A display device and its manufacturing method

Abstract

This invention discloses a display device and its manufacturing method. The display device includes: a substrate serving a supporting function; a driving circuit layer located on the substrate for providing driving signals; the driving circuit layer including metal connection electrodes; a reflective layer located on the surface of the driving circuit layer opposite to the substrate; the reflective layer having a pattern exposing the metal connection electrodes; and a micro light-emitting diode soldered to the metal connection electrodes. The pattern of the reflective layer is complementary to that of the metal connection electrodes, and the metal connection electrodes are made of opaque metal material. Regardless of whether the light emitted from the micro light-emitting diode is incident on the metal connection electrodes or the reflective layer, no outgoing light will enter the driving circuit layer, thereby ensuring stable performance of the thin-film transistors in the driving circuit layer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a display device and its manufacturing method. Background Technology

[0002] Miniature LED display technology refers to display technology where the light-emitting chip directly serves as the light-emitting unit. Miniature LEDs inherit the high efficiency, high brightness, high reliability, and fast response time of traditional LEDs, and also have the characteristics of self-illumination without the need for a backlight. They also have advantages such as energy saving, simple structure, small size, and thinness.

[0003] The driving methods for miniature light-emitting diode panels can be divided into two types: active and passive. Among them, the active driving mode has advantages such as low power consumption, anti-crosstalk, and low driving cost.

[0004] Currently, the driving substrate for micro-LEDs is fabricated separately from the micro-LEDs. The driving substrate contains driving components such as thin-film transistors (TFTs), and the electrodes on the driving substrate used to connect the micro-LEDs are transparent electrodes. The micro-LED has two electrodes, which are electrically connected to the transparent electrodes using a soldering method. This causes the emitted light from the micro-LED to pass through the transparent electrodes and enter the driving substrate, where it is reflected and illuminates the channel region of the TFT, affecting the TFT's performance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In some embodiments of the present invention, the driving circuit layer includes a metal connection electrode for connecting a micro light-emitting diode. The metal connection electrode is part of the metal layer in the driving circuit layer, so the metal connection electrode can be directly patterned when forming the metal layer, eliminating the need for a separate patterning step to form the connection electrode. This reduces process steps and helps improve product yield.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present invention, the reflective layer has a pattern that exposes the metal connection electrode. The pattern of the reflective layer is complementary to that of the metal connection electrode, and the metal connection electrode is an opaque metal material. No matter whether the light emitted from the micro light-emitting diode is incident on the metal connection electrode or the reflective layer, no outgoing light will be incident on the driving circuit layer. This ensures that the thin film transistor in the driving circuit layer has stable performance.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present invention, the driving circuit layer includes a gate metal layer, a gate insulating layer, an active layer, and a source / drain metal layer; the source / drain metal layer also includes connection pins, with part of the drain and connection pins serving as metal connection electrodes. By using a portion of the pattern of the source / drain metal layer as the metal connection pins, the process step of separately fabricating transparent connection electrodes is omitted, simplifying the process; at the same time, the problem of contact resistance caused by the overlap of transparent conductive materials and metal is avoided.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the source and drain metal layers further include a first signal line, and the gate metal layer further includes a second signal line. The first signal line and the second signal line are electrically connected through a via in the gate insulating layer. Placing the signal lines in different metal layers and electrically connecting them together through vias can improve the conductivity of the signal lines, allow for avoidance of components in the circuit, and shorten the length of the signal lines.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the reflective layer is made of metal oxide.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal oxide is aluminum oxide or titanium dioxide.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the size of the micro light-emitting diode is less than 500 μm.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the micro light-emitting diode is used for image display, or the micro light-emitting diode is used to provide backlight.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the display device employs a four-stage patterning process, which reduces the number of patterning steps compared to existing manufacturing methods, thereby reducing costs and improving product yield.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the reflective layer is obtained by forming a metal layer in a region other than the metal connection electrode and oxidizing the metal layer. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is one of the cross-sectional structural schematic diagrams of the display device provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the drive circuit layer provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a second schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the display device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Among them, 11-substrate, 12-driving circuit layer, 13-reflective layer, 14-micro light-emitting diode, 121-gate metal layer, 122-gate insulating layer, 123-active layer, 124-source-drain metal layer, e-metal connection electrode, p-contact pin, G-gate, S-source, D-drain, a-channel region, s1-first signal line, s2-second signal line. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. However, the exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided to make the present invention more comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the figures denote the same or similar structures, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted. Terms describing position and direction as described in this invention are illustrative based on the accompanying drawings, but changes can be made as needed, and all such changes are included within the scope of protection of this invention. The accompanying drawings of this invention are for illustrating relative positional relationships only and do not represent actual proportions.

[0022] As a new generation of display technology, micro-LED display technology has higher luminous efficiency, higher brightness, and lower power consumption compared to organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology.

[0023] Miniature light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are designed by thinning, miniaturizing, and arraying light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In other words, miniature LEDs have the high efficiency and low power consumption of LEDs, while having a smaller size, and can be directly used as display units for image display.

[0024] The difference between a miniature light-emitting diode and a light-emitting diode is that a miniature light-emitting diode refers to a light-emitting diode chip, which is divided into two types according to its size: Mini LED and Micro LED. Among them, the size of Micro LED is less than 100μm, and the size of Mini LED is 100μm-500μm.

[0025] Miniature LED panels can be driven using passive or active methods, with active driving offering advantages such as low power consumption, crosstalk immunity, and low driving cost. Furthermore, actively driven miniature LED panels can be fabricated using the same processes as LCD or OLED panels.

[0026] However, currently, active-matrix LED panels require 5-6 patterning processes to manufacture. The more patterning steps, the higher the cost and the lower the yield. Furthermore, in the current manufacturing processes of LCD and OLED panels, the final patterning step often uses a transparent electrode as a connection electrode. Since the micro-LEDs are connected to this transparent electrode, the emitted light can pass through it and enter the panel, affecting device performance.

[0027] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide a display device to overcome the above-mentioned problems.

[0028] Figure 1 This is one of the cross-sectional structural schematic diagrams of the display device provided in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0029] Reference Figure 1 The display device provided in this embodiment of the invention includes: a substrate 11, a driving circuit layer 12, a reflective layer 13, and a micro light-emitting diode 14.

[0030] The substrate 11 is located at the bottom of the display device and serves a supporting function. The substrate 11 is rectangular or square in shape and includes a top side, a ground side, a left side, and a right side. The top side and the ground side are opposite each other, and the left side and the right side are opposite each other. The top side is connected to one end of the left side and one side of the right side, respectively, and the ground side is connected to the other end of the left side and the other end of the right side, respectively.

[0031] The size of the substrate 11 is adapted to the size of the display device. Typically, the size of the substrate is slightly smaller than the size of the display device.

[0032] The substrate 11 is made of materials such as glass. Before manufacturing, the glass needs to be cleaned and dried.

[0033] The driving circuit layer 12 is located on the substrate 11, and includes driving elements for driving the display device to emit light and signal lines. In this embodiment of the invention, the driving circuit layer 12 is fabricated using a thin film transistor (TFT) process.

[0034] The driving circuit layer 12 consists of multiple metal layers and insulating layers. By patterning the metal layers and insulating layers, a circuit composed of driving elements such as thin-film transistors, capacitors, and resistors with specific interconnections is formed. After the driving circuit layer is electrically connected to the micro LED, the driving circuit layer can provide a driving signal to the micro LED to control the micro LED to emit light.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the drive circuit layer provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Reference Figure 2 The driving circuit layer includes: a gate metal layer 121, a gate insulating layer 122, an active layer 123, and a source / drain metal layer 124.

[0037] The gate metal layer 121 is located on the substrate 11. The gate metal layer 121 has a pattern including the gate G and gate lines.

[0038] The gate metal layer 121 can be a single or multiple layers of metal such as gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), or chromium (Cr), or it can also be a metal layer of aluminum (Al):neodymium (Nd) alloy or molybdenum (Mo):tungsten (W) alloy.

[0039] The pattern of the gate metal layer 121 can be formed using a single patterning process. Specifically, a metal layer for the gate is formed on the substrate 11; a photoresist layer is formed on the metal layer; a mask is disposed above the photoresist layer, and the mask has a pattern in the area excluding the gate, gate lines, and other signal lines; the photoresist layer is exposed and developed to expose the metal layer excluding the pattern required; the exposed metal layer is etched; and the remaining photoresist layer is stripped to form the pattern of the gate metal layer 121.

[0040] The gate insulating layer 122 is located on the surface of the gate metal layer facing away from the substrate. The gate insulating layer 122 is used to insulate the gate metal layer 121, thereby allowing other metal layers to be formed on top of the gate insulating layer.

[0041] The gate insulating layer 122 can be an inorganic layer of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or metal oxide, and can include a single layer or multiple layers.

[0042] The gate insulating layer 122 has vias that expose signal lines in the gate metal layer, so that when other metal layers are formed on top of the gate insulating layer, the signal lines of the two metal layers can be electrically connected.

[0043] The pattern of the gate insulating layer 122 can be formed using a single patterning process. Specifically, an insulating layer is formed on the gate metal layer 121; a photoresist layer is formed on the insulating layer; a mask is disposed above the photoresist layer, and the mask includes a patterned area for the vias; the photoresist layer is exposed and developed to expose the insulating layer in the area where the vias are located; the exposed insulating layer is etched; and the remaining photoresist layer is stripped off to form the pattern of the gate insulating layer 122.

[0044] The active layer 123 is located on the surface of the gate insulating layer 122 facing away from the gate metal layer. The active layer 123 includes a source region and a drain region formed by doping with N-type or P-type impurity ions. The region between the source region and the drain region is an undoped channel region a.

[0045] The active layer 123 can be made of materials such as amorphous silicon or polycrystalline silicon. Polycrystalline silicon can be formed by crystallizing amorphous silicon.

[0046] The source / drain metal layer 124 is located on the surface of the active layer 123 opposite to the gate insulating layer 122. The source / drain metal layer 124 has a pattern including a source (S), a drain (D), and a data line.

[0047] The source / drain metal layer 124 can be a single or multiple layers of gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu) or aluminum (Al), or it can also be a metal layer of aluminum (Al): copper (Cu) alloy.

[0048] The patterns of the active layer 123 and the source / drain metal layers 124 can be formed using a single patterning process. Specifically, a semiconductor layer used for the active layer is formed on the gate insulating layer 122, and a metal layer used for the source and drain is formed on the semiconductor layer; a photoresist layer is formed on the metal layer; a halftone mask is disposed above the photoresist layer, the halftone mask including a fully transparent region, a partially transparent region, and a light-shielding region, wherein the fully transparent region corresponds to the area where the active layer 123 and the source / drain metal layers 124 do not have patterns, the partially transparent region corresponds to the channel region a of the active layer 123, and the light-shielding region corresponds to the area where the active layer 123 and the source / drain metal layers 124 have patterns. The area is shaped; the photoresist layer is exposed to form a fully exposed area, a partially exposed area, and an unexposed area; after development, the photoresist in the fully exposed area is completely removed, after development, a thinner photoresist layer remains in the partially exposed area, and after development, a thicker photoresist layer remains in the unexposed area; the exposed metal layer and semiconductor layer are etched; the photoresist in the partially exposed area is ashed to remove the photoresist layer in this area, and the metal layer in this area is etched; the remaining photoresist layer is stripped to form the pattern of the active layer 123 and the source / drain metal layer 124.

[0049] In this embodiment, the gate G, active layer, source S, and drain D constitute a thin-film transistor. This invention uses a bottom-gate thin-film transistor as an example for specific illustration. In practical applications, the thin-film transistor can also be fabricated as a top-gate structure, where the active layer 123 of the top-gate structure is located on the bottom side of the gate metal layer 121.

[0050] As a crucial driving element in the driving circuit layer, the performance of thin-film transistors (TFTs) is affected by illumination. The active layer exposed between the source (S) and drain (D) of a TFT is called the channel region a. Channel region a is sensitive to illumination; therefore, to avoid affecting the performance of the TFT, it is necessary to prevent the channel region from being exposed to light.

[0051] The reflective layer 13 is located on the surface of the driving circuit layer 12 facing away from the substrate 11. The reflective layer 13 protects and insulates the driving circuit layer 12. The reflective layer 13 also reflects incident light; when the emitted light from the micro-LED hits the surface of the reflective layer 13, it can be reflected towards the emitting side, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of the emitted light.

[0052] Reference Figure 2 In this embodiment of the invention, the driving circuit layer further includes a metal connection electrode e. The metal connection electrode e is used to connect to the micro-light-emitting diode. Since the metal connection electrode e is part of the metal layer in the driving circuit layer, it can be directly patterned when forming the metal layer, eliminating the need for a separate patterning step to form the connection electrode. This reduces process steps and helps improve product yield.

[0053] The reflective layer 13 has a pattern that exposes the metal connection electrode e. The pattern of the reflective layer 13 is complementary to that of the metal connection electrode e. Since the metal connection electrode e is an opaque metal material, no matter whether the light emitted from the micro light-emitting diode is incident on the metal connection electrode e or the reflective layer 13, no outgoing light will be incident on the driving circuit layer 12. This ensures that the thin film transistor in the driving circuit layer has stable performance.

[0054] The reflective layer 13 is made of metal oxide. In this embodiment of the invention, metal oxides with high reflectivity, such as aluminum oxide or titanium dioxide, can be used. Typically, the reflectivity of the reflective layer 13 can reach over 90%. To further improve the reflectivity of the reflective layer 13, materials that increase reflectivity can be doped, thereby fully reflecting the light emitted from the micro LED onto the reflective layer 13.

[0055] The reflective layer 13 is formed in the area other than the metal connection electrode e. Specifically, a metal layer is formed in the area other than the metal connection electrode e. This metal layer can be made of aluminum or titanium. The metal layer is then oxidized to form aluminum oxide or titanium dioxide by means of oxygen-rich ions such as O3 or N2O or by thermal oxidation, thereby forming a reflective layer 13 with high reflectivity.

[0056] The miniature light-emitting diode 14 is soldered onto the metal connection electrode e. The miniature light-emitting diode 14 differs from a regular light-emitting diode; it specifically refers to a miniature light-emitting diode chip. The size of the miniature light-emitting diode 14 is generally less than 500 μm.

[0057] Because the miniature light-emitting diode 14 is very small, in this embodiment of the invention, it can be directly used as a display device to achieve the display of sub-pixels. The miniature light-emitting diode can include multiple colors to achieve full-color display.

[0058] Figure 3 This is a second schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the display device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Reference Figure 3 In another embodiment of the present invention, the miniature light-emitting diode 14 can also be used as a backlight to provide backlighting. In this case, a display panel 200 is also provided on the light-emitting side of the miniature light-emitting diode lamp board.

[0060] Using miniature LEDs as a backlight source allows for better control of dynamic backlight emission within smaller zones, thus improving image contrast. A miniature LED panel can consist of only one color of miniature LEDs or multiple colors; this is not a limitation.

[0061] In this embodiment of the invention, reference is made to Figure 2 The source / drain metal layer 124 also includes a contact pin p, which is connected to the signal line (not shown in the figure) in the source / drain metal layer and is part of the source / drain metal layer pattern. It can be formed in the same patterning process as the source S, drain D, data line and signal line in the source / drain metal layer 124.

[0062] The reflective layer 13 is formed directly on the surface of the source / drain metal layer 124 and the active layer 123 on the side away from the gate insulating layer 122, and the reflective layer 13 has a pattern that exposes part of the drain electrode D and the contact pin p. The exposed drain electrode D and the contact pin p serve as metal connection electrodes e, which are used to connect the two electrodes of the micro light-emitting diode 14.

[0063] In the prior art, an insulating layer and a transparent connection electrode are usually made on top of the source and drain metal layer 124. The transparent connection electrode is usually made of indium tin oxide (ITO). Therefore, the panel often uses the structure of ITO and metal overlapping as the lead, which will increase the contact resistance, affect the current transmission, and the overlapping can also easily affect the yield.

[0064] In this embodiment of the invention, a portion of the pattern in the source / drain metal layer 124 is directly used as the metal connection electrode e, eliminating the need for subsequent insulating layer and transparent electrode patterning. Furthermore, all leads are made of metal material, thus avoiding the problem of ITO overlapping with metal and thereby preventing contact resistance issues and improving yield.

[0065] Reference Figure 2 The gate metal layer 121 also includes a first signal line s1, and the source / drain metal layer 124 also includes a second signal line s2. The first signal line s1 and the second signal line s2 are electrically connected through a via in the gate insulating layer 122. Placing the signal lines in different metal layers and electrically connecting them together through vias can improve the conductivity of the signal lines, allow for avoidance of components in the circuit, and shorten the length of the signal lines.

[0066] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] Reference Figure 4 The manufacturing method of the display device includes:

[0068] S10. Forming a pattern of a gate metal layer on a substrate;

[0069] S20. A pattern of a gate insulating layer is formed on the side of the gate metal layer away from the substrate.

[0070] S30. A pattern of an active layer and a source / drain metal layer is formed on the side of the gate insulating layer away from the gate metal layer; the source / drain metal layer includes a metal connection electrode.

[0071] S40. A reflective layer pattern is formed on the side of the active layer and source / drain metal layer away from the gate insulating layer;

[0072] S50. Weld a miniature light-emitting diode onto the metal connection electrode.

[0073] Using the manufacturing method provided in this embodiment of the invention, the display device can be manufactured through four patterning processes. Compared with the manufacturing method in the prior art, this reduces the number of patterning processes, which helps to reduce costs and improve product yield.

[0074] Using the patterns in the source / drain metal layers directly as metal connection electrodes eliminates the need for a separate process to form transparent connection electrodes, simplifying the process and reducing costs. Furthermore, it avoids issues such as high contact resistance caused by the overlap between the transparent connection electrode and the metal, thus improving product yield.

[0075] The reflective layer is formed directly on the source and drain metal layers and has a complementary pattern to the metal connection electrode. The metal connection electrode is an opaque metal material. Therefore, after connecting the micro LED, the light emitted from the micro LED can be prevented from entering the driving circuit layer and illuminating the channel of the thin film transistor, thus avoiding the problem of device performance degradation.

[0076] Specifically, when forming the pattern of the gate metal layer on the substrate, a metal layer is formed on the substrate; a photoresist layer is formed on the metal layer; a mask is placed above the photoresist layer, and the mask has a pattern in the area other than the gate, gate lines and other signal lines; the photoresist layer is exposed and developed to expose the metal layer other than the pattern required; the exposed metal layer is etched; and the remaining photoresist layer is stripped to form the pattern of the gate metal layer.

[0077] The gate metal layer can be a single or multiple layers of gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), or chromium (Cr), or it can also be an aluminum (Al):neodymium (Nd) alloy or a molybdenum (Mo):tungsten (W) alloy.

[0078] When forming a pattern of a gate insulating layer on the side of the gate metal layer away from the substrate, an insulating layer is formed on the gate metal layer; a photoresist layer is formed on the insulating layer; a mask is placed above the photoresist layer, and the mask has a pattern in the area where the via is located; the photoresist layer is exposed and developed to expose the insulating layer in the area where the via is located; the exposed insulating layer is etched; the retained photoresist layer is stripped to form the pattern of the gate insulating layer.

[0079] The gate insulating layer can be an inorganic layer of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or metal oxide, and can include a single layer or multiple layers.

[0080] When forming the active layer and source / drain metal layer patterns on the side of the gate insulating layer away from the gate metal layer, a semiconductor layer is formed on the gate insulating layer, and a metal layer is formed on the semiconductor layer; a photoresist layer is formed on the metal layer; a halftone mask is disposed above the photoresist layer, the halftone mask including a fully transparent region, a partially transparent region, and a light-shielding region, wherein the fully transparent region corresponds to the area of ​​the active layer and source / drain metal layer without patterns, the partially transparent region corresponds to the channel region of the active layer, and the light-shielding region corresponds to the area of ​​the active layer and source / drain metal layer with patterns. The process involves: exposing the photoresist layer to form fully exposed, partially exposed, and unexposed areas; removing all photoresist after development of the fully exposed areas; leaving a thinner photoresist layer in the partially exposed areas and a thicker photoresist layer in the unexposed areas; etching the exposed metal and semiconductor layers; ashing the photoresist in the partially exposed areas to remove the photoresist layer in this area and etching the metal layer in this area to expose the channel region; and stripping away the remaining photoresist layer to form the active layer and source / drain metal layers.

[0081] The active layer can be made of materials such as amorphous silicon or polycrystalline silicon, and the source / drain metal layer can be made of single or multiple layers of gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu) or aluminum (Al), or it can also be made of an aluminum (Al): copper (Cu) alloy metal layer.

[0082] When forming a reflective layer pattern on the side of the active layer and source / drain metal layer away from the gate insulating layer, a metal layer is formed on the surface of the active layer and source / drain metal layer away from the gate insulating layer, excluding the metal connection electrode; the metal layer is oxidized to form a reflective layer.

[0083] The aforementioned metal layer can be made of aluminum or titanium. It is then oxidized using oxygen-rich ions such as O3 or N2O, or through thermal oxidation, to form aluminum oxide or titanium dioxide, thus creating a reflective layer. This reflective layer replaces the white paint on the surface of the micro-LED panel and has a high reflectivity.

[0084] According to the first inventive concept, the display device provided in this embodiment of the invention includes a substrate, a driving circuit layer, a reflective layer, and a micro light-emitting diode (LED). By directly using a portion of the pattern in the driving circuit layer as the metal connection electrode connecting the micro LED, the process of separately forming transparent connection electrodes can be eliminated, simplifying the process and reducing costs. Furthermore, it can avoid problems such as high contact resistance caused by the overlap between the transparent connection electrode and the metal, thus improving product yield.

[0085] According to the second inventive concept, the metal connection electrode is part of the drain electrode and contact pin in the source and drain metal layer. By using the pattern in the source and drain metal layer directly as the metal connection electrode, the process of making an insulating layer and connection electrode on the source and drain metal layer can be eliminated, simplifying the process and reducing costs.

[0086] According to the third inventive concept, the reflective layer is formed directly on the source and drain metal layer and has a complementary pattern to the metal connection electrode. The metal connection electrode is an opaque metal material. Therefore, after connecting the micro light-emitting diode, the light emitted by the micro light-emitting diode can be prevented from entering the driving circuit layer and illuminating the channel of the thin film transistor, thus avoiding the problem of device performance degradation.

[0087] According to the fourth inventive concept, the reflective layer is formed by creating a metal layer on the source / drain metal layer, excluding the metal connection electrodes, and then oxidizing the metal layer. The metal oxide, as a reflective layer, can replace the white paint on the surface of the micro-LED panel and has high reflectivity.

[0088] According to the fifth inventive concept, the display device structure provided in the embodiment of the present invention adopts a four-fold patterning, which reduces the number of patterning steps compared with the manufacturing method in the prior art, thereby reducing costs and improving product yield.

[0089] According to the sixth inventive concept, the reflective layer is obtained by forming a metal layer and oxidizing the metal layer.

[0090] According to the seventh inventive concept, by placing signal lines on different metal layers and electrically connecting them together through vias, the conductivity of the signal lines can be improved, components in the circuit can be avoided, and the length of the signal lines can be shortened.

[0091] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including both the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the invention.

[0092] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this invention and their equivalents, this invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A display device, characterized in that, include: Substrate, serving a load-bearing function; A driving circuit layer, located on the substrate, is used to provide driving signals; The driving circuit layer includes a source / drain metal layer and a metal connection electrode, wherein the source / drain metal layer and the metal connection electrode are disposed in the same layer; the source / drain metal layer further includes a contact pin, wherein the contact pin is part of the pattern of the source / drain metal layer and is formed by a single patterning process. A reflective layer covers all areas of the drive circuit layer except for the metal connection electrode, and covers the sides of the metal connection electrode and the active layer to prevent light from incident on the front and sides of the active layer; the reflective layer is used to provide insulation protection for the drive circuit layer and reflect incident light; the reflective layer has a pattern of exposed portion of the drain electrode and the contact pin; the metal connection electrode includes: the exposed portion of the drain electrode and the contact pin; A miniature light-emitting diode is soldered onto the metal connecting electrode.

2. The display device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The reflective layer is made of metal oxide.

3. The display device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, The metal oxide is aluminum oxide or titanium dioxide.

4. The display device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive circuit layer includes: A gate metal layer is located on the substrate; the gate metal layer includes a gate and a gate line. A gate insulating layer is located on the surface of the gate metal layer opposite to the substrate. The active layer is located on the surface of the gate insulating layer that is opposite to the gate metal layer; The source / drain metal layer is located on the surface of the active layer opposite to the gate insulating layer; the source / drain metal layer includes a source, a drain, and a data line. The gate, the active layer, the source, and the drain constitute a thin-film transistor, and the active layer exposed between the source and the drain is the channel region of the thin-film transistor. The reflective layer is located on the surface of the source / drain metal layer and the active layer on the side opposite to the gate insulating layer.

5. The display device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that, The source / drain metal layer further includes: Contact pins are used to connect signal lines that transmit drive signals; The reflective layer has a pattern that exposes a portion of the drain and the contact pin, with the exposed drain and the contact pin serving as the metal connection electrodes.

6. The display device as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, The source / drain metal layer further includes a first signal line, and the gate metal layer further includes a second signal line. The first signal line and the second signal line are electrically connected through a via in the gate insulating layer.

7. The display device according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The size of the micro LED is less than 500 μm.

8. The display device according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The micro LED is used for image display, or the micro LED is used to provide backlight.

9. A method for manufacturing a display device, characterized in that, include: A pattern of a gate metal layer is formed on a substrate. A pattern of a gate insulating layer is formed on the side of the gate metal layer opposite to the substrate. A pattern of an active layer, a source / drain metal layer, and a metal connection electrode is formed on the side of the gate insulating layer opposite to the gate metal layer; The source / drain metal layer and the metal connection electrode are disposed in the same layer; The source / drain metal layer further includes: contact pins, which are part of the patterning of the source / drain metal layer and are formed by a single patterning process; A reflective layer is formed on all regions of the active layer and the source / drain metal layers on the side surface opposite to the gate insulating layer, except for the metal connection electrode. The reflective layer covers the side surfaces of the metal connection electrode and the active layer. The reflective layer is used to provide insulation protection for the drive circuit layer and to reflect incident light to prevent light from entering the front and side surfaces of the active layer. The reflective layer has a pattern of exposing a portion of the drain electrode and the contact pin. The metal connection electrode includes: the exposed portion of the drain electrode and the contact pin. A miniature light-emitting diode is welded onto the metal connecting electrode.

10. The manufacturing method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The pattern of forming a reflective layer on the side of the active layer and the source / drain metal layer opposite to the gate insulating layer includes: A metal layer is formed on the surface of the active layer and the source / drain metal layer on the side away from the gate insulating layer, excluding the metal connection electrode; The metal layer is oxidized to form the reflective layer.

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