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Prepare 1 mm OLED Display Cross Sections Without Delamination Using Tescan SOLARIS X 

Create a reliable OLED display cross section using Tescan SOLARIS X with precise layer control that preserves structure and avoids sample damage.

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Achieve Large-Area OLED Cross Sections That Preserve Thin-Film Layer Integrity 

Flexible OLED and AMOLED displays feature delicate, multilayer thin-film stacks composed of organic materials, metal oxides, and transparent conductors such as ITO. These layers are often deposited on plastic substrates, making them prone to delamination, tearing, and deformation during conventional mechanical preparation.

Tescan SOLARIS X combines high-current Xe plasma FIB milling with advanced SEM imaging to produce wide, artifact-free OLED display cross-sections up to 1 mm. Maintain full stack integrity across soft and brittle interfaces. Visualize critical features such as the polyimide–ITO boundary. Perform defect localization with high contrast and precision across the entire AMOLED panel structure.

Why Cross-Section OLED Displays

with Tescan SOLARIS X Plasma FIB-SEM?

01
Root of the Problem

Why Standard Cross Sectioning Fails in Flexible OLED Displays

Cross-sectioning OLED displays for failure analysis requires extreme care due to their multilayer architecture and use of beam-sensitive materials. Standard mechanical polishing or conventional Ga FIB techniques often introduce artifacts like delamination, tearing, or layer distortion—especially in flexible AMOLED panels.

Organic layers, ITO, polyimide, and metal contacts differ widely in mechanical and electrical properties. Preparing wide-area sections without disrupting interfaces or losing contrast is technically demanding. Minor sample deformation or beam damage can obscure critical failure points.

Tescan SOLARIS X addresses these issues with a plasma FIB-SEM workflow built specifically for large-area, artifact-free OLED display preparation.

  • Xe plasma FIB supports wide cross sections up to 1 mm
  • High-current milling preserves planarity across thin-film stacks
  • Low-kV SEM imaging enhances contrast in ITO, Al, and SiNx layers
  • Stable prep even on curved or flexible substrates

With Tescan SOLARIS X, display manufacturers and failure analysts can achieve consistent, high-resolution cross-sections that preserve OLED layer integrity and reveal the root cause of defects. 

02
Materials and Methods

How OLED Display Cross-Sections Were Prepared Using Tescan SOLARIS X Plasma FIB-SEM

A flexible AMOLED display panel was selected to demonstrate large-area cross-sectioning of beam-sensitive multilayer stacks. The region of interest was identified using high-resolution SEM imaging with a 2 keV in-beam SE detector to ensure precise targeting of the active display area.

Cross-sectioning was performed using the iFIB+ Xe plasma column at 30 keV with a 2 μA beam current. This allowed the creation of a uniform, high-aspect-ratio trench several hundred microns deep and up to 1 mm wide. Pt protection was applied before milling to preserve surface detail.

Throughout the workflow, uniform trench geometry was maintained across materials including polyimide, ITO, SiNx, and Al. Low-kV SEM was used to inspect the interface quality and detect defects.

This preparation method delivers artifact-free cross-sections that expose every critical interface in flexible OLED structures, making it a powerful tool for failure analysis, materials characterization, and display process optimization.

03
Results and Discussion

Tescan SOLARIS X enabled consistent preparation of large-area cross sections in flexible OLED displays, with trench widths up to 1 mm and depths of several hundred microns. High-current Xe plasma milling preserved geometry and prevented delamination across soft organics and brittle oxides.

SEM imaging revealed well-defined interfaces between polyimide, ITO, SiNx, and Al layers. Mid-angle BSE and in-beam SE detectors delivered strong contrast for locating defects, delamination points, and layer discontinuities. Step coverage and contact features were clearly resolved with minimal distortion.

TFT backplanes, electrode stacks, and organic layers retained structure and spatial alignment. Even in beam-sensitive regions, low-kV SEM enabled detailed inspection without damage.

This workflow provides high-integrity cross sections for failure analysis, interface evaluation, and process optimization in OLED and Micro-LED displays.

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Tescan Instruments & Technology

Used in This Workflow

Tescan SOLARIS X Plasma FIB-SEM 

Tescan SOLARIS X gives you the precision, beam current, and stability needed for large-area cross-sectioning of OLED and Micro-LED displays.

With a high-current Xe plasma FIB and integrated SEM, you can mill uniform trenches up to 1 mm wide—without causing delamination or layer distortion. Optimized detectors provide clear imaging of polyimide, ITO, and other thin-film materials, even in beam-sensitive regions.

From alignment to final inspection, SOLARIS X supports a seamless workflow for high-contrast, artifact-free cross-sections.

  • High-current Xe plasma FIB: Fast, precise milling across wide display regions
  • Integrated SEM and FIB system: Complete prep and imaging in one tool
  • Low-kV SEM imaging: Protects sensitive OLED materials during inspection
  • Mid-angle BSE and SE detectors: Improve contrast in complex layer stacks
  • Stable cross-sectioning: Preserves interface clarity across hundreds of microns 
SOLARIS-X2
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Where can you find us:

Tescan
Libušina třída 21
623 00 Brno 
Czech Republic

info@Tescan.com 

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