KR102648390B1 - Flexible display apparatus and method of fabricating the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a flexible display device capable of reducing the thickness of a module and a manufacturing method thereof, comprising an active area and an inactive area, wherein the inactive area is a first area adjacent to the active area and a circuit board is disposed. a flexible substrate including a second region and a bending region located between the first region and the second region; a first metal plate and a second metal plate disposed on a lower surface of the first area and a lower surface of the second area, respectively; an elastic body disposed between the first metal plate and the second metal plate; A first adhesive film disposed between the lower surface of the first area and the first metal plate; A flexible display device comprising a second adhesive film disposed between a lower surface of a second area and the second metal plate and a method of manufacturing the same, comprising a first support plate and a first adhesive layer, a second support plate and a second adhesive layer. Because it is removed, the thickness of the module can be reduced, and the process is simplified, reducing the possibility of defects.

Description

Flexible display apparatus and method of fabricating the same}

The present invention relates to a display device, and more specifically, to a flexible display device capable of reducing the thickness of a module and a method of manufacturing the same.

Recently, as we have entered the information age, the field of displays that visually express electrical information signals has developed rapidly, and in response to this, various display devices (Display Apparatus) with excellent performance such as thinness, lightness, and low power consumption have been developed. is being developed.

Specific examples of such display devices include Liquid Crystal Display Apparatus (LCD), Organic Light Emitting Display Apparatus (OLED), and Quantum Dot Display Apparatus.

The display device may include a display panel and a number of components to provide various functions. For example, one or more display driving circuits for controlling a display panel may be included in a display assembly. Examples of drive circuits include gate drivers, light emitting (source) drivers, power (VDD) routing, electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuits, multiplex (MUX) circuits, data signal lines, cathode contacts, and other functional elements. includes them. A number of peripheral circuits may be included in the display assembly to provide various types of additional functions, for example, touch sensing or fingerprint identification functions. Some components may be placed on the display panel itself, or on surrounding areas next to the display area, often referred to as an inactive area and/or non-active area.

Size and weight are important issues when designing the latest display devices. Additionally, a high ratio of the size of the display area to the size of the non-display area, sometimes referred to as the screen-to-bezel ratio, is one of the most important characteristics. However, placing some of the above-described components within a display assembly may require a large non-display area, which may add up to a significant portion of the display panel. The large non-display area tends to cause the display panel to be large, which makes it difficult to integrate the display panel into the housing of electronic devices. The large non-display area may also require large masking (e.g., bezel, border, covering material) to cover a significant portion of the display panel, making the device aesthetically unappealing. Some components may be placed on a separate flexible printed circuit board and located on the backplane of the display panel.

However, even with this configuration, the backplane includes unnecessary components, limiting the amount of bezel size reduction.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a flexible display device that can reduce the thickness of a display module and a method of manufacturing the same.

Another object of the present invention is to simplify the manufacturing process of the flexible display device manufacturing method.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a flexible display device and a manufacturing method thereof that can increase the rigidity of the flexible display device.

A flexible display device for achieving these purposes includes an active area and an inactive area, wherein the inactive area includes a first inactive area adjacent to the active area, a second inactive area where a circuit board is disposed, and the first a flexible substrate including a bending area located between an inactive area and the second inactive area; a first metal plate and a second metal plate respectively disposed on a surface of the flexible substrate in the active area and a surface of the flexible substrate in an opposing position; an elastic body disposed between the first metal plate and the second metal plate; a first adhesive film disposed between the surface of the flexible substrate in the active area and the first metal plate; The configuration is characterized by comprising a second adhesive film disposed between the second metal plates respectively disposed on the surface of the flexible substrate at opposing positions.

A detailed feature of the flexible display device according to the present invention is that the first metal plate and the second metal plate are made of stainless steel.

In the flexible display device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first adhesive film and the second adhesive film may have a multi-layer structure.

In the flexible display device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first adhesive film and the second adhesive film include pressure-sensitive adhesive, foam-type adhesive, liquid adhesive, and optical adhesive. It may contain a light cured adhesive or other adhesive material.

In the flexible display device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first adhesive film and the second adhesive film may further include a buffer layer between the top and bottom of the adhesive material layer.

In the flexible display device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the buffer layer may include polyolefin foam.

In the flexible display device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first metal plate and the second metal plate may have a thickness of within 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm.

A method of manufacturing a flexible display device according to the present invention includes removing a glass substrate from a display panel on which a TFT array and a light emitting element are disposed; Adhering an adhesive film and a metal plate to the surface of the non-bending area of the display panel; Creating an alignment key by etching the upper part of the metal plate and adhesive film; and bending the bending area of the display so that the metal plate and the adhesive film face each other.

The method of manufacturing a flexible display device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention may further include forming an elastic body between opposing metal plates to support the metal plates and guide the bending of the bending area.

In the method of manufacturing a flexible display device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elastic body may be made of a double-sided foam tape having impact mitigation and adhesive properties.

In the method of manufacturing a flexible display device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elastic body may be made of either a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a foam-type adhesive.

The flexible display device according to the present invention can exhibit the following effects.

First, the thickness of the display module of the flexible display device can be reduced.

Second, the manufacturing process of flexible display devices can be simplified.

Third, the rigidity of the flexible display device can be increased.

1 is a plan view of a display panel according to a flexible display device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the dotted area II of FIG. 1, showing the arrangement of components around the notch area.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting line II' of FIG. 1 in the flexible display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a structure in which the flexible substrate of FIG. 1 is bent and folded.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting line II' of FIG. 1 in a flexible display device according to another embodiment of the present invention, showing a structure in which the flexible substrate of FIG. 1 is bent and folded.
Figures 5A to 5F are exemplary diagrams showing a manufacturing process of a flexible display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Regarding the embodiments of the present invention disclosed in the text, specific structural and functional descriptions are merely illustrative for the purpose of explaining the embodiments of the present invention, and the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in various forms and are not included in the text. It should not be construed as limited to the described embodiments.

Since the present invention can be subject to various changes and can have various forms, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific disclosed form, and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may be referred to as a first component without departing from the scope of the present invention.

When a component is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that it may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, but that other components may exist in between. It should be. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between. Other expressions that describe the relationship between components, such as "between" and "immediately between" or "neighboring" and "directly adjacent to" should be interpreted similarly.

The terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, terms such as “comprises” or “has” are intended to designate the presence of a disclosed feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof, and are intended to indicate the presence of one or more other features or numbers, It should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as indicating meanings consistent with the meanings they have in the context of the related technology, and unless clearly defined in the present application, should not be interpreted in an idealized or excessively formal sense. No.

Meanwhile, if an embodiment can be implemented differently, functions or operations specified within a specific block may occur differently from the order specified in the flowchart. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be performed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may be performed in reverse depending on the functions or operations involved.

In the present invention, “display device” refers to a liquid crystal module (LCM), an organic light emitting module (OLED module), and a quantum dot module including a display panel and a driver for driving the display panel. It may include a display device. And, electronic devices including laptop computers, televisions, computer monitors, automotive displays, or other types of vehicles that are complete products or final products including LCM, OLED, and QD modules. It may also include a set electronic device or set apparatus, such as an equipment display, a mobile electronic device such as a smartphone, or an electronic pad.

Therefore, the display device in the present invention may include the display device itself in a narrow sense, such as an LCM, OLED, QD module, etc., and a set device that is an application product or end-consumer device including an LCM, OLED, QD module, etc.

In some cases, the LCM, OLED, and QD modules composed of the display panel and driving unit are expressed as a "display device" in the narrow sense, and the electronic device as a finished product including the LCM, OLED, and QD modules is referred to as a "set device." It can also be expressed separately. For example, a display device in the narrow sense includes a display panel of liquid crystal (LCD), organic light emitting diode (OLED), or quantum dot (Quantum Dot), and a source PCB, which is a control unit for driving the display panel. The set device is the source PCB. It may be a concept that further includes a set PCB, which is a set control unit that is electrically connected to and controls the entire set device.

The display panel used in this embodiment is of all types, such as a liquid crystal display panel, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel, a quantum dot display panel (QD), and an electroluminescent display panel. A display panel can be used, and is not limited to a specific display panel that can bend the bezel with the flexible substrate for the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel and the lower backplane support structure of this embodiment. Also, the display panel used in the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the shape or size of the display panel.

More specifically, when the display panel is an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel, it may include a plurality of gate lines, data lines, and pixels formed in intersection areas of the gate lines and data lines. And, an array including a thin film transistor, which is a device for selectively applying voltage to each pixel, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) layer on the array, and an encapsulation substrate or encapsulation layer disposed on the array to cover the organic light emitting diode layer. It may be configured to include (encapsulation), etc. The encapsulation layer protects the thin film transistor and the organic light emitting diode layer from external shock and can prevent moisture or oxygen from penetrating into the organic light emitting diode layer. Additionally, the layer formed on the array may include an inorganic light emitting layer, for example, a nano-sized material layer or quantum dots.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. 1 is a plan view of a display panel according to a flexible display device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the dotted line area II of FIG. 1, showing the arrangement of components around the notch area. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting line II' of FIG. 1 and shows a structure in which the flexible substrate of FIG. 1 is bent and folded. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II' of FIG. 1 of a flexible display device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figures 5A to 5F are exemplary diagrams showing the progress of the flexible display manufacturing method according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the display panel 100 includes at least one active area 101 in which light emitting elements 112 and an array 111 are formed.

The display panel 100 may include an inactive area disposed at the periphery of the active area 101, of which the top, bottom, left and right sides of the active area 101 are divided into a first inactive area 102 and a bending area 103. The opposite side can be referred to as the second inactive area 104. The active area 101 may have a rectangular shape, but is not limited to this, and various unusual display devices such as circular, oval, or polygonal shapes may be applied to a smart watch or automobile display device. Therefore, the arrangement of the first inactive area 102 and the second inactive area 104 surrounding the active area 101 is limited to the organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel 100 shown in FIG. no. Referring to the organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel 100 shown in FIG. 1, the first inactive area 102 adjacent to the active area 101 includes light emitting elements 112 formed in the active area 101 and Various components for driving the arrays 111 may be located to provide a function for light emission. For example, circuits such as GIP (Gate In Panel, 123) and ESD (Electrostatic Discharge, 124), the cathode, which is part of the light emitting device, and the low potential voltage (VSS) wiring 122, which is the voltage reference point of the light emitting device. ), an area for contact between the surfaces, and an encapsulation layer 113 to protect the light emitting device 112 from external moisture permeation or foreign matter may be disposed. Multiple dam structures to prevent overflow to the outside of the display panel 100 during the application process of the foreign matter compensation layer among the encapsulation layers, and a scribing process to divide the mother substrate into individual display panels 100. ), a crack stopper structure (126), etc. may be disposed to prevent cracks that may occur during the process from being transmitted to the inside of the display panel (100). An area in the first inactive area 102 where components are placed may be referred to as a first component forming unit. The first component forming portion may be disposed along the long axis of the active area 101 and may be bent to have an inclined surface.

The crack prevention structure 126 of the present invention is designed so that the shock generated from the trimming line of the substrate 110 during the cutting process is not affected by the GIP 123 or ESD 124 formed in the first inactive area 102 or the low potential. It may reach and destroy the voltage (VSS) wiring 122 or, furthermore, provide a moisture permeable path to the light emitting element 112 or array 111 formed in the active area 101, causing dark spots to grow or pixel shrinkage. Shrinkage can be prevented from occurring.

The crack prevention structure 126 may be composed of an inorganic film or an organic film, and may be formed in a multi-layer structure of an inorganic film/organic film, but is not limited thereto. In Figure 1, the crack prevention structure 126 is disclosed as being disposed only on both long sides and one short side of the display panel 100, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the crack prevention structure 126 may also be disposed in the area where the bending area 103 and the notch 151 are formed, and may be placed on the entire perimeter of the substrate 110.

In the area adjacent to the cut surface of the substrate 110 outside the crack prevention structure 126, part or all of the insulating films (GI, buffer layer, etc.) deposited on the entire surface when forming the active area are etched to form a substrate ( 110), a small amount of the insulating film may remain on the top or the upper surface of the substrate may be completely exposed so that the cutting shock is not transmitted to the insulating film.

Referring to FIG. 1, various components for driving the light emitting elements 112 and arrays 111 formed in the active area 101 are located in the second inactive area 104 to provide a function for stable light emission. You can. For example, a circuit board 136 electrically connected to a pad 135 formed to receive an external power source and a data driving signal or to exchange a touch signal is disposed, and a high potential voltage (VDD) extending from the circuit board 136 is provided. A power wiring 121, a low potential voltage (VSS) wiring 122, and/or a data voltage wiring 127 may be disposed.

The data voltage wire 127 of the present invention may be connected and disposed toward the data driver IC 137 that generates the light emitting signal of the light emitting device 112.

The area where the previously described pad 135 and data driver IC 137 are placed in the second inactive area may be referred to as the second component forming part. A portion of the high-potential voltage wiring 121 and the low-potential voltage wiring 122 may be disposed in the second component forming portion.

Referring to FIG. 1, the display panel 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a notch formed by cutting the lower edge of the display panel 100 for bending the bending area 103, as indicated by a dotted line. , 151) can be placed.

For example, when performing a cutting process to divide the mother substrate into individual panels, the display panel 100, which is part of the first inactive area 102, is cut to the inside of the first inactive area 102 near both lower edge areas. Thus, the notch 151 can be formed so that the cut surface is adjacent to the high potential voltage (VDD) wiring 121 or the low potential voltage (VSS) wiring 122.

The notch 151 of the present invention starts at one end of the flexible substrate 110, allows a bending process near the area, and ends the bending near the data driver IC 137, thereby forming the driver IC. The area of the flexible substrate where 137 and the circuit board pad 135 are located may be in contact with the back side of the flexible substrate where the active area is formed.

The member connected to the pad 135 formed on the upper surface of the display panel 100 is not limited to the circuit board 136, and various members can be connected, and the position of the pad 135 is on the upper or rear surface of the display panel 100. It is also possible to place it.

The data driver IC 137 illustrated in FIG. 1 is illustrated as being placed on the top of the display panel, but is not limited to the data driver IC 137, and its location is not limited to the top of the display panel 100 and can be placed on the back. there is.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of II of Figure 1. Referring to FIG. 2, it is an enlarged view of the area where the notch 151 is formed, and the components of the bending area 103, the first inactive area 102, and the second inactive area 104 are removed before the bending process. It has been initiated.

The notch 151 includes an active area 101, a first inactive area 102 arranged to surround the active area 101, and a second inactive area 104 formed beyond the bending area 103. In the panel 100, two corners of the flexible substrate 110 overlapping the first inactive region 102, bending region 103, and second inactive region 104 are cut inward to form a substrate cutting line as shown in FIG. 2. can be formed. For slim bezels or narrow bezels, the smaller the area of the substrate that is bent during the bending process, the less stress the substrate receives during bending, which can further improve fairness. Additionally, a crack prevention structure 126 may be formed inside the substrate along the cutting surface to prevent the propagation of cracks that may occur during the cutting process. As shown in FIG. 2, the cut surface of the substrate can have rounded edges to improve fairness and durability.

The GIP 123 and the ESD 124 may be placed on the side of the active area 101 and may be placed along the outer edge of the low-potential voltage wiring 122 for grounding. The gate signal or low-potential voltage and high-potential voltage are external power inputs from the pad 135 disposed in the second inactive region 104 through the high-potential voltage line 121, the data line 127, and the gate power line 125. ) may pass through the bending area 103 and enter the first inactive area 102. The data signal can be converted into a data signal by the driver IC 137 when the power input from the pad of the second inactive area passes through the bending area 103 and enters the active area 101 by extending the data line 127. . As these various wires pass through the bending area 103, most of the wires are exposed to tensile and contraction stress during the bending process, and the stress may be concentrated at a specific point, causing damage to the wire. This may cause a defect in which the display panel 100 does not operate properly. Therefore, it may be important to prevent stress from concentrating on a specific part of the flexible substrate 110 in order to protect the wires in the bending area 103.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II' of FIG. 1. For example, this is a cross-sectional view showing an exemplary stacked structure of the display panel 100. For convenience of illustration, in FIG. 3, the TFT array 111 and the light emitting device 112 formed on the flexible substrate 110 are displayed flat, and the encapsulation layer 113 is a three-layer film of inorganic film/organic film/inorganic film. It can be composed of a structure, and is not limited to a three-layer film, but a five-layer film structure or a multi-layer structure of five or more layers can also be possible, and in this drawing, it is shown as one layer.

The encapsulation layer 113 of the present specification includes the entire active area 101 and a first inactive area 102 surrounding the active area 101 to protect the vulnerable light emitting device 112 from external moisture or dust. It can be extended and deployed up to.

The encapsulation layer of the present specification may be composed of a three-layer structure of inorganic film/organic film/inorganic film, and the inorganic film may be composed of Si-based SiNx, SiOx, and SiON.

The organic film applied to the encapsulation layer may be referred to as a particle capping layer (PCL), and may be formed of a material such as epoxy resin, a type of polymer, but is not limited thereto. . Additionally, in the case of an inorganic film, an inorganic material composed of multiple layers of SiNx/SiON, rather than a single layer, may be used. Each inorganic film may be formed to a thickness of approximately 0.5 to 1㎛, and in the case of an organic film, it may be formed to a thickness of approximately 7 to 20㎛, but the thickness of the inorganic and organic films is not limited thereto.

Figure 3 is an example of, for example, an electrostatic touch method that can detect touch pressure, a force touch method, or a pen touch method that touches using a pen. A first adhesive layer 141 and a first touch sensor layer 142 are disposed on the upper part of the encapsulation layer 113, and a second touch sensor layer (not shown) can be further disposed on the lower part of the flexible substrate 110. there is. The first touch sensor layer 142 may be a sensor layer for electrostatic touch, and the second touch sensor layer may be a force touch or pen touch sensor layer. The embodiments of the present specification are not limited to examples of the touch method, but can also be applied to the TOE (Touch on Encapsulation) method of forming an electrostatic touch sensor layer on the encapsulation layer 113 without arranging the second touch sensor layer.

A polarizing layer 143 may be disposed on the first touch sensor layer 142 in this specification. The polarization layer 143 can minimize the impact that light generated from an external light source may enter the display panel 100 and have on the light emitting device 112. The embodiment of the present specification is not limited to the structure of FIG. 3, and in the case of products sensitive to touch sensitivity, the arrangement of the first touch sensor layer 142 and the polarizing layer 143 can be changed.

A second adhesive layer 144 and a decor film 145 may be disposed on the polarizing layer 143 of the present specification, and a cover window 146 is attached to the outside to protect the display panel 100 from the external environment. can do.

The deco film (Deco Film 145) of the present specification is located on the upper part of the display panel 100 and blocks the first inactive area 102 outside the active area 101 from the user's view, thereby forming the first inactive area 102. Since the components are protected from external light sources and the user can only see the active area 101, aesthetics can be improved.

A first support plate (back plate: 302) may be disposed on the lower or rear side of the flexible substrate 110. The first support plate 302 may have a thickness of, for example, 100 μm to 125 μm, 50 μm to 150 μm, 75 μm to 200 μm, less than 150 μm, or greater than 100 μm, but is not limited to this thickness. . The first support plate 302 may be made of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), but is not limited thereto. A second sensor layer for force touch that detects touch pressure or electromagnetic sensing type touch that recognizes touching with a pen may be disposed on the lower part of the substrate 110.

A metal layer 304 made of metal may be added to the lower part of the first support plate 302. Additional placement of the metal layer 304 may cause noise from the battery or semiconductor chips of the module to which the display panel 100 is attached, and such noise may cause the display panel 100 to ) This is because electromagnetic interference (EMI) may occur. Electromagnetic interference may cause malfunctions in the thin film transistor or organic light emitting device (OLED) of the array 111 or abnormalities in the display screen. In order to prevent this, the metal layer 304 with a thickness of about 0.1 mm is disposed, which can have the effect of blocking electromagnetic interference (EMI). Alternatively, by disposing an additional metal layer, it is possible to have a heat dissipation effect that disperses heat generated from the light source of the display panel 100 and a rigidity effect that can more firmly support the flexible substrate 110. The metal layer 304 may be adhered to the first support plate 302 by a third adhesive layer 303.

Without various layers in the bendable portion of the flexible display 100, a protective layer may be needed for the wire traces, especially the wire traces in the bend-tolerant portion of the flexible display 100. Additionally, the wire traces at the bend portion may be vulnerable to moisture and other foreign materials because the inorganic insulating layers may be etched away from the bend portion of the flexible display 100. In particular, various pads and conductive lines may be chamfered to test components during fabrication of flexible display 100, which may leave conductive lines extending to the notched edge of flexible display 100. These conductive lines can be easily corroded by moisture which can extend to nearby conductive lines. Accordingly, a protective coating layer, which may be referred to as a “micro coating layer,” may be provided on the wiring traces of the bend portion of the flexible display 100.

A circuit board 136 and a pad portion 135 therefor may be formed on one end of the flexible substrate 110. When the bending process is performed, the pad portion 135 and the attached circuit board 136 are placed behind the screen of the active area 101, so that the size of the display panel 100 can be relatively small.

The circuit board 136, which is formed on the upper surface of the flexible substrate 110 but is bent and electrically connected to the driver IC 137 and the pad 135 and the pad 135, may be disposed on the opposite side of the active area 101.

In order to protect the wiring, etc. on the bent flexible substrate 110, a micro coating layer 133 may be disposed as shown in FIG. 3, and to sufficiently protect the wiring, the encapsulation layer 113 is formed starting from the vicinity of the driver IC 137. It may be applied to the entire bending area 103 so as to reach the side wall of the first adhesive layer 141 including. At this time, a portion of the micro coating layer 133 is overapplied near the first adhesive layer 141 at the end of application, or the first touch sensor layer ( 142) can be placed in contact with or adjacent to it. The micro coating layer 133 is applied throughout the area from the area near the driver IC 137 through the bending area 103 to the first adhesive layer 141, and is applied to the inactive area 102 and bending as described in FIG. 1. It may be arranged along the line of the notch 151 formed across the area 103.

For the same reason that the first support plate 302 is disposed on the active area 101 and the first inactive area 102 to support the flexible substrate 110, a support plate 302 is also placed on the lower part of the second inactive area 104. 2 Support plates 306 may be placed. At this time, the first support plate 302 is adhered to the flexible substrate 110 by a first adhesive layer 301, and the second support plate 306 is adhered to the flexible substrate 110 by a second adhesive layer 307. 110) can be adhered to the upper surface. By arranging the second support plate 306, process stability can be secured when attaching the circuit board 136 connected to the driver IC 137 and the pad 135 formed on the upper surface of the second inactive area 104. there is.

Between the bent flexible substrate 110, an elastic body 305 is disposed between the lower side of the metal layer 304 and the upper part of the second support plate 306 to maintain the bent shape, so that the metal layer 304 ) and the second support plate 306 may be attached and fixed to each other. The elastic body 305 may be made of foam tape, but is not limited thereto. For example, it may include a pressure-sensitive adhesive, a foam-type adhesive, a liquid adhesive, a light-curing adhesive, or any other bonding component. The elastic body 305 may be formed of or include a compressive material and may be a cushion for the parts joined by the elastic body 305. Additionally, the elastic body 305 may be formed of a plurality of layers including a cushion layer, for example, polyolefin foam, sandwiched between the upper and lower layers of adhesive material.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting line II' of FIG. 1 in a flexible display device according to another embodiment of the present invention, showing a structure in which the flexible substrate of FIG. 1 is bent and folded.

Looking at the configuration, unlike the embodiment of FIG. 3, in another embodiment of the present invention, the first support plate 302 is attached to the flexible substrate 110 by the first adhesive 301 and the second adhesive 307. It can be seen that the and second support plate 306 have been removed.

A flexible display device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes an active area and an inactive area, wherein the inactive area includes a first inactive area 102 adjacent to the active area 101, and a first inactive area 102 on which a circuit board is disposed. A flexible substrate 110 including two inactive areas 104 and a bending area 103 located between the first inactive area 102 and the second inactive area 104; a first metal plate 402 and a second metal plate 404 disposed on a lower surface of the first inactive area 102 and a lower surface of the second inactive area 104, respectively; an elastic body 305 disposed between the first metal plate 402 and the second metal plate 404; a first adhesive film 401 disposed between the surface of the flexible substrate 110 of the active area 101 and the first metal plate 402; It includes a second adhesive film 403 disposed between the second metal plates 404 respectively disposed on the surface of the flexible substrate 110 at opposing positions.

At this time, the first metal plate 402 and the second metal plate 404 may be made of stainless steel with a thickness of 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm.

The first adhesive film 401 and the second adhesive film 403 may have a multi-layer structure. That is, the first adhesive film 401 and the second adhesive film 403 are pressure-sensitive adhesive, foam-type adhesive, liquid adhesive, and light-curing adhesive ( Light Cured Adhesive) or other adhesive materials.

Although not shown, the first adhesive film 401 and the second adhesive film 403 may further include a buffer layer including polyolefin foam or the like between the upper and lower portions of the adhesive material layer.

In this way, the first and second support plates 302, 306 and the two support plates 302, 306 are attached to the upper surface of the flexible substrate 110 facing each other by bending to the surface of the flexible substrate 110. The first and second adhesive layers 301 and 307 are not disposed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the height of the flexible substrate 110 facing by bending indicated as “H1” is equal to the height of the flexible substrate 110 facing by bending indicated as “H2” in FIG. 4. It becomes lower.

As the height of the opposing flexible substrate 110 is lowered, the length of the outer peripheral surface of the bent flexible substrate 110 is reduced, and the micro coating layer 133 formed in the bending area indicated as “W1” in FIG. 3 The length of the width up to is shortened like the length of the width indicated by “W2” in FIG. 4. As the thickness of the module becomes thinner, it is easier to assemble the set, and the length of the width protruding outward from the bending area is shortened, so the margin for the bezel can be increased.

Figures 5A to 5F are exemplary diagrams showing a manufacturing process of a flexible display device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the glass substrate 200 is removed from the display panel 110 on which the TFT array 111 and the light emitting device 112 are disposed using a laser lift off method. Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the adhesive films 401 and 403 and the metal plates 402 and 404 are adhered to the surface of the non-bending area of the display panel 110 in units of ledgers, a TFT array is formed as shown in FIG. 5C. The layers 111 and 112, the flexible substrate 110, the adhesive film layers 401 and 403, and the metal plates 402 and 404 disposed thereon are stacked.

Figure 5c shows a structure stacked in a raw state, and since the metal plates 402 and 404 are made of opaque metal, an alignment key is required for joining during the module process to separate them into multiple module-shaped flexible substrates. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5D, the upper portions of the metal plates 402 and 404 and the adhesive films 401 and 403 are etched to create an align key. At this time, in order to generate the align key, the mask 500 is placed on the upper part of the metal plate 402 and 404 and the align key is generated using a light source, and the equipment is used during the process as shown in Figure 5e and its side cross-sectional view Figure 5f. An align key 600 that can be recognized is formed on the upper surface of the metal plates 402 and 404.

Next, when the bending area of the flexible substrate is bent, the metal plates 402 and 404 and the adhesive films 401 and 403 are arranged in opposite directions.

Through the subsequent process, a step of forming an elastic body 305 between the metal plates 402 and 404 arranged to face each other and supporting the metal plates 402 and 404 and guiding the bending of the bending area can be further performed. there is.

As such, in another embodiment of the present invention, the first and second support plates 302 and 306 and the first and second adhesive layers 301 and 307 are not included in the flexible substrate 110.

Therefore, in the manufacturing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a first adhesion process of adhering the support plates 302 and 306 to the flexible substrate 110 and a metal layer 304 on the first support plate 302 are performed. While a second adhesion process is required for adhesion, the manufacturing method according to the second embodiment of the present invention does not require a first adhesion process for adhering the support plates 302 and 306 to the flexible substrate 110, thereby simplifying the process. . As the process is simplified in this way, production defects during the process can be reduced, and the probability that impurities may be included during the adhesion process is reduced.

As described above, since the first support plate, the first adhesive layer, the second support plate, and the second adhesive layer are removed, the thickness of the module can be reduced, and the process is simplified to reduce the possibility of defects.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and changes to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following patent claims. You will understand that you can do it.

100: display panel
101: active area 102: first inactive area
103: bending area 104: second inactive area
110: Flexible substrate 111: TFT array
112: light emitting device 113: encapsulation layer
114: Polarizing layer 121: High potential voltage wiring
122: Low potential voltage wiring 123: GIP
124: ESD 125: Gate power line
126: Crack prevention structure 127: Data wiring
135: pad 136: circuit board
137: Driver IC 141: Adhesive layer
142: first touch sensor layer 143: polarizing layer
144: second adhesive layer 145: deco film
146: Cover window 151: Notch
301: first adhesive layer 302: first support plate
303: third adhesive layer 304: metal layer
305: elastic body 306: second support plate
307: second adhesive layer 401: first adhesive film
402: first metal plate 403: second adhesive film
404: second metal plate

Claims (11)

It includes an active area and an inactive area, wherein the inactive area includes a first inactive area adjacent to the active area, a second inactive area where a circuit board is disposed, and the first inactive area and the second inactive area. A flexible substrate including a bending area located between them;
Light emitting elements disposed on the active area of the flexible substrate;
an encapsulation layer extending to the entire active area and the first inactive area and covering the light emitting devices;
a first adhesive layer and a first touch sensor layer sequentially disposed on top of the encapsulation layer;
A polarizing layer disposed on the first touch sensor layer;
a cover window disposed on the polarizing layer;
a first metal plate made of stainless steel and a second metal plate made of stainless steel, respectively disposed on a first surface of the flexible substrate in the active area and a second surface of the flexible substrate opposite the first surface;
an elastic body disposed between the first metal plate and the second metal plate;
a first adhesive film disposed between the first surface of the flexible substrate in the active area and the first metal plate;
a second adhesive film disposed between the second surface of the flexible substrate and the second metal plate; and
Includes a micro coating layer covering the bending area of the flexible substrate,
The micro coating layer covers the sidewall of the encapsulation layer and the sidewall of the first adhesive layer without exceeding at least the upper surface of the first adhesive layer,
A flexible display device wherein the sidewall of the elastic body is located inside the sidewalls of each of the first metal plate and the second metal plate. delete According to paragraph 1,
A flexible display device, wherein the first adhesive film and the second adhesive film have a multi-layer structure. According to paragraph 3,
The first adhesive film and the second adhesive film are pressure-sensitive adhesive, foam-type adhesive, liquid adhesive, light cured adhesive, or other adhesive material. A flexible display device comprising: The method of claim 4, wherein the first adhesive film further includes a buffer layer on top and a bottom of the first adhesive film, and the second adhesive film further includes a buffer layer on the top and bottom of the second adhesive film. A flexible display device. The flexible display device of claim 5, wherein the buffer layer includes polyolefin foam. The flexible display device of claim 1, wherein the first metal plate and the second metal plate have a thickness of within 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm. Removing a glass substrate from a flexible substrate including a bending area and a non-bending area, wherein a TFT array and a light emitting device are disposed on one side of the non-bending area;
attaching an adhesive film and a metal plate to the surface of the non-bending area on the other side opposite to one side of the flexible substrate;
Creating an alignment key by etching the upper part of the metal plate and adhesive film; and
The other side of the flexible substrate includes a first surface and a second surface disposed to face each other, and the metal plate and adhesive film disposed on the other side include a first adhesive film sequentially laminated on the first surface of the flexible substrate, and A method of manufacturing a flexible display device comprising bending the bending area of the flexible substrate to be composed of a first metal plate, a second adhesive film, and a second metal plate sequentially laminated on the second surface of the flexible substrate. . The method of manufacturing a flexible display device according to claim 8, comprising forming an elastic body between opposing metal plates to support the metal plates and guide bending of the bending area. The method of manufacturing a flexible display device according to claim 9, wherein the elastic body is made of a double-sided foam tape having shock-relieving and adhesive properties. The method of claim 9, wherein the elastic body is made of either a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a foam-type adhesive.

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