IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,167,650
Granted Patent B2
US 12,167,650 · App. 17/530,908 · Granted Dec 10, 2024

Flexible device and electronic device

Inventors: Gae Hwang Lee (Seongnam-si, KR); Youngjun Yun (Seongnam-si, KR); Jong Won Chung (Hwaseong-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
H10K59/131H10K39/32H10K59/1213H10K77/111H10K2102/311
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,167,650
App. No.
17/530,908
Granted
Dec 10, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A flexible device includes a substrate including a first region having a first elastic modulus and a second region having a second elastic modulus that is lower than the first elastic modulus, a pixel circuit on the substrate, and a unit device electrically connected to the pixel circuit, wherein the pixel circuit includes a plurality of thin film transistors, a first portion of the plurality of thin film transistors is on the first region of the substrate, and a second portion of the plurality of thin film transistors is on the second region of the substrate.

Claims (93)

1. A flexible device, comprising:

a substrate including a first region and a second region, the first region having a first elastic modulus and the second region having a second elastic modulus that is lower than the first elastic modulus;

a plurality of pixel circuits spaced apart on the substrate; and

a plurality of unit devices that are each electrically connected to a separate pixel circuit of the plurality of pixel circuits,

wherein each pixel circuit of the plurality of pixel circuits includes a plurality of thin film transistors, the plurality of thin film transistors including a first thin film transistor and a second thin film transistor, the first and second thin film transistors including separate, respective semiconductor layers, and

wherein the first thin film transistor is on the first region of the substrate and the second thin film transistor is on the second region of the substrate.

2. The flexible device of claim 1 , wherein

the first thin film transistor comprises a non-stretchable semiconductor layer, and

the second thin film transistor comprises a stretchable semiconductor layer.

3. The flexible device of claim 2 , wherein the stretchable semiconductor layer comprises a semiconductor material and an elastomer.

4. The flexible device of claim 3 , wherein the semiconductor material comprises an organic semiconductor, an oxide semiconductor, or any combination thereof.

5. The flexible device of claim 2 , wherein the stretchable semiconductor layer comprises an organic semiconductor.

6. The flexible device of claim 1 , wherein

the first thin film transistor is a driving thin film transistor, and

the second thin film transistor is a switching thin film transistor.

7. The flexible device of claim 1 , wherein

the first region of the substrate is a plurality of island-shaped regions spaced apart at a particular interval, and

the second region of the substrate is a stretchable region of the substrate and is a single, continuous structure that extends continuously between the plurality of island-shaped regions.

8. The flexible device of claim 7 , further comprising:

a connecting wire on the stretchable region of the substrate, the connecting wire electrically connecting adjacent unit devices of the plurality of unit devices.

9. The flexible device of claim 1 , wherein

the first region of the substrate comprises

a plurality of island-shaped regions spaced apart at a particular interval, and

a connection region connecting the plurality of island-shaped regions.

10. The flexible device of claim 9 , further comprising:

a connecting wire on the connection region of the substrate, the connecting wire electrically connecting adjacent unit devices of the plurality of unit devices that at least partially overlap separate, respective adjacent island-shaped regions.

11. The flexible device of claim 1 , wherein the first elastic modulus is about 10 times to about 10 8 times higher than the second elastic modulus.

12. The flexible device of claim 1 , wherein

the first region of the substrate comprises polycarbonate, polymethylmethacrylate, polyethyleneterephthalate, polyethylenenaphthalate, polyimide, polyamide, polyamideimide, polyethersulfone, or any combination thereof, and

the second region of the substrate comprises a polyorganosiloxane, a polymer comprising a butadiene moiety, a polymer comprising a urethane moiety, a polymer comprising an acrylic moiety, a polymer comprising an olefin moiety, or any combination thereof.

13. The flexible device of claim 1 , wherein

the first region of the substrate comprises a first polymer, and

the second region of the substrate comprises a second polymer,

wherein the first polymer and the second polymer comprise at least one same structural unit.

14. The flexible device of claim 13 , wherein

the first polymer is a first copolymer that includes a hard structural unit of the first polymer and a soft structural unit of the first polymer,

the second polymer is a second copolymer that includes a hard structural unit of the second polymer and a soft structural unit of the second polymer,

a weight ratio of the hard structural unit of the first polymer to the soft structural unit of the first polymer is about 1.2 to about 9.9, and

a weight ratio of the hard structural unit of the second polymer to the soft structural unit of the second polymer is about 0.01 to about 0.7.

15. The flexible device of claim 1 , wherein each unit device of the plurality of unit devices comprises a light emitting diode, photoelectric conversion diode, or any combination thereof.

16. The flexible device of claim 15 , wherein each unit device of the plurality of unit devices is on the first region of the substrate.

17. The flexible device of claim 1 , wherein

each pixel circuit of the plurality of pixel circuits further comprises a capacitor,

the plurality of thin film transistors comprises a driving thin film transistor and a switching thin film transistor,

the capacitor of each pixel circuit, the driving thin film transistor of each pixel circuit, and the plurality of unit devices are on the first region of the substrate, and

the switching thin film transistor of each pixel circuit is on the second region of the substrate.

18. The flexible device of claim 1 , wherein

the flexible device is a display panel or sensor array, and

a quantity of pixels per unit area of the display panel or the sensor array is about 200 ppi to about 1000 ppi.

19. The flexible device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a stretchable substrate.

20. A flexible device, comprising:

a substrate including a first region having a first elastic modulus and a second region having a second elastic modulus that is lower than the first elastic modulus;

a plurality of pixel circuits spaced apart on the substrate; and

a plurality of unit devices on the first region of the substrate, the plurality of unit devices each being electrically connected to a separate pixel circuit of the plurality of pixel circuits,

wherein each pixel circuit of the plurality of pixel circuits includes a driving thin film transistor and a switching thin film transistor, and

wherein the switching thin film transistor is on the second region of the substrate.

21. The flexible device of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of unit devices and the driving thin film transistor are both on the first region of the substrate.

22. The flexible device of claim 20 , wherein

the switching thin film transistor and the driving thin film transistor comprise a same semiconductor layer or different semiconductor layers,

the switching thin film transistor comprises an organic semiconductor layer, a first oxide semiconductor layer, or any combination thereof, and

the driving thin film transistor comprises a silicon semiconductor layer, a second oxide semiconductor layer, or any combination thereof.

23. The flexible device of claim 20 , wherein

the flexible device is a display panel or a sensor array, and

a quantity of pixels per unit area of the display panel or the sensor array is about 200 ppi to about 1000 ppi.

24. An electronic device comprising the flexible device of claim 1 .

25. An electronic device comprising the flexible device of claim 20 .

26. A flexible device, comprising:

a substrate including a first region and a second region, the first region having a first elastic modulus and the second region having a second elastic modulus that is lower than the first elastic modulus;

a pixel circuit on the substrate, the pixel circuit including a plurality of thin film transistors, at least one thin film transistor of the plurality of thin film transistors being on the second region of the substrate; and

a unit device on the first region of the substrate, the unit device electrically connected to the pixel circuit.

27. The flexible device of claim 26 , wherein

the plurality of thin film transistors includes a driving thin film transistor and a switching thin film transistor,

the at least one thin film transistor that is on the second region of the substrate includes the switching thin film transistor, and

the driving thin film transistor is on the first region of the substrate.

28. The flexible device of claim 27 , wherein

the switching thin film transistor comprises an organic semiconductor layer, a first oxide semiconductor layer, or any combination thereof, and

the driving thin film transistor comprises a silicon semiconductor layer, a second oxide semiconductor layer, or any combination thereof.

29. The flexible device of claim 26 , wherein

the first region of the substrate is a plurality of island-shaped regions spaced apart at a particular interval,

the second region of the substrate is a stretchable region of the substrate and is a single, continuous structure that extends continuously between the plurality of island-shaped regions,

the flexible device includes a plurality of pixel circuits, the plurality of pixel circuits including the pixel circuit, each pixel circuit including a separate plurality of thin film transistors that are partially on a separate island-shaped region of the plurality of island-shaped regions, and

the flexible device further includes a plurality of unit devices, the plurality of unit devices including the unit device, each unit device electrically connected to a separate pixel circuit of the plurality of pixel circuits.

30. The flexible device of claim 29 , further comprising:

a connecting wire on the second region of the substrate, the connecting wire electrically connecting adjacent unit devices of the plurality of unit devices that at least partially overlap separate, respective adjacent island-shaped regions.

31. The flexible device of claim 29 , wherein

the first region of the substrate includes a connection region connecting the plurality of island-shaped regions, and

the flexible device further includes a connecting wire on the connection region, the connecting wire electrically connecting adjacent unit devices of the plurality of unit devices that at least partially overlap separate, respective adjacent island-shaped regions.

32. The flexible device of claim 29 , wherein

each pixel circuit of the plurality of pixel circuits includes a capacitor, the plurality of thin film transistors of each pixel circuit of the plurality of pixel circuits include a driving thin film transistor and a switching thin film transistor,

the capacitor of each pixel circuit and the driving thin film transistor of each pixel circuit are on the first region of the substrate, and

the switching thin film transistor of each pixel circuit is on the second region of the substrate.

33. The flexible device of claim 26 , wherein the at least one thin film transistor overlaps at least a portion of the second region of the substrate in a direction extending perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate and does not overlap any portion of the first region in the direction.

34. An electronic device comprising the flexible device of claim 26 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 8, 2021
From: LEE, GAE HWANG; YUN, YOUNGJUN; CHUNG, JONG WON
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 058332/0240 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0092252 · Jul 14, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230019482A1 · Jan 19, 2023