LOCAL SEAL FOR ENCAPSULATION OF ELECTRO-OPTICAL ELEMENT ON A FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE
First Claim
1. A panel product incorporating an active light-emitting region comprising:
- a) a substrate comprising;
i) a flexible matrix having a plurality of openings, wherein each opening has a perimeter;
ii) a plurality of separate rigid local encapsulation seals, wherein each local seal fills a respective opening in the flexible matrix, and is adhered to the perimeter of the respective opening;
b) a two-dimensional array of OLED elements formed over the substrate;
c) a flexible upper encapsulation structure; and
wherein;
first and second neighboring OLED elements are located directly above different local encapsulation seals, andfor any direction following the surface of the substrate, the width of any one of the local encapsulation seals along that direction is less than or equal to one tenth the width of the flexible substrate along the same direction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electroluminescent display or lighting product incorporates a panel comprising a collection of distinct light-emitting elements formed on a substrate. A plurality of distinct local seals are formed below respective individual light-emitting elements or groups of light-emitting elements. Some embodiments combine a metal foil substrate and glass local seals in a flexible bottom-emitting product. The local seal may be used in conjunction with a continuous thin film encapsulation structure. Optical functions can be provided by each local seal, including refraction, filtering, color shifting, and scattering. Each local seal is formed by depositing a low melting temperature glass powder suspension or paste using inkjet technology, and fusing the glass powder using a scanning laser beam having a tailored beam profile. In other embodiments, a lower encapsulation substrate incorporating local window seals is wholly or partially pre-formed.
43 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A panel product incorporating an active light-emitting region comprising:
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a) a substrate comprising; i) a flexible matrix having a plurality of openings, wherein each opening has a perimeter; ii) a plurality of separate rigid local encapsulation seals, wherein each local seal fills a respective opening in the flexible matrix, and is adhered to the perimeter of the respective opening; b) a two-dimensional array of OLED elements formed over the substrate; c) a flexible upper encapsulation structure; and
wherein;first and second neighboring OLED elements are located directly above different local encapsulation seals, and for any direction following the surface of the substrate, the width of any one of the local encapsulation seals along that direction is less than or equal to one tenth the width of the flexible substrate along the same direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A flexible device having an integral two-dimensional array of electro-optical elements, the device comprising:
a plurality of separate local encapsulation seals adhered below respective groups of the electro-optical elements, wherein; first and second neighboring electro-optical elements lie directly above different local encapsulation seals, the aspect ratio of each local encapsulation seal is less than or equal to 2;
1, andthe maximum number of electro-optical elements directly above any one local encapsulation seal is not more than 4% of the number of electro-optical elements in the two-dimensional array of electro-optical elements.
- 14. The flexible device of claim 14, wherein the electro-optical elements control transmission of light, but do not themselves emit light.
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15. A panel product incorporating an active region comprising:
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a) a flexible encapsulating substrate comprising; i) a flexible matrix having a plurality of openings, each having a respective area; ii) a thin film encapsulation layer, wherein the thin film encapsulation layer is flexible and light-transmissive; iii) a plurality of separate local encapsulation seals, wherein each local encapsulation seal is rigid, light-transmissive, occupies an area that substantially includes the area of at least one opening in the flexible matrix, and is separated from the matrix by a portion of the thin film encapsulating layer; b) a two-dimensional array of electro-optical elements formed over the flexible encapsulating substrate in the active region, wherein first and second neighboring electro-optical elements are located directly above different local encapsulation seals; and c) a flexible upper encapsulation structure. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification