Display panel and display device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a display panel and a display device including the same. The display panel includes a substrate, a touch electrode on the substrate, and a plurality of signal lines electrically connected to the touch electrode. The substrate includes a display area and a non-display area outside the display area. The touch electrode is in the display area, and the plurality of signal lines are distributed in the non-display area. The non-display area includes a light reflection concave-convex area. The light reflection concave-convex area includes a reflective material layer on the substrate. The reflective material layer has a concave-convex surface facing away from the substrate. The display panel further includes a light reduction structure in the non-display area. The light reduction structure is above the reflective material layer and is configured to at least reduce reflected light from the concave-convex surface of the reflective material layer. The light reduction structure is separated from the plurality of signal lines and the touch electrode.

Description

[0001] Related patent applications

[0002] This patent application claims priority to a prior Chinese patent application, filed on December 25, 2020, with Chinese Patent Office, application number 202011558822.3, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to the field of display technology, and in particular, to a display panel and a display device including the display panel. Background Technology

[0004] Currently, touch technology is widely used in various types of display devices, such as OLED touch displays and LCD touch displays, greatly enhancing the user experience. Display devices using touch technology typically include a touch IC chip (also known as a touch controller), which sends control signals to the touch electrodes in the display device or receives sensing signals from the touch electrodes to determine the user's touch position. However, for existing touch display devices, there is still significant room for improvement in touch performance and user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An embodiment of the present invention provides a display panel, comprising: a substrate, the substrate including a display area and a non-display area outside the display area; a touch electrode located on the substrate, the touch electrode being located within the display area; and a plurality of signal traces electrically connected to the touch electrode, the plurality of signal traces being distributed within the non-display area, the non-display area including a light-reflecting uneven region, the light-emitting uneven region including a reflective material layer located on the substrate, the reflective material layer having an uneven surface facing away from the substrate, the display panel further including a light-reducing structure located within the non-display area, the light-reducing structure being located above the reflective material layer and at least configured to reduce reflected light from the uneven surface of the reflective material layer, wherein the light-reducing structure is separated from the plurality of signal traces and the touch electrode.

[0006] According to some embodiments of the present invention, at least a portion of the light-cutting structure has its orthographic projection on the substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the reflective material layer on the substrate.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the touch electrode includes a plurality of first touch electrodes arranged in parallel and a plurality of second touch electrodes arranged in parallel, the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes intersecting each other, wherein the plurality of signal traces includes a plurality of first signal traces respectively connected to the plurality of first touch electrodes and a plurality of second signal traces respectively connected to the plurality of second touch electrodes.

[0008] The optical reduction structure includes at least one first dummy trace, which is located between the plurality of first signal traces and the plurality of second signal traces.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the light reduction structure includes at least one second dummy trace, the second dummy trace being located between the touch electrode and the signal trace closest to the touch electrode among the plurality of signal traces.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the display panel further includes pixel circuitry located within the display area, wherein the reflective material layer includes a DC voltage bus configured to transmit DC voltage to the pixel circuitry.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the display panel further includes a plurality of data signal lines configured to transmit data signals to the pixel circuit, the plurality of data signal lines extending to the non-display area and located between the substrate and the DC voltage bus, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of data signal lines are misaligned with each other in a direction parallel to the bottom surface of the substrate, such that the DC voltage bus has a concave-convex surface facing away from the substrate.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, at least a portion of the plurality of second signal traces have their orthographic projections on the substrate overlapping with the orthographic projections of the DC voltage bus on the substrate.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the slope angle between the convex surface of the DC voltage bus away from the substrate and the substrate is between 30 and 60 degrees.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the display panel further includes a touch controller. Each of the plurality of first signal traces includes a first segment and a second segment. The first segment and the second segment are respectively connected to a first end and a second end of a corresponding first touch electrode among the plurality of first touch electrodes. The first end is further away from the touch controller than the second end. The first touch electrode is electrically connected to the touch controller via the first segment and the second segment. Each of the plurality of second touch electrodes is electrically connected to the touch controller via a corresponding second signal trace among the plurality of second signal traces. At least a portion of the plurality of second signal traces extends in a bent manner within the non-display area, such that each second signal trace electrically connected to the touch controller has a uniform length. The at least one first dummy trace is located between the second segment of the first signal trace and the at least a portion of the second signal traces.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of first dummy traces are spaced apart from each other and evenly distributed between the first signal trace and the second signal trace, wherein the ratio between the width of each first dummy trace and the spacing between each first dummy trace in the plurality of first dummy traces is greater than or equal to 1.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the ratio between the width of each first dummy trace and the spacing between each first dummy trace in the plurality of first dummy traces is greater than or equal to 2.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present invention, each of the plurality of first dummy traces extends parallel to the edge of the display area closest to the first signal trace and the second signal trace.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of first signal traces are spaced apart from each other and uniformly distributed in the non-display area, the plurality of second signal traces are spaced apart from each other and uniformly distributed in the non-display area, the ratio between the width of each first signal trace and the spacing between each first signal trace in the plurality of first signal traces is greater than or equal to 1, and the ratio between the width of each second signal trace and the spacing between each second signal trace in the plurality of second signal traces is greater than or equal to 1.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the width of each first signal trace, each second signal trace, and each first dummy trace is between 3 and 50 micrometers, and the spacing between each first signal trace, the spacing between each second signal trace, and the spacing between each first dummy trace is between 4 and 30 micrometers.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, at least one of the first dummy trace, the first signal trace, and the second signal trace includes a first metal line, a second metal line, and an insulating layer between the first metal line and the second metal line, the insulating layer including vias, the first metal line being electrically connected to the second metal line via the vias in the insulating layer.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the materials of the plurality of signal traces and the optical reduction structure include at least one of molybdenum, aluminum, titanium, molybdenum alloy, aluminum alloy, and titanium alloy.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the display panel includes an encapsulation layer located in the non-display area, the encapsulation layer being situated between the DC voltage bus and the plurality of signal traces, wherein the encapsulation layer includes at least a first inorganic encapsulation material layer, a second inorganic encapsulation material layer, and an organic material encapsulation layer situated between the first inorganic encapsulation material layer and the second inorganic encapsulation material layer.

[0023] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the display panel further includes an encapsulation dam located on the substrate, the encapsulation dam extending around the display area within the non-display area, wherein the light-cutting structure is located between the encapsulation dam and the display area.

[0024] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the display panel includes a pixel structure layer located within the display area, the pixel structure layer being situated between the touch electrode and the substrate, and the pixel structure layer including an anode, a cathode, and an organic light-emitting layer situated between the anode and the cathode.

[0025] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a display device comprising a display panel as described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0026] By arranging the dummy traces described in the embodiments of the present invention in the non-display area of ​​the display panel, the etching uniformity of the etching process for the metal film layer during the manufacturing process of the display panel can be promoted, thereby improving the touch performance of the manufactured display panel or display device. Moreover, this also helps to alleviate or prevent bright spots or bright lines in the non-display area. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 The diagram schematically illustrates the distribution of signal traces and dummy traces in a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 The illustration shows a top view and a partial perspective view of a display panel according to another embodiment of the invention;

[0029] Figure 3A partial cross-sectional view of the non-display area of ​​a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0030] Figure 4 The illustration shows a partial perspective view of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 The diagram shows Figure 4 The display panel shown is along Figure 4 A partial cross-sectional view obtained from line A1-A2 in the diagram;

[0032] Figure 6 The diagram shows Figure 2 An enlarged view of the dashed elliptical portion in the display panel shown;

[0033] Figure 7 The diagram illustrates the width of the first dummy trace and the spacing between multiple first dummy traces;

[0034] Figure 8 The illustration shows a light mirror image of a partial non-display area of ​​a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 9 The diagram shows Figure 8 The display panel shown is along Figure 8 A partial cross-sectional view obtained from line A1-A2 in the diagram;

[0036] Figure 10 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the substrate of the display panel and the data signal lines on the substrate. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The following detailed description of some embodiments of the present invention uses specific examples. It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described below are merely for explaining and illustrating the implementation of some embodiments of the present invention, and do not represent the structure of a real display panel or display device. In particular, the various traces shown in the various figures do not represent the specific patterns of traces in an actual product, but only schematically illustrate the positions of these traces and their relative positional relationship with other traces or areas of the display panel. Moreover, based on the embodiments described herein and the principles disclosed therein, those skilled in the art can implement the present invention in other different ways to obtain other embodiments different from those described herein, and these other embodiments also fall within the protection scope of this patent application. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments described herein do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of this patent application. In particular, terms such as "above" and "below" used herein to indicate the positional relationship between two items should be understood based on the examples in the figures. The meaning of "above" or "below" is not limited to "directly above" or "directly below." As long as there is a distance difference between the positions of the two items in the vertical direction perpendicular to the bottom surface of the substrate, "above" or "below" can be used to describe the spatial positional relationship between the two items.

[0038] In the non-display area of ​​a touch display device, metal traces are typically arranged to electrically connect the touch controller to the touch electrodes in the display device. These metal traces extend from the terminals of the touch controller, through the non-display area of ​​the display device, to the touch electrodes. The inventors of this application have discovered that the process of fabricating these metal traces may contain factors that reduce the touch performance of the display device. Specifically, these metal traces located around the display area of ​​the display device are not always uniformly distributed within the non-display area. For example, in a display device with a rectangular display area, the metal traces may be distributed on the outer sides of two or three of the four edges of the rectangular display area, while there are no metal traces around one edge of the display area, or a portion of the non-display area surrounding the rectangular display area may be a blank area without metal traces. The inventors recognize that it is difficult to ensure the uniformity of etching the metal film layer during the fabrication of these metal traces in the non-display area, and that this uneven etching of the metal film layer is a factor affecting the touch performance of the display device.

[0039] In view of the above-mentioned technical understanding, one embodiment of the present invention provides a display panel to improve the touch performance of a touch display device. The display panel provided according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate, touch electrodes, multiple signal traces, and at least one dummy trace. For example... Figure 1As shown, the substrate of the display panel includes a display area A and a non-display area outside the display area A. Touch electrodes are disposed on the substrate and located within the display area A. The display panel also includes multiple signal traces (e.g., a first signal trace T1 and a second signal trace T2), which are electrically connected to the touch electrodes to transmit touch signals. The display panel also includes at least one dummy trace located between at least a portion of the multiple signal traces T1 and T2, and this dummy trace is separate from the multiple signal traces. Figure 1 The diagram shows a dummy trace DT1 between the first signal trace T1 and the second signal trace T2, and a dummy trace DT2 between the first signal traces T1 or between the second signal traces T2. Figure 1 In this context, OB represents the outer boundary of the non-display area.

[0040] The "dummy traces" mentioned herein (including the "first dummy traces" and "second dummy traces" mentioned in other embodiments below) refer to traces that do not perform signal transmission during the operation of the display panel or display device. These dummy traces are not connected to any other electrical components of the display panel or display device, do not receive any electrical signals during the operation of the display device, or, some or all of these dummy traces are only electrically connected to a fixed potential (e.g., ground potential). Furthermore, multiple independent dummy traces can present any pattern. The embodiments of the present invention do not impose any limitations on the pattern of each dummy trace or the overall pattern of multiple dummy traces.

[0041] For the display panel provided in this embodiment of the invention, multiple dummy traces can be fabricated simultaneously while fabricating signal traces in the non-display area. These dummy traces, together with the signal traces, ensure a more uniform distribution of the material of the final metal traces around the display area. Consequently, the etching uniformity of the metal film layer is improved during the fabrication of both signal traces and external dummy traces, thereby enhancing the touch performance of the fabricated display panel or display device. Figure 1 The example also shows additional dummy traces DT, which are distributed between the outer boundary OB of the non-display area and the area where the multiple signal traces are located. Similarly, these dummy traces DT can further improve the touch uniformity of the display panel or display device.

[0042] In practice, the inventors of this application further discovered that when viewing a display panel from certain angles, some areas in the non-display area appear brighter than other areas in the non-display area, visually forming "bright lines" or "bright spots." Although the area of ​​these "bright lines" or "bright spots" is small, they still affect the appearance of the display product to some extent, and even interfere with the user's viewing of the display screen, reducing the user's experience of using the display device.

[0043] Below, with the help of Figure 2 To illustrate the example of the "bright line" mentioned above, in Figure 2 In the display panel shown, the "bright line" is located in the non-display area at the lower right of the display panel, such as... Figure 2 The area indicated by B1 in the diagram. Through further research, the inventors of this application discovered that the bright line area B1 basically corresponds to a larger area in the non-display area where no signal traces exist (this area may be referred to as the blank area in this document). Figure 2 The diagram also includes a partial perspective view of the display panel to schematically illustrate the touch electrodes and the signal traces connected to them, such as... Figure 2 As shown in the left figure, the touch electrodes include a plurality of first touch electrodes Rx arranged in parallel and a plurality of second touch electrodes Tx arranged in parallel. The plurality of first touch electrodes Rx and the plurality of second touch electrodes Tx intersect each other. Correspondingly, the plurality of signal traces include a plurality of first signal traces T11 and T12 respectively connected to the plurality of first touch electrodes Rx and a plurality of second signal traces T2 respectively connected to the plurality of second touch electrodes Tx. Figure 2 The first touch electrode Rx and the second touch electrode Tx shown both include rhomboid touch electrode blocks. Multiple rhomboid touch electrode blocks can be bridged together via connecting lines to form a first touch electrode or a second touch electrode. Of course, the specific implementation of the touch electrode is not limited to this. Figure 2 For example, each first touch electrode Rx and each second touch electrode Tx can also be implemented as a strip shape; this application does not impose any limitation on the specific form of the touch electrodes. Figure 2 In the example, the bright line area B1 is located between the first signal trace T12 and the second signal trace T2. That is, there is a large blank area between the first signal trace T12 and the second signal trace T2. Display devices typically include reflective materials that reflect light. This relatively large blank area may allow a large amount of light reflected by the reflective material to escape. Therefore, when the human eye views the display panel from certain angles, the aforementioned bright spots or lines will be perceived.

[0044] The "first touch electrode" and "second touch electrode" mentioned in this article can refer to the receiving electrode and the transmitting electrode, respectively. The receiving electrode and the transmitting electrode are insulated from each other and can generate mutual capacitance. During the operation of the display panel, the touch controller can transmit control signals to the transmitting electrode and receive sensing signals from the receiving electrode. Thus, the user's touch position can be determined based on the change in mutual capacitance. Of course, the touch electrodes can also be based on the structure of self-capacitance sensing. The specific arrangement and structure of the touch electrodes are not the focus or key of this invention and will not be described in detail here.

[0045] Through further research, the inventors of this application discovered that the severity of the aforementioned "bright lines" or "bright spots" is not solely attributable to light reflection; more noticeable "bright lines" or "bright spots" are also related to the internal structure of the display panel. Figure 3 A partial cross-sectional view of the non-display area of ​​a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 As shown, the non-display area of ​​the display panel includes a light-reflecting uneven area, which includes a reflective material layer RF located on the substrate, the reflective material layer RF having an uneven surface facing away from the substrate. Figure 3 The diagram also shows a first signal trace T1, a second signal trace T2, and other signal lines (e.g., data signal lines DL), on which the substrate is located. Figure 3 Not shown, it is located below the data signal line DL and supports various structures such as the data signal line DL and the reflective material layer RF. The data signal line DL, the reflective material layer RF, and the first signal trace T1 and the second signal trace T2 are isolated by an insulating layer INS.

[0046] like Figure 3 As shown, due to various factors such as manufacturing process, signal lines (e.g., data signal lines DL) on the substrate cannot be arranged flatly on the substrate. In the direction parallel to the bottom surface of the substrate, different signal lines are misaligned with each other; or, in the vertical direction perpendicular to the bottom surface of the substrate, different signal lines have height differences. Correspondingly, other layers above these signal lines cannot be implemented with flat surfaces, but rather with uneven surfaces. The inventors of this application recognize that... Figure 3 The reflective material layer RF covering the data signal line DL shown has an uneven surface facing away from the substrate, which further contributes to or exacerbates the aforementioned bright lines or spots. Figure 3 As shown, the non-display area of ​​the display panel includes the blank area between the first signal trace T1 and the second signal trace T2. Natural light incident on the blank area from different angles will have different effects on the human eye. For example, for... Figure 3 The light-colored arrow indicates that the natural light Light 1 is incident below the first signal trace T1 and reflected between the first signal trace T1 and the reflective material layer RF. Due to the presence of the first signal trace T1, it is not perceived by the human eye, or is perceived only slightly. As for the natural light Light 2, indicated by the dark-colored arrow, it is incident on the blank area between the first signal trace T1 and the second signal trace T2. The natural light Light 2 is reflected off the display panel by the uneven upper surface of the reflective material layer RF, thus being perceived by the human eye. Moreover, the uneven upper surface of the reflective material layer RF may cause a significant light interference effect, making bright spots or lines more noticeable to the human eye.

[0047] Therefore, a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention includes: a substrate, the substrate including a display area and a non-display area outside the display area; a touch electrode located on the substrate, the touch electrode being located within the display area; and a plurality of signal traces electrically connected to the touch electrode, the plurality of signal traces being distributed within the non-display area, the non-display area including a light-reflecting uneven region, the light-emitting uneven region including a reflective material layer located on the substrate, the reflective material layer having an uneven surface facing away from the substrate, the display panel further including a light-reducing structure located within the non-display area, the light-reducing structure being located above the reflective material layer and at least configured to reduce reflected light from the uneven surface of the reflective material layer, the light-reducing structure being separate from the plurality of signal traces and the touch electrode.

[0048] According to some embodiments of the present invention, at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the light-reducing structure onto the substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the reflective material layer onto the substrate. This significantly alleviates or avoids the aforementioned "bright lines" or "bright spots," providing users with a better human-computer interaction experience.

[0049] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the touch electrode includes a plurality of first touch electrodes arranged in parallel and a plurality of second touch electrodes arranged in parallel, the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes intersecting each other, wherein the plurality of signal traces includes a plurality of first signal traces respectively connected to the plurality of first touch electrodes and a plurality of second signal traces respectively connected to the plurality of second touch electrodes, and the light reduction structure includes at least one first dummy trace, the first dummy trace being located between the plurality of first signal traces and the plurality of second signal traces. The first dummy trace can at least block a portion of the reflected light emitted from the blank area, thereby reducing or avoiding the aforementioned "bright lines" or "bright spots" phenomenon, improving the appearance of the display device and the user's experience of using the display device. In addition, as mentioned above, the first dummy trace also improves the etching uniformity of the metal film layer during the fabrication of the signal traces, thereby improving the touch uniformity of the display device.

[0050] Below, refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 To further clarify the example of the first dummy trace mentioned above. Figure 4 A partial perspective view of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated to schematically show the signal traces and the first dummy traces surrounding the touch electrodes. For ease of comparison and understanding, Figure 4 The layout of the first and second signal traces shown is similar to... Figure 2 Similar. For example... Figure 4As shown, the first dummy trace DT1 (as shown) Figure 4 (As shown by the dark line segment in the image) is arranged between the second signal trace T2 and the first signal traces T11 and T12. The area where the first dummy trace DT1 is located can correspond to... Figure 2 The B1 region shown in the diagram. Figure 5 The diagram shows Figure 4 A local cross-sectional view of the area where the first dummy trace DT1 is located, obtained along line A1-A2. Figure 4 In the example, the reflective material layer in the non-display area includes a DC voltage bus VDD, which is configured to transmit DC voltage to the pixel circuits within the display area of ​​the display panel. The DC voltage bus VDD occupies a relatively large area compared to other signal lines, which is suitable for providing concentrated drive current to the pixel circuits within the display area and helps avoid damage due to large drive currents. Combined with... Figure 4 and Figure 5 It can be seen that the first dummy trace DT1 is arranged above the DC voltage bus VDD, and at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the first dummy trace DT1 on the substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the DC voltage bus VDD on the substrate. Figure 5 As shown, due to the presence of the first dummy trace DT1, only a small portion of the natural light incident on the non-display area (Light 3) is reflected, and the phenomenon described above does not occur. Figure 3 The strong interference effect shown significantly reduces the amount of reflected light perceived by the human eye as being reflected from the DC voltage bus VDD, thereby mitigating or even preventing the aforementioned bright lines or spots. It is understood that the DC voltage bus VDD is merely one example of a reflective material layer; other reflective layers can also be used. Furthermore, in Figure 4 In the embodiment shown, each of the plurality of first dummy traces DT1 extends parallel to the edge of the display area closest to the first signal trace and the second signal trace.

[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the display panel includes multiple data signal lines DL, which are configured to transmit data signals to pixel circuits within the display area. The data signal lines DL extend into a non-display area and are located between the substrate and the DC voltage bus VDD. At least a portion of the multiple data signal lines are staggered relative to each other in a direction parallel to the bottom surface of the substrate, such that the DC voltage bus VDD has a surface with unevenness facing away from the substrate. Furthermore, at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the second signal trace T2 onto the substrate partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the DC voltage bus VDD onto the substrate.

[0052] It should be understood that, Figure 5 and Figure 3 The cross-sectional diagram shown is mainly used to illustrate the structures of the DC voltage bus VDD, data line DL, first dummy trace DT1, first signal trace, and second signal trace, while omitting structures in the display panel that are less relevant to the problem being discussed here. Figure 5 and Figure 3 This does not mean the entire structure of the display panel.

[0053] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the optical reduction structure includes at least one second dummy trace, the second dummy trace being located between the touch electrode and the signal trace closest to the touch electrode among the plurality of signal traces. For ease of explanation of this embodiment, Figure 6 schematically shown Figure 2 The image shows an enlarged view of the dashed elliptical region. The optical reduction structure includes at least one second dummy trace DT3, which is located between the touch electrode and the signal trace closest to the touch electrode among the plurality of signal traces. The second dummy trace DT3 can achieve at least a similar effect to the first dummy trace DT1 described above.

[0054] As mentioned earlier, the display panel includes a touch controller. A first touch electrode and a second touch electrode are connected to the touch controller via first signal lines and second signal lines, respectively, to achieve touch control of the display panel. (Return to reference) Figure 2 According to some embodiments of the present invention, each first signal trace includes a first segment T11 and a second segment T12. The first segment T11 and the second segment T12 are respectively connected to a first end and a second end of a corresponding first touch electrode Rx among a plurality of first touch electrodes. The first end is further away from the touch controller than the second end. The first touch electrode is electrically connected to the touch controller via the first segment T11 and the second segment T12. Each second touch electrode Tx is electrically connected to the touch controller via a corresponding second signal trace T2 among a plurality of second signal traces. Figure 2 In the example, both the first and second touch electrodes include multiple touch electrode blocks, and all the touch electrode blocks can form a touch electrode block array. Each touch electrode block in each row is connected in sequence to form a second touch electrode Tx, and each touch electrode block in each column is connected in sequence to form a first touch electrode Rx. Figure 2 The touch controller is not shown. The touch controller may be located on the same side of the substrate as the touch electrodes, and situated within... Figure 2Below the first and second signal traces shown in the diagram. Alternatively, the touch controller and touch electrodes can also be arranged opposite each other. For example, the substrate can be a flexible substrate, and the non-display area of ​​the flexible substrate can be bent to form a curved portion opposite to the touch electrodes. In this case, the touch controller can be arranged on the curved portion so as to be opposite the touch electrodes, that is, the touch controller is hidden on the back of the display panel, which also helps to achieve a narrower bezel of the display device.

[0055] According to some embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 2 As shown, at least a portion of the multiple second signal traces T2 extend in a bent manner within the non-display area, such that the second signal traces T2 electrically connected to the touch controller have a uniform length, and the at least one first dummy trace is located between the second segment T12 of the first signal trace and the at least a portion of the second signal traces T2. More specifically, as Figure 2 As shown, the second signal traces T2 connected to the second touch electrodes in each row extend to the non-display area. Some second signal traces T2 connected to the second touch electrodes Tx near the non-display area (these second signal traces T2 are also relatively close to the touch controller) are bent significantly, while some second signal traces T2 connected to the second touch electrodes Tx relatively far from the non-display area (these second signal traces T2 are also relatively far from the touch controller) are bent less significantly or not at all. This ensures that all second signal traces T2 electrically connected to the touch controller have a consistent length, avoiding excessive differences in resistance values ​​between different second signal traces T2, which is beneficial to improving touch performance. It is understood that the "consistent length" mentioned in this article means that the lengths of the second signal traces are basically the same, or that the differences in the lengths of the second signal traces are controlled within a small range (e.g., the length difference does not exceed 10%). Figure 2 The diagram schematically illustrates a region R containing a portion of the second signal trace T2, which extends and curves close to the second segment T12 of the first signal trace. This region R can also be referred to as the resistance compensation region for the second signal trace. To avoid interference between the first and second signal traces, a large blank area is often formed between them. Therefore, according to some embodiments of the present invention, such as... Figure 4 As shown, at least one first dummy trace is included between the second segment of the first signal trace and the at least a portion of the second signal trace. It should be understood that... Figure 2The distribution pattern of the first and second signal traces shown does not constitute a limitation on the distribution of the first and second signal traces in the display panel. The first and second signal traces can be arranged in any other arrangement determined by those skilled in the art, as long as each touch electrode can be electrically connected to the touch controller.

[0056] Furthermore, the inventors of this application have discovered in practice that, for multiple dummy traces, different arrangements of the multiple dummy traces have a certain impact on improving the aforementioned bright line or bright spot phenomenon. According to some embodiments of the present invention, multiple first dummy traces are spaced apart from each other and evenly distributed between the first signal trace and the second signal trace, and the ratio between the width of each first dummy trace and the spacing between each of the multiple first dummy traces is greater than or equal to 1. The width of the first dummy trace mentioned here refers to the dimension of the first dummy trace in a plane parallel to the bottom surface of the substrate, perpendicular to the extension direction of the first dummy trace. Moreover, if the first dummy trace is bent in the plane parallel to the bottom surface of the substrate, the direction of this "width" also changes with the bending. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the width of the first dummy trace is approximately 3 to 50 micrometers, and the spacing between each first dummy trace is approximately 4 to 30 micrometers. Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrates several first dummy traces DT1, where the width of each first dummy trace is denoted as w, and the spacing between the first dummy traces is denoted as d. Extensive experimental research has shown that when the ratio of the width w to the spacing d is greater than or equal to 1, the perceived bright lines or bright spots are weaker compared to when the ratio is less than 1. When the ratio of the width of the first dummy trace to the spacing between the first dummy traces is greater than or equal to 2, the phenomenon of bright lines or bright spots is significantly alleviated or even eliminated.

[0057] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first signal trace, the second signal trace, and the first dummy trace have approximately equal widths; for example, the width of each first signal trace and each second signal trace is between 3 and 50 micrometers. Further, the plurality of first signal traces are spaced apart from each other and uniformly distributed within the non-display area, and the plurality of second signal traces are spaced apart from each other and uniformly distributed within the non-display area, to facilitate the touch uniformity of the display panel. The ratio between the width of each first signal trace and the spacing between the first signal traces in the plurality of first signal traces is greater than or equal to 1, and the ratio between the width of each second signal trace and the spacing between the second signal traces in the plurality of second signal traces is greater than or equal to 1. In another embodiment, the ratio between the width of each first signal trace and the spacing between the first signal traces in the plurality of first signal traces is greater than or equal to 2, and the ratio between the width of each second signal trace and the spacing between the second signal traces in the plurality of second signal traces is greater than or equal to 2. By designing the width of the first signal trace, the width of the second signal trace, the spacing between the first signal traces, and the spacing between the second signal traces in this way, similar bright lines or bright spots that may occur in the areas where the first signal trace and the second signal trace are located can be prevented or mitigated, thereby improving the user's experience with the display device.

[0058] According to some embodiments of the present invention, each of the first signal trace, the second signal trace, and the dummy trace (including the first dummy trace) may include two or more metal lines, which may be electrically connected to each other but distributed in different layers to facilitate a reduction in the overall resistance of the trace. In one example, at least one of the first dummy trace, the first signal trace, and the second signal trace includes a first metal line, a second metal line, and an insulating layer between the first metal line and the second metal line, the insulating layer including vias, through which the first metal line is electrically connected to the second metal line. In some embodiments, the materials used to fabricate the first metal line and the second metal line include at least one of titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), and alloys of the above-mentioned metal elements. In one example, at least one of the first metal line and the second metal line includes an aluminum layer and titanium layers located on both sides of the aluminum layer. Thus, the first metal line may include a Ti / Al / Ti three-layer metal structure, and similarly, the second metal line may also include a Ti / Al / Ti three-layer metal structure.

[0059] Figure 8 The illustration shows a light microscope (optical microscope) image of a partial non-display area of ​​a display panel according to some embodiments of the present invention, i.e., an image taken using an optical microscope. This light microscope image can substantially correspond to... Figure 4 The shown area is a non-displayable region. Figure 8The diagram shows the first dummy trace DT1, the first signal trace T12, the second signal trace T2, and the ink area OA, which covers a portion of the signal traces.

[0060] Next, with the help of Figure 9 Explain the main layer structure included in the non-display area of ​​the display panel. Figure 9 The display panel is schematically shown along... Figure 8 The partial cross-sectional view obtained from lines A1-A2 in the diagram. (See also...) Figure 9 As shown, the display panel includes a substrate BS, a data signal DL, a first insulating layer INS1, a DC voltage bus VDD, a second insulating layer INS2, a first inorganic encapsulation material layer INO1, an organic encapsulation material layer OL, a second inorganic encapsulation material layer INO2, a buffer layer BUF, a third insulating layer INS3, a first dummy trace DT1, and a first signal trace T12 and a second signal trace T2. In some embodiments, the first signal trace T12 and the second signal trace T2 include a first metal line, a second metal line, and an insulating layer between the first metal line and the second metal line. The first metal line is electrically connected to the second metal line via a via in the insulating layer. The first dummy trace DT1 is a single-layer metal line. In the non-display area of ​​the display panel, the display panel also includes an encapsulation layer located between the DC voltage bus VDD and the plurality of signal traces T2 and T12. The encapsulation layer includes at least the first inorganic encapsulation material layer INO1, the second inorganic encapsulation layer INO2, and an organic material encapsulation layer OL located between the first inorganic encapsulation material layer INO1 and the second inorganic encapsulation layer INO2. The encapsulation layer provides encapsulation protection for each layer within the display area of ​​the display panel. In particular, the organic material encapsulation layer can play a role in stress relief. The organic material encapsulation layer can be completely covered by the first inorganic encapsulation material layer INO1 and the second inorganic encapsulation material layer INO2, thereby effectively preventing external moisture and oxygen from entering the interior of the display panel and effectively improving the reliability and dependability of the display panel.

[0061] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the display panel further includes an encapsulation dam located on a substrate, the encapsulation dam extending around the display area within the non-display area, and the light-cutting structure being located between the encapsulation dam and the display area. Figure 8In the illustrated embodiment, the encapsulation dam may be located within the ink region OA and covered by ink material. The number of encapsulation dams may be one or more. Each encapsulation dam may have the same or different film layer structures. In one example, the encapsulation dam may include a protective portion and a barrier portion stacked sequentially. In another example, the encapsulation dam may also include a support portion located above the barrier portion. At least one of the protective portion, barrier portion, and support portion may be in the same layer as a film layer in the display area of ​​the display panel. For example, in an OLED display panel, the barrier portion of the encapsulation dam may be in the same layer as the pixel defining layer.

[0062] As mentioned above, in some embodiments, the signal lines (e.g., data signal lines DL) on the substrate are not arranged flatly on the substrate, and there is a height difference between different signal lines in the vertical direction perpendicular to the bottom surface of the substrate. Figure 10 Multiple data signal lines DL on a substrate BS are schematically shown. For simplicity, the insulating layer between the data signal lines DL and other layers on the data signal lines DL are not depicted. According to some embodiments of the invention, the data signal lines DL are formed using the same material as the gate of the thin-film transistor in the display panel. Each data signal line DL has a substantially equal width w1. The spacing S between adjacent data signal lines DL is smaller than the width w1 of a single data signal line DL. The height difference d between adjacent data signal lines DL is smaller than the spacing S between adjacent data signal lines DL. Here, the height difference refers to the difference in vertical distances from the data signal line to the upper surface of the substrate. In some embodiments, the height difference d is approximately 4000 angstroms, the spacing S is less than 1 micrometer, for example, 0.7 micrometers, and the width w1 is twice the spacing S, for example, 2 micrometers. Figure 10 As shown, all data signal lines DL have the same cross-section, such as Figure 10 As shown, the slope angle α of the data signal line DL is less than 60 degrees, for example, 55 degrees.

[0063] In some embodiments, the aforementioned DC voltage bus VDD may also have a slope angle, instead of as shown above. Figure 3 As shown. For example, the convex surface of the uneven surface of the DC voltage bus facing away from the substrate may have a slope angle with the substrate, which may be between 30 and 60 degrees. Similarly, refer to... Figure 10 The slope angle α is used to understand the meaning of the slope angle between the convex surface of the DC voltage bus and the substrate, which is the uneven surface of the substrate. This will not be elaborated further here.

[0064] The display panel mentioned in the above embodiments can be of various types, including but not limited to, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panels, liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, etc. In the case of an OLED display panel, the touch electrode can be fabricated above the light-emitting layer. That is, the display panel also includes a pixel structure layer between the touch electrode and the substrate, the pixel structure layer including an anode, a cathode, and an organic light-emitting layer between them.

[0065] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a display device including the display panel described in any of the above embodiments. This document does not limit the type or purpose of the display device; the display device can be any electronic device or component with display functionality, including but not limited to mobile electronic devices, navigators, watches, printers, computers, PDAs, televisions, etc.

[0066] The foregoing has described some exemplary embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art, upon studying the accompanying drawings, the disclosure, and the claims, can understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements. Although some features are described in different dependent claims, this application is also intended to cover embodiments in which these features are combined.

Claims

1. A display panel, comprising: A substrate, the substrate including a display area and a non-display area outside the display area; Touch electrodes located on the substrate, the touch electrodes being situated within the display area; and Multiple signal traces electrically connected to the touch electrodes are distributed within the non-display area. The non-display area includes a light-reflecting uneven region, which includes a reflective material layer on the substrate, the reflective material layer having an uneven surface facing away from the substrate. The display panel further includes a light-reducing structure located within the non-display area, the light-reducing structure being situated above the reflective material layer and configured to at least reduce reflected light from the uneven surface of the reflective material layer, wherein the light-reducing structure is separate from the plurality of signal traces and the touch electrodes.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the light-cutting structure has its orthographic projection on the substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the reflective material layer on the substrate.

3. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the touch electrodes include a plurality of first touch electrodes arranged in parallel and a plurality of second touch electrodes arranged in parallel, the plurality of first touch electrodes and the plurality of second touch electrodes intersecting each other, wherein the plurality of signal traces include a plurality of first signal traces respectively connected to the plurality of first touch electrodes and a plurality of second signal traces respectively connected to the plurality of second touch electrodes. The optical reduction structure includes at least one first dummy trace, which is located between the plurality of first signal traces and the plurality of second signal traces.

4. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the light reduction structure includes at least one second dummy trace, the second dummy trace being located between the touch electrode and the signal trace closest to the touch electrode among the plurality of signal traces.

5. The display panel of claim 3, wherein the display panel further comprises pixel circuitry located within the display area, wherein the reflective material layer comprises a DC voltage bus configured to transmit DC voltage to the pixel circuitry.

6. The display panel of claim 5, wherein the display panel further comprises a plurality of data signal lines configured to transmit data signals to the pixel circuit, the plurality of data signal lines extending to the non-display area and located between the substrate and the DC voltage bus, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of data signal lines are offset from each other in a direction parallel to the bottom surface of the substrate, such that the DC voltage bus has a concave-convex surface facing away from the substrate.

7. The display panel according to claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of second signal traces has an orthographic projection on the substrate that overlaps with the orthographic projection of the DC voltage bus on the substrate.

8. The display panel according to claim 6, wherein, The slope angle between the convex side of the DC voltage bus and the substrate is between 30 and 60 degrees.

9. The display panel of claim 3, wherein the display panel further comprises a touch controller, each of the plurality of first signal lines comprising a first segment and a second segment, the first segment and the second segment being respectively connected to a first end and a second end of a corresponding first touch electrode among the plurality of first touch electrodes, the first end being further away from the touch controller than the second end, the first touch electrode being electrically connected to the touch controller via the first segment and the second segment, and each of the plurality of second touch electrodes being electrically connected to the touch controller via a corresponding second signal line among the plurality of second signal lines. At least a portion of the plurality of second signal traces extends in a bent manner within the non-display area, such that the second signal traces electrically connected to the touch controller have a consistent length. The at least one first dummy trace is located between a second segment of the first signal trace and the at least a portion of the second signal trace.

10. The display panel of claim 3, wherein a plurality of the first dummy traces are spaced apart from each other and evenly distributed between the first signal traces and the second signal traces, wherein the ratio between the width of each first dummy trace and the spacing between each of the plurality of first dummy traces is greater than or equal to 1.

11. The display panel of claim 10, wherein the ratio between the width of each first dummy trace and the spacing between each first dummy trace in the plurality of first dummy traces is greater than or equal to 2.

12. The display panel of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of first dummy traces extends parallel to the edge of the display area closest to the first signal trace and the second signal trace.

13. The display panel according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of first signal lines are spaced apart from each other and uniformly distributed in the non-display area, and the plurality of second signal lines are spaced apart from each other and uniformly distributed in the non-display area. The ratio of the width of each first signal trace to the spacing between the first signal traces in the plurality of first signal traces is greater than or equal to 1, and the ratio of the width of each second signal trace to the spacing between the second signal traces in the plurality of second signal traces is greater than or equal to 1.

14. The display panel according to any one of claims 10-13, wherein the width of each first signal trace, each second signal trace, and each first dummy trace is between 3 and 50 micrometers, and the spacing between each first signal trace, the spacing between each second signal trace, and the spacing between each first dummy trace is between 4 and 30 micrometers.

15. The display panel of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first dummy trace, the first signal trace, and the second signal trace includes a first metal line, a second metal line, and an insulating layer between the first metal line and the second metal line, the insulating layer including a via, the first metal line being electrically connected to the second metal line via the via in the insulating layer.

16. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the materials of the plurality of signal lines and the light reduction structure include at least one of molybdenum, aluminum, titanium, molybdenum alloy, aluminum alloy, and titanium alloy.

17. The display panel according to claim 5, wherein the display panel includes an encapsulation layer located in the non-display area, the encapsulation layer being located between the DC voltage bus and the plurality of signal traces, wherein the encapsulation layer includes at least a first inorganic encapsulation material layer, a second inorganic encapsulation material layer, and an organic material encapsulation layer located between the first inorganic encapsulation material layer and the second inorganic encapsulation material layer.

18. The display panel of claim 1, wherein the display panel further comprises an encapsulation dam located on the substrate, the encapsulation dam extending around the display area within the non-display area, wherein the light-cutting structure is located between the encapsulation dam and the display area.

19. The display panel according to any one of claims 1-13, 15-18, the display panel comprising a pixel structure layer located within the display area, the pixel structure layer being disposed between the touch electrode and the substrate, the pixel structure layer comprising an anode, a cathode, and an organic light-emitting layer disposed between the anode and the cathode.

20. A display device comprising a display panel as claimed in any one of claims 1-19.

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