[0060] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and advantages to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the following will describe in detail with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments.
[0061] Embodiments of the present invention provide a display substrate and its manufacturing method, a display panel, and a display device, which can prevent cracks or cracks in the buffer inorganic film layer from being transmitted to the wiring area and even the inorganic film layer in the display area, and ensure the performance of the display substrate. , Improve the long-term reliability of the display substrate.
[0062] An embodiment of the present invention provides a display substrate motherboard, including a functional area and a buffer zone between the functional area and the boundary of the display substrate, the functional area includes a display area provided with an OLED display device and a buffer zone located between the functional area and the boundary of the display substrate. The display substrate in the wiring area around the display area includes an inorganic film layer, and the buffer zone is provided with an inorganic film layer cut-off structure, so that the inorganic film layer is discontinuous in the buffer zone.
[0063]In this embodiment, the buffer zone of the display substrate is provided with an inorganic film cut-off structure, and the inorganic film layer of the display substrate is discontinuous on both sides of the inorganic film cut-off structure. Therefore, in the area provided with the inorganic film cut-off structure, the buffer zone The inorganic film layer and the film layer in the wiring area are discontinuous, so when the display substrate motherboard is cut to prepare the display substrate, even if there are cracks or cracks in the inorganic film layer in the buffer zone, due to the inorganic film layer in the buffer zone and The inorganic film layer in the wiring area is discontinuous, therefore, the cracks or cracks in the buffer inorganic film layer will not be transmitted to the inorganic film layer in the wiring area, let alone to the inorganic film layer in the display area, so as to avoid Water and oxygen in the air enter the interior of the display substrate along cracks or fissures, ensuring the performance of the display substrate and improving the long-term reliability of the display substrate.
[0064] Wherein, the inorganic film layer of the display substrate includes inorganic insulating film layers such as a buffer layer, a gate insulating layer, an interlayer insulating layer, and a passivation layer, and the display substrate includes an encapsulation layer covering the display device, and the encapsulation layer includes a first inorganic layer, The inorganic film layer also includes a first inorganic layer; wherein, the display substrate includes a base substrate, and the encapsulation layer is disposed on a side of the inorganic film layer sectional structure away from the base substrate.
[0065] In a specific embodiment, the truncated structure of the inorganic film layer includes a protrusion surrounding the functional area, so that when the display substrate is manufactured, the inorganic film layer on the side of the protrusion away from the base substrate will break at the end of the protrusion, so that The inorganic film layer is discontinuous on both sides of the cut-off structure of the inorganic film layer.
[0066] In another specific embodiment, the truncated structure of the inorganic film layer includes a first auxiliary pattern and a second auxiliary pattern located on the side of the first auxiliary pattern away from the base substrate, and the surface of the first auxiliary pattern close to the second auxiliary pattern is on the display substrate. The orthographic projection on the base substrate is within the range of the orthographic projection of the surface of the second auxiliary figure close to the first auxiliary figure on the base substrate, so that when the display substrate is made, the side where the inorganic film sectional structure is away from the base substrate The inorganic film layer will break at the junction of the second auxiliary pattern and the first auxiliary pattern, so that the inorganic film layer is discontinuous on both sides of the cut-off structure of the inorganic film layer.
[0067] In a specific example, the shape of the longitudinal section of the first auxiliary figure perpendicular to the base substrate is trapezoidal. Of course, the longitudinal section of the first auxiliary figure perpendicular to the base substrate is not limited to a trapezoid, and can also be other shapes, as long as it is guaranteed The orthographic projection of the surface of the first auxiliary figure close to the second auxiliary figure on the base substrate of the display substrate may be within the range of the orthographic projection of the surface of the second auxiliary figure close to the first auxiliary figure on the base substrate.
[0068] Specifically, the first auxiliary pattern may include a metal layer; the second auxiliary pattern may include a transparent conductive layer.
[0069] The OLED display device includes a light emitting unit and a thin film transistor, the light emitting unit includes a first electrode and a second electrode, and the thin film transistor includes a source and a drain; wherein, the metal layer can be provided with the same layer and the same material as the source and drain of the thin film transistor, The transparent conductive layer can be set on the same layer and the same material as the first electrode or the second electrode of the light-emitting unit, so that the metal layer and the source and drain electrodes of the thin film transistor can be formed at the same time through one patterning process, and the transparent conductive layer can be formed at the same time through one patterning process and the first electrode or the second electrode can reduce the number of patterning processes for manufacturing the display substrate and reduce the production cost of the display substrate.
[0070] In another specific embodiment, the OLED display device includes an inorganic insulating layer, and the inorganic film layer includes an inorganic insulating layer; wherein, the truncated structure of the inorganic film layer further includes a groove, and the groove runs through the inorganic insulating layer extending to the buffer zone, so that It is possible to make the inorganic insulating layer discontinuous on both sides of the groove.
[0071] Preferably, the truncated structure of the inorganic film layer is arranged around the functional area, so that the inorganic film layer of the functional area and the inorganic film layer of the buffer zone are discontinuous. When the display substrate mother board is cut to prepare the display substrate, even if the buffer area There are cracks or cracks in the inorganic film layer. Since the inorganic film layer in the buffer zone and the inorganic film layer in the wiring area are discontinuous, the cracks or cracks in the inorganic film layer in the buffer zone will not be transmitted to the inorganic film in the wiring area. layer, and will not conduct to the inorganic film layer in the display area, so that water and oxygen in the air can be prevented from entering the interior of the display substrate along cracks or cracks, ensuring the performance of the display substrate and improving the long-term reliability of the display substrate.
[0072] In a specific embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, the display substrate is divided into a functional area and a buffer zone C located between the functional area and the boundary of the display substrate. The functional area includes a display area A and a wiring area B located around the display area A. The OLED display substrate includes in turn: Substrate 1, buffer layer 2, active layer 8 on buffer layer 2, first gate insulating layer 3, gate 9 on first gate insulating layer 3, second gate insulating layer 4, interlayer insulation Layer 5, source 10 and drain 11 on the interlayer insulating layer 5, passivation layer 12, anode 13, pixel defining layer 14, light emitting layer and cathode 18 in the pixel area defined by the pixel defining layer 14, The encapsulation layer, wherein the encapsulation layer includes a first inorganic thin film 6, an organic thin film 15 and a second inorganic thin film 7 stacked in sequence, and the inorganic film layer of the buffer zone C includes a buffer layer 2, a first gate insulating layer 3, a second gate insulating layer 4. Interlayer insulating layer 5 , first inorganic thin film 6 and second inorganic thin film 7 .
[0073] The buffer zone C is provided with a groove around the functional area near the boundary of the routing area B, and the groove penetrates the buffer layer 2, the first gate insulating layer 3, the second gate insulating layer 4 and the interlayer insulating layer 5, exposing the OLED display The base substrate 1 of the substrate, so that the groove can isolate the inorganic film layer of the buffer zone C from the inorganic film layer of the wiring area B, so as to prevent the cracks or cracks of the inorganic film layer of the buffer zone C from being transmitted to the wiring area B Inorganic film layer.
[0074] Further, the OLED display substrate includes a driving circuit layer and an OLED display device on the base substrate, covering the encapsulation layer of the OLED display device, such as Figure 5 As shown, the buffer zone is provided with a first auxiliary pattern 16 surrounding the functional area and a second auxiliary pattern 17 covering the first auxiliary pattern 16 near the wiring area. The size of the first surface is smaller than the size of the second surface that contacts the first auxiliary figure 16 of the second auxiliary figure 17, and the first surface that contacts the second auxiliary figure 17 of the first auxiliary figure 16 is on the base substrate 1 The orthographic projection is located within the orthographic projection of the second surface of the second auxiliary pattern 17 in contact with the first auxiliary pattern 16 on the base substrate 1 .
[0075] In this way, after the driving circuit layer and the OLED display device are formed, when the OLED display substrate is encapsulated, the encapsulation layer breaks at the junction of the first auxiliary pattern 16 and the second auxiliary pattern 17, so that the inorganic thin film in the buffer zone C encapsulation layer It is separated from the inorganic thin film in the encapsulation layer of the wiring area B, and there is no need to separate the inorganic thin film in the encapsulation layer of the buffer area C from the inorganic thin film in the encapsulation layer of the wiring area B through an etching process.
[0076] like Figure 5 As shown, the groove is located on both sides of the first auxiliary figure 16, and the side wall of the first auxiliary figure 16 is the side wall of the groove, so by arranging the first auxiliary figure 16, the second auxiliary figure 17 and the groove, it is possible to The buffer layer 2, the first gate insulating layer 3, the second gate insulating layer 4, the interlayer insulating layer 5 and the inorganic thin film in the encapsulation layer of the buffer zone C are connected to the buffer layer 2 and the first gate insulating layer of the wiring area B. 3. The second gate insulating layer 4 , the interlayer insulating layer 5 and the inorganic thin film in the encapsulation layer are separated.
[0077] Preferably, as Figure 5 As shown, the first auxiliary pattern 16 includes a metal layer, which can be set on the same layer and the same material as the source 10 and drain 11 of the thin film transistor of the driving circuit layer, so that the metal layer and the source can be formed simultaneously through a patterning process. The electrode 10 and the drain 11 do not need to use a special patterning process to make the first auxiliary pattern 16, which can reduce the number of patterning processes required for making the OLED display substrate, and reduce the manufacturing cost and production time of the OLED display substrate.
[0078] Preferably, as Figure 5 As shown, the second auxiliary pattern 17 is composed of a transparent conductive layer, and the transparent conductive layer is provided with the same layer and the same material as the anode 13 of the OLED display device, so that the second auxiliary pattern 17 and the anode 13 can be formed simultaneously through a patterning process without passing through Using a special patterning process to make the second auxiliary pattern 17 can reduce the number of patterning processes required to make the OLED display substrate, and reduce the manufacturing cost and production time of the OLED display substrate.
[0079] The OLED display substrate of this embodiment can be a rigid display substrate or a flexible display substrate. When the OLED display substrate is a rigid display substrate, the base substrate 1 can be a quartz substrate or a glass substrate. When the OLED display substrate is a flexible display substrate, the substrate The base substrate 1 is a flexible substrate, such as a polyimide film.
[0080] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a display panel, including the above-mentioned display substrate.
[0081] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a display device, including the above-mentioned display panel. The display device can be any product or component with a display function such as a TV, a monitor, a digital photo frame, a mobile phone, and a tablet computer, wherein the display device also includes a circuit board, a printed circuit board, and a backplane.
[0082] The embodiment of the present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a display substrate, the display substrate includes a functional area and a buffer zone between the functional area and the boundary of the display substrate, the functional area includes an OLED display The display area of the device and the wiring area located around the display area, the display substrate includes an inorganic film layer, and the manufacturing method includes:
[0083] An inorganic membrane layer cut-off structure is formed in the buffer zone, so that the inorganic membrane layer is discontinuous in the buffer zone.
[0084] In this embodiment, the inorganic film layer cut-off structure is formed in the buffer zone of the display substrate, and the inorganic film layer of the display substrate is discontinuous on both sides of the inorganic film layer cut-off structure. The inorganic film layer and the film layer in the wiring area are discontinuous, so when the display substrate motherboard is cut to prepare the display substrate, even if there are cracks or cracks in the inorganic film layer in the buffer zone, due to the inorganic film layer in the buffer zone and The inorganic film layer in the wiring area is discontinuous, therefore, the cracks or cracks in the buffer inorganic film layer will not be transmitted to the inorganic film layer in the wiring area, let alone to the inorganic film layer in the display area, so as to avoid Water and oxygen in the air enter the interior of the display substrate along cracks or fissures, ensuring the performance of the display substrate and improving the long-term reliability of the display substrate.
[0085] Wherein, the inorganic film layer of the display substrate includes inorganic insulating film layers such as a buffer layer, a gate insulating layer, an interlayer insulating layer, and a passivation layer, and the display substrate includes an encapsulation layer covering the display device, and the encapsulation layer includes a first inorganic layer , the inorganic film layer further includes a first inorganic layer; wherein, the display substrate includes a base substrate, and the encapsulation layer is disposed on a side of the sectional structure of the inorganic film layer away from the base substrate.
[0086] In a specific embodiment, the truncated structure of the inorganic film layer includes a protrusion surrounding the functional area, so that when the display substrate is manufactured, the inorganic film layer on the side of the protrusion away from the base substrate will break at the end of the protrusion, so that The inorganic film layer is discontinuous on both sides of the cut-off structure of the inorganic film layer.
[0087] In another specific embodiment, the truncated structure of the inorganic film layer includes a first auxiliary pattern and a second auxiliary pattern located on the side of the first auxiliary pattern away from the substrate, and the size of the cross section of the first auxiliary pattern close to the second auxiliary pattern is smaller than The size of the cross-section of the second auxiliary figure is close to that of the first auxiliary figure, and the cross-section is a cross-section in a direction parallel to the base substrate. Since the size of the cross-section of the first auxiliary pattern close to the second auxiliary pattern is smaller than the size of the cross-section of the second auxiliary pattern close to the first auxiliary pattern, when making the display substrate, the sectional structure of the inorganic film layer is located on the side away from the base substrate. The inorganic film layer will break at the junction of the second auxiliary pattern and the first auxiliary pattern, so that the inorganic film layer is discontinuous on both sides of the cut-off structure of the inorganic film layer.
[0088]In a specific example, the shape of the longitudinal section of the first auxiliary figure perpendicular to the base substrate is trapezoidal. Of course, the longitudinal section of the first auxiliary figure perpendicular to the base substrate is not limited to a trapezoid, and can also be other shapes, as long as it is guaranteed The orthographic projection of the surface of the first auxiliary figure close to the second auxiliary figure on the base substrate of the display substrate may be within the range of the orthographic projection of the surface of the second auxiliary figure close to the first auxiliary figure on the base substrate.
[0089] Specifically, the first auxiliary pattern may include a metal layer; the second auxiliary pattern may include a transparent conductive layer.
[0090] The OLED display device includes a light emitting unit and a thin film transistor, the light emitting unit includes a first electrode and a second electrode, and the thin film transistor includes a source and a drain; wherein, the metal layer can be provided with the same layer and the same material as the source and drain of the thin film transistor, The transparent conductive layer can be set on the same layer and the same material as the first electrode or the second electrode of the light-emitting unit, so that the metal layer and the source and drain electrodes of the thin film transistor can be formed at the same time through one patterning process, and the transparent conductive layer can be formed at the same time through one patterning process and the first electrode or the second electrode can reduce the number of patterning processes for manufacturing the display substrate and reduce the production cost of the display substrate.
[0091] In a specific embodiment, forming an inorganic film layer truncated structure includes:
[0092] Forming the source, the drain and the transition pattern of the first auxiliary pattern of the thin film transistor of the display substrate through the same patterning process;
[0093] forming the electrodes of the light emitting unit of the display substrate and the second auxiliary pattern through the same patterning process;
[0094] Using the second auxiliary pattern as a mask, etching away a part of the transition pattern of the first auxiliary pattern to form the first auxiliary pattern, and making the first auxiliary pattern close to the surface of the second auxiliary pattern in the The orthographic projection on the base substrate of the display substrate is within the range of the orthographic projection of the surface of the second auxiliary figure close to the first auxiliary figure on the base substrate.
[0095] In another specific embodiment, the OLED display device includes an inorganic insulating layer, and the inorganic film layer includes an inorganic insulating layer; wherein, the truncated structure of the inorganic film layer further includes a groove, and the groove runs through the inorganic insulating layer extending to the buffer zone, so that It is possible to make the inorganic insulating layer discontinuous on both sides of the groove. Forming the inorganic film layer truncated structure includes:
[0096] A groove is formed through the inorganic insulating layer extending to the buffer zone.
[0097] Preferably, the truncated structure of the inorganic film layer is arranged around the functional area, so that the inorganic film layer of the functional area and the inorganic film layer of the buffer zone are discontinuous. When the display substrate mother board is cut to prepare the display substrate, even if the buffer area There are cracks or cracks in the inorganic film layer. Since the inorganic film layer in the buffer zone and the inorganic film layer in the functional area are discontinuous, the cracks or cracks in the inorganic film layer in the buffer zone will not be transmitted to the inorganic film layer in the wiring area. , and will not conduct to the inorganic film layer in the display area, so as to prevent water and oxygen in the air from entering the interior of the display substrate along cracks or cracks, ensure the performance of the display substrate, and improve the long-term reliability of the display substrate.
[0098] The OLED display substrate of this embodiment can be a rigid display substrate or a flexible display substrate. When the OLED display substrate is a rigid display substrate, the base substrate 1 can be a quartz substrate or a glass substrate. When the OLED display substrate is a flexible display substrate, the substrate The base substrate 1 can be a flexible substrate, such as a polyimide film.
[0099] The method for manufacturing an OLED display substrate of the present invention will be further introduced below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The method for manufacturing an OLED display substrate in this embodiment includes the following steps:
[0100] Step 1, such as figure 1 As shown, a base substrate 1 is provided, and a buffer layer 2, an active layer 8, a first gate insulating layer 3, a gate 9, a second gate insulating layer 4 and an interlayer insulating layer 5 are sequentially formed on the base substrate 1. , etch the first gate insulating layer 3, the second gate insulating layer 4 and the interlayer insulating layer 5, form a via hole exposing the active layer 8 in the display area A, and form a surrounding wiring area B in the buffer zone C two grooves;
[0101] Specifically, coat photoresist on the interlayer insulating layer 5, use a mask to expose the photoresist, and form a photoresist remaining area and a photoresist removal area after development, wherein the photoresist removal area corresponds to In the area where the via hole is to be formed in the display area A and the area where the groove is to be formed in the buffer zone C, the first gate insulating layer 3, the second gate insulating layer 4 and the interlayer insulating layer 5 in the photoresist removal area are etched, A via hole exposing the active layer 8 is formed in the display area A, and two grooves surrounding the routing area B are formed in the buffer area C.
[0102] Step 2, such as figure 2 As shown, the buffer layer 2 at the two grooves of the buffer zone C is removed, so that the two grooves expose the substrate 1, and the buffer layer 2 between the two grooves of the buffer zone C, the first gate insulation The layer 3, the second gate insulating layer 4 and the interlayer insulating layer 5 form a retaining wall surrounding the wiring area B, and the retaining wall is a part of the first auxiliary pattern;
[0103] Step 3, if image 3 As shown, the source and drain metal layers are formed on the base substrate 1 after step 2, and the source and drain metal layers are patterned, the source 10 and the drain 11 are formed in the display area A, and the barrier wall is formed in the buffer zone C. The transition pattern of the first auxiliary pattern, and then form the passivation layer 12 covering the source electrode 10 and the drain electrode 11;
[0104] Wherein, the source electrode 10 and the drain electrode 11 are respectively connected to the active layer 8 through via holes penetrating through the first gate insulating layer 3 , the second gate insulating layer 4 and the interlayer insulating layer 5 .
[0105] Step 4, such as Figure 4 As shown, a layer of transparent conductive layer is formed on the base substrate 1 after step 3, and the transparent conductive layer is patterned, an anode 13 is formed in the display area A, and an anode 13 located on the first auxiliary pattern transition pattern is formed in the buffer zone C. The second auxiliary pattern 17 uses the second auxiliary pattern 17 as a mask to etch the transition pattern of the first auxiliary pattern, so that the thickness of the transition pattern of the first auxiliary pattern is reduced, and the transition pattern of the first auxiliary pattern after the thickness reduction is Form the first auxiliary pattern 16 with the retaining wall, the first auxiliary pattern 16 and the second auxiliary pattern 17 can form an undercut structure, and the first surface of the first auxiliary pattern 16 that is in contact with the second auxiliary pattern 17 is on the base substrate 1 The orthographic projection of is located in the orthographic projection of the second surface of the second auxiliary figure 17 in contact with the first auxiliary figure 16 on the base substrate 1;
[0106] Wherein, the second auxiliary pattern 17 can be used as a mask to perform dry etching on the transition pattern of the first auxiliary pattern, or an etchant that can etch the source-drain metal layer but cannot etch the transparent conductive layer is selected for the first auxiliary pattern. The pattern transition pattern is wet-etched.
[0107] Wherein, the anode 13 is connected to the drain 11 through a via hole penetrating through the passivation layer 12 .
[0108] Step 5, such as Figure 5 As shown, an encapsulation layer is formed on the base substrate 1 after step 4. The encapsulation layer includes a first inorganic thin film 6, an organic thin film 15 and a second inorganic thin film 7. Since an undercut structure is formed in the buffer zone C, the second An inorganic thin film 6 and a second inorganic thin film 7 are naturally broken at the edge of the undercut structure, so that the first inorganic thin film 6 of the buffer zone C is separated from the first inorganic thin film 6 in the wiring area B packaging layer, and the buffer zone C The second inorganic thin film 7 is separated from the second inorganic thin film 7 in the wiring area B encapsulation layer.
[0109] After the above steps, it can be produced as Figure 5 The OLED display substrate shown, such as Figure 5 As shown, the OLED display substrate of this embodiment comprises in sequence: a base substrate 1, a buffer layer 2, an active layer 8 located on the buffer layer 2, a first gate insulating layer 3, and a gate electrode located on the first gate insulating layer 3. Pole 9, second gate insulating layer 4, interlayer insulating layer 5, source electrode 10 and drain electrode 11 on the interlayer insulating layer 5, passivation layer 12, anode 13, pixel defining layer 14, located on pixel defining layer 14 The light emitting layer and the cathode 18 in the defined pixel area, and the encapsulation layer, wherein the encapsulation layer includes the first inorganic thin film 6 , the organic thin film 15 and the second inorganic thin film 7 stacked in sequence.
[0110] It can be seen that in the OLED display substrate of this embodiment, the buffer zone C is provided with a groove surrounding the functional region B and an undercut structure near the boundary of the wiring region B, the groove exposes the base substrate 1, and the groove The inorganic film layer at the groove is removed, and the buffer layer 2, the first gate insulating layer 3, the second gate insulating layer 4, the interlayer insulating layer 5, the first inorganic thin film 6 and the second gate insulating layer can be made through the groove and the undercut structure. The part of the inorganic film layer such as the inorganic thin film 7 located in the buffer zone C is separated from the part located in the routing area B, so that when the OLED display substrate motherboard is cut in the buffer zone C to prepare the OLED display substrate, even if the buffer zone C Cracks or cracks appear in the inorganic film layer. Since the inorganic film layer of the buffer zone C is separated from the inorganic film layer of the wiring area B, the cracks or cracks of the inorganic film layer of the buffer zone C will not be transmitted to the wiring area B. The inorganic film layer will not be conducted to the inorganic film layer in the display area A, so that water and oxygen in the air can be prevented from entering the OLED display substrate along the cracks or cracks, ensuring the performance of the OLED display substrate and improving the long-term performance of the display substrate. reliability.
[0111] In each method embodiment of the present invention, the sequence number of each step can not be used to limit the order of each step. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the order of each step can be changed without paying creative work. Also within the protection scope of the present invention.
[0112] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the present disclosure shall have the usual meanings understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. "First", "second" and similar words used in the present disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. "Comprising" or "comprising" and similar words mean that the elements or items appearing before the word include the elements or items listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or items. Words such as "connected" or "connected" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "Down", "Left", "Right" and so on are only used to indicate the relative positional relationship. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.
[0113] It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being "on" or "under" another element, it can be "directly on" or "under" the other element, Or intervening elements may be present.
[0114] The above description is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it should be pointed out that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the principle of the present invention, some improvements and modifications can also be made, and these improvements and modifications can also be made. It should be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.
