The conductivity and brightness enhancement effect of PET silver plated film in flexible displays

Brief introduction

With the continuous development of display technology, flexible displays have gradually become a hot topic of research and market attention. In the manufacturing of flexible displays, the choice of materials has a crucial impact on their performance. PET silver plated film, as a material with unique properties, has aroused widespread research interest in its application in flexible displays. This article will explorePET silver plated filmElaborate on the conductivity and brightness enhancement effects in flexible displays, combined with relevant research and reference data from Advanced Institute (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd.

2、 Basic characteristics of PET silver plated film

PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film itself has good flexibility, transparency, and solvent resistance. After silver plating on PET film, some special properties will be obtained.

1. In terms of conductivity
   • After silver plating, the silver layer endows the PET film with good conductivity. althoughPI silver plated filmDue to the stable molecular structure of PI film itself, its binding force with silver plating layer may be stronger, which can better maintain conductivity stability in long-term use or complex environments. However, PET silver plating film also has considerable conductivity in normal use environments. However, under certain extreme conditions, the conductivity of PET silver plated film may fluctuate to some extent, while PI silver plated film is relatively more stable. For example, when conducting conductivity testing in a high temperature and high humidity environment (temperature 85 ℃, humidity 85% RH), the conductivity decrease rate of PI silver plated film after 100 hours is about 5%, while the conductivity decrease rate of PET silver plated film is about 10%.
2. Compatibility with flexible displays
   • The flexibility of PET film makes it very suitable for the application of flexible displays. Compared to some rigid onesconducting material， PET silver plated film can maintain a certain level of conductivity even under bending, folding, and other conditions, which is crucial for the normal operation of flexible displays in different shapes and usage scenarios.

3、 The conductive effect of PET silver plated film in flexible displays

1. Provide a stable current transmission path
   • In flexible displays, the integrity of the circuit and stable current transmission are key to achieving normal display functionality. The conductivity of PET silver plated film can effectively transmit the current provided by the power supply to various pixels of the display. Taking a flexible OLED display as an example, PET silver plated film is used as the conductive line part. Compared with traditional ITO (indium tin oxide) conductive lines, PET silver plated film can provide similar current transmission efficiency at the same voltage. After testing, when a voltage of 5V is applied, the current transmitted by the PET silver plated film circuit is 0.5A, and the current transmitted by the ITO circuit is 0.48A.
   • Advanced Institute (Shenzhen) Technology Co., LtdResearchers have conducted an experiment on the conductivity and durability of PET silver plated film in flexible displays. They will test flexible display samples using PET silver plated film for conductivity and samples using other conductive materials (such as metal nanowires) in simulated actual usage environments (including frequent bending, temperature changes, etc.). It was found that after 1000 bending cycles, the conductivity retention rate of the sample using PET silver plated film was 90%, while the conductivity retention rate of the sample using metal nanowires was 80%. This indicates that PET silver plated film has good conductivity and durability in flexible displays.
2. Reduce resistance losses
   • Resistance loss can lead to the conversion of electrical energy into thermal energy, affecting the efficiency and lifespan of the display. The relatively low resistance of PET silver plated film helps to reduce this loss. According to experimental data, the resistivity of PET silver plated film is about 1.6 × 10 ⁻⁸Ω· m, compared to some traditional methodsConductive polymer materialsThe resistivity may reach over 1 × 10 Ω· m. In the large-scale application of flexible displays, the advantage of lower resistivity is more pronounced. For example, in a flexible display with a diagonal length of 15 inches, using PET silver plated film as the conductive layer can reduce resistance losses by about 20% compared to using high resistivity conductive materials.

4、 The Brightness Enhancement Effect of PET Silver Plated Film in Flexible Displays

1. Reflection characteristics improve brightness
   • PET silver plated film has good reflective properties, which can effectively reflect the light emitted by the backlight towards the front of the screen, thereby improving the brightness of the display. In a test of a flexible LCD display, under the same conditions, the brightness of the display using PET silver plated film as the reflective layer increased by about 30% compared to the display without PET silver plated film reflective layer.
   • The research team of Advanced Institute (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd. found through optical simulation experiments that the reflectivity of PET silver plated film can reach 80% -90% in the visible light band. They compared the effects of different reflective materials in flexible displays and found that applying PET silver plated film to the reflective layer of flexible displays can significantly improve the contrast and viewing angle of the display. In terms of viewing angle, the use of PET silver plated film reflective layer has increased the viewing angle from the original 120 ° to 150 °.
2. Synergistic effect with display materials enhances brightness uniformity
   • In flexible displays,PET silver plated filmThere is a synergistic effect between display materials such as organic luminescent materials or liquid crystal materials. It can optimize the propagation and distribution of light, making the brightness of the display more uniform. For example, in a flexible OLED display without using PET silver plated film, the center brightness of the screen is 300 cd/m ², the edge brightness is 200 cd/m ², and the brightness unevenness reaches 33.3%. After adding PET silver plated film, the center brightness of the screen is 330 cd/m ², the edge brightness is 280 cd/m ², and the brightness unevenness is reduced to 15.2%.

5、 Conclusion

In summary, PET silver plated film plays an important role in conductivity and brightness enhancement in flexible displays. In terms of conductivity, it can provide a stable current transmission path, reduce resistance losses, and has good conductivity durability. In terms of brightness enhancement, its excellent reflective properties improve the brightness of the display, and the synergistic effect with the display material enhances brightness uniformity. Although there are differences in conductivity stability compared to other materials such as PI silver plated film, PET silver plated film has great potential for application in the development of flexible displays due to its relatively low cost and comprehensive performance in flexible displays. Especially with further research and development by scientific research and enterprise institutions such as Xi'an Academy of Sciences (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd., it is expected to play a more important role in future flexible display technology.

The above data is for reference only, and specific performance may vary due to production processes and product specifications.