrate; and a rigid protective layer disposed at least on a side of the at least one TFT opposite to a side where the flexible base substrate is located in each of the plurality of functional element regions and configured to protect the at least one TFT, and a thickness of a central region of the rigid protective layer in each of the plurality of functional element regions is greater than a thickness of an edge region.