Array substrate and electrowetting display panel

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of display, in particular to an array substrate and an electrowetting display panel, the array substrate comprises a first substrate, a driving layer, a pixel definition layer and an insulating layer with hydrophobicity, and the driving layer comprises a driving electrode; the pixel definition layer is provided with pixel openings corresponding to the driving electrodes; the insulating layer comprises a plurality of microstructures, each microstructure comprises a first sub-part and a second sub-part located on the side, close to the first substrate, of the first sub-part, and the first sub-parts support the polar fluid in the pixel openings. The adjacent second sub-parts are connected, the gaps are formed between the adjacent first sub-parts, the top end gaps between the adjacent first sub-parts are the target gaps, and the target gaps are configured to be spaced from the second sub-parts when the polar fluid is supported on the first sub-parts, so that the problem that the polar fluid is in contact with the second sub-parts can be solved; therefore, the driving voltage can be reduced, and the driving speed of the polar fluid can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure belongs to the field of display technology, and particularly relates to an array substrate and an electrowetting display panel. Background Art

[0002] The principle of electrowetting display panels is to alter the wettability of the solid-liquid interface by applying an electrical charge to a polar fluid, thereby controlling the contraction and expansion of the polar fluid to achieve pixel switching and grayscale control. Based on its display principle and mechanical characteristics, this technology offers significant technical advantages and a wide range of applications, including dynamic and color display, low energy consumption (voltage drive), high contrast and reflectivity, a simple and low-cost structure, and ease of thinning and flexibility. While electrowetting e-paper technology holds promising prospects, and the related technologies and basic research are well-established, several scientific and engineering challenges remain to be addressed, such as driving speed and driving voltage. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present application is to provide an array substrate and an electrowetting display panel, which reduce the driving voltage and increase the driving speed of the polar fluid by arranging a microstructure on the insulating layer.

[0004] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an array substrate, comprising:

[0005] a first substrate;

[0006] a driving layer formed on the first substrate, the driving layer comprising driving electrodes;

[0007] a pixel definition layer formed on the driving layer, the pixel definition layer having pixel openings corresponding to the driving electrodes;

[0008] an insulating layer, at least partially located within the pixel opening and covering the drive electrode, the insulating layer comprising a plurality of microstructures, the microstructure comprising a first sub-portion and a second sub-portion, the first sub-portion being located on a side of the second sub-portion away from the first substrate, the first sub-portion being configured to support a polar fluid within the pixel opening; the insulating layer being hydrophobic;

[0009] Among them, the second sub-sections between adjacent microstructures are connected, there is a gap between the first sub-sections between adjacent microstructures, and the top gap between adjacent first sub-sections is a target gap, and the target gap is configured to have a gap between the second sub-section while the polar fluid is supported on the first sub-section.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the gaps between adjacent first sub-sections increase gradually in a direction away from the second sub-section.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the top surface of the first sub-section is an arc surface, and the top surface of the first sub-section is convex in a direction away from the second sub-section.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the width of the target gap is defined as L, which satisfies the following conditions: 0.25 μm ≤ L ≤ 5 μm; wherein:

[0013] The height of the first sub-section is H1, and satisfies: 2L≤H1≤4L; and / or,

[0014] The width of the second sub-portion is d, and satisfies: 0<L≤d.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the pixel opening includes a central area and an edge area arranged around the central area, wherein the top of the first sub-portion located on the central area is flush, and the top of the first sub-portion located on the edge area is lower than the top of the first sub-portion located on the central area.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the height of the top end of the first sub-portion located on the edge area decreases gradually in a direction away from the central area.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the angle between a line connecting top ends of a plurality of first sub-portions located on the edge area and a horizontal plane is in the range of 5°-30°.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the pixel opening includes a plurality of evenly distributed sub-regions, each of the sub-regions being at least partially located in the central region and the edge region; the driving electrode includes a plurality of spaced-apart sub-electrodes, the sub-electrodes being arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the sub-regions, and the orthographic projection of the sub-electrode on the pixel opening is located within the corresponding sub-region.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-region includes a first sub-region and a second sub-region, the first sub-region is located in the central region, and the second sub-region is located in the edge region.

[0020] The sub-electrodes include a first sub-electrode and a second sub-electrode spaced apart from each other, wherein an orthographic projection of the first sub-electrode on the corresponding sub-region is located within the first sub-region, and an orthographic projection of the second sub-electrode on the corresponding sub-region is located within the second sub-region;

[0021] When the polar fluid drives the ink disposed in the pixel opening to the edge region, the voltage on the first sub-electrode can be gradually increased to a first target voltage, which is greater than a moving voltage of the polar fluid so as to keep the polar fluid in a moving state;

[0022] When the ink in the pixel opening is entirely located in the edge area, the voltage on the second sub-electrode can rise to the second target voltage, and at the same time, the voltage on the first sub-electrode is removed, so that the pixel opening maintains a maximum aperture ratio; while the voltage on the first sub-electrode rises to the reverse pulse voltage, the voltage on the second sub-electrode drops from the second target voltage to the grayscale voltage, and after the reverse pulse voltage on the first sub-electrode is removed, the voltage on the second sub-electrode maintains the grayscale voltage, so that the pixel opening maintains a target aperture ratio; the polarities of the first target voltage, the second target voltage, and the grayscale voltage are opposite to the polarity of the reverse pulse voltage.

[0023] The present disclosure provides an electrowetting display panel, comprising: an opposing substrate and an array substrate as described above, wherein the opposing substrate comprises a second substrate and an opposing electrode arranged on the second substrate, the opposing electrode being located on a side of the second substrate close to the array substrate and corresponding to the driving electrode; the polar fluid can move within the pixel opening under the action of the driving electrode and the opposing electrode.

[0024] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure has at least the following advantages:

[0025] The disclosed embodiment of the present invention overcomes the gravity of the portion of the polar fluid not supported by the first sub-section by providing multiple microstructures in the insulating layer and utilizing the contact line force generated by the densely arranged multiple first sub-sections on the polar fluid. The polar fluid forms a liquid bridge on the first sub-section, and air is trapped in the gap between adjacent first sub-sections, forming a three-phase composite interface of liquid, solid, and air. This can improve the problem of the polar fluid completely switching from the Cassie-Baxter wetting state to the Wenzel wetting state due to contact between the polar fluid and the second sub-section, and can then enable the polar fluid to maintain a low-hysteresis wetting state of the static wetting contact interface, thereby reducing the driving voltage for driving the polar fluid to move on the insulating layer and increasing the driving speed of the polar fluid. While reducing the energy consumption of the array substrate, it can also increase the refresh rate of the display image.

[0026] Other features and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part by practice of the present application.

[0027] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art can derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort.

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of an array substrate in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0030] Figure 2 A schematic top view of the structure of the insulating layer in the pixel opening in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of the microstructure in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0032] Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of an embodiment of the present disclosure showing that the insulating layer completely avoids high adhesion (Wenzel wetting state) between the polar fluid and the insulating layer.

[0033] Figure 5 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the insulating layer slowing down the polar fluid and exhibiting high adhesion (Cassie-Baxter wetting state) between the insulating layer in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0034] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram showing the change in contact angle of an insulating layer when it is electrified in the related art is shown.

[0035] Figure 7 A structural schematic diagram showing the change in the contact angle of the insulating layer when it is electrified in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0036] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of the division of the central area and the edge area in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0037] Figure 9 A structural schematic diagram shows the angle between a line connecting top ends of a plurality of first sub-portions located on an edge region and a horizontal plane in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 10 Shown Figure 8 Structural diagram of the width of the cross section of the central area and the edge area.

[0039] Figure 11A schematic structural diagram showing a driving electrode including four sub-electrodes in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0040] Figure 12 A structural schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present disclosure in which a sub-electrode includes a first sub-electrode and a second sub-electrode.

[0041] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the voltage waveforms on the first sub-electrode and the second sub-electrode in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0042] Figure 14 Another cross-sectional structural diagram of the array substrate in the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0043] Figure 15 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of an electrowetting display panel in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0044] Description of reference numerals:

[0045] 100. Array substrate; 200. Electrowetting display panel; 1. First substrate; 2. Driving electrode; 21. Sub-electrode; 22. First sub-electrode; 23. Second sub-electrode; 3. Insulating layer; 31. Microstructure; 32. First sub-section; 33. Second sub-section; 4. Polar fluid; 5. Pixel opening; 51. Central region; 52. Edge region; 53. Pixel wall; 6. Counter electrode; 7. Second substrate; X, horizontal direction; Z, vertical direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this application will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0047] In addition, described feature, structure or characteristic can be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner.In the following description, many specific details are provided so as to provide a full understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the technical scheme of the present application can be put into practice without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, devices, steps etc. can be adopted. In other cases, known methods, devices, implementations or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid blurring the various aspects of the application.

[0048] The present application is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present application, and should not be understood as limiting the present application.

[0049] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, the present disclosure provides an array substrate 100, which may include at least: a first substrate 1, a drive layer, and an insulating layer 3. The drive layer is formed on the first substrate 1 and may include at least a drive electrode 2. A pixel definition layer is formed on the drive layer, and the pixel definition layer has pixel openings 5 corresponding to the drive electrodes 2. The insulating layer 3 is at least partially located within the pixel openings 5 and covers the drive electrodes 2.

[0050] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the insulating layer 3 is hydrophobic, so that when no voltage is applied to the driving electrode 2 , the polar fluid 4 can be stably spread on the insulating layer 3 .

[0051] But not limited to this, in some embodiments, in addition to being hydrophobic, the insulating layer 3 may also be oleophilic, so that when a voltage is applied to the driving electrode 2, the polar fluid 4 can shrink under the action of the voltage and thus move.

[0052] In some embodiments, the first substrate 1 may be light-transmissive. For example, the first substrate 1 may be made of light-transmissive glass.

[0053] In some embodiments, the array substrate 100 may include a plurality of pixel openings 5 .

[0054] The driving electrodes 2 in the driving layer may cover the first substrate 1 , thereby simplifying the manufacturing process of the array substrate 100 .

[0055] However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The driving layer may also include a plurality of driving electrodes 2. The driving electrodes 2 and the pixel openings 5 may be arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. The driving electrodes 2 are arranged in the corresponding pixel openings 5, and the plurality of driving electrodes 2 are arranged at intervals to facilitate independent control of the plurality of driving electrodes 2, thereby achieving grayscale regulation of each pixel opening 5 and improving the display effect.

[0056] In some embodiments, the insulating layer 3 may be disposed within each pixel opening 5, but is not limited thereto. Part of the insulating layer 3 may also be disposed in areas other than the pixel openings 5 on the array substrate 100, thereby enhancing the sealing of the pixel openings 5 and reducing the risk of leakage of the polar fluid 4 from the pixel openings 5. Furthermore, when the array substrate 100 includes multiple pixel openings 5, the insulating layer 3 located between two adjacent pixel openings 5 can prevent signals from propagating between the adjacent pixel openings 5, thereby alleviating the problem of electrical signals from one pixel opening 5 interfering with adjacent pixel openings 5, thereby improving display clarity and accuracy.

[0057] In the disclosed embodiment, the orthographic projections of the driving electrode 2 and the insulating layer 3 on the first substrate 1 can at least cover the corresponding pixel opening 5 , so that the polar fluid 4 can be controlled to move arbitrarily within the entire pixel opening 5 by controlling the voltage on the driving electrode 2 .

[0058] In some embodiments, the array substrate 100 may further include ink disposed in the pixel opening 5 .

[0059] The polar fluid 4 in the disclosed embodiment can be a light-transmitting liquid such as water that responds to an electric field. The voltage applied to the drive electrode 2 changes the contact angle between the polar fluid 4 and the insulating layer 3, thereby changing the position of the ink on the pixel opening 5 to achieve image display.

[0060] Specifically, when no voltage is applied to the drive electrode 2, the insulating layer 3 facilitates the spreading of the polar fluid 4 on its surface. In this case, the ink covers the entire top surface of the insulating layer 3, and the pixel opening 5 takes on the color of the ink. When a voltage is applied to the drive electrode 2, the electrowetting effect changes the wettability of the surface of the insulating layer 3. At this point, squeezed by the polar fluid 4, the ink moves to the edge of the pixel opening 5, and the entire pixel opening 5 takes on the color of the bottom of the pixel opening 5.

[0061] For example, when a reflective layer is provided on the side of the pixel opening 5 close to the first substrate 1, the reflective layer can be used to reflect ambient light to achieve display. When a backlight source is provided on the side of the first substrate 1 away from the pixel opening 5, the backlight light can be emitted to the external environment through the polar fluid 4 to achieve display.

[0062] In some embodiments, multiple inks of different colors may be provided on the array substrate 100. When the array substrate 100 has multiple pixel openings 5, each pixel opening 5 may contain ink of a different color. By driving inks of different colors to move within the pixel openings 5, a color display effect may be achieved.

[0063] like Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, the insulating layer 3 may include a plurality of microstructures 31 . The microstructure 31 may include a first sub-portion 32 and a second sub-portion 33 . The first sub-portion 32 is located on a side of the second sub-portion 33 away from the first substrate 1 and is configured to support the polar fluid 4 in the pixel opening 5 .

[0064] The second subsections 33 between adjacent microstructures 31 are connected, and there is a gap between the first subsections 32 between adjacent microstructures 31. The top gap between adjacent first subsections 32 is a target gap, which is configured to have a gap between the second subsection 33 while the polar fluid 4 is supported by the first subsection 32.

[0065] In the present disclosure, the top end of the first sub-portion 32 refers to an end of the first sub-portion 32 away from the second sub-portion 33 .

[0066] It should be understood that if the polar fluid 4 contacts the rough surface of the insulating layer 3, the polar fluid 4 completely fills the microscopic concave-convex structure on the surface of the insulating layer 3, and the actual contact area between the polar fluid 4 and the surface of the insulating layer 3 is greater than the apparent contact area. In this state, the polar fluid 4 and the surface of the insulating layer 3 have high adhesion (that is, the polar fluid 4 is in a Wenzel wetting state). When no voltage is applied to the drive electrode 2, that is, when the polar fluid 4 is in a static wetting state, the contact interface between the polar fluid 4 and the insulating layer 3 maintains a high hysteresis wetting state, and the polar fluid 4 is difficult to separate from the surface of the insulating layer 3. If the polar fluid 4 contacts the rough surface of the insulating layer 3, the polar fluid 4 does not completely fill the microscopic concave-convex structure on the surface of the insulating layer 3. In this state, there is low adhesion between the polar fluid 4 and the surface of the insulating layer 3 (that is, the polar fluid 4 is in the Cassie-Baxter wetting state). During static wetting, the contact interface between the polar fluid 4 and the insulating layer 3 maintains a low hysteresis wetting state, and the polar fluid 4 can be easily transported quickly on the surface of the insulating layer 3.

[0067] The embodiment of the present disclosure sets a plurality of microstructures 31 in the insulating layer 3 and utilizes the contact line force generated by the densely arranged plurality of first sub-sections 32 on the polar fluid 4 to overcome the gravity of the portion of the polar fluid 4 not supported by the first sub-section 32. The polar fluid 4 forms a liquid bridge on the first sub-section 32, and the air is trapped in the gap between the adjacent first sub-sections 32, forming a three-phase composite interface of liquid, solid and air. This can improve the problem of the polar fluid 4 completely switching from the Cassie-Baxter wetting state to the Wenzel wetting state due to the contact between the polar fluid 4 and the second sub-section 33, and then the polar fluid 4 can still maintain a low hysteresis wetting state of the static wetting contact interface, so as to reduce the driving voltage for driving the polar fluid 4 to move on the insulating layer 3 and increase the driving speed of the polar fluid 4. While reducing the energy consumption of the array substrate 100, it can also increase the refresh rate of the display screen. For details, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown.

[0068] In some embodiments, the microstructure 31 of the insulating layer 3 can be made by combining ultrafast laser ablation and chemical oxidation, which has a low preparation cost. The insulating layer 3 produced is highly practical and has wide applicability. It can be used in reflective display panels such as electronic paper or transmissive display panels to better improve the problem of the polar fluid 4 in the array substrate 100 in the display panel completely turning to a high-hysteresis Wenzel wetting state.

[0069] In some embodiments, the gap between adjacent first sub-sections 32 increases in the direction away from the second sub-section 33. Therefore, under the same cross-sectional area, compared with the insulating layer 3 whose contact surface with the polar fluid 4 is a plane, the first sub-section 32 in the embodiment of the present disclosure can increase the contact surface between the polar fluid 4 and the microstructure 31 to increase the supporting performance of the first sub-section 32 for the polar fluid 4. At the same time, it can also reduce or avoid the risk of contact between the polar fluid 4 and the second sub-section 33 by reducing the size of the gap between adjacent first sub-sections 32 at one end close to the second sub-section 33, thereby improving the problem of the polar fluid 4 completely turning to the Wenzel wetting state, so that the polar fluid 4 maintains a low hysteresis wetting state of the static wetting contact interface, thereby reducing the driving voltage for driving the polar fluid 4 to move on the insulating layer 3, and increasing the driving speed of the polar fluid 4.

[0070] For example, the top surface of the first sub-portion 32 in the embodiment of the present disclosure may be an arc surface, and the top surface of the first sub-portion 32 is convex in a direction away from the second sub-portion 33 .

[0071] It should be noted that the top surface of the first sub-portion 32 refers to a surface of the first sub-portion 32 away from the second sub-portion 33 .

[0072] Compared with making the top surface of the first sub-section 32 a prism or cone, the embodiment of the present disclosure makes the top surface of the first sub-section 32 a curved surface that convexly extends away from the second sub-section 33. The curved surface can be used to increase the contact line force of the first sub-section 32 on the polar fluid 4 under the same cross-sectional area, thereby improving the contact problem between the polar fluid 4 and the second sub-section 33.

[0073] The embodiment of the present disclosure can also utilize the curved surface to enhance the smoothness of the contact surface between the polar fluid 4 and the insulating layer 3, so that the polar fluid 4 has a lower hysteresis force when moving, thereby reducing the driving voltage for driving the polar fluid 4 to move and increasing the driving speed of the polar fluid 4, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the array substrate 100 and increasing the refresh rate of the display screen, while also improving the problem of ink residue when the polar fluid 4 moves.

[0074] For example, if the surface of the insulating layer 3 in contact with the polar fluid 4 is relatively rough, the polar fluid 4 will not move smoothly on the surface of the insulating layer 3, which may cause some ink to fail to move to the edge of the pixel opening 5 under the push of the polar fluid 4, resulting in poor display uniformity. The embodiments of the present disclosure can utilize the curved surface between the insulating layer 3 and the polar fluid 4 to enhance the smoothness of the contact surface between the polar fluid 4 and the insulating layer 3, thereby improving display uniformity.

[0075] Furthermore, it should be understood that within the pixel opening 5, the polar fluid 4 on the surface of the insulating layer 3 surrounded by gas forms a contact angle. Due to the difference in the contact angle of the polar fluid 4 when transitioning from static wetting to electrowetting after a voltage is applied to the drive electrode 2, this difference can cause an imbalance in the surface tension of the polar fluid 4. The first subsection 32 of the present disclosure can increase the difference in contact angle formed when the polar fluid 4 transitions from static wetting to electrowetting, thereby increasing the imbalance in the surface tension of the polar fluid 4. This can help reduce the drive voltage for driving the polar fluid 4 and increase the drive speed of the polar fluid 4.

[0076] For example, if Figure 6 As shown, assuming that the surface where the insulating layer 3 in the related art contacts the polar fluid 4 is a horizontal plane, in static wetting, the contact angle of the polar fluid 4 is defined as θ, and θ satisfies: θ>90°. When a voltage is applied to the driving electrode 2, a part of the polar fluid 4 begins to enter the electrowetting state, and the contact angle of this part of the polar fluid 4 changes. The contact angle of the polar fluid 4 after the change is defined as θ(V), where θ(V) satisfies: θ(V)<90°, while the contact angles of other polar fluids 4 that are not affected by the electrowetting effect still maintain θ>90°. When the polar fluid 4 contacts the electrowetting state from the static wetting state, the difference in the contact angle is defined as Δθ, then Δθ=|θ(V)-θ|.

[0077] like Figure 7 As shown, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the contact angle of the polar fluid 4 during static wetting is defined as θr. The contact angle after the polar fluid 4 changes becomes θr(V). When the polar fluid 4 transitions from the static wetting state to the electrowetting state, the difference in the contact angle of the polar fluid 4 is Δθr, where θr>90°, θr(V)<90°, and Δθr=|θ(V)-θ|. Because the top surface of the first sub-portion 32 in contact with the polar fluid 4 in the embodiment of the present disclosure is a curved surface, in the static wetting state, the contact angle of the polar fluid 4 in the present application is greater than that in the technical solution in which the surface of the insulating layer 3 in contact with the polar fluid 4 is a horizontal surface, that is, θr>θ>90°. Furthermore, when the polar fluid 4 begins to enter the electrowetting state, the degree of change in the contact angle of the polar fluid 4 is greater than the degree of change in the partial contact angle θ(V) when the material surface is flat, that is, 90°>θ(V)>θr(V).

[0078] It can be seen that the contact angle difference Δθr in the embodiment of the present disclosure satisfies: Δθr=|θr(V)-θr|>Δθ=|θ(V)-θ|, that is, compared with the technical solution in which the surface in contact with the insulating layer 3 and the polar fluid 4 is a horizontal plane, the embodiment of the present disclosure increases the imbalance of the static surface tension of the polar fluid 4 when entering the electrowetting state by setting the top surface of the first sub-portion 32 as an arc surface convexly set in the direction away from the first sub-portion 32, so that the unbalanced static surface tension can be used to drive the polar fluid 4 to move on the insulating layer 3, and the driving voltage for driving the polar fluid 4 to move can be reduced, and the driving speed of the polar fluid 4 can be increased, thereby reducing the driving energy consumption and improving the refresh rate of the display screen.

[0079] Specifically, taking the insulating layer 3 made of polytetrafluoroethylene as an example: when the surface in contact with the polar fluid 4 is horizontal, the contact angle θ of the polar fluid 4 in the static wetting state is approximately 110°, and the contact angle θ(V) decreases to approximately 55° when the polar fluid enters the electrowetting state. When the insulating layer 3 is configured as in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the contact angle θr of the polar fluid 4 in the static wetting state is greater than 150°, and the contact angle θr(V) decreases to approximately 50° when the polar fluid enters the electrowetting state. Therefore, when the preparation material of the insulating layer 3 is the same, compared with the technical solution in which the surface in contact between the insulating layer 3 and the polar fluid 4 is a horizontal surface, the embodiment of the present disclosure sets the top surface of the first sub-portion 32 as an arc surface protruding in the direction away from the first sub-portion 32. When the polar fluid 4 enters the electrowetting state from the static wetting state, the imbalance of the static surface tension of the polar fluid 4 can be increased, thereby reducing the driving voltage for driving the polar fluid 4 to move, increasing the driving speed of the polar fluid 4, and then reducing the driving energy consumption and improving the refresh rate of the display screen.

[0080] The sizes of the microstructures 31 in the embodiment of the present disclosure are all at nanometer level.

[0081] like Figure 3 As shown, the width of the target gap is defined as L. The width L of the target gap is the size of the target gap in the horizontal direction X.

[0082] In some embodiments, the width L of the target gap may satisfy: 0.25 um≤L≤5 um.

[0083] For example, the value of the width L of the target gap can be: 0.25um, 0.5um, 1um, 1.25um, 1.5um, 1.75um, 2um, 2.25um, 2.5um, 2.75um, 3um, 3.25um, 3.5um, 3.75um, 4um, 4.25um, 4.5um, 4.75um, 5um, but is not limited to this. The value of the width L of the target gap can also be other values besides the above, which can be determined according to actual conditions.

[0084] The embodiment of the present disclosure can improve the problem of the polar fluid 4 directly contacting the second sub-section 33 due to the width L of the target gap being too large by limiting the value range of the width L of the target gap. At the same time, it can also improve the problem of the insulating layer 3 having high preparation precision requirements and greater preparation difficulty due to the width L of the target gap being too small.

[0085] like Figure 3 As shown, the height of the first sub-section 32 is defined as H1. The height of the first sub-section 32 is the dimension of the first sub-section 32 in the vertical direction Z.

[0086] In some embodiments, the height H1 of the first sub-portion 32 may satisfy the following range: 2L≤H1≤4L.

[0087] Specifically, when the width L of the target gap satisfies: 0.25 um≤L≤5 um, the value range of the height H1 of the first sub-portion 32 may satisfy: 0.5 um≤H1≤20 um.

[0088] For example, the value of the height H1 of the first sub-section 32 can be: 0.5um, 1um, 2um, 3um, 4um, 5um, 6um, 7um, 8um, 9um, 10um, 11um, 12um, 13um, 14um, 15um, 16um, 17um, 18um, 19um, 20um, but is not limited to this. The value of the height H1 of the first sub-section 32 can also be other values besides the above, which can be determined according to actual conditions.

[0089] By limiting the range of values for the height H1 of the first sub-portion 32, the disclosed embodiment can address the problem of insufficient contact surface area between the top surface of the first sub-portion 32 and the polar fluid 4 due to the height H1 of the first sub-portion 32 being too small, and insufficient contact line force exerted by the first sub-portion 32 on the polar fluid 4. This can lead to contact between the polar fluid 4 and the second sub-portion 33, and the polar fluid 4 completely transitioning to a high-hysteresis Wenzel wetting state, resulting in a slow driving speed of the polar fluid 4 on the insulating layer 3 and requiring a higher voltage to drive the polar fluid 4. This can reduce the energy consumption of driving the polar fluid 4 and improve the refresh rate of the display. Furthermore, by limiting the range of values for the height H1 of the first sub-portion 32, the disclosed embodiment can address the problem of high precision requirements and difficulty in preparing the insulating layer 3 due to an excessively large height H1 of the first sub-portion 32.

[0090] like Figure 3 As shown, the width of the second sub-portion 33 is defined as d. The width d of the second sub-portion 33 is the size of the second sub-portion 33 in the horizontal direction X.

[0091] In some embodiments, the value range of the target gap width L may satisfy: 0<L≤d.

[0092] That is, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the width L of the target gap can be equal to or similar to the width d of the second sub-section 33, so as to increase the top surface area of the first sub-section 32, and then increase the contact line force of the first sub-section 32 on the polar fluid 4, so as to improve the contact between the polar fluid 4 and the second sub-section 33 and completely turn to the Wenzel wetting state. At the same time, the embodiment of the present disclosure can also enable the polar fluid 4 to have a larger apparent contact angle in both the static wetting state and the electrowetting state, thereby improving the driving performance of the polar fluid 4 and reducing the driving voltage for driving the polar fluid 4 to move, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the array substrate 100 and improving the refresh rate of the display.

[0093] like Figure 3 As shown, a height H2 of the second sub-section 33 is defined. The height of the second sub-section 33 is the size of the second sub-section 33 in the vertical direction Z.

[0094] In some embodiments, the height H2 of the second sub-portion 33 may satisfy the following range: 0.25 um≤H2≤2 um.

[0095] For example, the height H2 of the second sub-portion 33 can be: 0.25um, 0.5um, 1um, 1.25um, 1.5um, 1.75um, 2um, but is not limited thereto. The height H2 of the second sub-portion 33 can also be other values besides the above, which can be determined according to actual conditions.

[0096] The embodiment of the present disclosure limits the value range of the height H2 of the second sub-portion 33, thereby improving the problem that the insulating layer 3 is too thin as a whole and the capacitance of the insulating layer 3 is too large due to the height H2 of the second sub-portion 3 being too small, which makes the insulating layer 3 easily break down under high voltage and causes the drive electrode 2 to short-circuit or fail. At the same time, it can also improve the problem that the insulating layer 3 is too thick and the capacitance of the insulating layer 3 is too small due to the height H2 of the second sub-portion 33 being too large, which results in a higher voltage being required to be applied to the drive electrode 2 to achieve the same contact angle change of the polar fluid 4, thereby increasing the power consumption of the array substrate 100.

[0097] like Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the pixel opening 5 may include a central region 51 and an edge region 52 surrounding the central region 51. The top ends of the first sub-portions 32 located on the central region 51 are flush with each other, and the top ends of the first sub-portions 32 located on the edge region 52 are lower than the top ends of the first sub-portions 32 located on the central region 51.

[0098] It should be noted that in the relevant array substrate 100, the surface of the insulating layer 3 within the pixel opening 5 is horizontal. When a voltage is applied to the drive electrode 2, due to the amorphous nature of the polar fluid 4, the electrode cannot accurately control the direction of movement and edge morphology of the polar fluid 4. As a result, the direction of movement and the final accumulation position of the ink within the pixel opening 5 after rupture are uncontrollable, resulting in display uniformity issues. Moreover, when the ink accumulates at the corners of the pixel opening 5 and the voltage on the drive electrode 2 is removed, the ink will spontaneously re-spread the pixel opening 5 due to capillary forces.

[0099] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the top of the first sub-portion 32 located on the central area 51 is made flush, and the top of the first sub-portion 32 located on the edge area 52 is made lower than the top of the first sub-portion 32 located on the central area 51, so as to utilize the height difference formed by the microstructure 31 between the central area 51 and the edge area 52 to provide a structural physical constraint on the edge morphology of the ink and the polar fluid 4, thereby strengthening the control over the final aggregation position of the ink after rupture, thereby improving display uniformity.

[0100] Moreover, since the microstructure 31 in the embodiment of the present disclosure forms a height difference between the central area 51 and the edge area 52, when all the ink is accumulated in the edge area 52, the voltage on the driving electrode 2 is removed, and the ink needs to climb upward to spontaneously re-cover the pixel opening 5, which makes it more difficult for the ink to cover the pixel opening 5, thereby improving the bistable performance of the display device made using the array substrate 100 of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0101] In addition, since the edge area 52 is arranged around the outer periphery of the central area 51, under the action of the driving electrode 2, the polar fluid 4 can drive the ink toward the corresponding adjacent edge area 52. Compared with the technical solution of moving the entire ink toward a certain corner area of the pixel opening 5, the embodiment of the present disclosure can reduce the moving distance of the polar fluid 4 and the ink, which can then help to improve the driving speed of the polar fluid 4 and the ink, and can help to improve the refresh rate of the display screen.

[0102] For example, in some embodiments, the tops of the first sub-portions 32 located in the edge region 52 may be flush, and the tops of the first sub-portions 32 located in the edge are lower than the tops of the first sub-portions 32 located in the central region 51 .

[0103] However, in some embodiments, the top of the first sub-portion 32 located on the edge is lower than the top of the first sub-portion 32 located on the central region 51. Furthermore, the top of the first sub-portion 32 located on the edge region 52 may decrease in height as it moves away from the central region 51. In this case, a gentle depression may form at the top of the first sub-portion 32 in the edge region 52. When a voltage is applied to the drive electrode 2, the gentle depression formed in the edge region 52 can provide a structural physical constraint on the edge morphology of the polar fluid 4 and the ink, thereby enhancing control over the final aggregation location of the ink after breakage and improving display uniformity. Furthermore, because the height of the edge region 52 decreases as it moves away from the central region 51, when the ink enters the electrowetting state, the gentle depression in the edge region 52 and its own gravity can cause the ink to move toward the edge region 52 along the top of the first sub-portion 32. This can reduce the driving voltage required to drive the polar fluid 4 and increase the driving rate of the polar fluid 4.

[0104] Furthermore, after the ink has completely accumulated in the gentle depressions, the voltage is removed. Because the gentle depressions formed in the edge regions 52 of the present embodiment reduce the difficulty of the ink spontaneously reapplying to fill the pixel openings 5, the bistability of the display device fabricated using the array substrate 100 of the present embodiment is improved. Furthermore, because the height of the top of the first sub-portion 32 located in the edge regions 52 decreases as it moves away from the central region 51, the problem of weakened driving performance caused by the large height difference between the top of the first sub-portion 32 in the edge regions 52 and the top of the first sub-portion 32 in the central region 51, which results in the inability of the ink to reapply to fill the pixel openings 5 after the voltage on the drive electrode 2 is removed, can be alleviated.

[0105] like Figure 9As shown, when the height of the top of the first sub-portion 32 located on the edge area 52 decreases in the direction away from the central area 51, the angle between the line between the tops of multiple first sub-portions 32 located on the edge area 52 and the horizontal plane is defined as α.

[0106] In some embodiments, the angle α between the line connecting the top ends of the plurality of first sub-portions 32 located on the edge region 52 and the horizontal plane may be in the range of 5°-30°.

[0107] For example, the value of the angle α between the line connecting the top ends of the multiple first sub-portions 32 located on the edge area 52 and the horizontal plane can be: 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, but is not limited to this. The value of the angle α can also be other values besides the above, which can be determined according to actual conditions.

[0108] The embodiment of the present disclosure can improve the problem that the ink cannot or is difficult to be re-spread on the pixel opening 5 after the voltage on the driving electrode 2 is removed due to the value of α being too large by limiting the value of the angle α between the horizontal plane and the line connecting the top ends of the multiple first sub-portions 32 located on the edge area 52. At the same time, it can also improve the problem that the edge morphology of the polar fluid 4 cannot be effectively controlled due to the value of α being too small.

[0109] In some embodiments, the width of the cross section of the edge region 52 may be 1 / 10-1 / 3 of the width of the cross section of the pixel opening 5 .

[0110] Taking the cross section of the pixel opening 5 as an example, the width of the cross section of the pixel opening 5 as a whole is L2, the cross section of the central area 51 can be a square with a width of L1, the edge area 52 is arranged around the central area 51, and the inner ring width of the cross section of the edge area 52 can be equal to L1, the outer ring width of the cross section of the edge area 52 can be L2, and the width of the cross section of the edge area 52 can be L3. At this time, L1, L2, and L3 satisfy: L3 = (L2-2*L1), and (1 / 10)*(L2)≤L3≤(1 / 3)*(L2). For details, please refer to Figure 10 shown.

[0111] The embodiment of the present disclosure can improve the problem that the edge area 52 is difficult to completely accommodate the ink due to the small width of the cross section of the edge area 52, and thus it is difficult to limit the edge morphology of the polar fluid 4 and the ink through the pits formed in the edge area 52 by limiting the width of the cross section of the edge area 52. At the same time, it can also improve the problem that the pixel opening rate 5 is small due to the large width of the cross section of the edge area 52, thereby reducing the display effect.

[0112] In some embodiments, the pixel opening 5 may include a plurality of evenly distributed sub-regions, each of which is at least partially located in the central region 51 and the edge region 52. The driving electrode 2 may include a plurality of spaced sub-electrodes 21, each of which corresponds to a sub-region in a one-to-one manner, and the orthographic projection of the sub-electrode 21 on the pixel opening 5 is located within the corresponding sub-region.

[0113] For example, Figure 11 As shown, when the cross-section of the pixel opening 5 is square, the pixel opening 5 may include four evenly distributed sub-regions. Adjacent sub-regions may be separated by a line connecting the center and the top corner of the pixel opening 5, and adjacent sub-electrodes 21 may be symmetrically spaced about the line connecting the center and the top corner of the pixel opening 5.

[0114] However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The cross section of the pixel opening 5 may also be in other shapes besides a square, and the specific shape may be determined according to actual conditions.

[0115] The embodiment of the present disclosure sets a plurality of evenly distributed sub-regions in the pixel opening 5 and sets a sub-electrode 21 in each sub-region. Different sub-electrodes 21 can be used to drive the polar fluid 4 and ink located on the corresponding sub-region toward the increased edge region 52 of the corresponding sub-region. This can improve the accuracy of controlling the movement direction of the polar fluid 4 and ink in the pixel opening 5, shorten the movement distance of the polar fluid 4 and ink, and improve the refresh rate of the display screen.

[0116] The voltage that can drive the polar fluid 4 to move is defined as the moving voltage V th The stage in which the polar fluid 4 drives the ink to move to the edge region 52 is defined as the start-up stage T1. In the start-up stage T1, the polar fluid 4 moves at the voltage V th Under the action of the wettability enhancement and movement, the ink in the pixel opening 5 moves at the moving voltage V th , vibrates and breaks under the action of the polar fluid 4, so that the ink can move toward the corresponding edge area 52 under the drive of the polar fluid 4.

[0117] It should be noted that in the array substrate 100 in the related art, the voltage on the driving electrode 2 corresponding to the pixel opening 5 usually rises quickly to the moving voltage V th , in the moving voltage V th Under the action of the polar fluid 4, the ink vibrates violently and moves toward the edge area 52 under the drive of the polar fluid 4 before it has time to combine or merge with adjacent oil droplets, thereby causing the problem of residual ink after some vibration splitting.

[0118] In order to solve the above technical problems, Figures 12 to 13As shown, in some embodiments, the sub-region may include a first sub-region and a second sub-region, the first sub-region may be located in the central region 51, and the second sub-region may be located in the edge region 52. The sub-electrode 21 may include a first sub-electrode 22 and a second sub-electrode 23 spaced apart from each other, the orthographic projection of the first sub-electrode 22 on the corresponding sub-region may be located in the first sub-region, and the orthographic projection of the second sub-electrode 23 on the corresponding sub-region may be located in the second sub-region.

[0119] In the startup phase T1 , the voltage on the first sub-electrode 22 in the embodiment of the present disclosure can gradually increase to the first target voltage, and the polar fluid 4 can drive the ink disposed in the pixel opening 5 to the edge region 52 under the action of the first sub-electrode 22 .

[0120] It should be noted that the first target voltage is greater than the moving voltage V th , so that the polar fluid 4 can maintain a moving state and ensure that the ink in the pixel opening 5 can move to the edge area 52 under the drive of the polar fluid 4.

[0121] The embodiment of the present disclosure allows the voltage on the first sub-electrode 22 to gradually increase to the first target voltage within the startup phase T1, so that the ink has more time to combine or merge with the adjacent ink, thereby effectively improving the problem of some ink remaining in the central area 51, and then improving the uniformity of the display. At the same time, due to the setting of the microstructure 31 in the insulating layer 3, the polar fluid 4 can maintain a low hysteresis wetting state of the static wetting contact interface, which reduces the driving voltage for driving the polar fluid 4 to move, thereby shortening the time it takes for the voltage on the first sub-electrode 22 to rise to the first target voltage. That is, compared to the related art in which the voltage on the first sub-electrode 22 is quickly raised to the moving voltage V th As for the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the technical solution of gradually increasing the voltage on the first sub-electrode 22 to the first target voltage does not increase the startup time, thereby avoiding the problem of a decrease in the driving rate of the polar fluid 4.

[0122] The stage in which the ink completely moves to the edge region 52 and remains in the edge region 52 is defined as the stable display stage T2.

[0123] At the end of the startup phase T1, the voltage on the second sub-electrode 23 is increased to the second target voltage V max , and at the same time remove the voltage on the first sub-electrode 22.

[0124] In the first part of the stable display stage T2, the voltage on the second sub-electrode 23 can be maintained at the second target voltage V max Among them, the second target voltage V maxThe second target voltage V on the second sub-electrode 23 is the voltage that can maintain the maximum aperture ratio of the pixel opening 5. max Under the action of , the ink can maintain a tendency to move away from the central area 51, so that the pixel opening 5 maintains a maximum aperture ratio.

[0125] In the latter part of the stable display stage T2, the embodiment of the present disclosure can change the voltage on the second sub-electrode 23 from the second target voltage V max The voltage drops to the grayscale voltage V0 to adjust the grayscale of the pixel opening 5. The grayscale voltage V0 refers to the voltage when the pixel opening 5 presents the desired display brightness.

[0126] It should be noted that, in the stable display stage T2, if the second sub-electrode 23 maintains the second target voltage V max Since the positive ions in the polar fluid 4 and the ink move along the direction of the electric field in the pixel opening 5 and the negative ions move in the opposite direction of the electric field, an electric field may be formed between the positive ions and the negative ions and the corresponding electrodes forming the electric field on the pixel opening 5, thereby weakening the overall electric field in the pixel opening 5 and causing part of the ink to flow back toward the central area 51. Therefore, when the second target voltage V max When the voltage drops to the grayscale voltage V0 , the polar fluid 4 and the ink may flow back to the central area 51 .

[0127] To solve the above problem, the embodiment of the present disclosure can increase the voltage on the first sub-electrode 22 to the reverse pulse voltage V after maintaining the second target voltage on the second sub-electrode 23 for a period of time. N , where the reverse pulse voltage V N The polarity of the first target voltage and the second target voltage V max The polarity of the reverse pulse voltage V N By adjusting the movement direction of the positive and negative ions in the polar fluid 4 and the ink, the problem of the electric field in the pixel opening 5 being weakened due to the interaction between the positive and negative ions in the polar fluid 4 and the ink and the corresponding electrodes can be improved, and the problem of the polar fluid 4 and the ink flowing back to the central area 51 due to the voltage drop on the second sub-electrode 23 can be improved.

[0128] In order to avoid the problem of ink flowing back to the central area 51 due to the application of the reverse pulse voltage on the first sub-electrode 22 for a long time, the embodiment of the present disclosure can apply the reverse pulse voltage V to the first sub-electrode 22 during the time when the voltage on the second sub-electrode 23 decreases. N When the voltage on the second sub-electrode 23 drops to the grayscale voltage V0, the voltage on the first sub-electrode 22 can be removed.N Afterwards, the voltage on the second sub-electrode 23 maintains the grayscale voltage V0 in the latter part of the stable display stage T2, so that the pixel opening 5 can maintain the target aperture ratio and the display image can present the desired display brightness.

[0129] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the polarity of the grayscale voltage is the same as the polarity of the first target voltage and the second target voltage, thereby ensuring that the ink can be maintained in the edge region 52 under the action of the grayscale voltage V0.

[0130] In some embodiments, the second substrate 7 may be light-transmissive. For example, the second substrate 7 may be made of light-transmissive glass.

[0131] like Figure 14 As shown, in some embodiments, the array substrate 100 may further include a pixel wall 53 . The pixel wall 53 is disposed on the driving layer and surrounds the pixel opening 5 .

[0132] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, adjacent pixel openings 5 can be separated by pixel walls 53 to strengthen the restriction on the movement range of the polar fluid 4 and the ink, reduce the problem of the polar fluid 4 diffusing and mixing between adjacent pixel openings 5, and causing color crosstalk.

[0133] The preparation material of the pixel wall 53 may include photoresist, so as to facilitate the preparation of the pixel wall 53 through photolithography processes such as exposure and development.

[0134] like Figure 15 As shown, the present disclosure further provides an electrowetting display panel 200, which may include: an opposing substrate and any array substrate 100 as described above. The opposing substrate may include a second substrate 7 and an opposing electrode 6 disposed on the second substrate 7. The opposing electrode 6 is located on a side of the second substrate 7 close to the array substrate 100 and corresponds to the drive electrode 2. Under the action of the drive electrode 2 and the opposing electrode 6, the polar fluid 4 can change the contact angle with the insulating layer 3, thereby being able to move within the pixel opening 5 and drive the ink in the pixel opening 5 to move, thereby realizing the display function of the electrowetting display panel 200.

[0135] The orthographic projection of the counter electrode 6 on the array substrate 100 can at least be disposed within the pixel opening 5 .

[0136] For example, the orthographic projection of the counter substrate on the array substrate 100 may cover the first substrate 1 , thereby reducing the difficulty of preparing the counter substrate while cooperating with the driving electrode 2 to drive the polar fluid 4 to move.

[0137] However, the embodiment of the present disclosure may also allow the orthographic projection of the opposing substrate on the array substrate 100 to cover the pixel opening 5, or allow the orthographic projection of the opposing electrode 6 on the array substrate 100 to cover the corresponding driving electrode 2, which may be set specifically according to actual conditions.

[0138] When the array substrate 100 includes the pixel wall 53 , the pixel wall 53 may be disposed between the counter electrode 6 and the driving electrode 2 to limit the movement range of the polar fluid 4 .

[0139] In the description of this specification, the terms "first," "second," etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0140] In addition, it should be noted that “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right”, etc. are only used to distinguish for the convenience of description, and do not impose directional restrictions on the embodiments of the present invention. For example, the “upper” may actually be “lower”, “left”, “right”, etc. In the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms “assembly”, “connection”, etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0141] In the description of this specification, the reference terms "some embodiments", "exemplarily", etc. mean that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and features of different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0142] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and cannot be understood as limitations on the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present application. Therefore, any changes or modifications made in accordance with the claims and description of the present application should fall within the scope of the patent application.

Claims

1. An array substrate, characterized in that: include: a first substrate; a driving layer formed on the first substrate, the driving layer comprising driving electrodes; a pixel definition layer formed on the driving layer, the pixel definition layer having pixel openings corresponding to the driving electrodes; an insulating layer, at least partially located within the pixel opening and covering the drive electrode, the insulating layer comprising a plurality of microstructures, the microstructure comprising a first sub-portion and a second sub-portion, the first sub-portion being located on a side of the second sub-portion away from the first substrate, the first sub-portion being configured to support a polar fluid within the pixel opening; the insulating layer being hydrophobic; Among them, the second sub-sections between adjacent microstructures are connected, there is a gap between the first sub-sections between adjacent microstructures, and the top gap between adjacent first sub-sections is a target gap, and the target gap is configured to have a gap between the second sub-section while the polar fluid is supported on the first sub-section.

2. The array substrate according to claim 1, wherein: In a direction away from the second sub-section, the gaps between adjacent first sub-sections increase gradually.

3. The array substrate according to claim 2, wherein: The top surface of the first sub-section is an arc surface, and the top surface of the first sub-section is convex in a direction away from the second sub-section.

4. The array substrate according to claim 1, wherein: The width of the target gap is defined as L, which satisfies the following conditions: 0.25 μm ≤ L ≤ 5 μm; where: The height of the first sub-section is H1, and satisfies: 2L≤H1≤4L; and / or, The width of the second sub-portion is d, and satisfies: 0<L≤d.

5. The array substrate according to claim 1, wherein: The pixel opening includes a central area and an edge area arranged around the central area, wherein the top of the first sub-portion located on the central area is flush, and the top of the first sub-portion located on the edge area is lower than the top of the first sub-portion located on the central area.

6. The array substrate according to claim 5, wherein: In a direction away from the central area, the height of the top end of the first sub-portion located on the edge area decreases gradually.

7. The array substrate according to claim 6, wherein: The angle between the line connecting the top ends of the plurality of first sub-portions located on the edge area and the horizontal plane is in the range of 5° to 30°.

8. The array substrate according to claim 5, wherein: The pixel opening includes a plurality of evenly distributed sub-regions, each of which is at least partially located in the central region and the edge region; the driving electrode includes a plurality of spaced-apart sub-electrodes, which are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the sub-regions, and the orthographic projection of the sub-electrode on the pixel opening is located in the corresponding sub-region.

9. The array substrate according to claim 8, wherein: The sub-region includes a first sub-region and a second sub-region, the first sub-region is located in the central region, and the second sub-region is located in the edge region. The sub-electrodes include a first sub-electrode and a second sub-electrode spaced apart from each other, wherein an orthographic projection of the first sub-electrode on the corresponding sub-region is located within the first sub-region, and an orthographic projection of the second sub-electrode on the corresponding sub-region is located within the second sub-region; When the polar fluid drives the ink disposed in the pixel opening to the edge region, the voltage on the first sub-electrode can be gradually increased to a first target voltage, which is greater than a moving voltage of the polar fluid so as to keep the polar fluid in a moving state; When the ink in the pixel opening is entirely located in the edge area, the voltage on the second sub-electrode can rise to the second target voltage, and at the same time, the voltage on the first sub-electrode is removed, so that the pixel opening maintains a maximum aperture ratio; while the voltage on the first sub-electrode rises to the reverse pulse voltage, the voltage on the second sub-electrode drops from the second target voltage to the grayscale voltage, and after the reverse pulse voltage on the first sub-electrode is removed, the voltage on the second sub-electrode maintains the grayscale voltage, so that the pixel opening maintains a target aperture ratio; the polarities of the first target voltage, the second target voltage, and the grayscale voltage are opposite to the polarity of the reverse pulse voltage.

10. An electrowetting display panel, characterized in that: include: An opposing substrate and an array substrate as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the opposing substrate includes a second substrate and an opposing electrode arranged on the second substrate, the opposing electrode is located on a side of the second substrate close to the array substrate and corresponds to the driving electrode; the polar fluid can move in the pixel opening under the action of the driving electrode and the opposing electrode.

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