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Apple patents stretchable OLED displays with sealed pixel islands

Apple has received a patent for a display that can stretch, using small, sealed rigid sections containing OLED pixels. These rigid sections are connected by flexible areas, allowing the screen to bend or expand without breaking the delicate light-emitting components.

Why it mattersThis technology could lead to screens that wrap around objects or change shape, improving flexibility in future devices.

In the filing’s own words

A display may have a stretchable portion with hermetically sealed rigid pixel islands. A flexible interconnect region may be interposed between the hermetically sealed rigid pixel islands. The hermetically sealed rigid pixel islands may include organic light-emitting diode (OLED) pixels. A conductive cutting structure may have an undercut that causes a discontinuity in a conductive OLED layer to mitigate lateral leakage. The conductive cutting structure may also be electrically connected to a cathode for the OLED pixels and provide a cathode voltage to the cathode. First and second inorganic passivation layers may be formed over the OLED pixels. Multiple discrete portions of an organic inkjet printed layer may be interposed between the first and second inorganic passivation layers.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A display comprising: a first organic light-emitting diode pixel comprising a first electrode; a second organic light-emitting diode pixel comprising a second electrode; a common electrode for the first and second organic light-emitting diode pixels; a conductive layer that has a first portion that forms part of the first organic light-emitting diode pixel and a second portion that forms part of the second organic light-emitting diode pixel; and a conductive structure that is interposed between the first and second electrodes, wherein the conductive structure has an undercut that causes a discontinuity in the conductive layer and wherein the conductive structure is electrically connected to the common electrode.

Facts

Company
Apple (Apple Inc.)
Official title
Stretchable display
Patent number
US12730478B2
Application number
18483653
Filed
Oct 10, 2023
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Inventors
55
Claims
22

Classified under

G06F 1/1652 Physics & computingH10K 59/131 Electricity & electronicsH10K 59/40 Electricity & electronicsH10K 77/111 Electricity & electronicsH10K 2102/311 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.