A flexible display substrate, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display panel

Abstract

The present invention provides a flexible display substrate, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display panel. Among them, the flexible display substrate includes: a flexible substrate, and a plurality of insulating layers disposed on the flexible substrate. The flexible substrate includes a display area, a non-display area surrounding the display area, and a bonding area located in the non-display area. Wherein, at least one cutting channel partially surrounding the bonding area is disposed on at least one side of the bonding area; wherein, at least two insulating layers are disposed at the cutting channel, the display area is provided with the plurality of insulating layers, and a part of the plurality of insulating layers is manufactured on the same layer as the at least two insulating layers. It is used to improve the product yield of the display panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of display technologies, and particularly to a flexible display substrate, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display panel. Background Art

[0002] In the existing process of manufacturing flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, multiple OLED display panels are usually fabricated on a mother board. After the evaporation and encapsulation processes are completed, the mother board is cut into several display panels.

[0003] During the laser cutting process, all the inorganic layers corresponding to the cutting channels are retained, and only the organic layer part is designed with grooves. In this way, cracks are extremely likely to occur during the cutting process. Therefore, all the inorganic layers at the cutting channel positions are etched away. Although the generation of cracks is avoided, since all the inorganic layers are removed, when removing the rigid substrate, other film layers at the cutting channels cannot be adhered to the upper protective film and are pulled up, resulting in wrinkles. When attaching the lower protective film, fitting bubbles are generated at the cutting channel positions, and even irregular warping appears on both sides of the bonding electrodes in the bonding area, thereby causing product defects. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a flexible display substrate, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display panel, which are used to improve the product yield of the display panel.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible display substrate, including:

[0006] A flexible substrate, and a plurality of insulating layers disposed on the flexible substrate. The flexible substrate includes a display area, a non-display area surrounding the display area, and a bonding area located in the non-display area. Wherein, at least one cutting channel partially surrounding the bonding area is disposed on at least one side of the bonding area;

[0007] Wherein, at least two insulating layers are disposed at the cutting channel, the display area is provided with the plurality of insulating layers, and some of the plurality of insulating layers are fabricated on the same layer as the at least two insulating layers.

[0008] In a possible implementation manner, the plurality of insulating layers include a support layer, a buffer layer, a first gate insulating layer, a second gate insulating layer, an interlayer insulating layer, a planarization layer, a pixel definition layer, and a thin film encapsulation layer, which are sequentially disposed away from the flexible substrate.

[0009] In a possible implementation manner, the at least two insulating layers include at least one of the support layer and the buffer layer and the planarization layer, which are sequentially disposed away from the flexible substrate.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the thickness range of the support layer and the buffer layer at the scribe line is 5000 angstroms to 8000 angstroms, and the thickness direction of the support layer and the buffer layer is along the direction perpendicular to the plane where the flexible substrate is located.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the multi-layer insulating layer further includes a passivation layer located between the interlayer insulating layer and the planarization layer, and the at least two insulating layers include the passivation layer and the planarization layer sequentially arranged away from the flexible substrate.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the thickness range of the passivation layer is 1500 angstroms to 2000 angstroms, and the thickness direction of the passivation layer is along the direction perpendicular to the plane where the flexible substrate is located.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the portion of the passivation layer at the scribe line is disconnected from other portions.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the multi-layer insulating layer further includes a touch protection layer on the side of the thin film encapsulation layer away from the flexible substrate, and the at least two insulating layers include the planarization layer and the touch protection layer sequentially arranged away from the flexible substrate.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the thickness of the planarization layer at the scribe line is less than the thickness of the planarization layer in the display area.

[0016] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a display panel, including:

[0017] The flexible display substrate as described above.

[0018] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a manufacturing method of the flexible display substrate as described above, including:

[0019] Placing a mother board including the flexible substrate on a rigid substrate;

[0020] Forming the multi-layer insulating layer on the flexible substrate;

[0021] Etching a part of the multi-layer insulating layer to form a pattern including the at least two insulating layers at each scribe line of the mother board;

[0022] Adopting a laser lift-off technology to peel the rigid substrate from the flexible substrate;

[0023] Attaching a protective film to the side of the flexible substrate away from the multi-layer insulating layer;

[0024] Cutting the mother board into a plurality of flexible display substrates along the scribe line.

[0025] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0026] An embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible display substrate, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display panel. The flexible display substrate includes a flexible substrate and a plurality of insulating layers disposed on the flexible substrate. The flexible substrate includes a display area, a non-display area surrounding the display area, and a bonding area located in the non-display area. At least one dicing channel partially surrounding the bonding area is provided on at least one side of the bonding area. At least two insulating layers are provided at each dicing channel, and the plurality of insulating layers are provided in the display area, and a part of the plurality of insulating layers is manufactured on the same layer as the at least two insulating layers. In this way, the thickness of at least two insulating layers retained at the dicing channel position of the flexible display substrate is less than the thickness of the plurality of insulating layers retained at the display area position. In this case, during the cutting along the dicing channel, not only the generation of cracks is avoided, but also because a part of the insulating layer is retained, the stress at the dicing channel position is enhanced. After removing a rigid substrate such as glass, the flatness of the surface of the adhered protective film is ensured, and the generation of adhered bubbles at the dicing channel is avoided. Even on both sides of the bonding electrode in the bonding area, irregular warping is effectively avoided, thereby improving the product yield of the display panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible OLED at the dicing channel position in the related art;

[0028] Figure 2 is for removing Figure 1 a schematic structural diagram of wrinkles generated on the surface of the flexible substrate after the glass substrate in;

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible display substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 is for Figure 3 a schematic diagram of one of the distributions of the display area, non-display area, and bonding area in the flexible display substrate shown;

[0031] Figure 5 is for Figure 3 a schematic diagram of one of the distributions of the display area, non-display area, and bonding area in the flexible display substrate shown;

[0032] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of one of the display areas of a flexible display substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7A schematic diagram of one of the structures for arranging the insulating layer at the scribe line in a flexible display substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of one of the structures for arranging the insulating layer at the scribe line in a flexible display substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention by using a second implementation manner;

[0035] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of one of the structures of a flexible display substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention in a display area;

[0036] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of one of the structures for arranging the insulating layer at the scribe line in a flexible display substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention by using a third implementation manner;

[0037] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of one of the structures of a flexible display substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention in a display area;

[0038] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of one of the structures for arranging the insulating layer at the scribe line in a flexible display substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention by using a fourth implementation manner;

[0039] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of one of the structures of a flexible display substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention in a display area;

[0040] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of one of the structures of a flexible display substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention in a display area;

[0041] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of one of the structures of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of one of the structures of a display device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 17 A flowchart of a manufacturing method of a flexible display substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0045] 01 - First flexible substrate layer; 02 - Second flexible substrate layer; 03 - First support layer; 04 - Second support layer; 05 - Inorganic layer; 06 - Upper protective film; 07 - Glass substrate; 08 - Other film layers; 1 - Flexible substrate; 2 - Insulating layer; 3 - Cutting channel; 4 - Support layer; 5 - Buffer layer; 6 - Active layer; 7 - First gate insulating layer; 8 - First gate layer; 9 - Second gate insulating layer; 10 - Second gate layer; 11 - Interlayer insulating layer; 12 - Source-drain layer; 13 - Planarization layer; 14 - Pixel defining layer; 15 - Anode layer; 16 - Light-emitting layer; 17 - Cathode layer; 18 - Thin film encapsulation layer; 19 - Composite film layer; 20 - Passivation layer; 21 - Touch protection layer; 22 - Touch function layer; 221 - First metal layer; 222 - Second metal layer; 220 - Touch insulating layer; 23 - Touch buffer layer; 24 - Protective film; 101 - First flexible base layer; 102 - Second flexible base layer; 103 - Another support layer; 30 - Flexible display substrate; 31 - Cover plate; 40 - Display panel. Detailed implementation manner

[0046] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. And, without conflict, the embodiments in the present invention and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the described embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0047] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the present invention shall have the ordinary meanings understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. The terms "including" or "comprising" used in the present invention and the like mean that the elements or items appearing before this word cover the elements or items listed after this word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or items.

[0048] It should be noted that the sizes and shapes of the various figures in the drawings do not reflect the true proportions, and the purpose is only to schematically illustrate the content of the present invention. And the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements or elements with the same or similar functions throughout.

[0049] In the related art, in the process of manufacturing a flexible OLED, it is often necessary to remove a rigid substrate, such as a glass substrate, and use a flexible substrate as the substrate. To protect the flexible substrate from damage, it is necessary to attach a flexible protective film before and after removing the rigid substrate. For example, in combination with Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, when using a double - layer flexible substrate layer (the first flexible substrate layer 01 and the second flexible substrate layer 02) and a double - layer support layer (the first support layer 03 and the second support layer 04) to prepare a flexible substrate, the inorganic layer 05 and the second support layer 04 on the surface of the second flexible substrate layer 02 at the cutting track position (shown as the dotted line L in the figure) of laser cutting are completely etched away. For example, the etching thickness is 15,000 angstroms. Only the first flexible substrate layer 01, the first support layer 03, and the second flexible substrate layer 02 exist at the cutting track position. Along the direction perpendicular to the plane where the first flexible substrate layer 01 is located, the film layer thickness at the cutting track is lower than that on both sides of the cutting track. Since the adhesion of the upper protective film (TPF) 06 is 1.1 gf / 25 mm, its adhesion is often low. When the glass substrate 07 is removed by laser, the internal stress of the display panel is released, and the film layer at the cutting track cannot be adhered to the upper protective film 06 and is pulled up, generating wrinkles as shown in Figure 2 shown (as shown by the dotted box a). In addition, Figure 1 and Figure 2 in the flexible OLED, in addition to the above - mentioned film layers, there are other film layers, which are represented by the label 08. In this case, after attaching the lower protective film, fitting bubbles will be generated at the wrinkle position, especially irregular warping will occur on both sides of the bonding electrodes in the bonding area, resulting in product defects.

[0050] In view of this, the embodiments of the present invention provide a flexible display substrate, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display panel, which are used to avoid the fitting bubbles between the lower protective film and the flexible substrate at the cutting track position, improve the irregular warping on both sides of the bonding electrodes in the bonding area, and improve the product yield of the display panel.

[0051] As Figure 3 shown, a flexible display substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0052] A flexible substrate 1, and a multi - layer insulating layer 2 disposed on the flexible substrate 1. The flexible substrate 1 includes a display area A, a non - display area B surrounding the display area A, and a bonding area C located in the non - display area B. Among them, at least one cutting track 3 partially surrounding the bonding area C is disposed on at least one side of the bonding area C;

[0053] Among them, at least two insulating layers are disposed at the cutting track 3, the display area A is provided with the multi - layer insulating layer, and some of the multi - layer insulating layers are fabricated on the same layer as the at least two insulating layers.

[0054] In the embodiment of the present invention, the flexible substrate 1 can be Figure 1 and Figure 2The structure including two flexible substrate layers shown can also be a structure including three flexible substrate layers, or a structure including one flexible substrate layer and one support layer, which is not limited herein. Among them, the flexible substrate layer can be made of polyimide (PI).

[0055] In a specific implementation process, the flexible display substrate includes the flexible substrate 1 and multiple insulating layers disposed on the flexible substrate 1. The flexible substrate 1 includes a display area A, a non-display area B surrounding the display area A, and a bonding area C located in the non-display area B. Among them, at least one dicing channel 3 partially surrounding the bonding area C is disposed on at least one side of the bonding area C. One schematic diagram of the distribution of the display area A, the non-display area B, and the bonding area C can be as Figure 4 shown, or can also be as Figure 5 shown. Of course, the specific distribution of the display area A, the non-display area B, and the bonding area C can be set according to actual application needs, which is not limited herein. In addition, the at least one dicing channel 3 partially surrounding the bonding area C is disposed on the periphery of the bonding area C. The width of each dicing channel 3 in the at least one dicing channel 3 can be set by those skilled in the art according to actual applications, and the specific number of the at least one dicing channel 3 can be determined according to actual applications. Figure 4 and Figure 5 respectively show the case where the number of dicing channels 3 is two, which is not limited herein.

[0056] In a specific implementation process, at least two insulating layers are disposed at the dicing channel 3. Each insulating layer in the at least two insulating layers can be an organic insulating layer or an inorganic insulating layer, which is not limited herein. The display area A is provided with the multiple insulating layers, and some of the multiple insulating layers are fabricated on the same layer as the at least two insulating layers. In this way, the thickness of the at least two insulating layers at the dicing channel 3 is less than the thickness of the multiple insulating layers in the display area A. In this case, during the cutting along the dicing channel 3, not only the generation of cracks is avoided, but also due to the existence of the at least two insulating layers at the dicing channel 3, the stress at the position of the dicing channel 3 is enhanced. After removing a rigid substrate such as glass, the flatness of the surface of the adhered protective film is ensured, and the generation of adhered bubbles at the dicing channel 3 is avoided. Even on both sides of the bonding electrodes in the bonding area C, irregular warping can be effectively avoided, thereby improving the manufacturing yield of the flexible display substrate.

[0057] It should be noted that the "same layer" in the embodiments of the present invention can refer to the film layers on the same structural layer. For example, the film layers on the same layer can be formed by the same film-forming process to form the relevant film layers, and then a single patterning process is used to pattern the film layers through a single mask plate to form a layer structure with a specific pattern. According to the different specific patterns, the single patterning process can include multiple exposure, development, or etching processes. The specific patterns in the formed layer structure can be continuous or discontinuous, and these specific patterns can also be at different heights or have different thicknesses, which can be specifically set according to actual application needs.

[0058] In the embodiments of the present invention, as Figure 6 shown is a schematic structural diagram of one of the flexible display substrates in the display area A. The display area A includes a support layer 4, a buffer layer 5, an active layer 6, a first gate insulating layer 7, a first gate layer 8, a second gate insulating layer 9, a second gate layer 10, an interlayer insulating layer 11, a source-drain layer 12, a planarization layer 13, a pixel defining layer 14, an anode layer 15, a light-emitting layer 16, a cathode layer 17, and a thin film encapsulation layer (Thin Film Encapsulation, TFE) 18, which are sequentially arranged away from the flexible substrate 1. The display area A may further include other film layers, and the relevant film layers will not be elaborated here. Correspondingly, the multi-layer insulating layer 2 located in the display area A includes the support layer 4, the buffer layer 5, the first gate insulating layer 7, the second gate insulating layer 9, the interlayer insulating layer 11, the planarization layer 13, the pixel defining layer 14, and the thin film encapsulation layer 18, which are sequentially arranged away from the flexible substrate 1. Among them, the thin film encapsulation layer effectively isolates external water and oxygen, ensuring the use performance of the flexible display substrate.

[0059] In the embodiments of the present invention, when the relevant film layers shown in Figure 6 are included in the display area A, the insulating layer structure at the cutting channel 3 can be set in the following four implementation manners, but is not limited to the following four implementation manners. Other implementation manners can also be adopted to set the insulating layer structure at the cutting channel 3 according to actual application needs, which will not be limited here.

[0060] In the specific implementation process, the at least two insulating layers include at least one of the support layer 4 and the buffer layer 5 and the planarization layer 13, which are sequentially arranged away from the flexible substrate 1. As Figure 7 shown is a schematic structural diagram under the first implementation manner. The at least two insulating layers include the support layer 4, the buffer layer 5, and the planarization layer 13, which are sequentially arranged away from the flexible substrate 1. Among them, Figure 7Reference numeral 19 indicates a composite film layer, and the specific structure of the composite film layer 19 can be set according to the relevant film layers in the display area A. For example, the composite film layer 19 includes the first gate insulating layer 7, the second gate insulating layer 9, and the interlayer insulating layer 11 that are sequentially arranged away from the flexible substrate 1. Of course, it can also include other film layer structures, which will not be elaborated here. In this way, the support layer 4, the buffer layer 5, and the planarization layer 13 that are sequentially arranged away from the flexible substrate 1 are retained at the dicing channel 3. Due to the presence of the support layer 4, the buffer layer 5, and the planarization layer 13 at the dicing channel 3, the stress at the position of the dicing channel 3 is enhanced. Even after removing a rigid substrate such as glass, the flatness of the surface of the bonding protective film can still be ensured, thereby avoiding the generation of bonding bubbles at the dicing channel 3 and improving the manufacturing yield of the flexible display substrate.

[0061] In the specific implementation process, still referring to Figure 7 as shown, the thickness range of the support layer 4 and the buffer layer 5 at the dicing channel 3 is 5000 Å to 8000 Å. The thickness directions of the support layer 4 and the buffer layer 5 are along the direction perpendicular to the plane where the flexible substrate 1 is located. The thicknesses of the support layer 4 and the buffer layer 5 are as shown by reference numeral d in Figure 7 . Correspondingly, the thickness of the multi-layer insulating layer provided in the display area A can be 15000 Å. In the specific implementation process, the specific thicknesses of the support layer 4 and the buffer layer 5 at the dicing channel 3, and the thickness of the multi-layer insulating layer in the display area A can be set according to actual applications and are not limited here. Since at least one of the support layer 4 and the buffer layer 5, in addition to the planarization layer 13, is retained as a partial insulating layer at the dicing channel 3, the generation of cracks during the dicing process is effectively avoided. The thicknesses of the support layer 4 and the buffer layer 5 retained at the dicing channel 3 can be 7500 Å. Since a partial insulating layer is retained at the dicing channel 3, while avoiding the generation of cracks during the dicing process, the stress at the dicing channel 3 is correspondingly enhanced. Even after removing a rigid substrate such as glass, the flatness of the surface of the bonding protective film can still be ensured, avoiding the generation of bonding bubbles at the dicing channel 3 and improving the manufacturing yield of the flexible display substrate.

[0062] The second implementation manner is as shown in Figure 8 . The at least two insulating layers include a support layer 4 and a planarization layer 13 that are sequentially arranged away from the flexible substrate 1. Among them, the thickness of the support layer 4 can be ~2000 Å. The thickness direction of the support layer 4 is along the direction perpendicular to the plane where the flexible substrate 1 is located. The thickness of the support layer 4 is as shown in Figure 8As shown by reference numeral c, that is to say, in addition to the flat layer 13, the support layer 4 is also retained at the cutting channel 3. Due to the presence of the support layer 4 and the flat layer 13 at the cutting channel 3, the stress at the position of the cutting channel 3 is enhanced. Even after removing a rigid substrate such as glass, the flatness of the surface of the adhered protective film can still be ensured, thereby avoiding the generation of adhered bubbles at the cutting channel 3 and improving the production yield of the flexible display substrate.

[0063] In an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 9 shown is a schematic structural diagram of one of the flexible display substrates in the display area A. The multi-layer insulating layer 2 further includes a passivation layer 20 located between the interlayer insulating layer 11 and the flat layer 13. Correspondingly, as Figure 10 shown is a schematic structural diagram of setting the insulating layer structure at the cutting channel 3 by using a third implementation manner. The at least two insulating layers include the passivation layer 20 and the flat layer 13 that are sequentially disposed away from the flexible substrate 1.

[0064] Still referring to Figure 10 shown, the passivation layer 20 and the flat layer 13 that are sequentially disposed away from the flexible substrate 1 are retained at the cutting channel 3. Due to the presence of the passivation layer 20 and the flat layer 13 at the cutting channel 3, the stress at the position of the cutting channel 3 is enhanced. Even after removing a rigid substrate such as glass, the flatness of the surface of the adhered protective film can still be ensured, thereby avoiding the generation of adhered bubbles at the cutting channel 3 and improving the production yield of the flexible display substrate.

[0065] In the specific implementation process, still referring to Figure 10 shown, the thickness range of the passivation layer 20 is 1500 Å to 2000 Å. The thickness direction of the passivation layer 20 is along the direction perpendicular to the plane where the flexible substrate 1 is located. The thickness of the passivation layer 20 is as Figure 10 shown by reference numeral f. Correspondingly, the thickness of the multi-layer insulating layer provided in the display area A can be 15000 Å. In the specific implementation process, the specific thickness of the passivation layer 20 at the cutting channel 3 and the thickness of the multi-layer insulating layer in the display area A can be set according to actual applications and are not limited herein. Since in addition to the flat layer 13, a partial insulating layer including the passivation layer 20 is also retained at the cutting channel 3, the generation of cracks during the cutting process is effectively avoided. The thickness of the passivation layer 20 can be 2000 Å. Since the passivation layer 20 is retained at the cutting channel 3, while avoiding the generation of cracks during the cutting process, the stress at the cutting channel 3 is correspondingly enhanced. Even after removing a rigid substrate such as glass, the flatness of the surface of the adhered protective film can still be ensured, avoiding the generation of adhered bubbles at the cutting channel 3 and improving the production yield of the flexible display substrate.

[0066] In an embodiment of the present invention, still in combination with Figure 10 As shown, a part of the passivation layer 15 at the cutting channel 3 is disconnected from other parts. That is to say, the passivation layer 20 is intermittently arranged at the cutting channel 3. In this way, during the process of laser cutting the cutting channel 3, cracks caused by the whole-layer setting of the passivation layer 20 are avoided. While ensuring the flatness of the surface of the bonding protective film, the generation of bonding bubbles is avoided, and the manufacturing yield of the flexible display substrate is improved.

[0067] In an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 11 shown is a schematic structural diagram of one of the flexible display substrates in the display area A. The multi-layer insulating layer 2 further includes a touch protection layer 21 (TOC) located on the side of the thin film encapsulation layer 18 away from the flexible substrate 1. A touch function layer 22 is also provided between the touch protection layer 21 and the thin film encapsulation layer 18. As Figure 12 shown is a schematic structural diagram of the insulating layer structure at the cutting channel 3 set by the fourth implementation method. The at least two insulating layers include the planarization layer 13 and the touch protection layer 21 (TOC) sequentially arranged away from the flexible substrate 1. Among them, the thickness range of the touch protection layer 21 is 2.1 μm to 3.3 μm, and the thickness direction of the touch protection layer 21 is along the direction perpendicular to the plane where the flexible substrate 1 is located, as Figure 12 indicated by the reference numeral h in Figure 12 As shown, the planarization layer 13 and the touch protection layer 21 are sequentially reserved at the cutting channel 3 and arranged away from the flexible substrate 1. Due to the existence of the planarization layer 13 and the touch protection layer 21 at the cutting channel 3, the stress at the position of the cutting channel 3 is enhanced. Even after removing a rigid substrate such as glass, the flatness of the surface of the bonding protective film can still be ensured, and further, the generation of bonding bubbles at the cutting channel 3 is avoided, and the manufacturing yield of the flexible display substrate is improved.

[0068] In the specific implementation process, the touch protection layer 21 can be a semi-transparent adhesive layer (Over Coating, OC). While protecting the touch function layer 22, by retaining the touch protection layer 21 at the position of the cutting channel 3 in addition to the planarization layer 13, the stress at the position of the cutting channel 3 is enhanced, thereby improving the manufacturing yield of the flexible display substrate and ensuring the manufacturing efficiency of the subsequent display panel.

[0069] As Figure 13The figure shows a schematic diagram of one structure of the flexible display substrate in the display area A, wherein the touch function layer 22 can be mutually compatible, and accordingly, the touch function layer 22 includes a first metal layer 221 and a second metal layer 222 which are sequentially away from the thin film encapsulation layer 18, and a touch insulation layer 220 arranged between the first metal layer 221 and the second metal layer 222. The touch insulation layer 220 can be made of an inorganic insulating material or an organic insulating material, which can be selected according to actual application needs and is not limited here.

[0070] Still combined Figure 13 As shown, in the display area A, the flexible display substrate also includes a touch buffer layer 23 located between the touch function layer 22 and the thin film encapsulation layer 18. In a specific implementation process, at least one of the touch insulating layer 220 and the touch buffer layer 23 can be filled into the cutting path 3, and a portion of the insulating layer is retained while retaining the flat layer 13. This simplifies the manufacturing process, and due to the enhanced stress at the cutting path 3, the generation of bonding bubbles at the cutting path 3 is avoided, and the manufacturing yield of the flexible display substrate is taken into account.

[0071] In the specific implementation process, the thin film encapsulation layer 18 includes a first inorganic layer, an organic layer, and a second inorganic layer which are arranged in sequence away from the flexible substrate 1. At least one of the first inorganic layer and the second inorganic layer in the thin film encapsulation layer 18 can be retained at the cutting path 3, and the touch protection layer 21 can also be retained on the retained inorganic layer, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process while avoiding corrosion of the relevant film layers by external water and oxygen. In addition, the stress at the position of the cutting path 3 is enhanced, the generation of bonding bubbles at the cutting path 3 is avoided, and the manufacturing yield of the flexible display substrate is taken into account.

[0072] In a specific implementation process, in addition to the above-mentioned implementation method for setting the insulating layer structure at the cutting path 3, other methods may be used to set the insulating layer structure at the cutting path 3 according to actual application requirements, which will not be described in detail here.

[0073] In the embodiment of the present invention, no matter which implementation method is used to set the insulating layer structure at the cutting road 3, the thickness of the flat layer 13 at the cutting road 3 is less than the thickness of the flat layer 13 in the display area. In this way, the film thickness of the insulating layer retained at the cutting road 3 is reduced, which not only avoids the generation of cracks during the cutting process, but also ensures the flatness of the surface of the bonding protective film, avoids the generation of bonding bubbles at the cutting road 3, and improves the manufacturing yield of the flexible display substrate.

[0074] In the embodiment of the present invention, Figure 14The figure shows a schematic diagram of one structure of the flexible display substrate in the display area A. Specifically, the flexible display substrate includes a protective film 24 disposed on the side of the flexible base 1 away from the multi-layer insulating layer. The protective film 24 can be polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and the protective film 24 is used to effectively protect the relevant film layers in the flexible display substrate.

[0075] It should be noted that, in addition to the above-mentioned related film layers, other film layers may be provided in the display area A according to actual application requirements, for example, isolation columns may be provided on the pixel defining layer 14, which will not be described in detail here.

[0076] Still combined Figure 14 As shown, when the flexible substrate 1 is a structure including two flexible substrate layers, the flexible substrate 1 includes a first flexible substrate layer 101 and a second flexible substrate layer 102, and another supporting layer 4 is further provided between the first flexible substrate layer and the second flexible substrate layer. Of course, the relevant structure of the flexible display substrate can also be designed according to actual application needs, which will not be described in detail here.

[0077] When the flexible substrate 1 is a structure including three layers of flexible substrate, a support layer 4 is provided between any two adjacent flexible substrate layers, which is not limited here. Any support layer 4 can be made of silicon oxide (SiO x ), the buffer layer 5 may be made of silicon oxide (SiO x ) can also be made of silicon nitride (SiN x ) is made, which is not limited here. In addition, the specific materials used for other film layers can be set with reference to relevant technologies, which is not limited here.

[0078] Based on the same inventive concept, Figure 15 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a display panel, wherein the display panel includes the flexible display substrate 30 described above, and the display panel includes a cover plate 31 located on the flexible display substrate 30. The display panel may be an OLED flexible display panel. The principle of solving the problem by the display panel is similar to that of the aforementioned flexible display substrate 30. Therefore, the implementation of the display panel may refer to the implementation of the aforementioned flexible display substrate 30, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0079] Based on the same inventive concept, Figure 16 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a display device, the display device comprising Figure 15 The display panel 40 shown in FIG. 1 may be a display device as shown in FIG. Figure 16The mobile phone shown. Of course, the display device provided by the embodiments of the present invention can also be any product or component with a display function, such as a tablet computer, a television, a monitor, a laptop computer, a digital photo frame, a navigator, etc. Other essential components of this display device should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art and will not be elaborated here, nor should it be regarded as a limitation to the present invention.

[0080] Based on the same inventive concept, as Figure 17 shown, the embodiments of the present invention also provide a method flowchart of a method for manufacturing the flexible display substrate as described above. The method includes:

[0081] S101: Set the mother board including the flexible substrate on the rigid substrate;

[0082] S102: Form the multi-layer insulating layer on the flexible substrate;

[0083] S103: Etch a part of the multi-layer insulating layer to form a pattern including the at least two insulating layers at each of the cutting channels of the mother board;

[0084] S104: Adopt a laser lift-off technology to peel the rigid substrate from the flexible substrate;

[0085] S105: Attach a protective film to the side of the flexible substrate facing away from the multi-layer insulating layer;

[0086] S106: Cut the mother board into a plurality of flexible display substrates along the cutting channels.

[0087] In the specific implementation process, the specific implementation processes of steps S101 to S106 are as follows:

[0088] First, set the mother board including the flexible substrate 1 on the rigid substrate. The rigid substrate can be a substrate made of glass or a substrate made of single crystal silicon, which is not limited here. Then, form the multi-layer insulating layer on the flexible substrate 1. It can be set layer by layer according to the methods in the related technologies. Then, etch a part of the multi-layer insulating layer to form a pattern including the at least two insulating layers at each of the cutting channels 3 of the mother board.

[0089] For example, the multilayer insulating layer at the cutting path 3 is etched, and in addition to retaining the flat layer 13 at the cutting path 3, the support layer 4 with a thickness range of 1000 angstroms to 2000 angstroms is also retained. At this time, the bubble defect rate of the flexible substrate 1 caused by the wrinkles on the surface of the bonding protective film 24 is reduced from 1% to 0.2%, ensuring the production yield of the flexible display substrate. For another example, the multilayer insulating layer at the cutting path 3 is etched, and in addition to retaining the flat layer 13 at the cutting path 3, the support layer 4 and the buffer layer 5 with a thickness range of 5000 angstroms to 8000 angstroms are also retained. For another example, the multilayer insulating layer at the cutting path 3 is etched, and in addition to retaining the flat layer 13 at the cutting path 3, the passivation layer 20 with a thickness range of 1500 angstroms to 2500 angstroms is also retained. The passivation layer 20 may be retained at the cutting path 3 during the backplane process to enhance the stress at the cutting path 3. For another example, the multi-layer insulating layer at the cutting path 3 is etched, and in addition to retaining the flat layer 13 at the cutting path 3, the touch protection layer 21 (TOC) is also retained. Regardless of which method is used to enhance the stress at the cutting path 3, it can be achieved by performing a corresponding etching process on the original film layer of the flexible display substrate, so that the flatness of the surface of the bonding protection film 24 can still be guaranteed after removing the rigid substrate such as glass without increasing the process cost, thereby avoiding the generation of bonding bubbles at the cutting path 3 and improving the manufacturing yield of the flexible display substrate.

[0090] In a specific implementation process, after the pattern including the at least two insulating layers is formed at each of the cutting paths 3 of the motherboard, the rigid substrate is peeled off from the flexible substrate 1 by using laser lift-off technology. Due to the increased stress at the cutting paths 3, the flatness of the surface of the flexible substrate 1 on the side away from the multi-layer insulating layer is ensured. Then, the protective film 24 is attached to the side of the flexible substrate 1 away from the multi-layer insulating layer. In this way, since the flatness of the surface of the flexible substrate 1 on the side away from the multi-layer insulating layer is good, after attaching the protective film 24, the bubbles between the protective film 24 and the flexible substrate 1 are avoided, thereby improving the production yield of the flexible display substrate. After attaching the protective film 24, the motherboard is cut into multiple flexible display substrates along the cutting paths 3. The size and number of each of the flexible display substrates can be set according to the actual application and are not limited here.

[0091] In a specific implementation process, before step S104: using a laser lift-off technology to peel off the rigid substrate from the flexible substrate 1, the method further includes: performing an evaporation process, a packaging process, and a process of adding other functional film layers on the flexible substrate 1, and etching the relevant film layers at the dicing channel 3 after these processes. After etching, correspondingly, an array layer related to the display function, a light-emitting function layer, and a thin-film encapsulation layer 18 are formed in the display area A. Among them, the array layer includes a pixel driving circuit, and the pixel driving circuit includes an active layer (P-Si) 6, a first gate insulating layer (GI 1) 7, a first gate layer (Gate 1) 8, a second gate insulating layer (GI 2) 9, a second gate layer (Gate 2) 10, an interlayer insulating layer (ILD) 11, and a source-drain layer (SD) 12. The light-emitting function layer includes an anode layer (Anode) 15, a light-emitting layer (EL) 16, and a cathode layer (Cathode) 17. The thin-film encapsulation layer 18 includes a first inorganic layer, an organic layer, and a second inorganic layer. The thin-film encapsulation layer 18 effectively isolates external water and oxygen, ensuring the use performance of the flexible display substrate. Among them, the specific structure of the relevant film layers in the flexible display substrate can refer to the description in the previous part and will not be elaborated here. In addition, another protective film can be provided on the side of the thin-film encapsulation layer 18 facing away from the flexible substrate 1, which further avoids the corrosion of the relevant film layers by external water and oxygen, ensuring the use performance of the flexible display substrate.

[0092] An embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible display substrate, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display panel. The flexible display substrate includes a flexible substrate 1 and a multi-layer insulating layer 2 disposed on the flexible substrate 1. The flexible substrate 1 includes a display area A, a non-display area B surrounding the display area A, and a bonding area C located in the non-display area B. At least one dicing channel 3 partially surrounding the bonding area C is provided on at least one side of the bonding area C. At least two insulating layers are provided at each dicing channel 3. The display area A is provided with the multi-layer insulating layer, and a part of the multi-layer insulating layer is fabricated on the same layer as the at least two insulating layers. In this way, the thickness of the at least two insulating layers retained at the position of the dicing channel 3 of the flexible display substrate is less than the thickness of the multi-layer insulating layer retained at the position of the display area A. In this case, during the cutting along the dicing channel 3, not only the generation of cracks is avoided, but also because part of the insulating layer is retained, the stress at the position of the dicing channel 3 is enhanced. After removing a rigid substrate such as glass, the flatness of the surface of the adhered protective film 10 is ensured, and the generation of adhered bubbles at the dicing channel 3 is avoided. Even on both sides of the bonding electrode in the bonding area C, irregular warping is effectively avoided, thereby improving the product yield of the display panel.

[0093] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, additional changes and modifications can be made to these embodiments by those skilled in the art once they learn the basic creative concept. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be construed to include the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0094] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of this application fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalent technologies, this application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A flexible display substrate, characterized in that, it comprises: a flexible substrate, and a plurality of insulating layers disposed on the flexible substrate, the flexible substrate includes a display area, a non-display area surrounding the display area, and a bonding area located in the non-display area, wherein, the bonding area is located on one side of the display area, and at least one dicing channel partially surrounding the bonding area is provided on at least one side of the bonding area; the plurality of insulating layers include a support layer, a buffer layer, a first gate insulating layer, a second gate insulating layer, an interlayer insulating layer, a planarization layer, a pixel definition layer, and a thin film encapsulation layer disposed successively away from the flexible substrate; wherein, at least two insulating layers are provided at the dicing channel, the display area is provided with the plurality of insulating layers, and some of the plurality of insulating layers are fabricated on the same layer as the at least two insulating layers; the flexible display substrate further includes a protective film disposed on a side of the flexible substrate away from the plurality of insulating layers.

2. The flexible display substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, the at least two insulating layers include at least one of the support layer and the buffer layer and the planarization layer disposed successively away from the flexible substrate.

3. The flexible display substrate according to claim 2, characterized in that, the thickness range of the support layer and the buffer layer at the dicing channel is 5000 Å to 8000 Å, and the thickness direction of the support layer and the buffer layer is along a direction perpendicular to the plane where the flexible substrate is located.

4. The flexible display substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, the plurality of insulating layers further include a passivation layer located between the interlayer insulating layer and the planarization layer, and the at least two insulating layers include the passivation layer and the planarization layer disposed successively away from the flexible substrate.

5. The flexible display substrate according to claim 4, characterized in that, the thickness range of the passivation layer is 1500 Å to 2000 Å, and the thickness direction of the passivation layer is along a direction perpendicular to the plane where the flexible substrate is located.

6. The flexible display substrate according to claim 4, characterized in that, a part of the passivation layer at the dicing channel is disconnected from other parts.

7. The flexible display substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, the plurality of insulating layers further include a touch protection layer located on a side of the thin film encapsulation layer away from the flexible substrate, and the at least two insulating layers include the planarization layer and the touch protection layer disposed successively away from the flexible substrate.

8. The flexible display substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, the thickness of the planarization layer at the dicing channel is less than the thickness of the planarization layer in the display area.

9. A display panel, characterized in that, it comprises: the flexible display substrate according to any one of claims 1-8.

10. A manufacturing method of the flexible display substrate according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, it comprises: placing a mother board including the flexible substrate on a rigid substrate; Form the multi-layer insulating layer on the flexible substrate; the multi-layer insulating layer includes a support layer, a buffer layer, a first gate insulating layer, a second gate insulating layer, an interlayer insulating layer, a planarization layer, a pixel defining layer, and a thin film encapsulation layer, which are sequentially arranged away from the flexible substrate. Etch a part of the multi-layer insulating layer to form a pattern including at least two insulating layers at each of the cutting channels of the mother board. Adopt a laser lift-off technology to peel the rigid substrate from the flexible substrate. Attach a protective film to the side of the flexible substrate facing away from the multi-layer insulating layer. Cut the mother board into a plurality of flexible display substrates along the cutting channels.

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