CN110556398B

CN110556398B - Electronic device and preparation method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN110556398B
Application number: CN201810461371.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 黄华; 王威; 谢昌翰
Original assignee: BOE Technology Group Co Ltd
Current assignee: BOE Technology Group Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-05-15
Filing date: 2018-05-15
Publication date: 2022-05-17
Anticipated expiration: 2038-05-15
Also published as: CN110556398A

Abstract

An electronic device and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The electronic device includes: the flexible substrate comprises a flexible substrate and a plurality of functional layers arranged on the flexible substrate; wherein the plurality of functional layers comprises a light emitting layer, at least one weak layer, and at least one bonding layer; the bonding layer comprises at least one bendable region, and the Young modulus of the bonding layer in the bendable region is higher than that of the bonding layer in other regions. The Young modulus of the bonding layer in the bendable region of the electronic device is high, so that the neutral layer (i.e. the layer which does not generate strain in bending) generated when the electronic device is bent can move towards the direction of the weak layer, and the tensile stress applied to the weak layer in bending can be reduced.

Description

Electronic device and preparation method thereof

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic device and a method of manufacturing the same.

Background

At present, display devices are developing towards large screen, and for portable electronic devices, the large screen display devices occupy a large space and are not convenient to carry. Therefore, the use of a display device that can be bent or folded provides convenience to the portable electronic device. The foldable display device has attracted more and more attention for its advantages of large screen size and portability. The foldable display device can be used in various electronic devices such as a mobile communication terminal, a tablet computer, an electronic book, a navigation device, and the like.

Disclosure of Invention

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, including: the flexible substrate comprises a flexible substrate and a plurality of functional layers arranged on the flexible substrate; wherein the plurality of functional layers comprises a light emitting layer, at least one weak layer, and at least one bonding layer; the bonding layer comprises at least one bendable region, and the Young modulus of the bonding layer in the bendable region is higher than that of the bonding layer in other regions.

For example, at least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device in which the bonding layer is disposed adjacent to the weak layer.

For example, in an electronic device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the weak layer is a thin film transistor layer and/or an encapsulation layer.

For example, in an electronic device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a young's modulus of the bonding layer in the bendable region is at least 100 times a young's modulus of the bonding layer in the other region.

For example, at least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, wherein the plurality of functional layers include a first weak layer and a second weak layer; the plurality of functional layers further comprises a first bonding layer on a side of the first weak layer remote from the flexible substrate and a second bonding layer on a side of the flexible substrate remote from the second weak layer; wherein the first bonding layer comprises a first bendable region; the second combining layer comprises a second bendable region, and orthographic projections of the first bendable region and the second bendable region on the flexible substrate do not intersect.

For example, in an electronic device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a thin-film transistor layer, the light-emitting layer, an encapsulation layer, and the first bonding layer are sequentially disposed on the flexible substrate, and the second bonding layer is disposed on a side of the flexible substrate away from the thin-film transistor layer.

For example, in an electronic device provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the functional layers further include a back film disposed on a side of the second bonding layer away from the flexible substrate.

For example, in an electronic device provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of functional layers further includes a polarizing layer disposed on a side of the first bonding layer away from the flexible substrate.

For example, in an electronic device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the material of the bonding layer is an optically transparent adhesive.

For example, at least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device wherein the bonding layer has a thickness in a range from 20 micrometers to 40 micrometers.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing an electronic device, including: providing a flexible substrate; forming a plurality of functional layers on the flexible substrate; wherein the plurality of functional layers comprises a light emitting layer, at least one weak layer, and at least one bonding layer; the anchor layer includes at least one bendable region, and the Young's modulus of the anchor layer in the bendable region is formed to be higher than that of the anchor layer in other regions.

For example, at least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing an electronic device, where the plurality of functional layers include a first weak layer and a second weak layer; the functional layers further comprise a first bonding layer and a second bonding layer, the first bonding layer is formed on one side of the first weak layer far away from the flexible substrate, and the second bonding layer is formed on one side of the flexible substrate far away from the second weak layer; wherein the first bonding layer comprises a first bendable region; the second bonding layer includes a second bendable region, and the first bendable region and the second bendable region are formed so that orthographic projections on the flexible substrate do not intersect.

For example, at least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing an electronic device, in which forming the bonding layer/the first bonding layer/the second bonding layer includes: forming an initial bonding layer; and irradiating the bendable region of the initial bonding layer by adopting an ultraviolet irradiation method, so that the Young modulus of the initial bonding layer in the bendable region is higher than that of other regions.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, in which a bonding layer has a higher young's modulus in a bendable region, so that a neutral layer (i.e., a layer that does not generate strain during bending) or a layer that has less strain generated when the electronic device is bent can move toward a direction of a weak layer, thereby reducing a tensile stress to which the weak layer is subjected during bending.

Drawings

To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below, and it is apparent that the drawings in the following description relate only to some embodiments of the present disclosure and are not limiting to the present disclosure.

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electronic device of FIG. 1 along line A-A;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electronic device in FIG. 2 after being bent along a bendable region;

FIG. 4 is another schematic cross-sectional view of the electronic device of FIG. 1 taken along line A-A;

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electronic device in FIG. 4 after being bent along a bendable region

Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view of another electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electronic device of FIG. 6 along line B-B;

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electronic device in FIG. 7 after being bent along a bendable region;

fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the method for improving the young's modulus of the bonding layer by using ultraviolet light irradiation according to the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure more apparent, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely with reference to the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that the described embodiments are only a few embodiments of the present disclosure, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the described embodiments of the disclosure without any inventive step, are within the scope of protection of the disclosure.

Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The use of "first," "second," and similar terms in this disclosure is not intended to indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but rather is used to distinguish one element from another. The word "comprising" or "comprises", and the like, means that the element or item listed before the word covers the element or item listed after the word and its equivalents, but does not exclude other elements or items. The terms "connected" or "coupled" and the like are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "upper", "lower", "left", "right", and the like are used merely to indicate relative positional relationships, and when the absolute position of the object being described is changed, the relative positional relationships may also be changed accordingly.

For a folded electronic device, a plurality of functional layers located in a bending region of the folded electronic device may be subjected to different forces due to different positions during bending, for example, the functional layers located outside the bending region may be subjected to a larger tensile stress. When a plurality of bending regions exist in the folded electronic device, the stress condition of the same functional layer in different bending regions is usually different. For example, a three-folded electronic device has two bending regions, and the folding directions of the two bending regions are different, so that the forces generated by bending in the two bending regions by the same functional layer of the folded electronic device are different. For example, the functional layer located at the outer side of the first bending region is located at the inner side of the second bending region, so that the tensile force applied to the functional layer at the first bending region is greater than that applied at the second bending region. At this time, the weakest functional layer of the folded electronic device cannot be protected by the minimum strain in the two bending regions at the same time, and thus is easily damaged in the bending process, which seriously affects the stability and reliability of the folded electronic device.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, including: the flexible substrate and a plurality of functional layers arranged on the flexible substrate; wherein the plurality of functional layers comprise a light emitting layer, at least one weak layer and at least one bonding layer; the anchor layer includes at least one bendable region, and the Young's modulus of the anchor layer in the bendable region is higher than that of the anchor layer in other regions.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing an electronic device, including: providing a flexible substrate; forming a plurality of functional layers on a flexible substrate; wherein the plurality of functional layers comprise a light emitting layer, at least one weak layer and at least one bonding layer; the joining layer includes at least one bendable region, and the Young's modulus of the joining layer in the bendable region is formed to be higher than that of the joining layer in other regions.

The electronic device and the method for manufacturing the electronic device of the present disclosure are described below with reference to several specific examples.

Example one

The present embodiment provides an electronic device, as shown in fig. 1 to 3, the electronic device includes a flexible substrate 1011 and a plurality of functional layers (e.g., 1012, 1013, etc. shown in the figures) disposed on the flexible substrate 1011; wherein the plurality of functional layers includes a light emitting layer 1013, at least one weak layer 1014, and at least one bonding layer 1015; the bonding layer 1015 includes at least one bendable region 1015A, and the young's modulus of the bonding layer 1015 at the bendable region 1015A is higher than the young's modulus of the bonding layer 1015 at the other region 1015B. In this embodiment, the other region 1015B is a region of the bonding layer 1015 other than the bendable region 1015A.

For example, in the present embodiment, the electronic device can be bent at a position corresponding to the bendable region 1015A. For example, the at least one weak layer may generate a large strain when the electronic device is bent, and may even be easily broken, in this case, for example, the bonding layer may be disposed on an outer side of the weak layer, i.e., a side that is subjected to a larger tensile stress or a larger tensile strain when the electronic device is bent, so that the bonding layer with a higher young's modulus may be subjected to a larger tensile stress when the electronic device is bent, but generate a smaller strain, so that a neutral layer (i.e., a layer that is not strained when the electronic device is bent) generated when the electronic device is bent may move toward the direction of the weak layer, and thus the tensile stress to which the weak layer is bent may be reduced.

For example, in this embodiment, the bonding layer and the weak layer may be disposed adjacent to each other. For example, in the case shown in fig. 2, the bonding layer 1015 is disposed on the outer side of the weak layer 1014, that is, folded in the direction shown in fig. 2 to form the electronic device shown in fig. 3, the bonding layer 1015 is disposed on the side of the weak layer 1014 away from the substrate base 1011, and after the electronic device is bent, the bonding layer 1015 is located on the outer side of the weak layer 1014, so that the bonding layer 1015 receives a tensile stress or a tensile strain generated after the bending is larger than that received by the weak layer 1014.

For example, fig. 3 shows the electronic device in fig. 1 and 2 after being folded along the foldable area 1015A. The weak layer 1014 receives a large tensile stress when bent, and therefore setting the young's modulus of the anchor layer 1015 arranged adjacent thereto at the bendable region 1015A higher can reduce the tensile stress received by the weak layer 1014 when bent. For example, in some embodiments, adjusting the magnitude of the young's modulus of the bonding layer 1015 at the bendable region 1015A may move the neutral layer (i.e., the layer that is not strained in bending) to the weak layer 1014, such that the weak layer 1014 is substantially unstressed when bent or stressed less than if the young's modulus of the bonding layer 1015 at the bendable region 1015A were not increased, thereby providing effective protection to the weak layer 1014.

In this embodiment, the young's modulus of the bonding layer 1015 in the bendable region 1015A may be set by comprehensively considering the material and thickness of each functional layer. For example, in a general case, the young's modulus of the bonding layer 1015 in the bendable region 1015A is set to at least 100 times as large as that of the bonding layer 1015 in the other region 1015B, so that effective protection of the weak layer 1014 can be achieved.

For example, in this embodiment, the material of the bonding layer 1015 may be Optically Clear Adhesive (OCA), for example. The Young's modulus of the optically clear adhesive in the other region 1015B is about 10⁵Pa, the Young's modulus of the bonding layer 1015 in the bendable region 1015A is about 10⁷Pa to 10⁹Pa, e.g. about 10⁸Pa. With this young's modulus setting, the neutral layer of the electronic device after folding can move sufficiently towards the weak layer 1014 and even the neutral layer can move to the weak layer 1014, such that the weak layer 1014 is substantially unstressed when flexed or stressed less than if the young's modulus of the bonding layer 1015 at the bendable region 1015A were not increased, thereby forming effective protection for the weak layer 1014.

For example, in the present embodiment, the thickness of the bonding layer 1015 may be set to be in a range of 20 micrometers to 40 micrometers, such as 25 micrometers, 30 micrometers, or 35 micrometers. With this thickness setting, the bonding layer 1015 can form effective protection for the weak layer 1014 without making the thickness of the electronic device too large to affect the user experience of the electronic device.

For example, in this embodiment, the weak layer may be a functional layer such as a thin film transistor layer or an encapsulation layer that is easily broken in the bending process, and the setting of the weak layer may be different according to the material and the setting position of each functional layer.

For example, in one example of the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, a plurality of functional layers includes a thin film transistor layer 1012, a light emitting layer 1013, and an encapsulation layer 1014 disposed on a flexible substrate 1011, and a bonding layer 1015 is disposed on the encapsulation layer 1014. For example, in the electronic device, other functional structures such as the polarizing layer 1016 may be provided on the bonding layer 1015, but this embodiment is not limited thereto.

In this embodiment, the light-emitting layer 1013 may be, for example, an organic light-emitting display layer. For example, the light emitting layer 1013 includes a plurality of pixel units, and each pixel unit may include, for example, an organic light emitting diode including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a light emitting layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The organic light emitting diode can emit red light, green light, blue light, etc., for example, which is not limited in this embodiment. When a voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, electrons and holes are injected into the light emitting layer to be recombined and excited, so that the light emitting layer can emit light. In some examples, the organic light emitting diode may further include other functional layers such as a hole transport layer and an electron transport layer, which is not limited in this embodiment.

In the example shown in fig. 2, the weak layer is, for example, the encapsulation layer 1014, so that the higher young's modulus of the bonding layer 1015 in the bendable region 1015A can reduce the tensile stress to which the encapsulation layer 1014 is subjected when being bent, thereby forming effective protection for the encapsulation layer 1014.

For example, in another example of the embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, the functional layers further include a back film 1017 in addition to the above-mentioned other functional structures such as the thin-film transistor layer 1012, the light-emitting layer 1013, the encapsulation layer 1014, and the polarization layer 1016, and the back film 1017 is adhered to the flexible substrate 1011 through the second bonding layer 1018, for example, in this case, the back film 1017 may be disposed on a side of the second bonding layer 1018 away from the flexible substrate 1011, for example.

In this example, the electronic device may be folded in the direction shown in fig. 4 to form the electronic device shown in fig. 5, and in this example, the weak layer is thin-film transistor layer 1012, so that the higher young's modulus of second bonding layer 1018 in bendable region 1018A may reduce the tensile stress to which thin-film transistor layer 1012 is subjected when bent, thereby forming effective protection for thin-film transistor layer 1012.

It should be noted that, since the thin-film transistor layer 1012 includes a plurality of functional structures, for example, functional structures including a gate electrode, an active layer, a source electrode, a drain electrode, and the like, the thin-film transistor layer 1012 needs to be formed on a substrate as a medium during manufacturing, for example, the flexible substrate 1011 shown in fig. 4, at this time, the flexible substrate 1011 and the thin-film transistor layer 1012 can be regarded as a whole, and thus the thin-film transistor layer 1012 and the second bonding layer 1018 can also be regarded as being disposed adjacent to each other.

In this embodiment, the division of the bendable region is not limited to the cases shown in fig. 2 and 4. For example, the stretched portions of the functional layers of the electronic device may not be limited to the bendable region shown in the drawings, and the stretched portions of the functional layers may further include a partial region located near the bendable region, and at this time, the partial region may also be divided into the bendable region.

Example two

The present embodiment provides an electronic device, as shown in fig. 6 to 8, which includes a flexible substrate 1011 and a plurality of functional layers (e.g., 1012, 1013, etc. shown in the figures) disposed on the flexible substrate 1011. In this embodiment, the plurality of functional layers includes a first layer of weakness 1014 and a second layer of weakness 1012; the functional layers further comprise a first bonding layer 1015 located on a side of the first weak layer 1014 remote from the flexible substrate 1011 and a second bonding layer 1018 located on a side of the flexible substrate 1011 remote from the second weak layer 1018. The first bonding layer 1015 includes a first bendable region 1015A, the second bonding layer 1018 includes a second bendable region 1018A, and an orthographic projection of the first bendable region 1015A and the second bendable region 1018A on the flexible substrate 1011 does not intersect, that is, a projection of the first bendable region 1015A and the second bendable region 1018A formed on the flexible substrate 1011 in a direction perpendicular to the flexible substrate 1011 does not intersect.

In this embodiment, the young's modulus of the first bonding layer 1015 in the first bendable region 1015A is higher than the young's modulus of the first bonding layer 1015 in the first other region 1015B; the young's modulus of the second joining layer 1018 in the second bendable region 1018A is higher than the young's modulus of the second joining layer 1018 in the second other region 1018B.

In this embodiment, the first bendable region 1015A and the second bendable region 1018A are bent in different directions, for example, as shown in fig. 7, the electronic device is bent in the direction of the arrow, so as to form a folded state as shown in fig. 8, wherein the first bonding layer 1015 is under a greater tensile stress in the first bendable region 1015A, and the second bonding layer 1018 is under a greater tensile stress in the second bendable region 1018A. In this embodiment, since the bending directions of the electronic device are different in the first bendable region 1015A and the second bendable region 1018A, the forces applied to the functional layers of the electronic device in the different bendable regions during bending are different, and at this time, the first bonding layer 1015 and the second bonding layer 1018 can respectively protect the different functional layers in the first bendable region 1015A and the second bendable region 1018A, so as to prevent the functional layers from generating undesirable phenomena such as cracking during bending of the electronic device.

In this embodiment, the young's modulus of the first bonding layer 1015 may be the same at each of the first other regions 1015B, for example; the young's modulus of the second bonding layer 1018 in each of the second other regions 1018B may be the same, for example, and this embodiment is not limited thereto, as long as the first bonding layer 1015 and the second bonding layer 1018 can protect different functions in the corresponding bendable regions.

For example, in the embodiment, as shown in fig. 7, the plurality of functional layers may include a thin film transistor layer 1012, a light emitting layer 1013, an encapsulation layer 1014, and a first bonding layer 1015 sequentially disposed on the flexible substrate 1011. For example, the plurality of functional layers further includes a polarizing layer 1016, the polarizing layer 1016 being disposed on a side of the first bonding layer 1015 remote from the flexible substrate 1011. For example, the plurality of functional layers further includes a back film 1017, and the flexible substrate 1011 is connected to the back film 1017 through the second bonding layer 1018. For example, the back film 1017 may be provided on a side of the second bonding layer 1018 away from the flexible substrate 1011.

In this embodiment, the first bonding layer 1015 may protect the weaker package layer 1014, and the second bonding layer 1018 may protect the weaker thin film transistor layer 1012, so that the first bonding layer 1015 and the second bonding layer 1018 may respectively protect the two weaker functional layers in the first bendable region 1015A and the second bendable region 1018A, thereby preventing the functional layers from being broken when the electronic device is bent, and further improving the reliability of the electronic device.

In other examples of the embodiment, the number of the bendable regions of the electronic device may be more, for example, three, four, five, etc., which is not limited in the embodiment. In this case, the young's modulus of the bonding layer at different positions can be increased for each bendable region according to, for example, the bending direction thereof, so that different weak functional layers can be protected in each bendable region, thereby improving the reliability of the electronic device.

For example, the bonding layer is disposed outside the weak layer in different bendable regions, and the young's modulus of the bonding layer in the bendable regions is higher than that of the bonding layer in other regions. For example, when the folding direction of the electronic device is the same as the direction shown in fig. 2 and 3, the bonding layer may be provided in the manner of fig. 2 and 3; when the folding direction of the electronic device is the same as the direction shown in fig. 3 and 4, the bonding layer may be provided in the manner of fig. 3 and 4. Under this setting, the anchor coat can be respectively in the region of can buckling of difference and provide the protection for the weak functional layer of difference, and then improves electron device's reliance.

It should be noted that the term "outside" refers to the side of the electronic device that is located outside after bending, and is the side that is subjected to more tensile stress or generates more tensile strain.

EXAMPLE III

The present embodiment provides a method for manufacturing an electronic device, as shown in fig. 9, the method includes steps S101 and S102.

Step S101: a flexible substrate is provided.

In this embodiment, the material of the flexible substrate may include, for example, a flexible material such as Polyimide (PI), Polydimethylsiloxane (PMDS), or Polyurethane (PU), which is not limited in this embodiment.

Step S102: a plurality of functional layers are formed on a flexible substrate.

In this embodiment, the plurality of functional layers includes a light emitting layer, at least one weak layer, and at least one bonding layer. The joining layer includes at least one bendable region, and the Young's modulus of the joining layer in the bendable region is formed to be higher than that of the joining layer in other regions.

In this embodiment, the at least one weak layer is easily broken when the electronic device is bent, and in this case, for example, the bonding layer may be formed outside the weak layer, so that the weak layer may be protected by the bonding layer and may not be easily broken when the electronic device is bent, and reliability of the electronic device may be improved.

In this embodiment, the plurality of functional layers may include, for example, a thin film transistor layer, a light emitting layer, an encapsulation layer, and the like, which are sequentially formed on the flexible substrate, and the functional layers may be sequentially formed by using a patterning process, respectively. The patterning process includes, for example, a plurality of process steps such as exposure, development, and etching, which is not limited in this embodiment.

For example, in some examples, the thin-film-transistor layer and the encapsulation layer in the electronic device tend to be weak layers, and thus a bonding layer may be formed on the outside of the thin-film-transistor layer and/or the encapsulation layer, such that the weak layer may be protected from breaking during bending by the bonding layer.

In this embodiment, forming the bonding layer may include, for example: forming an initial bonding layer; for example, the initial bonding layer may be formed by coating or the like. And then irradiating the bendable region of the initial bonding layer by using an ultraviolet irradiation method so that the Young modulus of the initial bonding layer in the bendable region is higher than that of other regions.

For example, in this embodiment, the irradiating the bendable region of the initial bonding layer with the ultraviolet light irradiation method may include: the initial bonding layer is masked with a mask, which may for example comprise a transparent zone corresponding to the bendable zone and an opaque zone corresponding to the other zones, and the initial bonding layer is then irradiated with ultraviolet light through the mask. In the process, the ultraviolet light can irradiate the initial bonding layer in the bendable region through the light transmission region of the mask plate, so that the bonding layer with higher Young modulus in the bendable region is formed.

In this embodiment, the material of the bonding layer may be, for example, an optically transparent adhesive. In forming the initial bonding layer, an optically clear adhesive may be formed at a desired location using a coating or the like, and may be formed to a thickness, for example, in the range of 20 microns to 40 microns, such as 25 microns, 30 microns, 35 microns, or the like. After the formation of the initial bonding layer, other functional layers may be formed thereon, and then the initial bonding layer may be irradiated with ultraviolet light. At this time, the optically transparent adhesive may also closely adhere the adjacent functional layer or the adjacent flexible substrate to the functional layer.

In this embodiment, for example, the initial bonding layer may be irradiated with ultraviolet light with a certain power according to requirements, so that the young's modulus of the initial bonding layer in the bendable region reaches a desired value. For example, in one example, an illumination power of about 100mw/cm may be employed²Is irradiated with ultraviolet light, and after an irradiation time of 0.5 to 5 seconds, the young's modulus of the bonding layer may reach, for example, 10⁷Pa to 10⁹Pa. For example, in another example, an illumination power of about 70mw/cm may be used²Is irradiated with ultraviolet light, and after 2 to 3 seconds of irradiation, the young's modulus of the bonding layer may reach, for example, 10⁸Pa or so. In this embodiment, the power and the irradiation time of the ultraviolet light may be selected according to the requirement, which is not limited in this embodiment.

In this embodiment, the method for manufacturing an electronic device may further include step S103, for example.

Step S103: and bending the flexible substrate and a plurality of functional layers formed on the flexible substrate in the bendable region.

In this embodiment, after the above steps are completed, the flexible substrate and the plurality of functional layers formed thereon may be bent in the bendable region to obtain a folded electronic device. The bonding layer in the folded electronic device is formed on the outer side of the weak functional layer, so that the weak functional layer can be protected, the weak functional layer is not prone to breaking in the bending process, and the reliability of the electronic device can be improved.

For example, in one example of the present embodiment, the plurality of functional layers may include a first weak layer and a second weak layer; the plurality of functional layers may further include a first bonding layer formed on a side of the first weak layer remote from the flexible substrate and a second bonding layer formed on a side of the flexible substrate remote from the second weak layer. The first combining layer comprises a first bendable area, the second combining layer comprises a second bendable area, and orthographic projections of the first bendable area and the second bendable area on the flexible substrate do not intersect.

In this example, the young's modulus of the first bonding layer in the first bendable region is formed to be higher than the young's modulus of the first bonding layer in the first other region; the Young's modulus of the second joining layer at the second bendable region is formed to be higher than the Young's modulus of the second joining layer at the second other region. In this embodiment, the electronic device has different bending directions in the first bendable region and the second bendable region, the first bonding layer is under a larger tensile stress in the first bendable region, and the second bonding layer is under a larger tensile stress in the second bendable region. The electronic device formed by this example is, for example, the case shown in fig. 6 to 8.

In this example, in forming the first joining layer and the second joining layer, the first bendable region of the first joining layer and the second bendable region of the second joining layer may be irradiated with, for example, ultraviolet light irradiation, respectively, so that the young's modulus of the first joining layer in the first bendable region is higher than the young's modulus of the first joining layer in the first other region, and the young's modulus of the second joining layer in the second bendable region is higher than the young's modulus of the second joining layer in the second other region.

For example, as shown in fig. 10, a first mask plate 110 is used to shield a first bonding layer 1015, the mask plate 110 includes, for example, a light transmissive region 110A and a light opaque region 110B, the light transmissive region 110A corresponds to a first bendable region 1015A, and the light opaque region 110B corresponds to a first other region 1015B, then ultraviolet light is used to irradiate the first bonding layer 1015 through the first mask plate 110, and the young modulus of the irradiated first bonding layer 1015 in the first bendable region 1015A is higher than the young modulus of the first bonding layer 1015 in the first other region 1015B. Similarly, the second bonding layer 1018 is shielded by using a second mask 111, the mask 111 includes, for example, a transparent region 111A and an opaque region 111B, the transparent region 111A corresponds to the second bendable region 1018A, and the opaque region 111B corresponds to the second other region 1018B, and then the second bonding layer 1018 is irradiated with ultraviolet light through the second mask 111, and the young modulus of the irradiated second bonding layer 1018 in the second bendable region 1018A is higher than the young modulus of the irradiated second bonding layer 1018 in the second other region 1018B.

In this example, the plurality of functional layers include, for example, two weak layers which are easily broken when the electronic device is bent, and at this time, two bonding layers may be respectively formed outside the two weak layers, so that the bonding layer having a higher young's modulus may be subjected to a larger tensile stress when the electronic device is bent, so that a neutral layer (i.e., a layer which does not generate strain) generated when the electronic device is bent may be respectively moved toward the two weak layers at different bending regions, and thus the tensile stress to which the two weak layers are subjected when the electronic device is bent may be reduced.

For example, in this embodiment, the bonding layer may be formed adjacent to the weak layer. For example, in the example shown in fig. 10, the plurality of functional layers include a thin-film transistor layer 1012, a light-emitting layer 1013, and an encapsulation layer 1014, which are sequentially formed on the flexible substrate. For example, a first bonding layer 1015 is formed on the encapsulation layer 1014. For example, the plurality of functional layers further includes a polarizing layer 1016, and the polarizing layer 1016 is formed on a side of the first bonding layer 1015 away from the flexible substrate 1011, for example. For example, the plurality of functional layers further includes a back film 1017, and the flexible substrate 1011 is connected to the back film 1017 through a second bonding layer 1018, for example, the back film 1017 is formed on a side of the second bonding layer 1018 away from the flexible substrate 1011. In this example, encapsulation layer 1014 and thin-film-transistor layer 1012 are, for example, weak layers that are more susceptible to cracking during bending of the electronic device.

In this example, the first bonding layer 1015 may protect the weaker encapsulation layer 1014, and the second bonding layer 1018 may protect the weaker thin-film-transistor layer 1012, so that the first bonding layer 1015 and the second bonding layer 1018 may respectively protect the two weaker functional layers in the first bendable region 1015A and the second bendable region 1018B, thereby preventing the functional layers from being broken when the electronic device is bent, and further improving the reliability of the electronic device.

The following points need to be explained:

(1) the drawings of the embodiments of the disclosure only relate to the structures related to the embodiments of the disclosure, and other structures can refer to the common design.

(2) For purposes of clarity, the thickness of layers or regions in the figures used to describe embodiments of the present disclosure are exaggerated or reduced, i.e., the figures are not drawn on a true scale. It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being "on" or "under" another element, it can be "directly on" or "under" the other element or intervening elements may be present.

(3) Without conflict, embodiments of the present disclosure and features of the embodiments may be combined with each other to arrive at new embodiments.

The above description is only for the specific embodiments of the present disclosure, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of the changes or substitutions within the technical scope of the present disclosure, and all the changes or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

the flexible substrate comprises a flexible substrate and a plurality of functional layers arranged on the flexible substrate;

wherein the plurality of functional layers comprises a light emitting layer, at least one weak layer, and at least one bonding layer;

the bonding layer comprises at least one bendable region, and the Young modulus of the bonding layer in the bendable region is higher than that of the bonding layer in other regions, so that the neutral layer or the layer with smaller strain generated during bending moves towards the direction of the weak layer.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the bonding layer is disposed adjacent to the weak layer.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the weak layer is a thin-film-transistor layer and/or an encapsulation layer.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the young's modulus of the joining layer in the bendable region is at least 100 times larger than the young's modulus of the joining layer in the other region.

5. The electronic device of claim 1,

the plurality of functional layers comprises a first weak layer and a second weak layer;

the plurality of functional layers further comprises a first bonding layer on a side of the first weak layer remote from the flexible substrate and a second bonding layer on a side of the flexible substrate remote from the second weak layer;

wherein the first bonding layer comprises a first bendable region; the second combining layer comprises a second bendable region, and orthographic projections of the first bendable region and the second bendable region on the flexible substrate do not intersect.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein a thin-film-transistor layer, the luminescent layer, an encapsulation layer, and the first bonding layer are disposed in that order on the flexible substrate, and the second bonding layer is disposed on a side of the flexible substrate away from the thin-film-transistor layer.

7. The electronic device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the plurality of functional layers further comprises a back film disposed on a side of the second bonding layer away from the flexible substrate.

8. The electronic device of claim 5 or 6, wherein the plurality of functional layers further comprises a polarizing layer disposed on a side of the first bonding layer distal from the flexible substrate.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the material of the bonding layer is an optically clear adhesive.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the bonding layer has a thickness in a range from 20 micrometers to 40 micrometers.

11. A method of making an electronic device, comprising:

providing a flexible substrate;

forming a plurality of functional layers on the flexible substrate;

wherein the plurality of functional layers comprise a light emitting layer, at least one weak layer, and at least one bonding layer;

the anchor layer includes at least one bendable region, and the Young's modulus of the anchor layer at the bendable region is formed to be higher than that of the anchor layer at other regions, so that the neutral layer or the layer with less strain generated at the time of bending is moved toward the direction of the weak layer.

12. The method of manufacturing an electronic device according to claim 11,

the functional layers further comprise a first bonding layer and a second bonding layer, the first bonding layer is formed on one side of the first weak layer far away from the flexible substrate, and the second bonding layer is formed on one side of the flexible substrate far away from the second weak layer;

wherein the first bonding layer comprises a first bendable region; the second bonding layer includes a second bendable region, and the first bendable region and the second bendable region are formed so that orthographic projections on the flexible substrate do not intersect.

13. The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein forming the bonding layer/the first bonding layer/the second bonding layer comprises:

forming an initial bonding layer;

and irradiating the bendable region of the initial bonding layer by adopting an ultraviolet irradiation method, so that the Young modulus of the initial bonding layer in the bendable region is higher than that of other regions.