Flexible display device and manufacturing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9865670-B2
Application number	US-201615212859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2016
Priority date	Aug 6, 2015
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A flexible display device includes: a flexible substrate including a bending area; an insulating layer formed on the flexible substrate and including at least one cutout formed to correspond to the bending area; and a plurality of wires formed along a surface shape of the insulating layer in the bending area. The at least one cutout may include an inclined lateral wall, and a width of the inclined lateral wall may be equal to or greater than a depth of the cutout.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible display device comprising:
a flexible substrate including a bending area;
an insulating layer formed on the flexible substrate and including at least one cutout formed to correspond to the bending area; and
a plurality of wires formed along a surface shape of the insulating layer in the bending area,
wherein the at least one cutout includes an inclined lateral wall,
wherein a width of the inclined lateral wall is greater than a depth of the cutout,
wherein the inclined lateral wall includes a first lateral wall and a second lateral wall spaced apart from each other,
wherein a bottom surface of the at least one cutout is disposed between the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall, and
wherein the plurality of wires are formed along a top surface of the insulating layer, the first lateral wall, the bottom surface, the second lateral wall, and a top surface of the insulating layer.

2. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein
the inclined lateral wall has a convex shape toward the flexible substrate.

3. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of cutouts are formed, and
the plurality of cutouts are spaced apart from each other along a length direction of the plurality of wires.

4. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein
the bending area is bent based on a bending axis, and
the at least one cutout is extendedly formed along a direction parallel to the bending axis.

5. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein
the at least one cutout is formed by an isotropic etching using an etching paste.

6. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein
the inclined lateral wall has a downward convex shape.

7. The flexible display device of claim 6 , wherein
the bending area is bent based on a bending axis, and
the cutout is extendedly formed along a direction parallel to the bending axis.

8. The flexible display device of claim 1 , wherein
the flexible substrate includes a display area and a non-display area, and
the bending area is included in the non-display area.

9. The flexible display device of claim 8 , further comprising
a display unit formed in the display area on the flexible substrate,
wherein the plurality of wires are electrically connected to a plurality of signal lines included in the display unit.

10. The flexible display device of claim 9 , further comprising
a driving integrated circuit and a plurality of pad electrodes formed in the non-display area and electrically connected to the plurality of wires.

11. The flexible display device of claim 10 , wherein
the driving integrated circuit and the plurality of pad electrodes overlap the display unit in a rear side of the display unit by the bending area.

12. The flexible display device of claim 8 , wherein
the insulating layer includes a multi-layered inorganic layer, and
the at least one cutout is formed in at least one layer including a topmost layer of the multi-layered inorganic layer.

13. The flexible display device of claim 8 , wherein
the insulating layer of the non-display area and the plurality of wires are covered by a passivation layer including an organic material.

14. A flexible display device comprising:
a display area in which a display unit is formed;
a bending area contacting one side of the display area; and
a data driver area contacting one side of the bending area and overlapping the display area,
wherein an insulating layer including a cutout and a plurality of wires formed along a surface shape of the insulating layer are disposed in the bending area, and
the cutout includes an inclined lateral wall, and a width of the inclined lateral wall is greater than a depth of the cutout,
wherein the inclined lateral wall includes a first lateral wall and a second lateral wall spaced apart from each other,
wherein a bottom surface of the cutout is disposed between the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall, and
wherein the plurality of wires are formed along a top surface of the insulating layer, the first lateral wall, the bottom surface, the second lateral wall, and a top surface of the insulating layer.

15. A manufacturing method of a flexible display device, comprising:
forming an insulating layer on a flexible substrate;
forming a cutout by isotropic etching in the insulating layer by using an etching paste, the cutout including an inclined lateral wall and a width of the lateral wall being greater than a depth of the cutout, wherein a depth of the cutout is controlled by adjusting an etching time of the etching paste;
forming a plurality of wires along a surface shape of the insulating layer in which the cutout is formed; and
forming a bending area by bending a portion of the flexible substrate in which the cutout is formed.

16. The manufacturing method of the flexible display device of claim 15 , wherein
the lateral wall has a convex shape toward the flexible substrate.

17. The manufacturing method of the flexible display device of claim 15 , wherein
the bending area is bent based on a bending axis, and
the cutout is extendedly formed along a direction parallel to the bending axis.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Hye Kyung
• Kim Young Su

Classifications

• H05K2201/055

  Folded back on itself · CPC title

• H01L2227/323

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L51/56

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05K2201/10128

  Display · CPC title

• H01L27/3258

  Electricity · mapped topic