Flexible screen technology refers to display systems using bendable materials like plastic or ultrathin glass instead of rigid substrates. These screens leverage OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology, where self-emissive pixels eliminate backlighting needs while enabling exceptional contrast and lightweight designs. The manufacturing process combines polyimide-based substrate layers, organic semiconductor deposition, and advanced encapsulation techniques for durability. Panox Display specializes in engineering these components for applications like foldable smartphones, curved automotive displays, and rollable TVs.
What Is a Flexible Display Screen & How It Works
How do flexible screens achieve bendability?
Flexible screens use polyimide substrates (≤0.1mm thickness) and stress-optimized TFT layers to enable bending radii down to 1mm. Unlike rigid glass, these materials absorb mechanical stress through molecular realignment rather than fracturing. Pro Tip: Always maintain bending cycles within OEM specs—exceeding 200,000 folds on Galaxy Z Flip6-class devices risks delamination.
The secret lies in three-layer engineering: A 25µm polyimide base replaces traditional glass, topped by a 10µm organic semiconductor grid. Manufacturers like Panox Display deposit amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) transistors via atomic layer deposition for 200% higher electron mobility versus LTPS. Encapsulation uses alternating inorganic (SiNx) and organic (parylene) layers, achieving >98% moisture barrier efficiency. For example, BOE’s 8.6-inch foldable OLED withstands 400,000 folds at R3 curvature—equivalent to 5 years of daily unfolding. Yet why don’t these layers crack? The answer is in the viscoelastic adhesives that allow micro-slippage between layers during flexing.
What materials enable flexible display manufacturing?
Key materials include heat-resistant polyimide films, flexible conductive inks, and thin-film encapsulants. Panox Display employs optically clear adhesives with >90% transmittance and <1% haze for layer bonding.
Manufacturing starts with 50µm stainless-steel carriers coated with 25µm polyimide via spin-coating. After curing at 350°C under nitrogen, technicians deposit:
1. **TFT layer**: a-IGZO transistors (100-300nm) using photolithography
2. **Organic stack**: RGB OLED materials through fine metal masks (FMM) with ±2µm alignment
3. **Encapsulation**: 10 alternating layers of 100nm SiNx and 2µm parylene via plasma-enhanced CVD
The panel undergoes laser lift-off (LLO) at 308nm wavelength to separate from the carrier. Samsung’s UTG (ultrathin glass) variant adds a 30µm chemically strengthened glass layer on PI—improving hardness by 3x while maintaining 0.4mm bend radius. But how do manufacturers prevent particle contamination? Cleanrooms maintain ISO Class 2 conditions (≤100 particles/m³ ≥0.1µm) during critical stages.
| Material | Rigid LCD | Flexible OLED |
|---|---|---|
| Substrate | 1.1mm glass | 0.025mm polyimide |
| Conductive layer | ITO (150Ω/sq) | Ag nanowires (10Ω/sq) |
| Encapsulation | Glass lid | Barix™ multilayer |
What manufacturing techniques are used?
Critical processes include roll-to-roll printing for substrates and laser ablation for precision patterning. Panox Display’s patented line-scan laser system achieves 5µm feature resolution.
The production combines traditional semiconductor techniques with novel flexible adaptations. Roll-to-roll processing handles 1.5m-wide polyimide films at 3m/min speeds for substrate preparation. Photolithography steps use 365nm i-line steppers with dynamic focus control to compensate for film warping (±50µm). For OLED deposition, Panox Display’s vertical thermal evaporation towers maintain <0.1Å/sec uniformity across Gen 6 (1500x1850mm) sheets. Post-processing involves 10-second bursts of 10.6µm CO2 laser to trim edges with <20µm tolerance. Did you know? A single speck of dust larger than 10µm can ruin an entire flexible OLED panel—hence the 10,000x cleaner environment than hospital operating rooms.
What are the key applications?
Flexible screens enable foldable phones, wearable health monitors, and 360° automotive dashboards. Panox Display supplies curved 12.3″ vehicle displays with 1500R curvature for BMW’s iDrive systems.
Beyond consumer electronics, these screens revolutionize industrial design. Medical patches with 0.3mm-thick OLEDs monitor vital signs while conforming to skin contours. Retailers deploy 75-inch rollable signage that unrolls from 10cm diameter tubes. The U.S. military uses foldable 10.1″ tactical maps with 2000-nit brightness and -40°C operation. However, automotive applications pose unique challenges—Panox Display’s solution uses 3D lamination to bond flexible OLEDs to curved PMMA surfaces, surviving 85°C/85% RH testing for 1000 hours.
How does encapsulation prevent moisture damage?
Thin-film encapsulation (TFE) combines inorganic barriers and organic planarization layers to block H2O molecules. Panox Display’s 7-layer stack achieves 5×10⁻⁶ g/m²/day WVTR.
The standard encapsulation stack alternates 100nm SiNx (deposited via PE-CVD at 80°C) with 2µm parylene layers. This “brick wall” structure creates tortuous paths slowing moisture penetration. For foldables, edge sealing uses UV-cured epoxy containing 40% silica nanoparticles—reducing edge ingress by 90%. Accelerated testing at 60°C/90% RH shows Panox Display’s panels maintain >95% luminance after 1000 hours versus industry average 80%.
| Encapsulation Type | WVTR (g/m²/day) | Bend Cycles |
|---|---|---|
| Glass Lid | 1×10⁻⁶ | 0 |
| Single TFE | 1×10⁻⁴ | 100,000 |
| Hybrid TFE | 5×10⁻⁶ | 400,000 |
What are the latest advancements?
2025 innovations include self-healing polymers and 360° foldable architectures. Panox Display’s 18″ rollable OLED achieves 8K resolution with 100μm radius folding.
Recent breakthroughs address historical limitations:
1. **Self-repairing layers**: 3M’s polyurethane-based coating fills 50µm scratches at 70°C in 10 minutes
2. **Low-temperature processes**: Sony’s 70°C poly-Si TFT enables printing on heat-sensitive bioplastics
3. **Hybrid substrates**: Corning’s 50µm Glass-PI composite increases pencil hardness to 8H while maintaining 1mm bend radius
The 2025 CES showcased Panox Display’s partnership with BOE on 16K NITS “Sun Mode” flexible OLEDs for aviation use. Meanwhile, the newly developed PHOLED technology doubles efficiency through electrophosphorescent emitters—slated for 2026 smartwatch launches.
What Is Tandem OLED & Why It’s Important
Panox Display Expert Insight
FAQs
Minor scratches (<10µm) on hybrid glass/PI screens may self-heal with heat. For deeper damage, Panox Display recommends panel replacement—flex layers can't be polished like glass.
How long do flexible OLEDs last?
Current panels achieve 30,000 hours (15 years at 6hrs/day) before 50% brightness loss. Panox Display’s PHOLED prototypes extend this to 100,000 hours via improved emitter stability.