Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of display technologies, and more particularly, to a transparent substrate, a method for preparing the same, and an OLED display device.
Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display devices, also referred to organic electroluminescent display devices, are display devices different from conventional liquid crystal display (LCD). This display technology has advantages such as simple structure, self-luminescence, high contrast, small thickness, wide view angle, quick response speed, and is applicable to flexible panels. Therefore, OLED has become one of important development directions of a new generation of display apparatuses and has attracted more and more attentions.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a transparent substrate, a method for preparing the same, and an OLED display device.
An aspect of the present disclosure provides a transparent substrate which includes a first transparent film, and a second transparent film arranged on the first transparent film. An interface between the first transparent film and the second transparent film is provided with a light scattering structure.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the light scattering structure includes a recess formed in the first transparent film.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the light scattering structure further includes a lens structure formed by filling the recess with a material of the second transparent film.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a cross section of the light scattering structure in parallel with a plane of the first transparent film or the second transparent film is a hexagon.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, both the first transparent film and the second transparent film are flexible.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, both the first transparent film and the second transparent film include polyimide.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a refractive index of the second transparent film is smaller than that of the first transparent film.
Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an OLED display device, which includes the transparent substrate described in any one of embodiments of the transparent substrate mentioned herein.
Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for preparing a transparent substrate, which includes forming a first transparent film on a substrate, and forming a second transparent film on the first transparent film. An interface between the first transparent film and the second transparent film is provided with a light scattering structure.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes forming a recess in the first transparent film to produce the light scattering structure.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, forming the recess in the first transparent film includes applying first solution onto the substrate, the first solution including a first solvent having a first boiling point and a second solvent having a second boiling point, where the first boiling point is lower than the second boiling point, performing a first drying treatment on the first solution to cause the first solvent to escape and form a partially dried film with a hardened surface, and performing a second drying treatment on the partially dried film to cause the second solvent to escape from the hardened surface of the partially dried film to form a plurality of recesses.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a temperature of the first drying treatment is about 50°, and a temperature of the second drying treatment is about 100°.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a solvend of the first solution includes polyimide. The first solvent includes one or more of dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, acetone, and chloroform. The second solvent includes one or more of N-Methyl pyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylacetamide, N,N-dimethylformamide, γ-butyrolactone, and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a ratio of the first solvent in the first solution is about 30%-70%.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, forming the recess in the first transparent film includes applying second solution onto the substrate, performing a third drying treatment on the second solution to form a partially dried film, impressing the partially dried film by means of a mold having a bump structure to form the recess in the partially dried film, and performing a fourth drying treatment on the partially dried film.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a cross section of the bump structure in parallel with a surface of the mold is a hexagon.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a solvend of the second solution includes polyimide. A solvent of the second solution includes one or more of dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, acetone, chloroform, N-Methyl pyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylacetamide, N,N-dimethylformamide, γ-butyrolactone, and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, forming the second transparent film includes applying third solution onto the first transparent film, where a viscosity of the third solution is configured such that the third solution can cover but does not fill the recess, and drying the third solution to form the second transparent film.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a solvend of the third solution includes polyimide, and a solvent of the third solution includes one or more of γ-butyrolactone, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, acetone, and chloroform.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, forming the second transparent film includes applying fourth solution onto the first transparent film, wherein a viscosity of the fourth solution is configured such that the fourth solution can fill the recess, and drying the fourth solution to form the second transparent film.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a solvend of the fourth solution includes polyimide, and a solvent of the fourth solution includes one or more of γ-butyrolactone, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, acetone, and chloroform.
Further adaptive aspects and scopes become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that various aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented separately or in combination with one or more other aspects. It should also be understood that the description in the present disclosure and objectives which are intended to be merely described in the specific embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The accompanying drawings set forth herein are merely for the purpose of describing the selected embodiments and are not all possible implementations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, in which
Throughout the various diagrams of these drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts or features.
The exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Notably, the figures and the examples below are not meant to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Where certain elements of the present disclosure may be partially or fully implemented using known components (or methods or processes), only those portions of such known components (or methods or processes) that are necessary for an understanding of the present disclosure will be described, and the detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components will be omitted so as not to obscure the present disclosure. Further, various embodiments encompass present and future known equivalents to the components referred to herein by way of illustration.
As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular form of a word includes the plural, and vice versa, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, singular words are generally inclusive of the plurals of the respective terms. Similarly, the words “include” and “comprise” are to be interpreted inclusively rather than exclusively.
An OLED display device structurally includes a plurality of layers, for example, a substrate, an anode, a hole transport layer, an organic light emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and a cathode. When a voltage is applied between the anode and the cathode, the cathode and the anode respectively inject electrons and holes into an organic layer, such that these electrons and holes migrate to the organic light emitting layer through the electron transport layer and the hole transport layer respectively. The electrons and holes recombine in the organic light emitting layer to produce energy, and finally energy is released by way of light emission.
In the OLED display device, light emitted from the light emitting layer is reflected and/or refracted by the respective layers of the OLED, and then exits from the substrate. However, the respective layers of the OLED have different refractive indexes, so light emitted from the light emitting layer may be reflected at interfaces between layers, and particularly a total reflection is liable to occur at each interface (for example, an interface between the substrate and air). A part of reflected or totally reflected light is further reflected or refracted at respective layers, and is finally exhausted inside the device, and thus the light cannot be emitted from the transparent substrate. Therefore, the light emission efficiency of the OLED display device is lower, which generally is not more than 20%.
An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a transparent substrate, which includes a first transparent film, and a second transparent film arranged on the first transparent film. An interface between the first transparent film and the second transparent film is provided with a light scattering structure.
In the case that the transparent substrate provided by this embodiment of the present disclosure is used in the OLED display device, at least a part of light emitted from the light emitting layer is scattered by the light scattering structure, which may at least partially destroy the total reflection of the light at respective interfaces (for example, the interface between the transparent substrate and air) of the OLED display device, such that more light may exit from the transparent substrate. Therefore, the transparent substrate having such configuration may increase the light emission efficiency. Moreover, the second transparent film is formed on the first transparent film, which may play a role in planarization. In the case that the transparent substrate with such structure is used in the OLED display device, preparation of other film layers (for example, a TFT layer, an anode layer, a light-emitting layer, and a cathode layer) thereon is not affected.
Term “transparent” herein should be interpreted broadly, which not only may include the situation of “completely transparent”, but also may include the situation of “partially transparent”.
In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the light scattering structure 103 may include a recess formed in the first transparent film 101. The second transparent film 102 covers on the first transparent film 101, such that an opening of the recess is sealed by the second transparent film 102, and thus a sealed gap is formed at the interface between the first transparent film 101 and the second transparent film 102. The sealed gap may serve as the light scattering structure 103.
In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the light scattering structure may have a micron order, such as 1-10 μm.
In this embodiment, the light scattering structure having a recess shape may be formed by a mold having a bump structure by way of impressing. In this embodiment, a cross section of the light scattering structure in parallel with a plane of the first transparent film or the second transparent film may be a hexagon.
In the embodiment of the present disclosure, both the first transparent film 101 and the second transparent film 102 may be flexible, and thus a flexible transparent substrate may be formed. A flexible display device may be formed in the case that this flexible transparent substrate is used in the OLED display device.
In the embodiment of the present disclosure, both the first transparent film 101 and the second transparent film 102 may include polyimide. The polyimide has high temperature resistance, low temperature resistance, high strength, transparency for light within a visible light wave band, and better flexibility, etc. Therefore, using the polyimide as the substrate of the OLED display device may form a flexible OLED and may enhance the performance of the OLED.
In the embodiment as shown in
It is to be noted that
At another aspect of the present disclosure, there is further provided an OLED display device. The OLED display device includes at least one transparent substrate according to the present disclosure, such as at least one transparent substrate according to one or more of the embodiments disclosed above and/or below in further detail. Therefore, reference may be made to the embodiments of the transparent substrate for the alternative embodiments of the OLED display device.
In the OLED display devices provided by embodiments of the present disclosure, the light emission efficiency may be increased by arranging the light scattering structure in the transparent substrate.
At still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for preparing a transparent substrate. This method may be used for preparing at least one transparent substrate according to the present disclosure, such as at least one transparent substrate according to one or more of the embodiments disclosed above and/or below in further detail. Therefore, reference may be made to the embodiments of the transparent substrate for a part of alternative embodiments of the method. The method includes the following steps, which may be performed in the given order or in a different order. Furthermore, additional method steps not listed may be provided. Further, additional method steps might be provided which are not listed. Further, two or more or even all of the method steps might be performed at least partially simultaneously. Further, a method step might be performed twice or even more than twice, repeatedly.
Step S501: forming a first transparent film on a substrate; and
Step S502: forming a second transparent film on the first transparent film. An interface between the first transparent film and the second transparent film is provided with a light scattering structure.
In the method for preparing the transparent substrate provided by this embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a part of light emitted from the light emitting layer is scattered by the light scattering structure, which may at least partially destroy the total reflection condition of the light at the interface between the transparent substrate and air, such that more light may exit from the transparent substrate. Therefore, the transparent substrate having this configuration may increase the light emission efficiency.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the method for preparing the transparent substrate may further include forming a recess in the first transparent film to produce the light scattering structure.
In Step S601, first solution is applied onto the substrate. The first solution includes a first solvent having a first boiling point and a second solvent having a second boiling point, wherein the first boiling point is lower than the second boiling point.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, a solvend of the first solution may include polyimide. The first solvent of the first solution may include one or more of dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, acetone and chloroform. The second solvent of the first solution may include one or more of N-Methyl pyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylacetamide, N,N-dimethylformamide, γ-butyrolactone, and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, a volume ratio of the first solvent in the first solution may be about 30%-70%. Correspondingly, the volume ratio of the second solvent in the first solution may be about 70%-30%.
In Step S602, a first drying treatment is performed on the first solution to cause the first solvent to escape and form a partially dried film with a hardened surface.
In this step, the first drying treatment may be, for example, low-temperature Hot Vacuum Clean Dryer treatment, which allows the first solution to form a film having a dried surface. A temperature of the first drying treatment may be, for example, 50°.
In Step S603, a second drying treatment is performed on the partially dried film to cause the second solvent to escape from the hardened surface of the partially dried film to form a plurality of recesses.
In this step, the second drying treatment may be, for example, high-temperature Hot Vacuum Clean Dryer treatment, which allows the second solvent to abruptly and significantly escape from the hardened surface of the partially dried film to form the recesses in the first transparent film. These recesses are retained in the first transparent film after the first transparent film is cured.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the first solution may have a higher viscosity, for example, a viscosity of 7,000 cp, such that the recesses formed when the second solvent escapes may be retained in the first transparent film.
In Step 701, second solution is applied onto the substrate.
In this embodiment, a solvend of the second solution may include polyimide. A solvent of the second solution may include one or more of dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, acetone, chloroform, N-Methyl pyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylacetamide, N,N-dimethylformamide, γ-butyrolactone, and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether.
In Step 702, a third drying treatment is performed on the second solution to form a partially dried film.
In this step, the third drying treatment may be, for example, a Hot Vacuum Clean Dryer treatment. Through the third drying treatment, about 40%-80% of the solvent in the first solution may escape from the first solution, such that partially dried film with the dried surface may be formed.
In Step 703, the partially dried film is impressed by means of a mold having a bump structure to form the recess in the partially dried film.
In an alternative embodiment, as shown in
In Step 704, a fourth drying treatment is performed on the partially dried film.
In this step, the fourth drying treatment also may be the Hot Vacuum Clean Dryer treatment. Through the fourth drying treatment, more than 90% of the solvent in the first solution may escape, such that the shape of the recess structure is retained.
It is to be understood that the first solution may be further cured after the third drying treatment and the fourth drying treatment to form the cured first transparent film.
In Step S901, third solution is applied onto the first transparent film. A viscosity of the third solution is configured such that the third solution may cover but does not fill the recess in the first transparent film. In this step, the third solution may have a high viscosity, such that the third solution has poorer fluidity. In such a case, when the third solution is applied onto the first transparent film, the third solution may not fill but merely cover the recess in the first transparent film, thereby forming a sealed gap that may serve as the light scattering structure.
In this embodiment of the present disclosure, a solvend of the third solution may include polyimide, and a solvent of the third solution may include one or more of γ-butyrolactone, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, acetone, and chloroform.
In Step S902, the third solution is dried to form the second transparent film.
In Step S1001, fourth solution is applied onto the first transparent film. The viscosity of the fourth solution is configured such that the fourth solution may fill the recess in the first transparent film. In this step, the fourth solution may have a low viscosity. In such a case, the fourth solution has better fluidity. In such a case, when the fourth solution is applied onto the first transparent film, the fourth solution may fill the recess in the first transparent film because the fourth solution has better fluidity, thereby forming a lens structure that may serve as the light scattering structure.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, a solvend of the fourth solution may include polyimide, and a solvent of the fourth solution also may include one or more of γ-butyrolactone, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, acetone, and chloroform.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, both the third solution and the fourth solution may be made up of the same solvend and solvent. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the third solution and the fourth solution having different viscosities may be obtained by changing the concentration of the solvend, such that the third solution may cover but does not fill the recess in the first transparent film, whereas the fourth solution may fill the recess in the first transparent film.
In Step S1002, the fourth solution is dried to form the second transparent film.
The foregoing description of the embodiment has been provided for purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the application. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the application, and all such modifications are included within the scope of the application.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201710446830.0 | Jun 2017 | CN | national |
This patent application is a National Stage Entry of PCT/CN2018/071725 filed on Jan. 8, 2018, which claims the benefit and priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 201710446830.0 filed on Jun. 14, 2017, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety as part of the present application.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/CN2018/071725 | 1/8/2018 | WO | 00 |