This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0045313, filed on Apr. 14, 2020, and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. § 119, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

One or more embodiment relates to a method of manufacturing a display device. More particularly, one or more embodiment relates to a method of manufacturing a display device using a laser unit.

2. Description of the Related Art

An electronic apparatus that provides an image, such as a display monitor, a smartphone, a tablet computer or the like, includes a display device. The display device generates the image and provides the image to outside the display device, through a display screen.

With technological development of the display device, a flexible display device is being developed. The flexible display device includes a bendable display device that is bendable at a non-display area, a rollable display device that is entirely rollable, or a foldable display device that is foldable at a display area. The flexible display device includes different stacking structures depending on areas thereof for smooth bending, rolling, or folding.

SUMMARY

One or more embodiment provides a method of manufacturing a display device with low defect rate.

One or more embodiment provides a method of manufacturing a display device. The manufacturing method of the display device includes providing a work panel (e.g., preliminary display device) including a first area having a first stack structure and a second area having a second stack structure which is different from the first stack structure, and irradiating a laser beam onto the work panel along a beam irradiation line corresponding to an outer edge of the display device. The irradiating of the laser beam includes a first irradiation stage (e.g., first irradiation process) which irradiates the laser beam under a first driving condition to provide a first portion of the beam irradiation line which corresponds to the first area, a first rest stage (e.g., first rest process) which stops driving of the laser beam while changing the first driving condition to a second driving condition different from the first driving condition, after the first irradiation stage, and a second irradiation stage (e.g., second irradiation process) which irradiates the laser beam under the second driving condition to provide a second portion of the beam irradiation line which corresponds to the second area, after the first rest stage.

The beam irradiation line may include a closed line shape.

The second portion may include a curved line shape.

The portion having the curved line shape may be a portion of the second portion adjacent to the first portion.

The first rest stage may be maintained for a period from about 1 microsecond to about 500 microseconds.

The work panel may include a display panel overlapping the first area and the second area, a polarizing film overlapping the first area, and a protective film overlapping the first area and the second area.

The work panel may further include a third area having a third stack structure different from the first and second stack structures.

The work panel further may further include a third area having a third stack structure different from the first and second stack structures, each of the display panel and the protective film may further overlap the third area, and a portion of the protective film, which overlaps the second area, may be provided with a groove.

The method may further include a second rest stage (e.g., second rest process) and a third irradiation stage (e.g., third irradiation process). The work panel further may further include a third area having a third stack structure different from the first and second stack structures, the second rest stage may include stopping the driving of the laser beam while changing the second driving condition of the laser beam to a third driving condition different from the first and second driving conditions of the laser beam, after the second irradiation stage, and the third irradiation stage may include irradiating the laser beam under the third driving condition to provide a third portion of the beam irradiation line which corresponds to the third area, after the second rest stage.

At least one of a frequency, a power and a moving speed of the laser beam of the first driving condition may be different from that of the laser beam of the second driving condition.

The frequency and the moving speed of the laser beam of the first driving condition may be the same as the frequency and the moving speed of the laser beam of the second driving condition, and the power of the laser beam of the first driving condition may be different from the power of the laser beam of the second driving condition.

One or more embodiment provides a method of manufacturing a display device. The manufacturing method of the display device includes providing a work panel including a first area having a first stack structure and a second area having a second stack structure which is different from the first stack structure and irradiating a laser beam onto the work panel to provide a beam irradiation line corresponding to an outer edge of the display device. The irradiating of the laser beam includes a first irradiation stage which irradiates the laser beam under a first driving condition to provide a first portion of the beam irradiation line which corresponds to the first area, a first rest stage which stops driving of the laser beam after the first irradiation stage, and a second irradiation stage which irradiates the laser beam under a second driving condition different from the first driving condition to provide a second portion of the beam irradiation line which corresponds to the second area, after the first rest stage. The irradiating of the laser beam is performed n times (where ‘n’ is a natural number equal to or greater than 2), and the beam irradiation line provided by irradiating the laser beam n times includes the first portion having a first line width, and the second portion having a rear portion having a second line width different from the first line width, and a boundary portion which connects the first portion to the rear portion and having a third line width smaller than the first line width and larger than the second line width.

The method may further include separating the display device from the work panel by repeatedly performing the irradiating of the laser beam.

The boundary portion may have a length from about 1 micrometer to about 30 micrometers.

The method may further includes a second rest stage and a third irradiation stage, and the work panel may further include a third area having a third stack structure different from the first and second stack structures. The second rest stage may include stopping the driving of the laser beam after the second irradiation stage, and the third irradiation stage may include irradiating the laser beam under a third driving condition different from the first and second driving conditions to provide a third portion of the beam irradiation line which corresponds to the third area, after the second rest stage.

According to one or more embodiment, the driving condition of the laser beam is determined based on the stack structure of a respective area of the display device which is to be separated from the work panel. The laser beam is irradiated to the area having the first stack structure (e.g., larger thickness) at the first driving condition, and the laser beam is irradiated to the second area having the second stack structure (e.g., smaller thickness) at the second driving condition. When the first driving condition is changed to the second driving condition, the laser beam is in the rest stage during which the laser beam is not irradiated. Thus, irradiation of the laser beam to the second stack structure at the first driving condition may be reduced or effectively prevented. Consequently, damage to the planar area of the display device having the second stack structure may be reduced or effectively prevented.

