Mask assembly, exposure method, display panel and display device

Abstract

The application provides a mask assembly, an exposure method, a display panel and a display device. The mask assembly comprises a first mask and a second mask. The first mask comprises a first mask body and a first pattern on the first mask body. The first pattern is arranged in a grid shape. The second mask comprises a second mask body and a second pattern on the second mask body. The second pattern is the same as the first pattern. The first mask further comprises a plurality of first splicing parts arranged on one side of the first pattern. Each first splicing part is connected with two adjacent sides of the outermost grid on the side. At least a part of the first splicing part is located outside the grid connected therewith. The mask assembly of the application is beneficial to improving the success rate of grid lapping when the splicing is dislocated, and thus is beneficial to improving the product yield.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a photomask assembly and exposure method, a display panel, and a display device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of display technology, display devices are becoming increasingly widely used. Wearable devices, foldable devices, smart homes, and education are developing rapidly, creating an increasingly urgent demand for medium-to-large-sized touch panels or flexible panels. Traditional ITO films cannot achieve bending and folding applications, and their conductivity cannot meet the requirements of medium-to-large-sized touch panels. Moreover, ITO is a scarce and non-renewable resource. Therefore, alternative technologies for ITO are emerging. Metal mesh is a conductive material that can replace ITO films, and its conductivity is superior to traditional ITO films. Furthermore, metal mesh can be applied to ultra-thin, foldable, and wearable electronic products, supporting the needs of the new consumer electronics industry for integrated foldable flexible displays and touch controls, showing promising prospects.

[0003] In the fabrication of metal mesh lines for medium and large-sized display panels, due to limitations in the exposure size of the exposure machine, two or more photomasks are required for a splicing exposure process to combine multiple small-sized metal mesh line patterns into a larger one. However, during the splicing exposure process, misalignment can occur at the splicing points of the multiple small-sized metal mesh line patterns due to factors such as alignment errors, screen tensioning errors, or human error. This can prevent the multiple small-sized metal mesh lines from connecting seamlessly, potentially resulting in open circuits in the final large-sized metal mesh line pattern, which negatively impacts product yield. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on this, this application proposes a photomask assembly and exposure method, a display panel, and a display device to improve the success rate of splicing when splicing misalignment occurs, thereby improving product yield.

[0005] An embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a photomask assembly, including a first photomask and a second photomask. The first photomask includes a first photomask body and a first pattern located on the first photomask body, the first pattern being arranged in a grid pattern. The second photomask includes a second photomask body and a second pattern located on the second photomask body, the second pattern being the same as the first pattern. The first photomask further includes a plurality of first splicing portions disposed on one side of the first pattern, each first splicing portion being connected to the two outermost adjacent sides of each grid on the side, at least a portion of the first splicing portion being located outside the grid to which it is connected.

[0006] In this application, by providing a first splicing part on the outermost side of each grid on the side of the first pattern, and at least a portion of the first splicing part being located outside the grid to which it is connected, even if there is misalignment splicing, the large-size metal grid line pattern formed after splicing is not prone to open circuits, thereby improving the success rate of grid overlap when misalignment splicing occurs, and thus improving product yield.

[0007] In some embodiments, the shape of the first splicing part includes at least one of a solid circle, a solid square, a hollow circle, a hollow square, an arc, a solid polygon, and a hollow polygon.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first splicing part is one of a solid circle, a hollow circle, or an arc, and the center of the first splicing part is located at the outermost vertex of the grid to which it is connected.

[0009] In some embodiments, the radius of the first splicing portion is greater than or equal to 20 μm and less than or equal to 1000 μm.

[0010] In some embodiments, the second mask further includes a plurality of second splicing portions disposed on one side of the second pattern, each second splicing portion being connected to the two outermost adjacent sides of each grid on the side, at least a portion of the second splicing portion being located outside the grid to which it is connected, and the second splicing portion being used to splice with the first splicing portion.

[0011] In some embodiments, the shape of the plurality of second splicing portions includes at least one of a solid circle, a solid square, a hollow circle, a hollow square, an arc, a solid polygon, and a hollow polygon.

[0012] In some embodiments, the second splicing part is one of a solid circle, a hollow circle, or an arc, and the center of the second splicing part is located at the outermost vertex of the grid to which it is connected.

[0013] An embodiment of the second aspect of this application provides an exposure method, which uses the photomask assembly described in the first aspect to perform a splicing exposure process on a substrate, the exposure method comprising:

[0014] A first exposure is performed using the first mask to form a third pattern on the substrate;

[0015] A second exposure is performed using the second mask to form a fourth pattern on the substrate, wherein the third pattern is connected to the fourth pattern.

[0016] An embodiment of the third aspect of this application provides a display panel including a substrate and a touch electrode layer located on one side of the substrate, the touch electrode layer having a metal mesh structure manufactured according to the exposure method described in the second aspect.

[0017] In some embodiments, the display panel further includes a light-emitting functional layer located between the substrate and the touch electrode layer.

[0018] An embodiment of the fourth aspect of this application provides a display device including the display panel described in the third aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of metal mesh pattern splicing in related technologies;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first mask in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second mask in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in the related technology where a first mask plate without a first splicing part is misaligned and spliced ​​with a second mask plate;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first mask plate and a second mask plate with a first splicing portion staggered and spliced ​​according to an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first splicing part according to an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of one possible structure where the first splicing part of this application is an arc.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in which one of the grids on the side of the first pattern in an embodiment of this application is connected to the first splicing part;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another structure in which one of the grids on the side of the first pattern in this application is connected to the first splicing part;

[0028] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the display panel according to an embodiment of this application.

[0029] The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0030] 1 - First sub-mask; 2 - Second sub-mask;

[0031] 110 - First mask; 120 - Second mask;

[0032] 111 - First mask version; 112 - First pattern;

[0033] 121 - Second mask version body; 122 - Second pattern;

[0034] 113 - First splicing section; 1121 - Grid;

[0035] 1121a - First side; 1121b - Second side;

[0036] 1121c - Third side; 1121d - Fourth side;

[0037] 113a - Circular arc; 1121e - Opening;

[0038] 10-Display panel; 11-Substrate;

[0039] 12-Touch electrode layer; 13-Light-emitting functional layer. Detailed Implementation

[0040] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0041] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0042] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0043] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0044] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0045] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0046] Metal mesh is a conductive material that can replace ITO film, and its conductivity is superior to that of traditional ITO film. Furthermore, metal mesh can be applied to ultra-thin, foldable, and wearable electronic products, supporting the needs of the new consumer electronics industry for foldable flexible displays with integrated touch controls, and has broad prospects.

[0047] like Figure 1 The image shows a schematic diagram of the metal mesh lines used in fabricating a medium-to-large-sized display panel using a photomask. Due to limitations in the exposure size of the exposure equipment, in... Figure 1In this process, two photomasks are used for a stitched exposure process to obtain a large-sized metallic mesh pattern. The two photomasks include a first sub-mask 1 and a second sub-mask 2. It's easy to understand that during the stitching exposure process, there will be alignment errors and screen stretching errors between the different photomasks, making it impossible to achieve the desired pattern exactly as described above. Figure 1 The ideal alignment shown is used for splicing. When misalignment occurs, open circuits will appear in the large-size metal mesh pattern formed by the exposure of the two photomasks, resulting in poor electrical connection and affecting product yield.

[0048] Based on this, this application proposes a photomask assembly and exposure method, a display panel, and a display device to improve the success rate of splicing when splicing misalignment occurs, thereby improving product yield.

[0049] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, an embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a photomask assembly. The photomask assembly includes a first photomask 110 and a second photomask 120. The first photomask 110 includes a first photomask body 111 and a first pattern 112 located on the first photomask body 111, the first pattern 112 being arranged in a grid pattern. The second photomask 120 includes a second photomask body 121 and a second pattern 122 located on the second photomask body 121, the second pattern 122 being identical to the first pattern 112. The first photomask 110 also includes a plurality of first splicing portions 113 disposed on one side of the first pattern 112, each first splicing portion 113 being connected to the two outermost adjacent sides of each grid 1121 on the side, at least a portion of the first splicing portion 113 being located outside the grid 1121 to which it is connected.

[0050] In this embodiment, the mask assembly includes a first mask 110 and a second mask 120. The first mask 110 has a first pattern 112, and the second mask 120 has a second pattern 122. The first pattern 112 is grid-like, and the second pattern 122 is identical to the first pattern 112. "Grid-like" means that multiple grids 1121 exist in both the first and second patterns 122. In other words, the first mask 110 and the second mask 120 can be spliced ​​together using a splicing exposure process to form a large-size preset pattern.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the side of the first pattern 112 is also connected to a plurality of first splicing portions 113, each first splicing portion 113 being connected to the two outermost adjacent sides of each grid 1121 on the side. The two outermost adjacent sides of each grid 1121 on the side refer to the two sides of each grid 1121 on one side of the first pattern 112 that do not overlap with other grids. For example, in Figure 3 The diagram illustrates, exemplarily, six grids 1121 on one side of the first pattern 112. It is readily understood that in practice, the side may have more grids 1121. Each grid 1121 has a first side 1121a, a second side 1121b, a third side 1121c, and a fourth side 1121d. The first and second sides 1121a and 1121b overlap with other inner grids, while the third and fourth sides 1121c and 1121d are located on the outermost side of the grid 1121 and do not overlap with other grids. A first splicing portion 113 connects to the third side 1121c and the fourth side 1121d, and at least a portion of the first splicing portion 113 is located outside the grid 1121 to which it is connected.

[0052] like Figure 4 As shown, in related technologies, when the first mask 110 does not have the first splicing portion 113, the first pattern 112 is spliced ​​with the second pattern 122 only through the vertices of the grid 1121. The first pattern 112 and the second pattern 122 will form a splicing line F. However, once a misaligned splicing situation occurs, the large-size pattern after splicing exposure may produce... Figure 4 The diagram shows the open circuit condition at the splicing line F. In this application, the presence of the first splicing portion 113 increases the tolerance for exposure during splicing of the first pattern 112 and the second pattern 122. For example... Figure 5 As shown, when misaligned splicing occurs, although the misalignment prevents the multiple grids 1121 on the side of the second pattern 122 from directly overlapping with the grids 1121 of the first pattern 112, the multiple first splicing portions 113 are respectively connected to the multiple grids 1121 on the side of the first pattern 112. At least a portion of each first splicing portion 113 is located outside the grid 1121 it is connected to, causing the multiple grids 1121 of the second pattern 122 to overlap with the portion of the first splicing portion 113 located outside the grid 1121, thus forming an indirect overlap with the first pattern 112. In other words, even in the case of misaligned splicing, the first splicing portion 113 can act as a "bridge" for transitional overlap, thereby reducing the probability of an open circuit in the spliced ​​pattern due to misaligned splicing.

[0053] In summary, in this application, by providing a first splicing portion 113 on the outermost side of each grid 1121 on the side of the first pattern 112, and at least a portion of the first splicing portion 113 being located outside the grid 1121 connected to it, even if there is misalignment splicing, the large-size metal grid line pattern formed after splicing exposure is less likely to have open circuits, thereby improving the success rate of grid overlap when misalignment splicing occurs, and thus improving product yield.

[0054] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the shapes of the plurality of first splicing parts 113 include at least one of solid circle, solid square, hollow circle, hollow square, arc, solid polygon, and hollow polygon.

[0055] This embodiment proposes the shape of the first splicing portion 113. Specifically, each first splicing portion 113 can be hollow or solid. When it is hollow, the shape can be circular, square, arc, or polygonal. Arcs are non-closed shapes, while circles, squares, and polygons are closed shapes. It is easy to understand that these shapes are convenient to manufacture and help reduce production costs, but this does not mean that the first splicing portion 113 can only be one of these hollow shapes. Furthermore, "at least one" means that the shape of multiple first splicing portions 113 can be the same among the above-mentioned shapes, or it can be multiple different shapes. When the shapes of multiple first splicing portions 113 include multiple of the above-mentioned shapes, some of the multiple first splicing portions 113 can be solid circles, some can be hollow circles, some can be arcs, etc., and those skilled in the art can flexibly set them. For example, as... Figure 6 As shown, among the six first splicing parts 113, one is a solid circle, one is a solid square, two are hollow squares, and the remaining two are arcs.

[0056] Furthermore, when the first splicing portion 113 is hollow, a portion of the grid 1121 connected to the first splicing portion 113 that lies within the hollow shape can be removed. For example, as... Figure 7 As shown, the first splicing part 113 is an arc 113a. A portion of the third side 1121c and the fourth side 1121d of the grid 1121 located within the arc 113a can be removed. In this case, the grid 1121 has an opening 1121e. The arc 113a blocks the opening 1121e of the grid 1121, thus connecting with the grid 1121. This design removes excess lines, reduces the light obstruction by the lines within the arc 113a, and thus helps to increase the aperture ratio.

[0057] When the first splicing part 113 is solid, its shape can be circular, square, or polygonal. It is easy to understand that the above-mentioned solid shapes are easy to manufacture and help reduce production costs, but it does not mean that the first splicing part 113 can only be one of the above-mentioned solid shapes.

[0058] In one specific embodiment, the first splicing portion 113 is one of a solid circle, a hollow circle, or an arc, and the center A of the first splicing portion 113 is located at the outermost vertex of the grid 1121 connected to it. Figure 8The diagram shows the connection between one of the grids 1121 on the side of the first pattern 112 and the first splicing part 113. In this embodiment, the first splicing part 113 is one of a solid circle, a hollow circle, or an arc. This ensures that the radius of the first splicing part 113 is equal everywhere, and when misalignment occurs, the maximum allowable misalignment distance in all directions is also equal. This improves the success rate of overlapping during splicing exposure when misalignment occurs in any direction, thereby further improving product yield. It is easy to understand that the maximum allowable misalignment distance in all directions is the radius value of the first splicing part 113. The larger the radius, the greater the allowable offset during splicing.

[0059] Furthermore, such as Figure 8 As shown, the center A of the first splicing part 113 is located at the outermost vertex of the grid 1121 to which it is connected. During the fabrication of the first splicing part 113, the center A of the first splicing part 113 can be determined first based on the outermost vertex of the grid 1121, and then a reasonable radius value can be designed to obtain the first splicing part 113 that meets the requirements. At this point, on the one hand, the specific location of the first splicing part 113 is determined, and on the other hand, it can always be ensured that at least a portion of the first splicing part 113 is located outside the grid 1121 to which it is connected. This is beneficial for improving the success rate of overlapping during misaligned splicing while also improving the processing convenience of the first splicing part 113.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as Figure 9 As shown, when the first splicing part 113 is a hollow circle or arc, a portion of the grid 1121 connected to the first splicing part 113 that is located within the hollow shape can be removed. This also helps to increase the opening ratio.

[0061] In some embodiments, the radius of the first splicing portion 113 is greater than or equal to 20 μm and less than or equal to 1000 μm. When the radius of the first splicing portion 113 is less than 20 μm, although the probability of successful overlap after misaligned splicing is improved in practical applications, open circuit defects may still exist in the large-size metal mesh line pattern after splicing, which is not conducive to further improving product yield. When the radius of the first splicing portion 113 is greater than 1000 μm, although the success rate of overlap after misaligned splicing can be guaranteed, the pattern formed at the misaligned splicing point differs significantly from the mesh 1121 pattern at other normally exposed points, which is not conducive to improving the performance of the formed large-size metal mesh line pattern. Therefore, when the radius of the first splicing portion 113 is between 20 μm and 1000 μm, it is beneficial to ensure both the success rate of overlap after misaligned splicing and the performance of the large-size metal mesh line pattern formed after splicing.

[0062] In some embodiments, the second mask 120 further includes a plurality of second splicing portions (not shown) disposed on the side of the second pattern 122, each second splicing portion being connected to the two outermost adjacent sides of each grid 1121 on the side, at least a portion of the second splicing portion being located outside the grid 1121 to which it is connected, and the second splicing portion being used to splice with the first splicing portion 113.

[0063] In this embodiment, a second splicing portion is provided on the second mask 120, which is used to splice with the first splicing portion 113. Thus, when misalignment occurs, the first splicing portion 113 can connect with the second splicing portion, thereby achieving an indirect overlap between the second pattern 122 and the first pattern 112. At this time, the maximum allowable range of misalignment depends on both the size of the first splicing portion 113 and the size of the second splicing portion, which helps to further improve the success rate of overlap when misalignment occurs, and thus further improves the product yield.

[0064] In some embodiments, the shapes of the plurality of second splicing parts include at least one of solid circles, solid squares, hollow circles, hollow squares, arcs, solid polygons, and hollow polygons. This embodiment proposes shapes for the plurality of second splicing parts. Specifically, each of the plurality of second splicing parts can be in a hollow state or a solid state. When it is in a hollow state, the shape can be a circle, a square, an arc, or a polygon, wherein an arc is a non-closed shape, and a circle, a square, and a polygon are closed shapes. When it is in a solid state, the shape can be a circle, a square, or a polygon. It is easy to understand that the above-mentioned shapes are convenient to manufacture and help reduce production costs, but it does not mean that the plurality of second splicing parts can only be the above-mentioned shapes. In addition, at least one means that the shape of the plurality of second splicing parts can be the same one of the above-mentioned shapes, or it can be a variety of different shapes. For example, when the shape of the plurality of second splicing parts includes a variety of the above-mentioned shapes, some of the plurality of second splicing parts can be solid circles, some can be hollow circles, some can be arcs, etc., and those skilled in the art can flexibly set them.

[0065] Furthermore, the second splicing part is one of a solid circle, a hollow circle, or an arc, and the center of the second splicing part is located at the outermost vertex of the grid 1121 connected to it.

[0066] In this embodiment, the second splicing part is one of a solid circle, a hollow circle, or an arc. This ensures that the radius of the second splicing part is equal everywhere, and when misalignment occurs, the maximum allowable misalignment distance in all directions is also equal. This improves the success rate of overlapping when misalignment occurs in any direction, thereby further improving product yield. It is easy to understand that the maximum allowable misalignment distance in all directions is the radius value of the second splicing part. The larger the radius, the greater the allowable offset during splicing.

[0067] Furthermore, the center of the second splicing part is located at the outermost vertex of the grid 1121 to which it is connected. During the fabrication of the second splicing part, the center can be determined first based on the vertices of the grid 1121, and then a reasonable radius value can be designed to obtain a second splicing part that meets the requirements. At this point, the specific location of the second splicing part is determined, and it is always ensured that at least a portion of the second splicing part is located outside the grid 1121 to which it is connected. This improves the fabrication convenience of the second splicing part while increasing the success rate of overlapping during misaligned splicing.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the second splicing part is a hollow circle or arc, a portion of the mesh 1121 connected to the second splicing part that is located within the hollow shape can be removed. This also helps to increase the opening ratio.

[0069] Preferably, the second splicing part can have the same structure as the first splicing part 113, that is, the size, position and shape are the same. In this way, the first pattern 112 and the second pattern 122 are the same, the first splicing part 113 and the second splicing part are also the same, and the first mask 110 and the second mask 120 have the same structure. This also helps to reduce the types of masks, improve the consistency of the production process, and thus help to reduce production costs.

[0070] An embodiment of the second aspect of this application provides an exposure method that performs a splicing exposure process on a substrate using the photomask assembly described in the first aspect. The exposure method includes:

[0071] The first exposure is performed using the first mask 110 to form a third pattern on the substrate;

[0072] A second exposure is performed using a second mask 120 to form a fourth pattern on the substrate, with the third pattern connected to the fourth pattern.

[0073] In this embodiment, the third pattern is formed by photolithography of the first pattern 112 and the first splicing portion 113 on the first mask 110. The fourth pattern has two compositions. When the second mask 120 does not have a second splicing portion, the fourth pattern is formed by photolithography of the second pattern 122 on the second mask 120; when the second mask 120 has a second splicing portion, the fourth pattern is formed by photolithography of the second pattern 122 and the second splicing portion on the second mask 120.

[0074] The exposure method of this application employs a mask assembly from the first aspect to perform a splicing exposure process. Due to the presence of the first splicing portion 113, at least a portion of which is located outside the grid 1121 to which it is connected, even in cases of misaligned splicing exposure, the connection between the third and fourth patterns after exposure is less likely to have an open circuit. This improves the success rate of overlapping between the third and fourth patterns during misaligned splicing exposure, thereby increasing product yield.

[0075] like Figure 10 As shown, an embodiment of the third aspect of this application provides a display panel 10, including a substrate 11 and a touch electrode layer 12 located on one side of the substrate 11. The touch electrode layer 12 has a metal mesh structure, which is manufactured according to the exposure method described in the second aspect.

[0076] The display panel 10 of this application embodiment can be one of an OLED flexible display panel, an OLED rigid display panel, or a liquid crystal display panel; this application is not limited to this. The display panel 10 forms a metal mesh structure of the touch electrode layer 12 using the exposure method described in the second aspect, thereby giving the touch electrode layer 12 excellent conductivity and flexibility. The metal mesh structure is formed by splicing the patterns of the first mask 110 and the second mask 120. Due to the presence of the first splicing portion 113, at least a portion of the first splicing portion 113 is located outside the grid 1121 to which it is connected. This makes it less likely for open circuits to exist at the splicing points of the integrated metal mesh structure formed by secondary photolithography, even in cases of misaligned splicing exposure. This improves the success rate of overlapping when misaligned splicing occurs, thereby improving product yield.

[0077] In some embodiments, the display panel 10 further includes a light-emitting functional layer 13, which is located between the substrate 11 and the touch electrode layer 12. In this embodiment, the light-emitting functional layer 13 is used to display an image, and the light-emitting functional layer 13 includes a plurality of sub-pixel units arranged in an array. The sub-pixel units can emit light of various colors. Specifically, the sub-pixel units can be conventional light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), or mini LEDs or micro LEDs, etc., and this application is not limited thereto. The touch electrode layer 12 is located above the light-emitting functional layer 13. Specifically, the touch electrode layer 12 can be integrated into the display panel 10 using one of in-cell technology, on-cell technology, or OGS technology, and this application is not limited thereto.

[0078] An embodiment of the fourth aspect of this application provides a display device including the display panel 10 described in the third aspect. In the display device of this application, the touch electrode layer 12 is formed by splicing and exposing the mask assembly described in the first aspect, thereby improving the success rate of overlapping when misalignment occurs, and thus improving the production yield of the display device.

[0079] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0080] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A photomask assembly, comprising a first photomask and a second photomask, the first photomask including a first photomask body and a first pattern located on the first photomask body, the first pattern being arranged in a grid pattern, the second photomask including a second photomask body and a second pattern located on the second photomask body, the second pattern being identical to the first pattern, characterized in that, The first mask also includes a plurality of first splicing portions disposed on one side of the first pattern, each first splicing portion being connected to the two outermost adjacent sides of each grid on the side, and at least a portion of the first splicing portion being located outside the grid to which it is connected.

2. The mask assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shapes of the plurality of first splicing parts include at least one of solid circles, hollow circles, arcs, solid polygons, and hollow polygons.

3. The mask assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first splicing part is one of a solid circle, a hollow circle, or an arc, and the center of the first splicing part is located at the outermost vertex of the grid to which it is connected.

4. The mask assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The radius of the first splicing part is greater than or equal to 20 μm and less than or equal to 1000 μm.

5. The mask assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second mask also includes a plurality of second splicing portions disposed on one side of the second pattern, each second splicing portion being connected to the two outermost adjacent sides of each grid on the side, at least a portion of the second splicing portion being located outside the grid to which it is connected, and the second splicing portion being used to splice with the first splicing portion.

6. The mask assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second splicing part is one of a solid circle, a hollow circle, or an arc, and the center of the second splicing part is located at the outermost vertex of the grid to which it is connected.

7. An exposure method, comprising performing a splicing exposure process on a substrate using the mask assembly according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The exposure method includes: A first exposure is performed using the first mask to form a third pattern on the substrate; A second exposure is performed using the second mask to form a fourth pattern on the substrate, wherein the third pattern is connected to the fourth pattern.

8. A display panel, characterized in that, The device includes a substrate and a touch electrode layer located on one side of the substrate, the touch electrode layer having a metal mesh structure, the metal mesh structure being manufactured by the exposure method according to claim 7.

9. The display panel according to claim 8, characterized in that, The display panel further includes a light-emitting functional layer, which is located between the substrate and the touch electrode layer.

10. A display device, characterized in that, Includes the display panel as described in any one of claims 8-9.

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