Flexible substrates and display panels

Abstract

This application provides a flexible substrate and a display panel. Specifically, the flexible substrate includes: a first substrate; a barrier layer disposed on one side of the first substrate; a second substrate disposed on the side of the barrier layer away from the first substrate; wherein a first interlayer region is disposed between the first substrate and the barrier layer, a second interlayer region is disposed between the barrier layer and the second substrate, and a third interlayer region is disposed between the edge portions of the first interlayer region and the second interlayer region; and a patterned structure is disposed in at least one of the first interlayer region, the second interlayer region, and the third interlayer region. The barrier layer in this application enables the flexible substrate to have good water and oxygen barrier capabilities. By providing a patterned structure at the edge of the display substrate, the interaction force between the layers is enhanced, reducing damage to the flexible substrate caused by bending or curling, and preventing separation or damage at its edges.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display device technology, and in particular to a flexible substrate and display panel. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, new types of flexible display devices are gradually becoming a hot research area in the OLED display industry, and are widely used in bendable and foldable display products. Among them, flexible display devices use PI (Polyimide) material as a flexible substrate, and key functional layers such as driving circuits are made on the surface of the flexible substrate. It not only has good load-bearing capacity, but also can block water and oxygen. When display devices made of flexible substrates are subjected to bending or folding deformation during use, corresponding shear forces are generated between the layers of the flexible substrate. Under the influence of shear forces, the layers at the edges of the flexible substrate are prone to separation, thereby reducing the quality of the display device. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a flexible substrate and a display panel.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides a flexible substrate, comprising:

[0005] First substrate;

[0006] A barrier layer is disposed on one side of the first substrate;

[0007] The second substrate is disposed on the side of the barrier layer away from the first substrate;

[0008] Wherein, a first interlayer region is provided between the first substrate and the barrier layer, a second interlayer region is provided between the barrier layer and the second substrate, and a third interlayer region is provided between the edge portions of the first interlayer region and the second interlayer region;

[0009] A patterned structure is disposed in at least one of the first interlayer region, the second interlayer region, and the third interlayer region.

[0010] Optionally, the patterned structure is configured as at least one of a protrusion structure, a groove structure, and an overlap structure;

[0011] The protruding structure and the groove structure are disposed in the first interlayer region, and / or the protruding structure and the groove structure are disposed in the second interlayer region; the overlapping structure is disposed in the third interlayer region.

[0012] Optionally, the protrusion structure or the groove structure is arranged linearly, and at least one of the protrusion structure or the groove structure is provided.

[0013] Optionally, the protrusion structure is disposed at the edge of the first substrate, and / or the protrusion structure is disposed at the edge of the second substrate, and the protrusion structure abuts against the surface of the barrier layer.

[0014] Optionally, the protrusion structure includes at least one continuously arranged strip-shaped protrusion, or the protrusion structure includes a plurality of evenly arranged dot-shaped protrusions.

[0015] Optionally, the groove structure is disposed at the edge of the barrier layer, and the opening of the groove structure abuts against the upper surface of the first substrate, and / or the opening of the groove structure abuts against the lower surface of the second substrate.

[0016] Optionally, the groove structure includes at least one continuously arranged strip-shaped groove, or the groove structure includes a plurality of evenly arranged dot-shaped grooves.

[0017] Optionally, the groove structure is disposed through the barrier layer.

[0018] Optionally, the overlapping structure is connected to the edge portions of the first substrate and the second substrate respectively, and the overlapping structure is disposed on the side near the edge portion of the barrier layer, so that the first substrate, the overlapping structure and the second substrate wrap around the edge portion of the barrier layer.

[0019] Based on the same inventive concept, this application provides a display panel, the display panel including a flexible substrate as described in any of the above claims, and the display panel further including a light-emitting layer, a driving circuit and an encapsulation layer respectively disposed on the flexible substrate;

[0020] The light-emitting layer, the driving circuit, and the encapsulation layer are projected onto the first substrate. The light-emitting layer and the driving circuit are disposed adjacent to each other and are interconnected. The encapsulation layer covers the light-emitting layer and the driving circuit.

[0021] As can be seen from the above, this application provides a flexible substrate and a display panel. By providing a patterned structure at the edge of the display substrate, the interaction force between the layered areas in the flexible substrate can be enhanced, the damage to the flexible substrate caused by bending or rolling can be reduced, and the separation or damage at the edge of the flexible substrate can be avoided. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this application or related technologies, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the interlayer structure of a flexible substrate in the prior art;

[0024] Figure 2A This is a schematic diagram of the protruding structure in the first form of the embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 2B This is a schematic diagram of the protruding structure in the second form of the embodiments of this application;

[0026] Figure 2C This is a schematic diagram of the protrusion structure in the third form of the embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 2D This is a top view of a protruding structure in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 2E This is a top view of another protruding structure in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram of the groove structure in the first form of the embodiments of this application;

[0030] Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram of the groove structure in the second form of the embodiments of this application;

[0031] Figure 3C This is a schematic diagram of the groove structure in the third form of the embodiments of this application;

[0032] Figure 3D This is a schematic diagram of the groove structure in the fourth form of the embodiments of this application;

[0033] Figure 3E This is a top view of a groove structure in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 3F This is a top view of another groove structure in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overlapping structure in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the display panel in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0037] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0038] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the embodiments of this application should have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in the embodiments of this application do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are only used to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0039] Among the various technologies, new forms of flexible display devices have gradually become a hot research area in the OLED display industry, and are widely used in foldable, bendable and rollable display products. Among them, the flexible substrate of the flexible display panel can be made of PI material, and key functional layers such as driving circuits can be fabricated on the flexible substrate. The flexible substrate has good load-bearing capacity, which can effectively improve the quality of the product itself and the customer's confidence in the product.

[0040] To ensure the quality, lifespan, and display effect of OLED displays made with flexible substrates, a double-layer substrate made of PI material can be used, with an inorganic layer placed between the two layers to block water and oxygen, thus meeting the product's usage requirements. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation] for details. Figure 1 During use, flexible substrates undergo bending or folding deformations under external forces. Due to these deformations, the layers of the flexible substrate experience shear forces in the horizontal tangential direction, leading to interlayer separation. Typically, separation and damage to the flexible substrate begin at the edges. The primary cause of this phenomenon is that when laser-cutting the edges of the flexible substrate, the inorganic and organic substrate layers decompose differently at high temperatures, resulting in an uneven, flat cut surface at the edges, leading to stress concentration. When an OLED display device is folded or bent under external forces, the layers of the flexible substrate separate under shear forces. Therefore, improving the interlayer forces of the flexible substrate has become a key research topic in flexible OLED display device development.

[0041] The flexible substrate 100 can employ two or more substrate layers. These substrate layers can be made of PI material, i.e., polyimide. Substrates made of this material can be used continuously in a temperature range of -200 to 300°C, exhibiting good heat resistance. Furthermore, the dielectric constant of PI material under normal conditions is approximately 3.4. When fluorine is introduced or air is dispersed in the PI material at nanoscale, the dielectric constant can be reduced to approximately 2.5. At this point, the dielectric strength is 100–300 kV / mm, and the volume resistivity is 10¹⁷ Ω·cm. It has good dielectric properties, making the substrate layer suitable for a wide temperature and frequency range; and PI material is a self-extinguishing polymer with low smoke emission and very little gas release in a vacuum environment, and is non-toxic and harmless, thus having good stability and good performance; the substrate layer in the flexible substrate 100 can be fabricated on the glass substrate 150 by coating process, and the coated PI material layer can be formed into the corresponding substrate layer by thermal curing; therefore, in this application, the substrate layer made of PI material can be used as the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130.

[0042] In addition, to improve the performance of the flexible substrate 100, an inorganic layer can be disposed between the substrate layers. This inorganic layer not only enables the flexible substrate 100 to have good water and oxygen barrier capabilities, but also ensures the load-bearing capacity of the flexible substrate 100. The inorganic layer can be made of SiO2. x SiN y or TiO z Semiconductor thin film materials, such as inorganic layers, may include at least a first inorganic layer 121 and a second inorganic layer 122. The first inorganic layer 121 may be an inorganic layer composed of SiO2, and the second inorganic layer 122 may be an inorganic layer composed of Si3N4, to ensure that the inorganic layer can meet the performance requirements of the flexible substrate 100. In order to improve the adhesion between the inorganic layer and the substrate layer and form a layered structure with relatively uniform thickness and good density, the inorganic layer can be fabricated on the substrate layer using PECVD (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) process to obtain a flexible substrate 100 with good deformation ability and water and oxygen barrier effect.

[0043] A flexible substrate 100 includes a first substrate 110; a barrier layer 120 disposed on one side of the first substrate 110; and a second substrate 130 disposed on the side of the barrier layer 120 away from the first substrate 110. A first interlayer region is formed between the first substrate 110 and the barrier layer 120, a second interlayer region is formed between the barrier layer 120 and the second substrate 130, and a third interlayer region is formed between the edge portions of the first and second interlayer regions. A patterned structure is disposed in at least one of the first, second, and third interlayer regions. (See details below.) Figures 1-4 .

[0044] It should be noted that the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130 in the flexible substrate 100 can be used as carriers corresponding to the device structure in the OLED display device to provide mounting positions for the device structure; a barrier layer 120 is provided between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130, which enables the flexible substrate 100 to have good water and oxygen barrier capabilities and good flexibility. When the flexible substrate 100 is bent or folded by external force and deformed, it can avoid cracking due to uneven stress.

[0045] Conversely, a first interlayer region can be formed between the first substrate 110 and the barrier layer 120 in the flexible substrate 100, a second interlayer region can be formed between the barrier layer 120 and the second substrate 130, and a third interlayer region is formed between the edges of the first and second interlayer regions. That is, a third interlayer region can be formed between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130. Thus, the first substrate 110, the barrier layer 120, and the second substrate 130 can be considered as three layers, with interlayer regions corresponding to each pair of layers. Specifically, when the edge of the barrier layer 120 is a certain distance from the edges of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130, and the projection of the edge of the barrier layer 120 is located on the first substrate 110... When the first substrate 110 is within the second substrate 130, a corresponding third interlayer region also exists between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130. In the application, at least one of the three layers has a patterned structure at its edge, and the patterned structure is located in the corresponding interlayer region. The patterned structure increases the force between the two layers, and the force in the interlayer region is used to resist the shear force generated when the flexible substrate 100 is bent or folded, reducing the degree of misalignment between the layers during deformation, thereby reducing the influence of shear force on the layers. Therefore, it is not easy for the layers to separate, effectively improving the quality and performance of the flexible substrate 100 itself, extending the service life of the OLED display device, and implicitly increasing the user's confidence in the product.

[0046] For example, in one case, a patterned structure is disposed on the edge of the first substrate 110, so that the patterned structure is located in the first interlayer region between the first substrate 110 and the barrier layer 120. In the fabricated flexible substrate 100, the patterned structure abuts against the lower surface of the edge of the barrier layer 120. When the flexible substrate 100 is folded or bent, the patterned structure acts on the first substrate 110 and the barrier layer 120 respectively, so that there is a large force between the two, which is used to resist the shear force generated when the flexible substrate 100 is deformed, reduce the influence of the shear force on the first substrate 110 and the barrier layer 120, and avoid interlayer separation at the edge of the two.

[0047] For example, in another case, the patterned structure is disposed on the upper surface of the edge portion of the barrier layer 120, so that the patterned structure is located in the second interlayer region between the barrier layer 120 and the second substrate 130. In the fabricated flexible substrate 100, the patterned structure abuts against the side of the edge portion of the second substrate 130 near the first substrate 110. When the flexible substrate 100 is folded or bent, since the patterned structure acts on the second substrate 130 and the barrier layer 120 respectively, there is a large force between the two to resist the shear force generated when the flexible substrate 100 is deformed, reducing the influence of the shear force on the barrier layer 120 and the second substrate 130, thereby avoiding interlayer separation at the edge portion of the two.

[0048] For example, in another scenario, to place the patterned structure on the upper surface of the edge portion of the first substrate 110, the barrier layer 120 is etched using photolithography to create a certain distance between the edge portion of the barrier layer 120 and the first substrate 110, and the projection of the edge portion of the barrier layer 120 is located within the first substrate 110. Then, a second substrate 130 is fabricated on the upper surface of the barrier layer 120, and a corresponding patterned structure is formed between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130, so that the patterned structure is located in the interlayer region between the barrier layer 120 and the second substrate 130. At this time, the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130... A third interlayer region is formed between the edge portions of 130, and the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130 are connected by an overlapping structure. In the fabricated flexible substrate 100, the patterned structure acts on the respective edge portions of the second substrate 130 and the first substrate 110. When the flexible substrate 100 is folded or bent, the patterned structure can generate a large force on both to resist the shear force generated when the flexible substrate 100 is deformed, reduce the influence of the shear force on the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130, and thus avoid interlayer separation between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130 and the edge portions of the barrier layer 120.

[0049] It should be noted that, in order to obtain a flexible substrate 100 with better quality, more regular shape and higher precision, the patterned structure can be set on the edge of the non-display area of ​​the flexible substrate 100. When cutting the flexible substrate 100, laser cutting can be used to cut it. Care should be taken not to damage the patterned structure during cutting, so that the patterned structure is retained in the flexible substrate 100 used as the display panel carrier.

[0050] In some embodiments, the patterned structure is configured as at least one of a protrusion structure 141, a groove structure 142, and an overlapping structure 143; wherein the protrusion structure 141 and the groove structure 142 are disposed in a first interlayer region, and / or, the protrusion structure 141 and the groove structure 142 are disposed in a second interlayer region; the overlapping structure 143 is disposed in a third interlayer region; see details below. Figures 2A-4 .

[0051] To improve the quality of the flexible substrate 100, patterned structures can be correspondingly provided in the interlayer region between the edges of the first substrate 110, the barrier layer 120, and the second substrate 130, thereby enhancing the interaction force between the layers in the flexible substrate 100. The patterned structure can be a protrusion structure 141 or a groove structure 142, and at least one of the protrusion structure 141 and the groove structure 142 can be located in the first interlayer region between the barrier layer 120 and the first substrate 110, and / or in the second interlayer region between the barrier layer 120 and the second substrate 130. By providing the protrusion structure 141 or the groove structure 142 in the interlayer region, the roughness between the first substrate 110 and the barrier layer 120, and / or between the barrier layer 120 and the second substrate 130, can be increased, thereby enhancing the interaction force between them. Friction is generated to improve the bonding effect between the layers during the fabrication of the flexible substrate 100. When the flexible substrate 100 is bent or folded, the first substrate 110 and the barrier layer 120, and / or the barrier layer 120 and the second substrate 130, will generate a large friction force between their layers under the action of the protrusion structure 141 and the groove structure 142, which can be used to resist the shear force generated during flexible deformation. In addition, the third interlayer region between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130 can be connected by the overlapping structure 143. The force exerted by the overlapping structure 143 on both reduces the influence of shear force during deformation. When the flexible substrate 100 is folded or bent, the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130 interact through the overlapping structure 143 to pull on both and reduce the occurrence of interlayer separation.

[0052] In some embodiments, the protrusion structure 141 or the groove structure 142 is arranged linearly, and at least one protrusion structure 141 or groove structure 142 is provided. See [link to specific details] Figure 2D , 2E 3E and 3F.

[0053] By linearly arranging the groove structure 142 and the protrusion structure 141 at the edges of the first substrate 110, the barrier layer 120, and the second substrate 130, the force exerted by the protrusion structure 141 and the groove structure 142 on the corresponding layers is increased. This allows the frictional force generated by the protrusion structure 141 and the groove structure 142 to act continuously and fully on the edges of the flexible substrate 100, avoiding stress concentration between the corresponding layers. At the same time, to ensure the interaction and bonding effect between the layers, the linearly arranged protrusion structure 141 and the groove structure 142 can be set to be parallel to the edges of the cut flexible substrate 100.

[0054] It should be noted that, in order to improve the bonding effect at the edge of the display substrate by the patterned structure and to avoid leaving excessive margins at the edge of the display panel made of the flexible substrate 100, at least two protrusion structures 141 and groove structures 142 can be provided, with 5 to 10 being the most effective. At the same time, the interval between adjacent protrusion structures 141 or groove structures 142 can be set to 50 to 100 μm, and the distance between the outermost protrusion structure 141 and groove structure 142 and the laser-cut edge is 0 to 1500 μm. When using the groove structure 142, the width or diameter of the groove structure 142 can be set to 1 to 50 μm to ensure a better bonding effect between the layers of the flexible substrate 100 and to minimize the margins in the non-display areas of the display panel.

[0055] Since display panels are typically regular in shape, the edges of the flexible substrate 100 are usually straight. Therefore, the raised structure 141 and the recessed structure 142 can be arranged in a straight line along the edges of the display substrate. Of course, the usage conditions and product requirements of the display panel are selected based on the actual situation. Therefore, the raised structure 141 and the recessed structure 142 can also be set in special line shapes such as curves or broken lines to meet actual production needs.

[0056] In some embodiments, the protrusion structure 141 is disposed at the edge of the first substrate 110, and / or, the protrusion structure 141 is disposed at the edge of the second substrate 130, and the protrusion structure 141 abuts against the surface of the barrier layer 120; the protrusion structure 141 includes at least one continuously disposed strip-shaped protrusion 141a, or the protrusion structure 141 includes a plurality of uniformly arranged dot-shaped protrusions 141b; please refer to the following for details. Figures 2A-3E .

[0057] By utilizing the protrusion structure 141, the interaction force between the barrier layer 120 and the first substrate 110, and / or between the barrier layer 120 and the second substrate 130, can be enhanced, that is, the roughness between the layers can be increased to improve the friction and adhesion between the layers. The protrusion structure 141 can be provided with at least one continuous strip-shaped protrusion 141a, or with multiple uniformly distributed dot-shaped protrusions 141b, both of which can improve the interaction force between the layers and avoid stress concentration between the layers.

[0058] For example, in one case, the protrusion structure 141 can be configured as one or more continuous strip-shaped protrusions 141a. When the flexible substrate 100 is folded or bent by external force, the strip-shaped protrusions 141a can generate a relatively continuous force between the barrier layer 120 and the first substrate 110, and / or between the barrier layer 120 and the second substrate 130. In another case, the protrusion structure 141 can also be configured as multiple uniformly distributed dot-shaped protrusions 141b. When the flexible substrate 100 is folded or bent, the uniformly distributed dot-shaped protrusions 141b can generate a relatively uniform force between the barrier layer 120 and the first substrate 110, and / or between the barrier layer 120 and the second substrate 130, so as to ensure the bonding effect between the layers.

[0059] In addition, taking the protrusion structure 141 disposed on the first substrate 110 as an example, one method of constructing the protrusion structure 141 is described. A coating process is used to coat an imprint layer on the first substrate 110. A nanoimprint flexible plate is used to imprint the corresponding protrusion structure 141 on the imprint layer. Corresponding strip protrusions 141a or dot protrusions 141b are imprinted on the first substrate 110. Then, the barrier layer 120 and the second substrate 130 are sequentially fabricated to realize the fabrication of the flexible substrate 100.

[0060] To ensure the adhesion between the first substrate 110 and the barrier layer 120, an imprinting layer can be formed on the upper surface of the first substrate 110 before imprinting. The adhesive layer can be coated onto the first substrate 110 using a coating process. The imprinting layer can be a layered structure coated with PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) material. On the one hand, this makes it easier for the nanoimprinted flexible board to imprint the corresponding raised structure 141 on the first substrate 110, thereby improving the adhesion between the barrier layer 120 and the first substrate 110. On the other hand, since PDMS material has good electrical insulation, heat resistance, and hydrophobicity, and stable chemical properties, the imprinting layer formed by it can further improve the water and oxygen barrier capability of the flexible substrate 100.

[0061] In some embodiments, the groove structure 142 is disposed at the edge of the barrier layer 120, and the opening of the groove structure 142 abuts against the upper surface of the first substrate 110, and / or, the opening of the groove structure 142 abuts against the lower surface of the second substrate 130. The groove structure 142 includes at least one continuously disposed strip-shaped groove 142a, or the groove structure 142 includes a plurality of uniformly arranged dot-shaped grooves 142b; see details below. Figures 3A-3F .

[0062] The groove structure 142 enhances the interaction force between the barrier layer 120 and the first substrate 110, and / or between the barrier layer 120 and the second substrate 130, thereby increasing the roughness between the layers and improving the friction and adhesion between the layers. The groove structure 142 is disposed on the barrier layer 120 so that it can be etched on the barrier layer 120 by photolithography. The groove structure 142 can be composed of at least one continuous strip groove 142a, or multiple uniformly distributed groove structures 142, both of which can greatly improve the interaction force between the layers and avoid stress concentration between the layers, thereby reducing interlayer separation.

[0063] For example, in one case, the groove structure 142 can be configured as one or more continuous strip-shaped grooves 142a. When the flexible substrate 100 is folded or bent by external force, the groove structure 142 can generate a relatively continuous force between the barrier layer 120 and the first substrate 110, and / or between the barrier layer 120 and the second substrate 130. In another case, the groove structure 142 can also be configured as multiple uniformly distributed dot-shaped grooves 142b. When the flexible substrate 100 is folded or bent, the uniformly distributed dot-shaped grooves 142b can generate a relatively uniform force between the barrier layer 120 and the first substrate 110, and / or between the barrier layer 120 and the second substrate 130, so as to ensure the bonding effect between the layers.

[0064] It should be noted that the specific shapes of the strip-shaped protrusions 141a, dot-shaped protrusions 141b, strip-shaped grooves 142a, and dot-shaped grooves 142b mentioned above can be selected according to the situation. For example, the strip-shaped protrusions 141a can be set as ridges, the dot-shaped protrusions 141b can be set as hemispherical, conical, or columnar, the strip-shaped grooves 142a can be set as U-shaped grooves or V-shaped grooves, and the dot-shaped grooves 142b can be set as columnar grooves, etc., all of which can increase the interaction force between layers.

[0065] In some embodiments, the groove structure 142 is disposed through the barrier layer 120, as detailed in the following examples. Figure 3D .

[0066] To improve the surface roughness of the barrier layer 120 and enhance the friction between it and the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130, groove structures 142 can be provided on both the upper and lower surfaces of the barrier layer 120 to increase the interaction force between the surface of the barrier layer 120 and the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130. Specifically, corresponding grooves can be etched on the surface of the barrier layer 120 by photolithography. When the etched grooves penetrate the upper and lower surfaces of the barrier layer 120, the groove structure 142 forms a through hole 142c, and the openings at both ends of the through hole 142c abut against the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130, respectively, to increase the roughness between the barrier layer 120 and the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130, thereby improving the interaction force between the layers.

[0067] In some embodiments, the overlapping structure 143 is connected to the edge portions of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130, respectively. The overlapping structure 143 is disposed near the side of the edge portion of the barrier layer 120, so that the first substrate 110, the overlapping structure 143, and the second substrate 130 wrap around the edge portion of the barrier layer 120. For details, please refer to... Figure 4 .

[0068] By providing an overlapping structure 143 connected to the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130 in the third interlayer region formed between the two, the interaction force between the layers of the flexible substrate 100 can be improved. The overlapping structure 143 can be integrally connected to the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130 respectively, thereby improving the strength of the edge region of the flexible substrate 100. To ensure that the overlapping structure 143 is disposed at the edge of the first substrate 110 and integrally connected thereto, the edge of the barrier layer 120 is etched using photolithography, so that the edge of the barrier layer 120 is at a certain distance from the first substrate 110, and the projection of the edge of the barrier layer 120 is located within the first substrate 110. A second substrate 130 is fabricated on the upper surface of the barrier layer 120 using a coating process, and an overlap structure 143 is formed in the third interlayer region between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130, so that the overlap structure 143 connects the two integrally, thereby wrapping the edge of the barrier layer 120 with the first substrate 110, the second substrate 130 and the overlap structure 143. When the flexible substrate 100 is folded or bent, the overlap structure 143 will pull on the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130 that are integrally connected to it, so as to resist the interlayer force. Since the barrier layer 120 is always wrapped, the shear force generated during the deformation process will not cause interlayer separation at the edge of the flexible substrate 100.

[0069] It should be noted that, in order to ensure the connection effect between the overlapping structure 143 and the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130, all three need to be made of the same material to form an integrated structure, such as PI material; it can wrap and block the edge of the barrier layer 120 so that the barrier layer 120 is always between the three; at the same time, in order to ensure that the edge of the flexible substrate 100 is not prone to separation, the overlapping structure 143 should have sufficient thickness to prevent the shear force generated during deformation from causing the barrier layer 120 to break through the overlap and cause interlayer separation. Therefore, when using a laser to cut the edge of the flexible substrate 100, the laser will cut off part of the overlapping area between the first substrate 110, the overlapping structure 143 and the second substrate 130. When the width of the overlapping structure 143 is 5um to 2000um, the width of the overlapping structure 143 can meet the actual requirements.

[0070] Based on the same inventive concept, this application provides a display panel, which includes a flexible substrate 100 as described above. Since the display panel uses the flexible substrate 100 described above, it has the corresponding advantages and beneficial effects of the flexible substrate 100 described above. In addition, the display panel can be an organic electroluminescent OLED display device, and can be specifically configured as any product or component with display function such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, smartwatch, multimedia display, navigator and e-book.

[0071] In some embodiments, the display panel further includes a light-emitting layer 200, a driving circuit 300, and an encapsulation layer 400 respectively disposed on the flexible substrate 100; wherein the orthographic projection of the light-emitting layer 200, the driving circuit 300, and the encapsulation layer 400 is located on the first substrate 110, the light-emitting layer 200 and the driving circuit 300 are disposed adjacent to each other and interconnected, and the encapsulation layer 400 covers the light-emitting layer 200 and the driving circuit 300; see details below. Figure 5 .

[0072] Specifically, the light-emitting layer 200 may include an emission layer (EML), a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), an electron transport layer (ETL), and an electron injection layer (EIL) to emit light of a specific color. For example, the light-emitting layer 200 may be a red light-emitting layer 200 for emitting red light, a green light-emitting layer 200 for emitting green light, or a blue light-emitting layer 200 for emitting blue light, so that the light-emitting layer 200 in this embodiment can emit light of a specific color. In addition, the specific structure and working principle of the light-emitting layer 200 are prior art in this field and will not be described in detail here.

[0073] In addition, the driving circuit 300 in this display panel can be a thin film transistor (TFT), which serves as the driving element of the display panel. The thin film transistor can include an active layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode. Its specific structure and working principle are also existing technologies in this field, and will not be described in detail here.

[0074] By providing an encapsulation layer 400 on the flexible substrate 100, the light-emitting layer 200 and the driving circuit 300 can be encapsulated and protected. When the encapsulation layer 400 is sufficiently thick, its top surface can be planarized. Furthermore, when the flexible substrate 100 is folded or bent by external force, the encapsulation layer 400 can absorb the impact transmitted to components such as the driving circuit 300 to ensure the safety of the components. The encapsulation layer 400 can be formed using transparent organic materials, such as polyacrylate resin, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, polyamide resin, polyimide resin, unsaturated polyester resin, polyphenylene resin, polyphenylene sulfide resin, and / or benzocyclobutene.

[0075] For the fabrication of the light-emitting layer 200 and the driving circuit 300, a silicon nitride layer, a silicon oxide buffer layer, and an amorphous silicon layer can be sequentially deposited on the flexible substrate 100 using chemical vapor deposition. After hydrogen removal using high temperature, the amorphous silicon is transformed into polycrystalline silicon by excimer laser annealing (ELA) to form a semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer is then exposed and etched sequentially to form a corresponding channel layer. The channel layer is then subjected to ion doping and backpropagation (BP) processes. Finally, the light-emitting structure consisting of the light-emitting layer 200 and the driving circuit 300 is encapsulated in multiple layers using a vapor deposition process, thus completing the fabrication of the light-emitting structure on the flexible substrate 100.

[0076] In this application, since the patterned structure in the flexible substrate 100 can be configured as a protrusion structure 141, a groove structure 142, and an overlap structure 143, the fabrication processes for different patterned structures differ to some extent. For example, in one case, the patterned structure can be configured as a protrusion structure 141 disposed on the first substrate 110. In this case, the fabrication process of the flexible substrate 100 may include:

[0077] A first substrate 110 is provided; specifically, it may include coating a PI material onto a glass substrate 150 by a coating process and shaping it by a thermosetting process to obtain the first substrate 110.

[0078] A patterned structure is formed on the first substrate 110; specifically, it may include coating the upper surface of the first substrate 110 with PDMS material through a coating process to form an imprint layer; and using a nanoimprint flexible plate to pattern the imprint layer, wherein, according to the specifications and manufacturing requirements of the nanoimprint flexible plate, multiple strip-shaped protrusions 141a or dot-shaped protrusions 141b can be formed on the imprint layer.

[0079] A barrier layer 120 is formed on the first substrate 110. Specifically, it may include using inorganic materials such as SiO2 and using PECVD process to form the barrier layer 120 on the first substrate 110 so that the barrier layer 120 is bonded to the first substrate 110 to ensure that the flexible substrate 100 has a good water and oxygen barrier effect.

[0080] A second substrate 130 is provided; specifically, it may include coating PI material onto the barrier layer 120 by a coating process and forming the second substrate 130 by a thermosetting process, so that the second substrate 130 is bonded to the barrier layer 120, thereby completing the preparation of the flexible substrate 100.

[0081] For example, in another case, the patterned structure is configured as a groove structure 142 disposed on the upper surface of the barrier layer 120. In this case, the fabrication process of the flexible substrate 100 may include:

[0082] A first substrate 110 is provided; specifically, it may include coating a PI material onto a glass substrate 150 by a coating process and shaping it by a thermosetting process to obtain the first substrate 110.

[0083] A barrier layer 120 is formed on the first substrate 110. Specifically, it may include using inorganic materials such as SiO2 and using PECVD process to form the barrier layer 120 on the first substrate 110 so that the barrier layer 120 is bonded to the first substrate 110 to ensure that the flexible substrate 100 has a good water and oxygen barrier effect.

[0084] A patterned structure is formed on the barrier layer 120; specifically, it may include using photolithography to etch a groove structure 142 on the edge of the upper surface of the barrier layer 120; wherein, according to actual manufacturing requirements, multiple strip grooves 142a or dot grooves 142b can be etched on the upper surface of the barrier layer 120 to form a corresponding patterned structure.

[0085] A second substrate 130 is provided; specifically, it may include coating PI material onto the barrier layer 120 by a coating process and forming the second substrate 130 by a thermosetting process, so that the second substrate 130 is bonded to the barrier layer 120, thereby completing the preparation of the flexible substrate 100.

[0086] For example, in another case, the patterned structure is provided with an overlapping structure 143 integrally connected to the first substrate 110 structure and the second substrate 130 structure. In this case, the fabrication process of the flexible substrate 100 may include:

[0087] A first substrate 110 is provided; specifically, it may include coating a PI material onto a glass substrate 150 through a coating process to obtain a predetermined first substrate 110.

[0088] A barrier layer 120 is formed on the first substrate 110. Specifically, it may include using inorganic materials such as SiO2 and using PECVD process to form the barrier layer 120 on the first substrate 110 so that the barrier layer 120 is bonded to the first substrate 110 to ensure that the flexible substrate 100 has a good water and oxygen barrier effect.

[0089] The edges of the barrier layer 120 are patterned; specifically, the edge portion of the barrier layer 120 is patterned using an exposure process and photolithography, so that the edge portion of the barrier layer 120 and the edge portion of the first substrate 110 are at a certain distance, and the orthographic projection of the barrier layer 120 is located within the first substrate 110.

[0090] Forming a second substrate 130; specifically, this may include applying PI material onto the barrier layer 120 through a coating process, and filling the edge portion near the barrier layer 120 with the PI material, so as to form an overlap structure 143 and a second substrate 130 on the edge portion and the upper surface of the barrier layer 120, respectively, and fusing the overlap structure 143 with the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 130, respectively, and integrally connecting them; through a thermosetting process, the first substrate 110, the overlap structure 143 and the second substrate 130 are integrally formed, wrapped and bonded to the barrier layer 120, thereby completing the preparation of the flexible substrate 100.

[0091] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of this application (including the claims) is limited to these examples; within the framework of this application, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of the embodiments of this application as described above, which are not provided in the details for the sake of brevity.

[0092] Additionally, to simplify the description and discussion, and to avoid obscuring the embodiments of this application, the well-known power / ground connections to integrated circuit (IC) chips and other components may or may not be shown in the provided drawings. Furthermore, the apparatus may be shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the embodiments of this application, and this also takes into account the fact that the details of the implementation of these block diagram apparatuses are highly dependent on the platform on which the embodiments of this application will be implemented (i.e., these details should be fully understood by those skilled in the art). While specific details (e.g., circuits) have been set forth to describe exemplary embodiments of this application, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of this application can be implemented without these specific details or with variations thereof. Therefore, these descriptions should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0093] Although this application has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, many substitutions, modifications, and variations of these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. For example, other memory architectures (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM)) may be used with the embodiments discussed.

[0094] The embodiments of this application are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications, and variations that fall within the broad scope of the appended claims. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the embodiments of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A flexible substrate, characterized in that, include: First substrate; A barrier layer is disposed on one side of the first substrate; The second substrate is disposed on the side of the barrier layer away from the first substrate; a first interlayer region is disposed between the first substrate and the barrier layer, a second interlayer region is disposed between the barrier layer and the second substrate, and a third interlayer region is disposed between the edge portions of the first interlayer region and the second interlayer region, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are both formed by coating and thermosetting processes. A patterned structure is disposed in at least one region of the first interlayer region, the second interlayer region, and the third interlayer region; wherein the patterned structure is a raised structure; The protrusion structure is disposed in at least one of the first interlayer region and the second interlayer region; after the first substrate is formed, an imprint layer is formed on the upper surface of the first substrate, the imprint layer material is PDMS, and the protrusion structure is formed on the upper surface of the imprint layer by an imprinting process. The protrusion structure is used to increase the adhesion performance between the first substrate and the barrier layer, and the imprint layer is used to improve the insulation, heat resistance and hydrophobicity of the edge portion of the flexible substrate.

2. The flexible substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protruding structures are arranged linearly.

3. The flexible substrate according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protrusion structure is disposed at the edge of the first substrate, and / or the protrusion structure is disposed at the edge of the second substrate, and the protrusion structure abuts against the surface of the barrier layer.

4. The flexible substrate according to claim 3, characterized in that, The protrusion structure includes at least one continuously arranged strip-shaped protrusion, or the protrusion structure includes multiple evenly arranged dot-shaped protrusions.

5. A display panel, characterized in that, The flexible substrate as described in any one of claims 1-4 further includes a light-emitting layer, a driving circuit, and an encapsulation layer respectively disposed on the flexible substrate; The light-emitting layer, the driving circuit, and the encapsulation layer are projected onto the first substrate. The light-emitting layer and the driving circuit are disposed adjacent to each other and are interconnected. The encapsulation layer covers the light-emitting layer and the driving circuit.

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