WOLED Panel CF Layer Inside Thin-Film Encapsulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current WOLED display panels require a rigid encapsulation cover, which limits their flexibility and increases thickness, making them unsuitable for flexible displays and increasing production costs, while also requiring precise masking techniques for high-resolution panels.

Innovation Solution

The CF layer is integrated inside a thin-film encapsulation layer comprising inorganic and organic barrier layers, with pixel indentations and color-resist units, eliminating the need for a separate encapsulation cover, reducing thickness, and enhancing flexibility and manufacturing precision.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a rigid encapsulation cover is used for WOLED display panels, then the encapsulation effect is improved, but the thickness increases and flexibility is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveencapsulation effectVSAvoidthickness

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the rigid encapsulation cover with a thin-film encapsulation layer comprising multiple inorganic barrier layers and organic buffer layers. This thin-film structure provides effective encapsulation while enabling flexibility and reducing overall panel thickness, directly resolving the contradiction between encapsulation effectiveness and flexibility/thickness requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The CF layer is integrated inside the thin-film encapsulation layer, creating a nested structure where the color filter is embedded within the encapsulation layers. This eliminates the need for a separate encapsulation cover while maintaining both encapsulation effectiveness and color filter functionality, thereby reducing thickness and enabling flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Reliability

If a rigid encapsulation cover is used for WOLED display panels, then the encapsulation effect is improved, but the device complexity and production cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveencapsulation effectVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the encapsulation function and CF layer into a single integrated structure. The CF layer is formed inside the thin-film encapsulation layer, combining what were previously separate components (encapsulation cover and CF layer) into one unified structure, thereby reducing device complexity and production cost while maintaining encapsulation effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The thin-film encapsulation layer serves multiple functions: it provides encapsulation protection and simultaneously houses the CF layer. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for a separate encapsulation cover, simplifying the overall structure and reducing production complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If a rigid encapsulation cover is used for high-resolution WOLED display panels, then the encapsulation effect is improved, but precise masking techniques are required increasing manufacturing difficulty

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveencapsulation effectVSAvoidmasking precision

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of forming the CF layer on the encapsulation cover as in conventional structures, the patent inverts the sequence by forming the CF layer inside the thin-film encapsulation layer during the encapsulation process itself. This eliminates the need for separate precise masking operations on a rigid cover, simplifying the manufacturing process for high-resolution panels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS11088346B2WOLED display panel with CF layer arranged inside thin-film encapsulation layer for reducing thickness and achieving flexibility and manufacturing method thereof

Publication Date: 2021.08.10 TCL CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO LTD

AI summary

The WOLED display panel includes a substrate, a WOLED array layer on the substrate, a thin-film encapsulation layer on the substrate and the WOLED array layer, and a CF layer inside the thin-film encapsulation layer. The thin-film encapsulation layer includes inorganic barrier layers and organic buffer layers. One of the inorganic batter layer has multiple pixel indentations on a side away from the substrate, each corresponding to and above a WOLED device. The CF layer is embedded in the pixel indentations. By having the CF layer inside the thin-film encapsulation layer, the encapsulation cover is omitted, the WOLED display panel's thickness is reduced, and the flexibility of the display panel is achieved. In addition, not only the encapsulation effect is not affected, but also the chroma and color gamut are guaranteed, manufacturing precision is enhanced, and production cost is reduced.