Flexible displays: Substrate and TFT technology options and processing strategies

Abstract

Thin film transistor (TFT) technologies developed for fabricating active matrix backplanes on rigid glass substrates for conventional flat panel displays cannot readily be used for fabricating active matrix backplanes on flexible substrates and displays. In addition to mechanical handling issues, flexible substrates impose many additional constraints such as process temperature limitation and thermal stress issues due to CTE mismatch with the TFT thin films for fabricating backplanes for flexible displays. In this chapter we will discuss the flexible substrate options and TFT processing strategies for fabricating flexible backplanes and flexible displays using various display media. Current status on TFT fabrication by printing and roll-to-roll fabrication for flexible displays is also discussed.