Display Device with Micro Cover Layer and Manufacturing Method for the Same

• US 20160064466A1
• Filed: 08/31/2014
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Son, HaeJoon, Ryu, JoungHo, Choi, SieHyug
• Granted Patent: US 9,276,055 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1225 with semiconductor materials not belonging to the group IV of the periodic table, e.g. InGaZnO
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/86 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1213 the pixel elements being TFTs
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/179 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/40 OLEDs integrated with touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8791 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

There is provided a flexible display having a plurality of innovations configured to allow bending of a portion or portions to reduce apparent border size and/or utilize the side surface of an assembled flexible display.

Claims

1. A display apparatus, comprising:

a base layer having a bend allowance section between a first portion and a second portion of the display apparatus;

a plurality of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) elements disposed on the first portion of the base layer;

an encapsulation over the OLED elements;

a printed circuit film attached to the second portion of the base layer; and

a micro-coating layer disposed over the bend allowance section of the base layer.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of wire traces routed between the first portion and the second portion of the base layer, wherein the micro-coating layer is arranged to cover the plurality of conductive line traces in the bend allowance section.

3. The display apparatus of claim 2, wherein the micro-coating layer is arranged to cover a part of the encapsulation.

4. The display apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a polarization layer on the encapsulation positioned to expose at least some part of an upper surface of the encapsulation, wherein the micro-coating layer is arranged to cover at least part of the upper surface of the encapsulation between an edge of polarization layer and an edge of the encapsulation.

5. The display apparatus of claim 4, wherein the micro-coating layer covering the upper surface of the encapsulation is in contact with the sidewall of the polarization layer.

6. The display apparatus of claim 4, wherein the micro-coating layer covering the upper surface of the encapsulation includes a portion that is in contact with the sidewall of the polarization layer and a portion that is spaced apart from the side wall of the polarization layer.

7. The display apparatus of claim 4, wherein the micro-coating layer is arranged to cover a part of the printed circuit film attached on the second portion of the display apparatus.

8. The display apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a buffer layer under the plurality of wire traces routed between the first portion and the second portion of the flexible display; and

a passivation layer on the plurality of wire traces routed between the first portion and the second portion of the flexible display, wherein the plurality of wire traces has a strain-reducing trace design in the bend allowance section, and wherein the buffer layer and the passivation layer in the bend allowance section has a pattern corresponding to the strain-reducing trace design of the wire traces in the bend allowance section.

9. The display apparatus of claim 4, wherein each of the first portion, the second portion and the bend allowance section includes a buffer layer etched area between the notched line and a closest conductive line trace to the respective notched line.

10. The display apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a first support film attached on an inner surface of the first portion of the base layer and a second support film attached on an inner surface of the second portion of the base layer, wherein the first support film and the encapsulation film are arranged such that the first support film is extended further out toward the bend portion of the base layer than the encapsulation film.

11. The display apparatus of claim 4, wherein the micro-coating layer is formed of a photo-curable material.

12. The display apparatus of claim 4, wherein the micro-coating layer has a thicker profile in a first routing area between the encapsulation and the bend allowance section than a second routing area between the printed circuit film and the bend allowance section.

13. The display apparatus of claim 4, wherein a width of the upper surface of the encapsulation that is covered by the micro-coating layer is greater than a width of the printed circuit film that is covered by the micro-coating layer.

14. The display apparatus of claim 4, wherein a height of the micro-coating layer on the upper surface of the encapsulation is lesser than a height the micro-coating layer on the printed circuit film.

15. A method of manufacturing a display apparatus, comprising:

forming a buffer layer on a base layer;

forming a conductive line traces with a strain-reducing pattern in an inactive are of the base layer;

chamfering the base layer to create a notched inactive area having a bend allowance section;

etching the buffer layer to expose the base layer along strain-reducing pattern of the conductive line trace and along the notched line;

dispensing a micro-coating layer in the notched inactive area; and

curing the micro-coating layer.