# US 2018/0026211 A1 · Foldable substrate, method for forming the same and flexible display device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0026211 A1 - Document ID: US20180026211A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/511,085 - Filed: 2016-03-23 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-10 - Assignees: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Mingche HSIEH; Chunyan XIE; Lu LIU; Hejin WANG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180026211A1 ## CPC - B32B 17/10: of synthetic resin - H10D 86/00: Integrated devices formed in or on insulating or conducting substrates, e.g. formed in silicon-on-insulator [SOI] substrates or on stainless steel or glass substrates - H10K 77/111: {Flexible substrates} - H10P 72/70: for supporting or gripping - B32B 2457/20: Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays - H10K 59/12: Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays - H10K 71/80: using temporary substrates - H10K 2102/311: {Flexible OLED} - Y02E 10/549: Organic PV cells - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A foldable substrate, a method for forming the same, and a flexible display device are provided. The foldable substrate includes a plurality of rigid supporting portions separated from each other, every two of which are not in contact with each other, and a flexible foldable portion connecting two adjacent rigid supporting portions of the plurality of rigid supporting portions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A foldable substrate, comprising: a plurality of rigid supporting portions separated from each other, every two of which are not in contact with each other; and a flexible foldable portion connecting two adjacent rigid supporting portions of the plurality of rigid supporting portions; the flexible foldable portion is made of an organic material; the plurality of rigid supporting portions each comprises: an organic base substrate provided with a groove; and a hard substrate arranged in and adapted to the groove, wherein the hard substrate fits tightly to the groove. ### Claim 2 (canceled) ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The foldable substrate according to claim 1, wherein the organic material comprises polyethylene naphthalene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide and cyclic polyolefin. ### Claim 4 (canceled) ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The foldable substrate according claim 1, wherein the hard substrate is a glass substrate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The foldable substrate according claim 1, wherein the organic base substrate is formed integrally with the flexible foldable portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The foldable substrate according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of rigid supporting portions separated from each other, every two of which are not in contact with each other, comprises two rigid supporting portions, and the foldable substrate further comprises the flexible foldable portion connecting two rigid supporting portions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A flexible display device comprising the foldable substrate according to claim 1 and a display component arranged on the foldable substrate. ### Claim 9 A method for forming a foldable substrate, comprising: arranging a plurality of hard substrates separated from each other, every two of which are not in contact with each other, on a carrier substrate; coating a flexible material onto the carrier substrate arranged with the plurality of hard substrates, to fill gaps between two adjacent hard substrates of the plurality of hard substrates and cover the plurality of hard substrates; and separating the plurality of hard substrates and the flexible material from the carrier substrate, to form a foldable substrate, wherein rigid supporting portions of the foldable substrate comprise the plurality of hard substrates and the flexible material covering the plurality of hard substrates, and flexible foldable portions of the foldable substrate comprise the flexible material between the plurality of hard substrates. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of hard substrates is a glass substrate, and the flexible material is an organic material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the separating the plurality of hard substrates and the flexible material from the carrier substrate comprises: irradiating a boundary between the plurality of hard substrates and the flexible material and the carrier substrate with a laser beam, to separate the plurality of hard substrates and the flexible material from the carrier substrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the organic material comprises polyethylene naphthalene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide and cyclic polyolefin. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The foldable substrate according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of rigid supporting portions separated from each other, every two of which are not in contact with each other, is of an identical size and an identical shape. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The foldable substrate according claim 1, wherein the organic base substrate is made of a material identical to the flexible foldable portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The foldable substrate according to claim 7, wherein two rigid supporting portions are of a cuboid shape. ### Claim 16 (canceled) ### Claim 17 (depends on 3) The foldable substrate according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of rigid supporting portions separated from each other, every two of which are not in contact with each other, comprises two rigid supporting portions, and the foldable substrate further comprises the flexible foldable portion connecting two rigid supporting portions. ### Claim 18 (canceled) ### Claim 19 (depends on 5) The foldable substrate according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of rigid supporting portions separated from each other, every two of which are not in contact with each other, comprises two rigid supporting portions, and the foldable substrate further comprises the flexible foldable portion connecting two rigid supporting portions. ### Claim 20 (depends on 6) The foldable substrate according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of rigid supporting portions separated from each other, every two of which are not in contact with each other, comprises two rigid supporting portions, and the foldable substrate further comprises the flexible foldable portion connecting two rigid supporting portions.