Flexible display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016181572-A1
Application number	US-201615057040-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 29, 2016
Priority date	Dec 28, 2011
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A flexible display apparatus including: a first film including a first surface and a second surface that are opposite each other, and a first groove formed in the first surface, the first film having a first rigidity; a third film on the second surface of the first film; a fourth film facing the third film; an emission display unit between and encapsulated by the third film and the fourth film; and a second film on the fourth film and facing the first film, the second film having a second rigidity that is less than the first rigidity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A flexible display apparatus comprising:
a first film including a first surface and a second surface that are opposite each other, and a first groove in the first surface, the first film having a first rigidity; a third film over the second surface of the first film; a fourth film facing the third film; an emission display unit between and encapsulated by the third film and the fourth film, the emission display unit including a pixel electrode over the third film, an organic emission layer over the pixel electrode, and an opposite electrode over the organic emission layer; and a second film over the fourth film and facing the first film, the second film having a second rigidity that is less than the first rigidity, wherein a width of the first groove is at least two times greater than a thickness of the first film, and wherein at least one of the first film and the second film is thicker than at least one of the third film and the fourth film.

2 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the first film and the second film is thicker than at least one of the third film and the fourth film.

3 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the first film and the second film is thicker than each of the third film and the fourth film.

4 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein at least a part of the third film is exposed through the first groove of the first film.

5 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the first film includes a first part, a second part, and a bending portion configured to be bent between the first part and the second part about a length direction, wherein the first groove is in the bending portion, and the width of the first groove is different than a width of the bending portion, wherein the first part and the second part are substantially flat, and wherein the width of the first groove and the width of the bending portion are defined along a direction substantially parallel with the first surface and the second surface and parallel to the length direction.

6 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the first film includes a first region and a second region which are separated by the first groove, wherein at least a part of the second film overlaps with at least one of the first region and the second region of the first film in plan view.

7 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein a width of the second film is greater than the width of the first groove, and wherein the width of the first groove and the width of the second film are defined along a direction substantially parallel with the first surface and the second surface.

8 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the first film includes a first region and a second region which are separated by the first groove, and wherein the second film comprises:
a first portion overlapping with the first groove of the first film in plan view; and
a second portion connecting to the first portion and overlapping with the at least one of the first region and the second region of the first film in plan view.

9 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the second film includes a second groove.

10 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 9 ,
wherein at least a part of the fourth film is exposed through the second groove of the second film.

11 . A flexible display apparatus comprising:
a first film including a first surface and a second surface that are opposite each other, and a first groove in the first surface, the first film having a first rigidity; a third film over the second surface of the first film; a fourth film facing the third film; an emission display unit between and encapsulated by the third film and the fourth film, the emission display including a pixel electrode over the third film, an organic emission layer over the pixel electrode, and an opposite electrode over the organic emission layer; and a second film over the fourth film and facing the first film, the second film having a second rigidity that is less than the first rigidity, wherein a width of the first groove is at least two times greater than a thickness of the first film, and wherein the first film includes a first region and a second region separated by the first groove, at least a part of the second film overlaps with at least one of the first region and the second region of the first film.

12 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 11 ,
wherein a width of the second film is greater than the width of the first groove, and wherein the width of the first groove and the width of the second film are defined along a direction substantially parallel with the first surface and the second surface.

13 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 11 ,
wherein the second film comprises: a first portion overlapping with the first groove of the first film in plan view; and a second portion connecting to the first portion and overlapping with the at least one of the first region and the second region of the first film in plan view.

14 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 13 ,
wherein the second portion includes two parts connecting to both edges of the first portion, respectively.

15 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 11 ,
wherein at least a part of the third film is exposed through the first groove of the first film.

16 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 11 ,
wherein the first film includes a first part, a second part, and a bending portion configured to be bent between the first part and the second part about a length direction, wherein the first groove is in the bending portion, and the width of the first groove is different than a width of the bending portion, wherein the first part and the second part are substantially flat, and wherein the width of the first groove and the width of the bending portion are defined along a direction substantially parallel with the first surface and the second surface and parallel to the length direction.

17 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 11 ,
wherein the second film includes a second groove.

18 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 17 ,
wherein at least a part of the fourth film is exposed through the second groove of the second film.

19 . A flexible display apparatus comprising:
a first film including a first surface and a second surface that are opposite each other, and a first groove in the first surface, the first film having a first rigidity; a third film over the second surface of the first film; a fourth film facing the third film; an emission display unit between and encapsulated by the third film and the fourth film, the emission display unit including a pixel electrode over the third film, an organic emission layer over the pixel electrode, and an opposite electrode over the organic emission layer; and a second film over the fourth film and facing the first film, the second film having a second rigidity that is less than the first rigidity, the second film including a second groove, wherein a width of the first groove is at least two times greater than a thickness of the first film, and wherein at least a part of the fourth film is exposed through the second groove of the second film.

20 . The flexible display apparatus of claim 19 ,
wherein at least a part of the third film is exposed through the first groove of the first film.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Prushinskiy Valeriy
• Hyun Won-Sik
• Na Hyong-Yeol
• Kim Min-Soo
• Kim Mu-Gyeom

Classifications

• H10K59/873

  Encapsulations · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

  the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable · CPC title

• H01L51/5253 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L2251/5338

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/3244

  Electricity · mapped topic