Flexible display device with improved mechanical integrity and method of manufacturing the same
A display device includes: a flexible substrate; and a plurality of supports on the flexible substrate and spaced apart from each other in a first direction and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, wherein each of the plurality of supports includes glass and has a thickness of 0.1 mm or more.
1 . A display device comprising:
a light-emitting element layer;
a flexible substrate overlapping the light-emitting element layer;
a plurality of supports on a bottom surface of the flexible substrate and spaced apart from each other in a first direction and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction,
wherein each of the plurality of supports includes glass and has a thickness of 0.1 mm or more; and
a flexible protective material formed as a continuous material that is between the plurality of supports along the first direction and extends past a bottom surface of the plurality of supports facing away from the light-emitting element layer in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction and across the bottom surface of the plurality of supports in the first direction,
wherein the bottom surface of the plurality of supports are disposed between the flexible protective material and the flexible substrate.
2 . The display device of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of slits each between the plurality of supports and extending in the second direction.
3 . The display device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of supports and the plurality of slits have a stripe pattern in a plan view.
4 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of supports includes a first surface facing the flexible substrate, a second surface opposite to the first surface, a side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface, and a curved surface between the second surface and the side surface.
5 . The display device of claim 4 , wherein the side surface of a support from among the plurality of supports is inclined in a direction crossing a thickness direction.
6 . The display device of claim 5 , wherein the side surface of the support is inclined such that a width of the support in the first direction decreases from the first surface of the support toward the second surface of the support.
7 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a thin-film transistor layer including a plurality of transistors; and
the light-emitting element layer on the thin-film transistor layer,
wherein the thin-film transistor layer and the light-emitting element layer are on a first surface of the flexible substrate, and
the plurality of supports are on a second surface of the flexible substrate opposite the first surface of the flexible substrate.
8 . A display device comprising:
a light-emitting element layer;
a flexible substrate overlapping the light-emitting element layer;
a support on a bottom surface of the flexible substrate and made of a rigid material,
wherein the support includes a plurality of grooves spaced apart from each other in a first direction and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction; and
a flexible protective material in the plurality of grooves along the first direction,
wherein the support includes a portion between two adjacent grooves among the plurality of grooves,
wherein the flexible protective material is formed as a continuous material that is in the grooves and extends past a bottom surface of the support facing away from the light-emitting element layer in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction and across the bottom surface of the portion of the support in the first direction, and
wherein the bottom surface of the portion of the support is disposed between the flexible protective material and the flexible substrate.
9 . The display device of claim 8 , comprising the plurality of grooves extending in the second direction and each recessed in a thickness direction from one surface of the support.
10 . The display device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of grooves have a stripe pattern in a plan view.
11 . The display device of claim 8 , wherein
the support includes a first surface facing the flexible substrate and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and
each of the grooves includes both side surfaces extending in a thickness direction and between the first surface of the support and the second surface of the support, a bottom surface connecting the both side surfaces, and a curved surface between the side surface and the second surface of the support.
12 . The display device of claim 11 , wherein a side surface of a groove is inclined in a direction crossing the thickness direction.
13 . The display device of claim 12 , wherein the side surface of the groove is inclined such that a width of the groove increases from the first surface of the support toward the second surface of the support.
14 . The display device of claim 8 , further comprising:
a thin-film transistor layer including a plurality of transistors; and
the light-emitting element layer on the thin-film transistor layer,
wherein the thin-film transistor layer and the light-emitting element layer are on a first surface of the flexible substrate, and
the support is on a second surface of the flexible substrate, which is opposite to the first surface of the flexible substrate.
15 . A display device comprising:
a first substrate;
a thin-film transistor layer on the first substrate;
a light-emitting element layer on the thin-film transistor layer; and
a second substrate on the light-emitting element layer,
wherein at least one of the first substrate or the second substrate includes a flexible substrate and a plurality of support members that are on a bottom surface of the flexible substrate and made of glass and spaced apart from each other in a first direction and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction; and
a flexible protective material formed as a continuous material that is between the plurality of supports along the first direction and extends past a bottom surface of the plurality of supports facing away from the light-emitting element layer in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction and across the bottom surface of the plurality of support members in the first direction,
wherein the bottom surface of the plurality of support members are disposed between the flexible protective material and the flexible substrate.
16 . The display device of claim 15 , wherein a plurality of support members are on the flexible substrate forming a stripe pattern.
17 . The display device of claim 15 , wherein the support members are formed as one layer on a first surface of the flexible substrate and include a plurality of grooves recessed in a thickness direction from a first surface of the support members.
18 . A method of manufacturing a display device, the method comprising:
preparing a rigid substrate and a flexible substrate on the rigid substrate;
irradiating a laser to the rigid substrate in a predetermined pattern;
etching the rigid substrate, wherein the etching of the rigid substrate includes at least one of forming a plurality of slits in the rigid substrate or forming a plurality of grooves in the rigid substrate; and
forming a flexible protective material as a continuous material that is in the plurality of slits or the plurality of grooves and extends past a bottom surface, facing away from the flexible substrate, of the plurality of slits or the plurality of grooves and across the bottom surface of the rigid substrate opposite the flexible substrate,
wherein the bottom surface of the of the rigid substrate is disposed between the flexible protective material and the flexible substrate.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the irradiating of the laser to the rigid substrate in the predetermined pattern includes irradiating the laser to the rigid substrate in a stripe pattern.
20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the etching of the rigid substrate is performed by a wet etching process.