Method for manufacturing display panel

Abstract

The present application provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, the display panel includes a display area and a packaging area located at the edge of the display area, and the method for manufacturing the display panel includes the following steps: providing a substrate; arranging a device layer on the substrate; arranging a passivation layer on the device layer; the passivation layer has a connection hole in the display area; the connection hole extends to the source and drain of the device layer located in the display area; arranging a flat layer on the passivation layer; the flat layer has a first through hole in the display area, and the first through hole extends to connect with the connection hole; arranging a pixel electrode layer on the display area of ​​the flat layer; the pixel electrode layer is connected to the source and drain of the device layer through the first through hole and the connection hole; arranging a protective layer on the pixel electrode layer; removing the portion of the flat layer in the packaging area by dry etching technology; and peeling off the protective layer. The method for manufacturing a display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application ensures the flatness of the flat layer, thereby ensuring the flatness of the upper pixel electrode layer, so as to ensure the performance of the display panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of display technology, and in particular, relates to a method for manufacturing a display panel. Background Art

[0002] An existing display panel usually includes a substrate layer, a device layer, a passivation layer, a flat layer, a pixel electrode layer and a light-emitting layer, etc., which are arranged in sequence. The device layer includes a display area and a packaging area located at the edge of the display area. The passivation layer and the flat layer are provided with connection holes and through holes in sequence at positions corresponding to the display area, so that the upper pixel electrode layer can be electrically connected to the source and drain of the device layer through the through holes and the connection holes in sequence, so that the electrical signal of the drain can be transmitted to the pixel electrode layer, so that the light-emitting layer can emit light; and the passivation layer is provided with an external connection hole at a position corresponding to the packaging area, and the external connection hole is connected to the source and drain of the device layer for external signal. In order to ensure the subsequent packaging effect of the packaging area, a flat layer is usually not provided above the packaging area, but an inorganic material that can prevent water vapor is filled on the external connection hole.

[0003] In the related art, when manufacturing the above-mentioned display panel, in order to reduce the number of masks, the positions corresponding to the display area and the packaging area on the passivation layer are usually covered with a flat layer, and then after the through holes, connection holes and external connection holes are opened, the portion of the flat layer corresponding to the packaging area is removed by dry etching, and then the pixel electrode layer is set on the remaining flat layer. However, since the dry etching process is surface-to-surface, when removing the flat layer on the packaging area, the flat layer on the display area will also be damaged and thinned, thereby affecting the flatness of the flat layer, and then affecting the flatness of the upper pixel electrode layer, affecting the performance of the display panel. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiment of the present application provides a method for manufacturing a display panel to solve the problem that the flatness of a pixel electrode layer of the display panel is affected by the existing method for manufacturing a display panel.

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, wherein the display panel includes a display area and a packaging area located at an edge of the display area. The method for manufacturing the display panel includes the following steps:

[0006] providing a substrate;

[0007] Disposing a device layer on the substrate;

[0008] A passivation layer is provided on the device layer; wherein the passivation layer has a connection hole in the display area and an external connection hole in the packaging area; the connection hole extends to the source and drain of the device layer located in the display area, and the external connection hole extends to the source and drain of the device layer located in the packaging area;

[0009] A flat layer is disposed on the passivation layer; wherein the flat layer has a first through hole in the display area and a second through hole in the encapsulation area, the first through hole extends to connect with the connection hole, and the second through hole extends to connect with the external connection hole;

[0010] A pixel electrode layer is provided on the display area of ​​the planar layer; wherein the pixel electrode layer is connected to the source and drain of the device layer through the first through hole and the connection hole;

[0011] Disposing a protective layer on the pixel electrode layer;

[0012] Using dry etching technology to remove the portion of the planar layer in the packaging area;

[0013] The protective layer is peeled off.

[0014] Optionally, the step of providing a planar layer on the passivation layer comprises:

[0015] coating an organic photoresist material on the passivation layer;

[0016] performing an exposure process on the organic photoresist material;

[0017] The organic photoresist material is developed to form a first through hole and a second through hole.

[0018] Optionally, the protection layer is made of photoresist.

[0019] Optionally, the step of providing a protective layer on the pixel electrode layer includes:

[0020] coating a photoresist on the pixel electrode layer;

[0021] performing an exposure process on the photoresist;

[0022] The photoresist is developed to obtain a protective layer.

[0023] Optionally, the thickness of the protection layer is not less than the thickness of the planar layer in the packaging area.

[0024] Optionally, the thickness of the planar layer in the packaging area is 0.6um-1.5um, and the thickness of the protective layer is 1.5um-2.5um.

[0025] Optionally, a thickness of the planar layer in the encapsulation area is smaller than a thickness of the planar layer in the display area.

[0026] Optionally, the width of the first through hole tapers from an end away from the passivation layer to an end close to the passivation layer; and / or the width of the connecting hole tapers from an end away from the device layer to an end close to the device layer.

[0027] Optionally, after the step of stripping the protective layer, the method further includes: providing a light-emitting layer on the pixel electrode layer.

[0028] Optionally, after the step of peeling off the protective layer, the method further includes: filling the external connection hole with a waterproof material.

[0029] The manufacturing method of the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application ensures that the portion of the flat layer on the display area is not affected by the dry etching, thereby ensuring the flatness of the flat layer, and then ensuring the flatness of the pixel electrode layer, so as to ensure the performance of the finally prepared display panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative work.

[0031] In order to more completely understand the present application and its beneficial effects, the following description will be given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals represent the same parts.

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of some structures during the manufacturing process of the display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of another part of the structure during the manufacturing process of the display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] Figure 3 A schematic flow chart of a method for manufacturing a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0036] The embodiment of the present application provides a method for manufacturing a display panel to solve the problem that the flatness of the pixel electrode layer of the display panel is affected by the existing method for manufacturing a display panel. The method will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0037] For example, see Figure 1 and Figure 3 , Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of some structures during the manufacturing process of the display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of another part of the structure during the manufacturing process of the display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 A schematic flow chart of a method for manufacturing a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application. The display panel includes a display area 10 and a packaging area 20 located at the edge of the display area 10, and the method for manufacturing the display panel includes the following steps:

[0038] S10, providing a substrate 100;

[0039] S20, disposing a device layer 200 on the substrate 100;

[0040] S30, disposing a passivation layer 300 on the device layer 200; wherein the passivation layer 300 has a connection hole 301 in the display area 10 and an external connection hole 302 in the packaging area 20; the connection hole 301 extends to the source and drain electrodes 201 of the device layer 200 located in the display area 10, and the external connection hole 302 extends to the source and drain electrodes 201 of the device layer 200 located in the packaging area 20;

[0041] S40, disposing a planar layer 400 on the passivation layer 300; wherein the planar layer 400 has a first through hole 401 in the display area 10 and a second through hole 402 in the encapsulation area 20, the first through hole 401 extends to connect with the connection hole 301, and the second through hole 402 extends to connect with the external connection hole 302;

[0042] S50, disposing a pixel electrode layer 500 on the display area 10 of the planar layer 400; wherein the pixel electrode layer 500 is connected to the source and drain electrodes 201 of the device layer 200 through the first through hole 401 and the connection hole 301;

[0043] S60, providing a protective layer 600 on the pixel electrode layer 500;

[0044] S70, removing the portion of the planar layer 400 in the packaging area 20 by dry etching technology;

[0045] S80 , peeling off the protective layer 600 .

[0046] In step S10 , the substrate 100 may be a glass substrate or a flexible substrate, which is not specifically limited herein.

[0047] In step S20, the device layer 200 may include a light shielding layer 210, a buffer layer 220, and a dielectric layer 230 from bottom to top. Among them, the light shielding layer 210 may be made of one or more materials of copper, aluminum, titanium, and molybdenum, and may be a single layer or multiple layers, and is not specifically limited here. It may be made by a deposition method during production. In addition to the light shielding function, the light shielding layer 210 also has a conductive routing function, and the pattern of the light shielding layer 210 may be defined by a yellow light process. The buffer layer 220 may also be made by a deposition method, and the material may be silicon oxide or silicon nitride, or a mixture of silicon oxide and silicon nitride, and may be a single layer or multiple layers. Then, an oxide semiconductor material is deposited on the buffer layer 220, such as indium gallium zinc oxide, indium tin zinc oxide, etc. Then, a gate insulating layer is made, which may also be made by deposition, and the material may be silicon dioxide, etc. Then, a gate metal layer is deposited, and the material may be copper, aluminum, titanium, molybdenum, alloy, etc., and may be a single layer or multiple layers. Then, a dielectric layer 230 is deposited to cover the gate metal layer. The dielectric layer 230 can be made of inorganic materials such as silicon dioxide, and source and drain holes are etched in the dielectric layer 230. Then, the source and drain 201 are made on the source and drain holes and / or on the dielectric layer 230. The material of the source and drain 201 can be copper, aluminum, titanium, molybdenum, alloy, etc.

[0048] In step S30, the material of the passivation layer 300 can be selected from inorganic materials such as silicon nitride or silicon oxide, and can be prepared by deposition. There are many ways to form the connection hole 301 and the external connection hole 302, such as by a photomask process. In order to reduce the number of photomasks in the display panel manufacturing process, they can also be formed by hydrofluoric acid etching after the flat layer 400 is set, which will be described in detail below.

[0049] In step S40, the material of the planar layer 400 may be an organic photoresist material, and the preparation steps may include the following steps:

[0050] S41, coating an organic photoresist material on the passivation layer 300;

[0051] S42, performing exposure processing on the organic photoresist material;

[0052] S43 , developing the organic photoresist material to form the first through hole 401 and the second through hole 402 .

[0053] In order to reduce the thickness of the display panel encapsulation area 20, the thickness of the flat layer 400 in the encapsulation area 20 is less than the thickness of the flat layer 400 in the display area 10. When making the flat layer 400, the organic photoresist material coated on the encapsulation area 20 of the passivation layer 300 can be controlled to be thinner than the organic photoresist material in the display area 10, so that the thickness of the flat layer 400 in the encapsulation area 20 and the display area 10 can be different. In this example, the thickness of the flat layer 400 in the encapsulation area 20 is 0.6um-1.5um, and the thickness of the flat layer 400 in the display area 10 is 2um-5um. For example, the thickness of the flat layer 400 in the encapsulation area 20 can be set to 0.8um, 1.0um, 1.2um, 1.5um, etc., and the thickness of the flat layer 400 in the display area 10 can be set to 2um, 3um, 4um, 4.5um, etc.

[0054] In order to reduce the number of photomasks in the display panel manufacturing process, after the step of setting the flat layer 400 on the passivation layer 300, the position corresponding to the first through hole 401 on the passivation layer 300 is etched by hydrofluoric acid to form the connection hole 301, and the position corresponding to the second through hole 402 on the passivation layer 300 is etched by hydrofluoric acid to form the external connection hole 302. In this way, the connection hole 301 is connected to the first through hole 401, and the external connection hole 302 is connected to the second through hole 402. During preparation, attention is paid to the position of the opening, so that the connection hole 301 and the external connection hole 302 both expose the source and drain 201 of the device layer 200.

[0055] In step S50, the pixel electrode layer 500 may be a multi-layer structure, for example, a three-layer structure, including, from bottom to top, a first indium tin oxide layer, a metal silver layer, and a second indium tin oxide layer, and the total thickness of the pixel electrode layer 500 protruding from the flat layer 400 may be set to 1.5-2.5um, for example, 2um. The preparation steps may include vapor deposition, yellow light process, etching and stripping in sequence. During preparation, it is noted that the manufacturing material is extended into the source and drain electrodes 201 of the device layer 200 through the first through hole 401 and the connecting hole 301, so that the pixel electrode layer 500 is finally connected to the source and drain electrodes 201 of the device layer 200, so that the electrical signal of the source and drain electrodes 201 can be transmitted to the pixel electrode layer 500, so that when the display panel is finally obtained, the light-emitting layer on the upper layer of the pixel electrode layer 500 can emit light. It is worth mentioning that, in this example, the source-drain electrode 201 includes a source electrode and a drain electrode, and the pixel electrode layer 500 can be connected to the source electrode of the device layer 200 , and can also be connected to the drain electrode of the device layer 200 .

[0056] Regarding the shapes of the first through hole 401 and the connection hole 301, in some examples, it can be configured that: the width of the first through hole 401 gradually decreases from the end away from the passivation layer 300 to the end close to the passivation layer 300; and / or the width of the connection hole 301 gradually decreases from the end away from the device layer 200 to the end close to the device layer 200. In this way, the hole wall of the first through hole 401 and / or the connection hole 301 has a guiding slope to guide the pixel electrode layer 500 toward the source and drain electrode 201.

[0057] In step S60, the protective layer 600 is made of a photoresist, which will not corrode the pixel electrode layer 500, and is disposed on the pixel electrode layer 500 to protect the pixel electrode layer 500. The step of disposing the protective layer 600 on the pixel electrode layer 500 includes:

[0058] S61, coating a photoresist on the pixel electrode layer 500;

[0059] S62, performing exposure processing on the photoresist;

[0060] S63 , developing the photoresist to obtain the protection layer 600 .

[0061] During preparation, the thickness of the photoresist coating can be controlled so that the thickness of the protective layer 600 finally obtained is not less than the thickness of the flat layer 400 in the encapsulation area 20, so as to ensure that when the flat layer 400 in the encapsulation area 20 is removed by dry etching, the protective layer 600 will not be completely etched away, so as to protect the lower pixel electrode layer 500 and the flat layer 400 in the display area 10. Specifically, the thickness of the protective layer 600 can be set to 1.5um-2.5um, for example, it can be set to 1.5um, 1.8um, 2.0um, 2.2um, 2.5um, etc. During actual preparation, it can be determined according to the thickness of the flat layer 400 in the encapsulation area 20. For example, when the thickness of the flat layer 400 in the encapsulation area 20 is 1um, the thickness of the protective layer 600 can be set to 2.0um, and when the thickness of the flat layer 400 in the encapsulation area 20 is 1.5um, the thickness of the protective layer 600 can be set to 2.5um. Examples are not given one by one here.

[0062] In step S70 , the planar layer 400 in the packaging area 20 is removed completely by dry etching technology, so that no organic photoresist material remains on the packaging area 20 , thereby preventing the organic photoresist material from affecting the subsequent packaging effect of the packaging area 20 due to its moisture-proof property.

[0063] Since the portion of the planar layer 400 in the display area 10 is covered by the upper pixel electrode, and the pixel electrode is covered by the upper protective layer 600, when the portion of the planar layer 400 in the encapsulation area 20 is removed by dry etching, due to the whole surface of the dry etching, the portion of the upper protective layer 600 will be removed, while the pixel electrode layer 500 and the planar layer 400 below will not be removed. Compared with the process of removing the planar layer 400 in the encapsulation area 20 by dry etching after the planar layer 400 is provided and before the pixel electrode layer 500 is prepared, In the manufacturing process of the part, the pixel electrode layer 500 is firstly arranged on the planar layer 400, and the protective layer 600 is arranged above the pixel electrode layer 500, and then the dry etching process is adopted to remove the part of the planar layer 400 in the packaging area 20. This can ensure that the part of the planar layer 400 on the display area 10 is not affected by the dry etching, thereby ensuring the flatness of the planar layer 400, and further ensuring the flatness of the pixel electrode layer 500, so as to ensure the performance of the display panel finally prepared.

[0064] In step S80 , the remaining protection layer 600 is directly peeled off.

[0065] After step S80, that is, after the protective layer 600 is stripped, a pixel bank layer may be provided on the pixel electrode layer 500 to define a light emitting area. A waterproof material, such as a waterproof inorganic material, may be filled on the external hole 302, for example, silicon nitride or silicon oxide, to prevent water vapor from entering the source and drain electrodes 201 of the device layer 200 through the external hole 302, so as to improve the waterproof performance of the display panel.

[0066] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0067] In the description of the present application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. The display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application is introduced in detail above. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present application and its core idea; at the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of ​​the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and scope of application. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a display panel, wherein the display panel comprises a display area and a packaging area located at the edge of the display area, characterized in that: The manufacturing method of the display panel comprises the following steps: providing a substrate; Disposing a device layer on the substrate; A passivation layer is provided on the device layer; wherein the passivation layer has a connection hole in the display area and an external connection hole in the packaging area; the connection hole extends to the source and drain of the device layer located in the display area, and the external connection hole extends to the source and drain of the device layer located in the packaging area; A flat layer is disposed on the passivation layer; wherein the flat layer has a first through hole in the display area and a second through hole in the encapsulation area, the first through hole extends to connect with the connection hole, and the second through hole extends to connect with the external connection hole; A pixel electrode layer is provided on the display area of ​​the planar layer; wherein the pixel electrode layer is connected to the source and drain of the device layer through the first through hole and the connection hole; Disposing a protective layer on the pixel electrode layer; Using dry etching technology to remove the portion of the planar layer in the packaging area; peeling off the protective layer; Wherein, the protective layer is made of photoresist; The thickness of the protective layer is not less than the thickness of the planar layer in the packaging area; The step of providing a protective layer on the pixel electrode layer comprises: coating a photoresist on the pixel electrode layer; performing an exposure process on the photoresist; The photoresist is developed to obtain a protective layer.

2. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of providing a planar layer on the passivation layer comprises: coating an organic photoresist material on the passivation layer; performing an exposure process on the organic photoresist material; The organic photoresist material is developed to form a first through hole and a second through hole.

3. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, wherein: The thickness of the planar layer in the packaging area is 0.6um-1.5um, and the thickness of the protective layer is 1.5um-2.5um.

4. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, wherein: The thickness of the planar layer in the encapsulation area is smaller than the thickness of the planar layer in the display area.

5. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The width of the first through hole gradually decreases from an end away from the passivation layer to an end close to the passivation layer; and / or the width of the connection hole gradually decreases from an end away from the device layer to an end close to the device layer.

6. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the step of stripping the protective layer, the method further includes: disposing a pixel bank layer on the pixel electrode layer.

7. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the step of peeling off the protective layer, the method further includes: filling the external connection hole with a waterproof material.

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