Substrate, manufacturing method thereof, and display panel

Abstract

This application provides a substrate, its fabrication method, and a display panel. The substrate includes a substrate, an organic layer, a first metal layer, and a second metal layer. The organic layer is located on one side of the substrate and has multiple openings penetrating the organic layer. The first metal layer includes multiple first metal patterns, each located within an opening and including a first portion parallel to the bottom of the opening and a second portion parallel to the sidewall of the opening. The second metal layer is thicker than the first metal layer and includes multiple second metal patterns, each located within an opening and in contact with the first metal patterns. The distance from the surface of the first metal layer away from the substrate to the plane of the substrate is less than the distance from the surface of the organic layer away from the substrate to the plane of the substrate. In this embodiment, by first forming the first metal layer on the organic layer, the conductivity of the first metal layer enables a more uniform electric field density distribution, thereby resulting in a more uniform thickness of the second metal layer obtained by electroplating.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the fields of LED and LCD display technology, and more specifically, to a substrate, its manufacturing method, and a display panel. Background Technology

[0002] Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have two main applications in displays: one is as self-emissive LED displays, and the other is as backlights for liquid crystal displays (LCDs).

[0003] With the continuous development of display requirements, millimeter-scale LEDs (Mini LEDs) and micrometer-scale LEDs (Micro LEDs) are being applied to display devices. For Mini LEDs / Micro LEDs, since the driving current of the LED is tens of milliamps, thick copper with high current carrying capacity is required. For example, some projects require a copper film with a thickness of about 7um, but sputtering deposition cannot meet the requirements for producing a copper film of this thickness.

[0004] While electroplating can produce thick copper films, the excessively long etching time can lead to excessive etching bias, making it unsuitable for mass production. If a semi-additive method is used to form thick copper layer patterns, uneven thickness can result from inconsistent electric field density in the electroplating area. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application proposes a substrate, its manufacturing method, and a display panel to solve the problem that the existing technology cannot meet the requirements for the fabrication of patterned thick copper layers.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a substrate, the substrate comprising...

[0007] Substrate;

[0008] An organic layer, located on one side of the substrate, has multiple openings penetrating the organic layer;

[0009] A first metal layer includes a plurality of first metal patterns, the first metal patterns being located within the opening and including a first portion parallel to the bottom of the opening and a second portion parallel to the sidewall of the opening;

[0010] The second metal layer has a thickness greater than the first metal layer and includes a plurality of second metal patterns. The second metal patterns are located within the opening and in contact with the first metal patterns. The distance from the surface of the first metal layer away from the substrate to the plane of the substrate is less than the distance from the surface of the organic layer away from the substrate to the plane of the substrate.

[0011] Optionally, an attachment lifting layer is located between the organic layer and the first metal layer, and the attachment lifting layer covers the surface of the organic layer and the bottom of the opening.

[0012] Optionally, the second metal pattern includes a first region having a first thickness d1 and a second region located around the first region having a second thickness d2, wherein the second thickness d2 is not less than 90% of the first thickness d1.

[0013] Optionally, the substrate further includes:

[0014] A first insulating layer is located on the side of the second metal layer away from the substrate;

[0015] The first planarization layer is located on the side of the first insulating layer away from the substrate;

[0016] A third metal layer is located on the side of the first planarization layer away from the substrate and includes a plurality of third metal patterns, each of the third metal patterns being electrically connected to a second metal pattern;

[0017] The second insulating layer is located on the side of the third metal layer away from the substrate;

[0018] The second planarization layer is located on the side of the second insulating layer away from the substrate.

[0019] Optionally, the second metal pattern includes a first signal line and a second signal line, and the third metal pattern includes a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode is electrically connected to a first signal line and the second electrode is electrically connected to a second signal line.

[0020] Optionally, the substrate further includes:

[0021] A buffer layer is located between the substrate and the organic layer;

[0022] An active layer, located between the buffer layer and the organic layer, includes multiple active islands;

[0023] A third insulating layer is located between the active layer and the organic layer;

[0024] A fourth metal layer, located between the third insulating layer and the organic layer, includes a plurality of gates;

[0025] A fourth insulating layer is located between the fourth metal layer and the organic layer;

[0026] The fifth metal layer, located between the fourth insulating layer and the organic layer, includes a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a power line;

[0027] The fifth insulating layer is located between the fifth metal layer and the organic layer;

[0028] The second metal pattern includes a first sub-pattern electrically connected to the power line and a second sub-pattern electrically connected to the drain.

[0029] The third metal pattern includes a first electrode and a second electrode, each of the first electrodes being electrically connected to a first sub-pattern, and each of the second electrodes being electrically connected to a second sub-pattern.

[0030] Optionally, the organic layer is made of photosensitive resin and has a thickness of 5 μm to 8 μm; the second metal layer is made of copper and has a thickness of 3 μm to 7 μm.

[0031] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a display panel, including the aforementioned substrate and a light-emitting diode electrically connected to the substrate.

[0032] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a method for manufacturing a substrate, comprising:

[0033] A substrate is provided, an organic layer is formed on one side of the substrate, and the organic layer is patterned to form a plurality of openings through the organic layer;

[0034] A first metal layer is formed on the side of the organic layer away from the substrate;

[0035] A second metal layer is formed on the side of the first metal layer away from the substrate by electroplating, and the thickness of the second metal layer is greater than the thickness of the first metal layer;

[0036] The first metal layer and the second metal layer are patterned such that the second metal layer includes a plurality of second metal patterns, the first metal layer includes a plurality of first metal patterns, the first metal patterns are located within the opening and include a first portion parallel to the bottom of the opening and a second portion parallel to the sidewall of the opening, the second metal patterns are located within the opening and in contact with the first metal patterns, and the distance from the surface of the second metal layer away from the substrate to the plane of the substrate is less than the distance from the surface of the organic layer away from the substrate to the plane of the substrate.

[0037] Optionally, the method of fabricating the substrate further includes: before forming the first metal layer, forming an adhesion enhancement layer on the side of the organic layer away from the substrate, the adhesion enhancement layer covering the bottom of the opening and the surface of the organic layer.

[0038] Optionally, the first metal layer and the second metal layer are patterned, including:

[0039] A photoresist layer is formed on the side of the second metal layer away from the substrate, and the photoresist layer is exposed and developed to remove the photoresist layer in the non-opening area.

[0040] The second metal layer and the first metal layer in the non-opening region are removed by wet etching.

[0041] The remaining photoresist is stripped to obtain the first metal pattern and the second metal pattern.

[0042] Optionally, the method for manufacturing the substrate further includes: [further details needed].

[0043] A first insulating layer and a first planarization layer are sequentially formed on the side of the second metal layer away from the substrate, and the first insulating layer and the first planarization layer are patterned to form a plurality of first vias penetrating the first insulating layer and the first planarization layer.

[0044] A third metal layer is formed on the side of the first insulating layer away from the substrate, and the third metal layer is patterned to form a third metal pattern, at least a portion of the third metal pattern being electrically connected to a corresponding second metal pattern.

[0045] A second insulating layer and a second planarization layer are sequentially formed on the side of the third metal layer away from the first insulating layer, and the second insulating layer and the second planarization layer are patterned to form a plurality of second vias penetrating the second insulating layer and the second planarization layer.

[0046] The beneficial technical effects of the technical solutions provided in this application are:

[0047] The substrate, its manufacturing method, and display panel provided in this application embodiment first form a first metal layer on an organic layer. The conductivity of the first metal layer enables a more uniform electric field density distribution, thereby making the thickness of the second metal layer obtained by electroplating more uniform and ensuring the conductivity of the substrate. At the same time, the more uniform thickness of the second metal layer can also avoid the problem of increased roughness of the second metal layer caused by the etching process.

[0048] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will become apparent from the description or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0049] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0050] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure of a substrate provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 2 This is an enlarged structural diagram of an opening in a substrate provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure of another substrate provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure of another substrate provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 5 This is a top view of an AM-type substrate provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 6 This is a top view of a PM-type substrate provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 7 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a display panel provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 8 A schematic flowchart illustrating a method for fabricating a substrate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 9 for Figure 8 The process flow diagram of step S1 in the substrate fabrication method is shown.

[0059] Figure 10 for Figure 8 The process flow diagram of step S2 in the substrate fabrication method is shown.

[0060] Figure 11 for Figure 8 The process flow diagram of step S3 in the substrate fabrication method is shown.

[0061] Figure 12 for Figure 8 The schematic diagram of step S4 in the substrate fabrication method shown.

[0062] Figure 13 for Figure 12 The process flow diagram of step S401 of the substrate fabrication method is shown.

[0063] Figure 14 for Figure 12 The process flow diagram of step S402 in the substrate fabrication method is shown.

[0064] Figure 15 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating another method for fabricating a substrate provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0065] Figure label:

[0066] 101-Substrate; 102-Organic layer; 1021-Barrier; 1022-Opening; 103-First metal layer; 1031-First metal pattern; 104-Second metal layer; 1041-Second metal pattern; 105-Adhesion enhancement layer; 106-First insulating layer; 107-First planarization layer; 108-Third metal layer; 1081-Third metal pattern; 109-Second insulating layer; 110-Second planarization layer; 111-Buffer layer; 112-Active island; 1121-Channel region; 1122-Source region; 1123-Drain region; 113-Third insulating layer; 114-Fourth metal layer; G-Gate; 115-Fourth insulating layer; 116-Fifth metal layer; 1161-Power line; S-Source electrode; D-Drain electrode; 117-Fifth insulating layer;

[0067] 2-Light Emitting Diode; 201-First Pin; 202-Second Pin. Detailed Implementation

[0068] This application is described in detail below. Examples of embodiments of this application are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar components or components having the same or similar functions throughout. Furthermore, detailed descriptions of known technologies that are unnecessary for the features of this application are omitted. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0069] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have the same meaning as in the context of the prior art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless specifically defined as herein.

[0070] Those skilled in the art will understand that, unless specifically stated otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” “the,” and “the” used herein may also include the plural forms. It should be further understood that the word “comprising” as used in the specification of this application means the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0071] For array substrates or direct-lit backlights used in large-size self-emissive LED displays, the voltage drop across copper traces is significant due to their large size, necessitating the use of thicker copper traces. Higher brightness requirements necessitate even thicker copper traces. For example, in a direct-lit backlight with a brightness exceeding 2000 nits, the thickness of a single layer of copper traces in the backlight driver substrate needs to be at least 5µm. Based on current experience, electroplating is simpler and less expensive than magnetron sputtering for copper thicknesses greater than 1.5µm.

[0072] The inventors of this application discovered that although electroplating can produce thick copper films, the excessive time required for subsequent etching leads to a large deviation rate in the etching process, which cannot meet the requirements for mass production. Therefore, using a semi-additive method to form patterns of thick copper layers is a better choice.

[0073] The semi-additive method utilizes an organic layer to form openings defining the pattern of a thick copper layer, then electroplating is used to form the thick copper layer, followed by etching to obtain the thick copper layer pattern. Due to the insulating nature of the organic layer, the electric field lines in the areas where the organic layer is present converge at the openings, resulting in uneven electric field distribution and thus uneven thickness of the thick copper layer. In a specific embodiment, in a 32-inch substrate, the electroplated thick copper layer thickness in the fanout and bonding leader areas is 2μm to 3μm thicker than the thick copper layer thickness in the display area. This affects the overall conductivity of the substrate. Furthermore, in order to remove the seed layer that needs to be etched away in the fanout and bonding leader areas, the thick copper layer in some display areas is affected by etching, resulting in increased surface roughness. This will affect the bonding strength between the thick copper layer and the film layer on top of it in subsequent processes, causing blistering, peeling, or even short circuits. It should be noted that the "thick copper layer" mentioned here refers to a copper film layer with a thickness greater than 1μm, typically fabricated using electroplating.

[0074] The substrate, its manufacturing method, and display panel provided in this application are intended to solve the above-mentioned technical problems of the prior art.

[0075] The technical solution of this application and how the technical solution of this application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments.

[0076] This application provides a substrate, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the substrate 1 provided in this embodiment includes a substrate 101, an organic layer 102, a first metal layer 103, and a second metal layer 104. The substrate 101 is preferably a rigid substrate 101, such as a glass substrate 101.

[0077] like Figure 1 As shown, the organic layer 102 is located on one side of the substrate 101 and has a plurality of openings 1022 penetrating the organic layer 102. Specifically, as... Figure 2 As shown, after the organic layer 102 has the opening 1022, that is, the patterned organic layer 102 includes a retaining wall 1021 surrounding the opening 1022, and the sidewall of the retaining wall 1021 is the sidewall of the opening 1022. In a specific embodiment, the slope angle of the retaining wall 1021 is usually controlled between 70° and 80° to ensure good continuity during the subsequent fabrication of the metal layer.

[0078] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the material of the organic layer 102 is a photosensitive resin, for example, a photoresist. In specific implementations, the thickness of the organic layer 102 is adjusted according to the thickness of the second metal layer 104 to be prepared, and the thickness of the organic layer 102 is usually controlled in the range of 5μm to 8μm.

[0079] like Figure 1 As shown, the first metal layer 103 includes a plurality of first metal patterns 1031. The first metal patterns 1031 are located within the opening 1022 and include a first portion 1031a parallel to the bottom of the opening 1022 and a second portion 1031b parallel to the sidewall of the opening 1022.

[0080] Specifically, the first metal layer 103 serves as a seed layer to facilitate the subsequent electroplating of the second metal layer 104 onto the first metal layer 103. The thickness of the first metal layer 103 is... The first metal layer 103 is preferably a copper layer prepared by magnetron sputtering; alternatively, an alloy material can be selected to form the first metal layer 103 according to actual needs, such as a molybdenum-nickel-titanium alloy (MoNiTi alloy); or a composite film layer can be selected as the first metal layer 103, for example, the first metal layer 103 includes a first layer of molybdenum-nickel-titanium alloy (MoNiTi alloy) and a second layer of copper material in the direction away from the substrate 101.

[0081] like Figure 1As shown, the second metal layer 104 is thicker than the first metal layer 103 and includes a plurality of second metal patterns 1041. The second metal patterns 1041 are located in the opening 1022 and are in contact with the first metal pattern 1031. The distance from the surface of the first metal layer 103 away from the substrate 101 to the plane where the substrate 101 is located is less than the distance from the surface of the organic layer 102 away from the substrate 101 to the plane where the substrate 101 is located.

[0082] Specifically, the second metal pattern 1041 can be a metal wire, a metal electrode, or a combination thereof. The second metal layer 104 is a copper layer prepared by electroplating, and the thickness of the second metal layer 104 is 3μm to 7μm. It should be noted that the first metal pattern 1031 and the second metal layer 104 pattern in contact with the first metal pattern 1031 together constitute the same metal structure, which can serve as a wire, electrode, overlapping structure, or transition structure. For ease of explanation, in subsequent embodiments, when a first metal pattern 1031 and a corresponding second metal pattern 1041 together constitute a metal structure and the metal structure is electrically connected to a metal pattern of another film layer, it will only be described as "the second metal pattern 1041 is electrically connected to a metal pattern of another film layer".

[0083] The substrate provided in this application embodiment first forms a first metal layer 103 on the organic layer 102. The conductivity of the first metal layer 103 enables a more uniform electric field density distribution, thereby making the thickness of the second metal layer 104 in the prepared substrate more uniform and ensuring the conductivity of the substrate. At the same time, the more uniform thickness of the second metal layer 104 can also avoid the problem of increased roughness of the second metal layer 104 caused by the etching process.

[0084] Optionally, such as Figure 3 As shown, the substrate provided in this embodiment also includes an attachment enhancement layer 105, which is located between the organic layer 102 and the first metal layer 103 and covers the surface of the organic layer 102 and the bottom of the opening 1022.

[0085] Specifically, the material of the attached lifting layer 105 is SiN. x The thickness of the attachment lifting layer 105 is

[0086] In this embodiment, the adhesion enhancement layer 105 can increase the adhesion between the organic layer 102 and the first metal layer 103, thereby improving the performance of the substrate; and the adhesion enhancement layer 105 can prevent the metal layer from directly contacting the organic layer 102, thereby preventing the metal layer from directly contacting the organic layer 102, thereby preventing the oxidation of the metal layer caused by the contact between the organic layer 102 and the metal layer in subsequent processes, and thus improving the service life of the product.

[0087] Optionally, such as Figure 4 As shown, in the substrate provided in this embodiment, the second metal pattern 1041 includes a first region 10 having a first thickness d1 and a second region 20 located around the first region 10 and having a second thickness d2, wherein the second thickness d2 is not less than 90% of the first thickness d1.

[0088] Specifically, under ideal preparation conditions, the first region 10 and the second region 20 of the second metal pattern 1041 should have the same thickness, that is, the first thickness d1 is equal to the second thickness d2. However, in actual production, there is often over-etching. The degree of over-etching needs to be controlled to prevent excessive loss of the second metal pattern 1041, which will affect the conductivity and smoothness of the second metal pattern 1041.

[0089] In the substrate provided in this embodiment, the thickness difference between the second metal pattern 1041 in the first region 10 and the second region 20 is controlled within a reasonable range, which can ensure the cross-sectional area of ​​the second metal pattern 1041, thereby ensuring the conductivity requirements of the second metal pattern 1041.

[0090] Optionally, such as Figure 5 As shown, the substrate provided in this embodiment also includes:

[0091] The first insulating layer 106 is located on the side of the second metal layer 104 away from the substrate 101;

[0092] The first planarization layer 107 is located on the side of the first insulating layer 106 away from the substrate 101;

[0093] The third metal layer 108 is located on the side of the first planarization layer 107 away from the substrate 101, and includes a plurality of third metal patterns 1081, which are electrically connected to the second metal pattern 1041.

[0094] The second insulating layer 109 is located on the side of the third metal layer 108 away from the substrate 101;

[0095] The second planarization layer 110 is located on the side of the second insulating layer 109 away from the substrate 101.

[0096] It should be noted that, as Figure 5 As shown, the materials of the first insulating layer 106 and the second insulating layer 109 include inorganic insulating materials and / or organic insulating materials; the first planarization layer 107 and the first planarization layer 108 can be made of photoresist or other resin materials with photosensitive properties.

[0097] The substrate provided in this embodiment can be used as a substrate for a passive matrix (PM) minled / microled display device, or as a direct-lit backlight.

[0098] Specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown, in the substrate provided in this embodiment, the second metal pattern 1041 includes a first signal line 1041a and a second signal line 1041b, and the third metal pattern 1081 includes a first electrode 1081a and a second electrode 1081b. The first electrode 1081a is electrically connected to a first signal line 1041a, and the second electrode 1081b is electrically connected to a second signal line 1041b. The first signal line 1041a and the second signal line 1041b are used to transmit positive and negative voltages, respectively, thereby providing positive and negative voltages for light emission to the LEDs mounted on the substrate.

[0099] Optionally, such as Figure 6 As shown, the substrate provided in this embodiment also includes:

[0100] A buffer layer is located between the substrate 101 and the organic layer 102;

[0101] The active layer, located between the buffer layer and the organic layer 102, includes multiple active islands. Specifically, the active islands include channel regions, source regions, and drain regions.

[0102] The third insulating layer 113 is located between the active layer and the organic layer 102;

[0103] A fourth metal layer 114, located between the third insulating layer 113 and the organic layer 102, includes a plurality of gates G. Specifically, the fourth metal layer 114 also includes gate lines, each gate line being electrically connected to a corresponding plurality of gates G.

[0104] The fourth insulating layer 115 is located between the fourth metal layer 114 and the organic layer 102.

[0105] The fifth metal layer 116, located between the fourth insulating layer 115 and the organic layer 102, includes a source electrode S, a drain electrode D, and a power line 1061. Specifically, the fifth metal layer 116 also includes data lines, each of which is electrically connected to a corresponding plurality of source electrodes. Furthermore, each source electrode S is electrically connected to the source region 1022 of the corresponding active island 102, and each drain electrode D is electrically connected to the drain region 1023 of the corresponding active island 102.

[0106] The fifth insulating layer 117 is located between the fifth metal layer 116 and the organic layer 102.

[0107] It should be noted that, although Figure 6 Not shown, but a planarization layer may be provided between the fifth metal layer 116 and the fifth insulating layer 117 to facilitate the subsequent fabrication of the organic layer 102.

[0108] The substrate provided in this embodiment is suitable for active matrix (AM) display devices. The film layer located between the substrate 101 and the organic layer 102 in this substrate is used to form a driving circuit. The driving circuit includes, in addition to... Figure 6 In addition to the transistors shown, the diagram also includes capacitors and various signal lines. Specifically, power lines can also be fabricated by placing them in other metal film layers or by adding an additional metal layer, for example, by adding a metal layer between the active layer and the buffer layer to fabricate the power lines.

[0109] Specifically, such as Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the second metal pattern 1041 includes a first sub-pattern 1041a electrically connected to the power line 1061 and a second sub-pattern 1041b electrically connected to the drain electrode D; the third metal pattern 1081 includes a first electrode 1081a and a second electrode 1081b, each first electrode 1081a being electrically connected to a first sub-pattern 1041a, and each second electrode 1081b being electrically connected to a second sub-pattern 1041b.

[0110] like Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the first sub-pattern 1041a can be a metal wire electrically connected to the power line. The signal transmitted by this metal wire is only the signal transmitted by the power line 1161. For example, if the power line 1161 is a VSS signal line, then the first sub-pattern 1041a can be a wire transmitting the VSS signal. Of course, depending on the specific design of the driving circuit, the power line 1161 can also be used to transmit the VDD signal, in which case the first sub-pattern 1041a can be a wire transmitting the VDD signal. The second sub-pattern 1041b can be a metal block electrically connected to the drain electrode.

[0111] Based on the same inventive concept, this application provides a display panel, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the display panel provided in this embodiment includes the substrate in the above embodiment and the light-emitting diode 2 electrically connected to the substrate in the above embodiment, and has the beneficial effects of the substrate in the above embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0112] Specifically, such as Figure 7 As shown, LED 2 is a Mini LED or Micro LED.

[0113] Specifically, such as Figure 7 As shown, the light-emitting diode 2 includes a first pin 201 and a second pin 202. The first pin 202 is electrically connected to the first electrode 1081a on the substrate, and the second pin 202 is electrically connected to the second electrode 1081b on the substrate.

[0114] It should be noted that, as Figure 7The substrate in the display panel shown is a PM type substrate. The way the AM type substrate is electrically connected to the light-emitting diode 2 is similar to the way the PM type substrate is electrically connected to the light-emitting diode 2, and will not be described again here.

[0115] Based on the same inventive concept, this application provides a method for manufacturing a substrate, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 2 as well as Figures 8 to 11 As shown, the manufacturing method includes:

[0116] S1: A substrate 101 is provided, an organic layer 102 is formed on one side of the substrate 101, and the organic layer 102 is patterned to form a plurality of openings 1022 penetrating the organic layer 102.

[0117] Specifically, please refer to Figure 9 The substrate 101 is preferably a rigid substrate 101, such as a glass substrate 101. The material of the organic layer 102 is a photosensitive resin, such as photoresist. In specific implementations, the thickness of the organic layer 102 is adjusted according to the thickness of the second metal layer 104 to be prepared, and the thickness of the organic layer 102 should be greater than the thickness of the second metal layer 104. The thickness of the organic layer 102 is 5 μm to 8 μm.

[0118] S2: A first metal layer 103 is formed on the side of the organic layer 102 away from the substrate 101.

[0119] Specifically, please refer to Figure 10 The first metal layer 103 serves as a seed layer to facilitate the subsequent formation of the second metal layer 104 on the first metal layer 103. The thickness of the first metal layer 103 is... The first metal layer 103 is preferably a copper layer prepared by magnetron sputtering; alternatively, an alloy material can be selected to form the first metal layer 103 according to actual needs, such as a molybdenum-nickel-titanium alloy (MoNiTi alloy); or a composite film layer can be selected as the first metal layer 103, for example, the first metal layer 103 includes a first layer of molybdenum-nickel-titanium alloy (MoNiTi alloy) and a second layer of copper material in the direction away from the substrate 101.

[0120] S3: A second metal layer 104 is formed on the side of the first metal layer 103 away from the substrate 101 by electroplating. The thickness of the second metal layer 104 is greater than the thickness of the first metal layer 103.

[0121] Specifically, please refer to Figure 11 The second metal pattern 1041 can be a metal wire, a metal electrode, or a combination thereof. The second metal layer 104 is a copper layer prepared by electroplating, and the thickness of the second metal layer 104 is 3 μm to 7 μm.

[0122] S4: The first metal layer 103 and the second metal layer 104 are patterned so that the second metal layer 104 includes a plurality of second metal patterns 1041, the first metal layer 103 includes a plurality of first metal patterns 1031, the first metal patterns 1031 are located in the opening 1022 and include a first portion 1031a parallel to the bottom of the opening 1022 and a second portion 1031b parallel to the sidewall of the opening 1022, the second metal patterns 1041 are located in the opening 1022 and are in contact with the first metal patterns 1031, and the distance from the surface of the second metal layer 104 away from the substrate 101 to the plane where the substrate 101 is located is less than the distance from the surface of the organic layer 102 away from the substrate 101 to the plane where the substrate 101 is located.

[0123] The substrate fabrication method provided in this application embodiment first forms a first metal layer 103 on the organic layer 102. The conductivity of the first metal enables a more uniform electric field density distribution, thereby making the thickness of the second metal layer 104 obtained by electroplating more uniform, thus ensuring the conductivity of the substrate. At the same time, the more uniform thickness of the second metal layer 104 can also avoid the problem of increased roughness of the second metal layer 104 caused by the etching process.

[0124] Optionally, such as Figure 3 As shown, the substrate fabrication method provided in this embodiment further includes: before forming the first metal layer 103, forming an adhesion enhancement layer 105 on the side of the organic layer 102 away from the substrate 101, wherein the adhesion enhancement layer 105 covers the bottom of the opening 1022 and the surface of the organic layer 102.

[0125] Specifically, the material of the attached lifting layer 105 is SiN. x The thickness of the attachment lifting layer 105 is

[0126] In this embodiment, the adhesion enhancement layer 105 can increase the adhesion between the organic layer 102 and the first metal layer 103, thereby improving the performance of the substrate; and the adhesion enhancement layer 105 can prevent the metal layer from directly contacting the organic layer 102, thereby preventing the metal layer from directly contacting the organic layer 102, thereby preventing the oxidation of the metal layer caused by the contact between the organic layer 102 and the metal layer in subsequent processes, and thus improving the service life of the product.

[0127] Optionally, such as Figures 12 to 14 As shown, in the substrate fabrication method provided in this embodiment, step S4 includes:

[0128] S401: A photoresist layer is formed on the side of the second metal layer 104 away from the substrate 101, and the photoresist layer is exposed and developed to remove the photoresist layer in the non-opening 1022 area.

[0129] Specifically, please refer to Figure 13 The remaining photoresist covers the second metal layer 104 located in the area of ​​the opening 1022 to protect the first metal layer 103 and the second metal layer 104 in the area covered by the remaining photoresist during subsequent etching.

[0130] S402: Wet etching is used to remove the second metal layer 104 and the first metal layer 103 in the non-opening 1022 region.

[0131] Please refer to Figure 14 During the wet process, the first metal layer 103 and the second metal layer 104 in the area where the photoresist is removed, i.e. the area corresponding to the barrier, are etched away.

[0132] S403: Strip the remaining photoresist to obtain the first metal pattern 1031 and the second metal pattern 1041.

[0133] Specifically, the substrate after removing the remaining photoresist is as follows: Figure 1 As shown.

[0134] The substrate fabrication method provided in this embodiment uses wet etching to pattern the second metal layer 104 and the first metal layer 103, which has high selectivity and good uniformity.

[0135] It should be noted that the wet etching process needs to be controlled to control the range of the thickness difference between the first region 10 and the second region 20 in the formed second metal pattern 1041, thereby ensuring the conductivity requirements of the second metal pattern 1041. Please refer to the description of this part in the above substrate embodiment for details.

[0136] Optionally, such as Figure 15 As shown in the figure, the substrate fabrication method provided in this embodiment further includes:

[0137] S5: A first insulating layer 106 and a first planarization layer 107 are sequentially formed on the side of the second metal layer 104 away from the substrate 101. The first insulating layer 106 and the first planarization layer 107 are patterned to form a plurality of first vias T1 penetrating the first insulating layer 106 and the first planarization layer 107. Specifically, the first vias T1 are used to realize the electrical connection between the third metal pattern 1081 and the second metal pattern 1041.

[0138] S6: A third metal layer 108 is formed on the side of the first insulating layer 106 away from the substrate 101, and the third metal layer 108 is patterned to form a third metal pattern 1081, at least a portion of the third metal pattern 1081 being electrically connected to the corresponding second metal pattern 1041.

[0139] S7: A second insulating layer 109 and a second planarization layer 110 are sequentially formed on the side of the third metal layer 108 away from the first insulating layer 106. The second insulating layer 109 and the second planarization layer 110 are patterned to form a plurality of second vias T2 penetrating the second insulating layer 109 and the second planarization layer 110. Specifically, the second vias T2 are used to realize the electrical connection between the third metal pattern 1081 and the LED.

[0140] Specifically, the substrate produced by this method is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the materials of the first insulating layer 106 and the second insulating layer 109 include inorganic insulating materials and / or organic insulating materials; the first planarization layer 107 and the first planarization layer 108 can be made of photoresist or other resin materials with photosensitive properties.

[0141] The substrate manufactured by the method provided in this embodiment can be used as a substrate for a passive matrix (PM) miniaturized / microled display device, or as a direct-lit backlight.

[0142] The substrate fabrication method provided in this embodiment may further include the fabrication of a driving circuit. In this case, the fabricated substrate is suitable for AM display devices. The specific fabrication process of the driving circuit can be found in existing technologies and will not be elaborated here.

[0143] By applying the embodiments of this application, at least the following beneficial effects can be achieved:

[0144] The substrate, its manufacturing method, and display panel provided in this application embodiment first form a first metal layer on an organic layer. The conductivity of the first metal layer enables a more uniform electric field density distribution, thereby making the thickness of the second metal layer obtained by electroplating more uniform and ensuring the conductivity of the substrate. At the same time, the more uniform thickness of the second metal layer can also avoid the problem of increased roughness of the second metal layer caused by the etching process.

[0145] Those skilled in the art will understand that the steps, measures, and solutions in the various operations, methods, and processes discussed in this application can be alternated, modified, combined, or deleted. Furthermore, other steps, measures, and solutions in the various operations, methods, and processes discussed in this application can also be alternated, modified, rearranged, decomposed, combined, or deleted. Furthermore, steps, measures, and solutions in the prior art that are similar to those disclosed in this application can also be alternated, modified, rearranged, decomposed, combined, or deleted.

[0146] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0147] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0148] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0149] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0150] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowcharts of the accompanying figures are shown sequentially as indicated by the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless explicitly stated herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some steps in the flowcharts of the accompanying figures may include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages. These sub-steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times, and their execution order is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the sub-steps or stages of other steps.

[0151] The above are only some embodiments of this application. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of this application, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A substrate, characterized in that, include: Substrate; An organic layer, located on one side of the substrate, has multiple openings penetrating the organic layer; The patterned organic layer includes a retaining wall surrounding the opening, the sidewalls of which are the sidewalls of the opening, and the slope angle of the retaining wall is controlled between 70° and 80°. The first metal layer includes a plurality of first metal patterns, the first metal patterns being located within the opening and including a first portion parallel to the bottom of the opening and a second portion parallel to the sidewall of the opening, the first portion and the second portion being in contact with each other and continuously distributed, the distance from the end of the second portion away from the substrate to the plane of the substrate being less than the distance from the surface of the organic layer away from the substrate to the plane of the substrate. The second metal layer has a thickness greater than the first metal layer and includes a plurality of second metal patterns. The second metal patterns are located within the opening and in contact with the first metal patterns. The distance from the surface of the second metal layer away from the substrate to the plane where the substrate is located is less than the distance from the surface of the organic layer away from the substrate to the plane where the substrate is located. The second metal pattern includes a first region having a first thickness d1 and a second region located around the first region having a second thickness d2, wherein the second thickness d2 is not less than 90% of the first thickness d1.

2. The substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: An adhesion enhancement layer is located between the organic layer and the first metal layer, and the adhesion enhancement layer covers the surface of the organic layer and the bottom of the opening.

3. The substrate according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that, Also includes: A first insulating layer is located on the side of the second metal layer away from the substrate; The first planarization layer is located on the side of the first insulating layer away from the substrate; A third metal layer is located on the side of the first planarization layer away from the substrate and includes a plurality of third metal patterns, each of the third metal patterns being electrically connected to a second metal pattern; The second insulating layer is located on the side of the third metal layer away from the substrate; The second planarization layer is located on the side of the second insulating layer away from the substrate.

4. The substrate according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second metal pattern includes a first signal line and a second signal line, and the third metal pattern includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode is electrically connected to a first signal line, and the second electrode is electrically connected to a second signal line.

5. The substrate according to claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: A buffer layer is located between the substrate and the organic layer; An active layer, located between the buffer layer and the organic layer, includes multiple active islands; A third insulating layer is located between the active layer and the organic layer; A fourth metal layer, located between the third insulating layer and the organic layer, includes a plurality of gates; A fourth insulating layer is located between the fourth metal layer and the organic layer; The fifth metal layer, located between the fourth insulating layer and the organic layer, includes a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a power line; The fifth insulating layer is located between the fifth metal layer and the organic layer; The second metal pattern includes a first sub-pattern electrically connected to the power line and a second sub-pattern electrically connected to the drain. The third metal pattern includes a first electrode and a second electrode, each of the first electrodes being electrically connected to a first sub-pattern, and each of the second electrodes being electrically connected to a second sub-pattern.

6. The substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The organic layer is made of a photosensitive resin, and the thickness of the organic layer is 5μm~8μm; The material of the second metal layer includes copper, and the thickness of the second metal layer is 3μm~7μm.

7. A display panel, characterized in that, It includes a substrate as described in any one of claims 1-6, and a light-emitting diode electrically connected to the substrate.

8. A method for manufacturing a substrate, characterized in that, include: A substrate is provided, an organic layer is formed on one side of the substrate, and the organic layer is patterned to form a plurality of openings through the organic layer; The patterned organic layer includes a retaining wall surrounding the opening, the sidewalls of which are the sidewalls of the opening, and the slope angle of the retaining wall is controlled between 70° and 80°. A first metal layer is formed on the side of the organic layer away from the substrate; A second metal layer is formed on the side of the first metal layer away from the substrate by electroplating, and the thickness of the second metal layer is greater than the thickness of the first metal layer; The first metal layer and the second metal layer are patterned such that the second metal layer includes a plurality of second metal patterns, and the first metal layer includes a plurality of first metal patterns. Each first metal pattern is located within the opening and includes a first portion parallel to the bottom of the opening and a second portion parallel to the sidewall of the opening. The first portion and the second portion are in contact with each other and are continuously distributed. The distance from the end of the second portion away from the substrate to the plane of the substrate is less than the distance from the surface of the organic layer away from the substrate to the plane of the substrate. The second metal pattern is located within the opening and in contact with the first metal pattern. The distance from the surface of the second metal layer away from the substrate to the plane of the substrate is less than the distance from the surface of the organic layer away from the substrate to the plane of the substrate. The second metal pattern includes a first region having a first thickness d1 and a second region surrounding the first region having a second thickness d2, where the second thickness d2 is not less than 90% of the first thickness d1.

9. The method for manufacturing a substrate according to claim 8, characterized in that, Also includes: Before forming the first metal layer, an adhesion enhancement layer is formed on the side of the organic layer away from the substrate, the adhesion enhancement layer covering the bottom of the opening and the surface of the organic layer.

10. The method for manufacturing a substrate according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first metal layer and the second metal layer are patterned, including: A photoresist layer is formed on the side of the second metal layer away from the substrate, and the photoresist layer is exposed and developed to remove the photoresist layer in the non-opening area. The second metal layer and the first metal layer in the non-opening region are removed by wet etching. The remaining photoresist is stripped to obtain the first metal pattern and the second metal pattern.

11. A method for manufacturing a substrate according to any one of claims 8-10, characterized in that, Also includes: A first insulating layer and a first planarization layer are sequentially formed on the side of the second metal layer away from the substrate, and the first insulating layer and the first planarization layer are patterned to form a plurality of first vias penetrating the first insulating layer and the first planarization layer. A third metal layer is formed on the side of the first insulating layer away from the substrate, and the third metal layer is patterned to form a third metal pattern, at least a portion of the third metal pattern being electrically connected to a corresponding second metal pattern. A second insulating layer and a second planarization layer are sequentially formed on the side of the third metal layer away from the first insulating layer, and the second insulating layer and the second planarization layer are patterned to form a plurality of second vias penetrating the second insulating layer and the second planarization layer.

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