IP Library Granted Patent US 10,211,416
Granted Patent B2
US 10,211,416 · App. 15/895,491 · Granted Feb 19, 2019

Flexible display panel, fabrication method, and flexible display apparatus

Inventors: Jian Jin (Shanghai, CN); Congyi Su (Shanghai, CN); Gang Liu (Shanghai, CN); Zhenying Li (Shanghai, CN)
Assignees: SHANGHAI TIANMA AM-OLED CO., LTD.; TIANMA MICRO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H01L51/0097H01L27/3244H01L33/44H01L51/5253H01L51/5281H01L51/56H01L2251/5338H01L2251/566
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,211,416
App. No.
15/895,491
Granted
Feb 19, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A flexible display panel is provided. The flexible display panel comprises: a flexible substrate; an organic light-emitting layer disposed on a side of the flexible substrate and having a first side facing the flexible substrate and an opposing side; and a thin-film-encapsulation layer disposed on the opposing side of the organic light-emitting layer. The thin-film-encapsulation layer includes at least one organic encapsulation layer and at least one inorganic encapsulation layer. The flexible display panel includes at least one bending area. The at least one inorganic encapsulation layer has a first side facing the flexible substrate and an opposing side. In the at least one bending area, at least one groove is formed on the opposing side of the at least one inorganic encapsulation layer. A bottom width W of the at least one groove is configured to be W ≥ n 180 ⁢ ° ⁢ π ⁢ ⁢ R .

Claims (103)

1. A flexible display panel, comprising:

a flexible substrate;

an organic light-emitting layer disposed on a side of the flexible substrate and having a first side facing the flexible substrate and an opposing side; and

a thin-film-encapsulation layer disposed on the opposing side of the organic light-emitting layer,

wherein:

the flexible display panel includes at least one bending area,

the thin-film-encapsulation layer includes at least one organic encapsulation layer and at least one inorganic encapsulation layer,

the at least one inorganic encapsulation layer has a first side facing the flexible substrate and an opposing side,

in the at least one bending area, at least one groove is formed on the opposing side of the at least one inorganic encapsulation layer, and

a bottom width W of the at least one groove is configured to be

W

n

180

°

π

R

,

where n is a maximum bending angle of the at least one bending area, 0°<n≤180°, and R is a bending radius of the at least one bending area.

2. The flexible display panel according to claim 1 , wherein:

the bottom width W of the at least one groove is W≥πR.

3. The flexible display panel according to claim 1 , wherein:

the bending radius R is greater than or equal to about 0.1 mm.

4. The flexible display panel according to claim 1 , wherein:

the thin-film-encapsulation layer includes a first inorganic encapsulation layer, a second inorganic encapsulation layer, and a first organic encapsulation layer,

wherein the first organic encapsulation layer is disposed between the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer;

the first inorganic encapsulation layer is disposed between the organic light-emitting layer and the first organic encapsulation layer; and

in the at least one bending area, the at least one groove is formed on at least one of the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer.

5. The flexible display panel according to claim 1 , wherein:

the thin-film-encapsulation layer includes a first inorganic encapsulation layer, a first organic encapsulation layer, a second inorganic encapsulation layer, a second organic encapsulation layer, and a third inorganic encapsulation layer, which are configured sequentially on the opposing side of the organic light-emitting layer; and

in the at least one bending area, the at least one groove is formed on at least one of the first inorganic encapsulation layer, the second inorganic encapsulation layer and the third inorganic encapsulation layer.

6. The flexible display panel according to claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one groove has a thickness of approximately between 1 μm and 20 μm.

7. The flexible display panel according to claim 1 , comprising at least one of the following:

a bottom of the at least one groove transitions to a side wall of the at least one groove through a first curved line; and

the side wall of the at least one groove transitions to a non-recessed surface of the at least one organic encapsulation layer through a second curved line.

8. The flexible display panel according to claim 7 , wherein:

an angle α between the first curved line and the bottom of the at least one groove is approximately in a range of 0°<α≤70°.

9. The flexible display panel according to claim 8 , wherein:

an angle β between the second curved line and the non-recessed surface of the at least one organic encapsulation layer is approximately in a range of 0°<β≤60°.

10. The flexible display panel according to claim 7 , wherein:

an angle α between the first curved line and the bottom of the at least one groove is approximately in a range of 15°<α≤70°.

11. The flexible display panel according to claim 10 , wherein:

an angle β between the second curved line and the non-recessed surface of the at least one organic encapsulation layer is approximately in a range of 15°<β≤45°.

12. The flexible display panel according to claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one bending area includes a plurality of grooves; and

the plurality of the grooves is arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to an extension direction of a groove.

13. The flexible display panel according to claim 1 , wherein:

the flexible display panel includes a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area; and

at least one of the display area and the non-display area is configured with the at least one bending area.

14. The flexible display panel according to claim 13 , wherein:

a peripheral circuit is configured in the non-display area; and

the peripheral circuit at least partially overlaps with the at least one bending area in a direction perpendicular to the flexible substrate.

15. The flexible display panel according to claim 13 , wherein:

the display area includes two sections; and

the at least one bending area is disposed between the two sections of the display area.

16. The flexible display panel according to claim 13 wherein:

an orthogonal projection of the at least one groove onto the organic light-emitting layer is located between two rows or two columns of sub-pixels.

17. A flexible display apparatus comprising the flexible display panel according to claim 1 .

18. A flexible display panel, comprising:

a flexible substrate;

a thin-film-transistor layer disposed on the flexible substrate, wherein the thin-film-transistor layer includes at least one insulating layer, and the thin-film-transistor layer has a first side facing the flexible substrate and an opposing side;

a planarization layer disposed on the opposing side of the thin-film-transistor layer, wherein the planarization layer has a first side facing the flexible substrate and an opposing side;

an organic light-emitting layer disposed on the opposing side of the planarization layer, wherein the organic light-emitting layer has a first side facing the flexible substrate and an opposing side, the organic light-emitting layer includes a plurality of organic light-emitting components, an organic light-emitting component includes a first electrode, a pixel defining layer, an organic light-emitting material layer and a second electrode arranged disposed on the flexible substrate;

a thin-film-encapsulation layer disposed on the opposing side of the organic light-emitting layer, wherein the thin-film-encapsulation layer includes at least one organic encapsulation layer and at least one inorganic encapsulation layer; and

a plurality of photo spacers disposed between the organic light-emitting layer and the thin-film-encapsulation layer,

wherein:

the flexible display panel includes at least one bending area,

in the at least one bending area, at least one groove is formed on a photo spacer, the pixel defining layer in the organic light-emitting layer, the at least one insulating layer in the thin-film-transistor layer, or the planarization layer, and

a bottom width W of the at least one groove is configured to be

W

n

180

°

π

R

,

where n is a maximum bending angle of the at least one bending area, 0°<n≤180°, and R is a bending radius of the at least one bending area.

19. The flexible display panel according to claim 18 , wherein:

the bottom width W of the at least one groove is W≥πR.

20. The flexible display panel according to claim 18 , wherein:

the thin-film-transistor layer includes a plurality of thin-film-transistors;

a thin-film-transistor includes a gate electrode, a source-drain electrode, a semiconductor active layer, a gate electrode insulating layer disposed between the gate electrode and semiconductor active layer and between the gate electrode and the source-drain electrode, a passivation layer disposed between the gate electrode insulating layer and the planarization layer; and

the at least one insulating layer of the thin-film-transistor layer includes the gate electrode insulating layer and the passivation layer.

21. The flexible display panel according to claim 20 , wherein:

the gate electrode insulating layer has a first side facing the flexible substrate and an opposing side; and

in the at least one bending area, the at least one groove is formed on the opposing side of the gate electrode insulating layer.

22. The flexible display panel according to claim 20 , wherein:

the passivation layer has a first side facing the flexible substrate and an opposing side; and

in the at least one bending area, the at least one groove is formed on the opposing side of the passivation layer.

23. The flexible display panel according to claim 18 , wherein:

the pixel defining layer has a first side facing the flexible substrate and an opposing side; and

in the at least one bending area, the at least one groove is formed on the opposing side of the pixel defining layer.

24. A flexible display apparatus comprising the flexible display panel according to claim 18 .

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 7, 2022
From: SHANGHAI TIANMA AM-OLED CO.,LTD.; TIANMA MICRO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
To: WUHAN TIANMA MICRO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.; WUHAN TIANMA MICROELECTRONICS CO., LTD.SHANGHAI BRANCH; TIANMA MICRO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 059619/0730 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 13, 2018
From: JIN, JIAN; SU, CONGYI; LIU, GANG; LI, ZHENYING
To: SHANGHAI TIANMA AM-OLED CO., LTD.; TIANMA MICRO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 044913/0928 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 2016 1 1238279 · Dec 28, 2016 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15497792 · Apr 26, 2017
Related Publication 20180175311A1 · Jun 21, 2018
Cited By (10)
US 12,235,477 US 12,296,556 US 12,349,296 US 12,386,446 US 12,466,756 US 12,472,726 US 12,487,691 US 12,595,201 US 12,637,386 US 12,699,470