FIELD

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a flexible OLED module, and more particularly, to a method of manufacturing a flexible OLED module that can effectively prevent infiltration of moisture or oxygen.

BACKGROUND

A flexible OLED module including organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) includes a coating film for shielding infiltration of oxygen, which negatively influences the OLEDs.

Typically, such a coating film is formed of a flexible polyimide (PI) resin. However, since such a PI coating film can fail to effectively shield infiltration of moisture or oxygen, the flexible OLED module is further provided with a barrier film that can assist in shielding infiltration of moisture or oxygen.

However, when particles enter the barrier film or a gap between the barrier film and the PI coating film in the course of coating or attaching the barrier film, the flexible OLED module becomes defective, thereby causing reduction in yield. Moreover, when the barrier film has a defect in the course of coating or attaching the barrier film, moisture or oxygen can enter the barrier film through the defect, causing deterioration in reliability of the flexible OLED module.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention have been conceived to solve such a problem in the art and it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a flexible OLED module that can effectively prevent infiltration of moisture or oxygen.

The above and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of the following embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a flexible OLED module includes: a polymer layer formation step in which a polymer layer is formed on one surface of a base substrate; a thin glass sheet formation step in which a thin glass sheet is formed on one surface of the polymer layer; an OLED element formation step in which multiple OLED elements are formed on one surface of the thin glass sheet; a protective layer formation step in which a protective layer is formed on one surface of the thin glass sheet to cover the OLED elements; a separation step in which the base substrate is separated from the polymer layer through separation of the sacrificial layer by laser lift-off (LLO); and a singulation step in which the thin glass sheet and the protective layer are cut to provide multiple unit OLED modules each including the OLED element.

In one embodiment, in the polymer layer formation step, the polymer layer may be formed in a region excluding a cutting-scheduled line along which cutting will be performed in the singulation step.

In one embodiment, in the polymer layer formation step, the polymer layer may be formed in a region excluding a hole region corresponding to a hole for an electronic device to be assembled to the unit OLED.

In one embodiment, the method may further include an anti-etching layer formation step in which an anti-etching layer is formed on one surface of the protective layer, after the protective layer formation step, wherein the singulation step may include a deformation line generation step in which a glass deformation line is generated on the thin glass sheet by irradiating a cutting-scheduled line on the thin glass sheet with an intensity of laser beams not exceeding an ablation threshold of the thin glass sheet, and an etching step in which the thin glass sheet and the protective layer are removed along the glass deformation line by removing the glass deformation line through etching with an etchant while allowing the protective layer exposed through the removed glass deformation line to be removed through etching with the etchant.

In one embodiment, in the deformation line generation step, a phase of the glass deformation line may be changed from an alpha phase (α phase) to a beta phase (β phase).

In one embodiment, in the deformation line generation step, the phase of the glass deformation line may be changed by irradiating the cutting-scheduled line with the laser beams from one surface of the thin glass sheet to the other surface thereof while focusing the laser beams at a single focus on the thin glass sheet.

In one embodiment, in the deformation line generation step, the phase of the glass deformation line may be changed by irradiating the cutting-scheduled line with the laser beams from one surface of the thin glass sheet to the other surface thereof while consecutively moving a focus of the laser beams.

In one embodiment, the thin glass sheet may have a thickness of greater than 0 μm to 100 μm.

In one embodiment, the method may further include a sacrificial layer formation step in which a sacrificial layer is formed on one surface of the base substrate such that the polymer layer is formed on one surface of the sacrificial layer, before the polymer layer formation step, wherein, in the separation step, the base substrate and the polymer layer may be separated from each other through separation of the sacrificial layer by laser lift-off.

According to the embodiments of the invention, the polymer layer may be disposed in a region excluding a cutting-scheduled line along which cutting will be performed in the singulation step and in a region excluding a hole region corresponding to holes exposing some components of an electronic device such that the OLED module can be assembled to the electronic device therethrough. As a result, a process for removing the polymer layer blocking the cutting-scheduled line and the hole region can be omitted.

Further, according to the embodiments of the invention, since the thin glass sheet is formed on one surface of the polymer layer, the polymer layer can prevent broken fragments of the thin glass sheet from scattering even in the event of breakage of the thin glass sheet during the process. Furthermore, even when the polymer layer has defects such as pinholes, the thin glass sheet can block infiltration of moisture or oxygen through the pinholes.

Furthermore, according to the embodiments of the invention, the phase of the thin glass sheet is changed from the alpha phase to the beta phase through irradiation of some portions of the thin glass sheet with laser beams and the portions of the thin glass sheet subjected to phase conversion is removed through etching, thereby providing a clean cut surface.

It will be understood that advantageous effects of the present invention are not limited to the above and include any advantageous effects conceivable from features disclosed in the detailed description of the invention or the appended claims.

