Bezel-free display tile with edge-wrapped conductors and methods of manufacture

Abstract

Display tiles comprising pixel elements on a first surface of a substrate connected by an electrode, a driver located opposite the first surface, and a connector wrapped around an edge surface of the substrate connecting the driver to the pixel elements. Displays comprised of display tiles and methods of manufacturing display tiles and displays are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a display tile comprising:
 placing at least one driver on a first substrate having pixel elements on a first surface of the first substrate, the driver placed on a second surface opposite the first surface and that can activate the pixel elements; and   placing a connector on an edge surface and extending to the first surface and the second surface, the edge surface defining an outer perimeter.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second surface is on the first substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first surface comprises an array of pixel elements arranged in a plurality of rows of pixel elements and a plurality of columns of pixel elements, the method further comprising electrically connecting each row of pixel elements with a row electrode;   electrically connecting each column of pixel elements with a column electrode; and   wherein the at least one driver comprises a row driver that activates the plurality of rows of pixel elements and a column driver that activates the plurality of columns of pixel elements, the row driver and the column driver located opposite the first surface.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising;
 electrically connecting each row electrode, each row of pixel elements and the row driver with a row electrode connector wrapped around the edge surface; and   electrically connecting each column electrode, each column of pixel elements and the column driver with a column electrode connector wrapped around the edge surface.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein each row electrode connector and each column electrode connector comprises a flex circuit including a flexible polymeric film and a conductor, the method further comprising adhering the flex circuit to the edge surface. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the flex circuit further comprises an adhesive, and adhering comprises applying pressure to the flex circuit to adhere the flex circuit to the edge surface. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the flex circuit has a total thickness in a range of 10 micrometers to 150 micrometers. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the flex circuit has a total thickness in a range of 10 micrometers to 50 micrometers. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the flexible polymeric film is selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyester, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyether ether ketone (PEEK). 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the adhesive comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a polyimide, an acrylic, an acrylate, ethylene vinyl acetate, butyl rubber, nitrile, and silicone. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the conductor is selected from copper and silver. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising electrically connecting each row electrode to a row electrode connector by applying a row conductive coating in contact with the row electrode connector and the row electrode and electrically connecting each column electrode to a column electrode connector by applying a conductive coating in contact column electrode conductor and the column electrode. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising stacking of a plurality of substrates into a stack, each of the plurality of substrates having an edge surface, and adhering the flex circuit to each of the edge surfaces of each of the plurality of substrates. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second surface is on the flex circuit, and further comprising wrapping the flex circuit around a standoff disposed opposed the first surface. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising shaping the edge surface so that a first corner is formed between the edge surface and the first surface and a second corner is formed between the edge surface and the second surface, and the first corner and the second corner do not comprise a 90 degree angle or undercut angle. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the edge surface comprises a curved cross-section. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the edge surface comprises a polygonal cross-section. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein shaping comprises etching the edge surface. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein shaping comprises edge-grinding the edge surface. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein shaping comprises plasma-treating the edge surface. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein plasma-treating the edge surface comprises applying a jet plasma to the edge surface. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the jet plasma is applied with an atmospheric pressure plasma. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein each column electrode connector and each row electrode connector comprises a plurality of layers of conductive material. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising forming a non-linear edge surface comprising a plurality of recessed areas. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising disposing at least one of the row electrode connectors and at least one of the column electrode connectors within a recessed area. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the row electrode connectors and column electrode connectors comprise a conductive coating. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the conductive coating comprises metal nanoparticles. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising forming the row electrode connectors and column electrode connectors by a method selected from printing the conductive coating using conductive ink, vacuum depositing the conductive coating, solution coating the conductive coating, or laminating the conductive coating. 
     
     
         30 . A method of manufacturing a display, wherein the display tile is a first display tile, the method further comprising forming a second display tile according to the method of  claim 5  and placing in proximity the first display tile and the second display tile at respective edge surfaces of the first display tile and the second display tile. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the display is selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting display (LED), a micro LED, electrophoretic, e-paper, and an organic light emitting display (OLED). 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the first substrate comprises a glass-based substrate and a thickness di of the substrate ranges from about 0.1 mm to about 3 mm. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein display comprises a micro LED and the pixel elements are within 500 micrometers from the edge surface. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the row electrode connector and the column electrode connector are manufactured by masking the substrate to form exposed areas on the first surface, the second surface and the edge surface and depositing conductive material on the exposed areas to form a pattern of row electrode connectors and column electrode connectors. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein depositing comprises depositing a paste containing silver particles and plating copper on the paste containing silver particles. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the row electrode connector and the column electrode connector are formed by depositing conductive material on the substrate, plating the conductive material with copper, and irradiating the substrate with a laser beam to form a pattern of row electrode connectors and column electrode connectors. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the row electrode connector and the column electrode connector are formed by a method selected from the group consisting of one or more of depositing conductive material on the substrate with an aerosol jet to form a pattern of row electrode connectors and column electrode connectors, printing conductive material, and etching. 
     
     
         38 . A method of manufacturing a plurality of display tiles comprising:
 stacking a plurality of substrates to provide a stack, each of the plurality of substrates having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface and an edge surface between the first surface and the second surface, the edge surface defining an outer perimeter;   arranging the stack at an angle with respect to a horizontal surface to expose the edge surface;   depositing conductive material on the edge surface, the first surface and the second surface to form a plurality of row electrode connectors and a plurality of column electrode connectors on the edge surface, the first surface and the second surface;   electrically connecting an array of pixel elements arranged in a plurality of rows of pixel elements and a plurality of columns of pixel elements so that there are individual rows of pixel elements on the first surface of each of the plurality of substrates, the individual rows of pixel elements connected with individual row electrodes and individual row electrode connectors;   electrically connecting individual columns of pixel elements from the array of pixel elements on the first surface of each of the plurality of substrates with individual column electrodes and individual column electrode connectors; and   placing at least one driver on a second surface opposite the first surface of each of the plurality of substrates, wherein the driver can activate the pixel elements.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising tilting the stack in a first direction at an angle with respect to the first surface and tilting the stack in a second direction at an angle with respect to a horizontal surface; and depositing the conductive material on the substrates. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the substrates are placed in a holder. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the plurality of row electrode connectors and a plurality of column electrode connectors wrap around the edge surface and contact the first surface and the second surface of each of the plurality of substrates. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the at least one driver comprises a row driver that activates the rows of pixel elements and a column driver that activates the columns of pixel elements. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the second surface is on each of the plurality of substrates. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the row electrode connectors and the column electrode connectors on each of the plurality of substrates are formed by masking each of the plurality of substrates to form exposed areas on the first surface, the second surface and the edge surface and depositing conductive material on the exposed areas on each of the plurality of substrates to form a pattern of row electrode connectors and column electrode connectors. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein depositing comprises depositing a paste containing silver particles and plating copper on the paste containing silver particles. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the row electrode connectors and the column electrode connectors on each of the plurality of substrates are formed by depositing the conductive material on each of the plurality of substrates, plating the conductive material with copper, and irradiating the substrate with a laser beam to form a pattern of row electrode connectors and column electrode connectors. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the row electrode connectors and the column electrode connectors on each of the plurality of substrates are formed by depositing conductive material on each of the plurality of the substrates with an aerosol jet to form a pattern of row electrode connectors and column electrode connectors. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the edge surface of each of the plurality of substrates is selected from a curved edge surface, an edge-ground edge surface, a plasma treated edge surface and a polygonal edge surface that comprises angles greater than 90 degrees.