A TFE film packaging process, system and display device

Abstract

The application relates to a TFE film packaging process, a system and a display device, the packaging process comprising the following steps: obtaining a preset pattern, the preset pattern comprising a pre-printed pattern and a blank area outside the periphery of the pre-printed pattern; dividing the pre-printed pattern into an edge pattern and a central pattern; generating an edge in-situ replacement pattern in accordance with the preset pattern, the edge in-situ replacement pattern having a resolution consistent with that of the preset pattern, the proportion of pre-printed pixel grids in the edge in-situ replacement pattern to all pixel grids being an edge dot extraction proportion, and all pre-printed pixel grids of the edge in-situ replacement pattern being uniformly distributed; generating an edge replacement pattern in accordance with the edge in-situ replacement pattern, all pixel grids of the edge replacement pattern corresponding to all pixel grids of the edge pattern in a one-to-one manner; replacing the edge pattern of the preset pattern with the edge replacement pattern to generate a printing pattern; and performing pattern printing in accordance with the printing pattern to form a packaging layer. The surface of the packaging layer obtained by printing is smoother.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display panel processing technology, and in particular to a TFE thin film encapsulation process, system and display device. Background Technology

[0002] The basic structure of an OLED consists of an anode, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an organic light-emitting layer, an electron transport layer, an electron injection layer, and a cathode. The organic light-emitting layer is sandwiched between electrodes. Most organic materials in the OLED light-emitting layer are highly sensitive to atmospheric pollutants, O2, and water vapor. Thin-film encapsulation (TFE) can encapsulate OLEDs on flexible substrates, enabling the flexibility and rollability of flexible OLEDs, bringing a breakthrough to flexible display technology. Thin films used in TFE processes can be categorized as inorganic thin films, organic thin films, and inorganic / organic composite thin films. Organic / inorganic composite thin-film encapsulation is considered the most promising encapsulation technology due to its superior performance.

[0003] Generally, the processing technology for organic film layers in composite films includes vapor deposition, vacuum chemical vapor deposition, and thermochemical vapor deposition polymerization (TCVDPF) technology. However, vapor deposition and vacuum chemical vapor deposition both require a vacuum environment, have high production costs, require complex equipment, and make it difficult to precisely control the organic film layer.

[0004] In related technologies, inkjet printing technology is used to print functional liquid of TFE material onto a substrate to form a TFE encapsulation layer on the substrate surface. Compared with other technologies, inkjet printing technology has the advantages of low cost, reduced material waste, fast processing speed, and only requires a nitrogen atmosphere. Therefore, inkjet printing technology is gradually being widely used in the field of thin film encapsulation.

[0005] During inkjet printing, after the droplets fall onto the substrate, their own diffusion causes them to gradually spread out on the substrate. However, due to the surface tension of the droplets, after the droplets spread out and form an encapsulation layer, the edges of the encapsulation layer will be higher than the central part (see reference). Figure 1 This results in an uneven surface of the encapsulation layer, which not only affects the encapsulation quality but also has an adverse impact on the subsequent processing quality of the substrate. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a TFE thin film encapsulation process, system, and display device, which solves the technical problem in related technologies where the edge portion of the encapsulation layer is higher than the central portion, resulting in an uneven surface of the encapsulation layer and affecting the encapsulation quality.

[0007] In a first aspect, a TFE thin-film encapsulation process is provided, which includes the following steps:

[0008] Obtain a preset graphic, which includes a pre-printed graphic and a blank area around the pre-printed graphic;

[0009] Divide the pre-printed graphic into an edge graphic and a central graphic;

[0010] An edge in-situ replacement graphic with the same resolution as the preset graphic is generated, and the proportion of the pre-printed pixel grid in the edge in-situ replacement graphic to the total pixel grid is the edge sampling ratio. All the pre-printed pixel grids in the edge in-situ replacement graphic are evenly distributed.

[0011] An edge replacement graphic is generated based on the in-situ edge replacement graphic, wherein all the pixels of the edge replacement graphic correspond one-to-one with all the pixels of the edge graphic.

[0012] Replace the edge of a preset graphic with an edge replacement graphic to generate a printable graphic;

[0013] Based on the printed graphic, pattern printing is performed to form the encapsulation layer.

[0014] In some embodiments, the pre-printed pixel grids of adjacent edge-replacement graphics have the same spacing in the X direction and the same spacing in the Y direction.

[0015] In some embodiments, dividing the pre-printed graphic into an edge graphic and a central graphic includes:

[0016] Get the edge width of the pre-printed graphic;

[0017] Get the X and Y lengths of the pixel grid of the pre-printed graphic;

[0018] Based on the edge width of the pre-printed graphic and the X-axis and Y-axis lengths of the pixel grid of the pre-printed graphic, the number of X-axis border pixels and the number of Y-axis border pixels of the pre-printed graphic can be obtained.

[0019] Based on the edge algorithm, edge pixels belonging to the edge part are selected from all pixels in the pre-printed graphic;

[0020] The shape formed by combining all the edge pixels is the edge shape, and the shape formed by combining the remaining pixels is the center shape.

[0021] In some embodiments, obtaining the edge width of the pre-printed graphic includes:

[0022] Based on the pre-printed graphic, a trial print is performed to obtain a trial printed encapsulation layer;

[0023] Measure the edge width of the trial-printed encapsulation layer to obtain the edge width of the pre-printed pattern.

[0024] In some embodiments, the step of filtering out edge pixels belonging to the edge portion from all pixel grids of the pre-printed graphic according to the edge algorithm includes:

[0025] A preset graphic coordinate system is established based on the number of pixels in the X and Y directions of the preset graphic.

[0026] Obtain the coordinate information of all pixels in the pre-printed graphic;

[0027] Determine whether a pixel in the pre-printed graphic is an edge pixel in order to select all edge pixels in the pre-printed graphic.

[0028] In some embodiments, generating the edge replacement graphic based on the in-situ edge replacement graphic includes:

[0029] Based on the number of pixels in the X and Y directions of the edge in-situ replacement graphic, an edge in-situ replacement graphic coordinate system is established, and the coordinate information of all pixels in the edge in-situ replacement graphic corresponds one-to-one with the coordinate information of all pixels in the preset graphic.

[0030] Perform a bitwise AND operation on all pixels of the edge graphic and the corresponding pixels of the edge in-situ replacement graphic, and use the result of the edge in-situ replacement graphic as the standard to obtain the edge replacement graphic.

[0031] In some embodiments, replacing the edge graphics of a preset graphic with edge replacement graphics to generate a printable graphic includes:

[0032] Perform a bitwise AND operation between all pixels in the edge graphic and the corresponding pixels in the edge replacement graphic, and use the result of the edge replacement graphic as the standard to obtain the printed graphic.

[0033] In some embodiments, before performing patterned printing according to the printed pattern to form the encapsulation layer, a test print is included to determine whether the printed pattern is acceptable.

[0034] Patterned test printing is performed based on the printed pattern to form the encapsulation layer;

[0035] Measure the edge thickness and center thickness of the encapsulation layer;

[0036] Determine whether the difference between the edge thickness and the center thickness of the encapsulation layer is within the preset flatness value range;

[0037] If the difference between the edge thickness and the center thickness of the encapsulation layer is within the preset flatness value range, the printed pattern is qualified, and patterned printing is performed according to the printed pattern; otherwise, the printed pattern is unqualified, the edge sampling ratio in the edge replacement pattern is adjusted, and the edge replacement pattern is regenerated.

[0038] In some embodiments, prior to generating the printable graphic, the following steps are also included:

[0039] Obtain the central replacement graphic;

[0040] Replace the central graphic of the preset graphic with a central replacement graphic to generate a printable graphic.

[0041] In some embodiments, prior to patterning printing based on the printed pattern, the printhead parameters are adjusted:

[0042] Adjust the nozzle distribution of the printhead according to the distribution of the pre-printed pixel grid in the Y direction of the printed graphic.

[0043] Based on the distribution of the pre-printed pixel grid in the X direction of the printed graphic, adjust the scanning speed and firing frequency of the printhead accordingly.

[0044] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided in this application include:

[0045] This application provides a TFE thin-film encapsulation process. A pre-printed pattern is divided into an edge pattern and a central pattern. Correspondingly, an edge in-situ replacement pattern is generated based on the pre-printed pattern, and the pre-printed pixel density in the edge in-situ replacement pattern is reduced according to an edge sampling ratio. An edge replacement pattern is generated using the edge in-situ replacement pattern, and finally, the edge pattern in the pre-printed pattern is replaced by the edge replacement pattern to generate the printed pattern. The pre-printed pixel density in the edge portion of the printed pattern is reduced. During patterned printing based on the printed pattern, the edge portion of the resulting encapsulation layer is thinned to ensure that the thickness of the edge portion of the encapsulation layer is consistent with that of the central portion. Therefore, the printed encapsulation layer has a more uniform thickness and a smoother surface, improving encapsulation quality and ensuring the quality of subsequent substrate processing.

[0046] Secondly, a TFE thin-film encapsulation system is provided, which is manufactured based on the TFE thin-film encapsulation process described above.

[0047] Another embodiment of this application provides a TFE thin film encapsulation system. Since the TFE thin film encapsulation system is manufactured based on the above-described TFE thin film encapsulation process, the beneficial effects of the TFE thin film encapsulation system are the same as the beneficial effects of the above-described TFE thin film encapsulation process, and will not be repeated here.

[0048] Thirdly, a display device is provided, which is manufactured by the TFE thin film encapsulation process described above, and / or by the TFE thin film encapsulation system described above.

[0049] Another embodiment of this application provides a display device. Since the display device is manufactured by the above-mentioned TFE thin film encapsulation process and / or the above-mentioned TFE thin film encapsulation system, the encapsulation layer thickness of the display device is more uniform, the surface is flatter, and the encapsulation quality is higher. Attached Figure Description

[0050] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0051] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the protruding edges of the encapsulation layer after encapsulation printing in related technologies;

[0052] Figure 2 Flowcharts provided for embodiments of this application;

[0053] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a preset graphic provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the edge in-situ replacement graphic provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0055] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of edge replacement graphics provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a printed graphic provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of central in-situ replacement provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a central replacement graphic provided for another embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a printed graphic provided for another embodiment of this application.

[0060] In the diagram: 1. Preset graphic; 11. Pre-printed graphic; 111. Edge graphic; 112. Central graphic; 12. Blank area; 2. Edge in-situ replacement graphic; 3. Edge replacement graphic; 4. Central in-situ replacement graphic; 5. Central replacement graphic; 6. Printed graphic; a. Pre-printed pixel grid; b. Blank pixel grid. Detailed Implementation

[0061] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0062] This application provides a TFE thin-film encapsulation process, system, and display device. This encapsulation process generates a pre-printed pattern with a low pixel density at the edges, resulting in a smoother surface for the encapsulation layer printed according to this pattern. This application addresses the technical problem in related technologies where the edges of the encapsulation layer are higher than the central portion, leading to an uneven surface and affecting encapsulation quality.

[0063] Reference Figure 1 After the encapsulation layer is printed, it has an edge region with a width of L1 and a central region with a width of L2, and the thickness D1 of the edge region will be higher than the thickness D2 of the central region.

[0064] Reference Figure 2 A TFE thin film encapsulation process includes steps S100-S800.

[0065] S100. Obtain a preset graphic 1, wherein the preset graphic 1 includes a pre-printed graphic 11 and a blank area around the pre-printed graphic 11.

[0066] S200, Divide the pre-printed graphic 11 into an edge graphic 111 and a central graphic 112.

[0067] S300. Generate an edge in-situ replacement graphic 2 with the same resolution as the preset graphic 1, and the proportion of the pre-printed pixel grid a in the edge in-situ replacement graphic 2 to the total pixel grid is the edge sampling ratio, and all the pre-printed pixel grids a in the edge in-situ replacement graphic 2 are evenly distributed.

[0068] S400. Generate edge replacement graphic 3 based on edge in-situ replacement graphic 2. All pixels of edge replacement graphic 3 correspond one-to-one with all pixels of edge graphic 111.

[0069] S500: Replace the edge graphic 111 of the preset graphic 1 with the edge replacement graphic 3 to generate the printable graphic 6.

[0070] S600, Test print to determine if the printed graphic 6 is qualified.

[0071] S700, adjust the nozzle parameters.

[0072] S800: Based on the printed graphic 6, perform patterned printing to form an encapsulation layer.

[0073] In step S100, a preset graphic 1 is obtained, wherein the preset graphic 1 includes a pre-printed graphic 11 and a blank area around the pre-printed graphic 11. Specifically:

[0074] Based on the shape and size of the required encapsulation layer on the substrate, a preset pattern 1 is designed. The preset pattern 1 is a rectangular shape and can completely cover the encapsulation layer to be printed in order to meet the encapsulation requirements.

[0075] Based on the shape of the required printed encapsulation layer, the preset graphic 1 is divided into a pre-printed graphic 11 and a blank area 12. The pre-printed graphic 11 has the same shape as the encapsulation layer. Printing is required in the pre-printed graphic 11, while the blank area 12 is not printed.

[0076] Reference Figure 3 Step S200 involves dividing the pre-printed graphic 11 into an edge graphic 111 and a central graphic 112. Specifically, this includes steps S210-S250.

[0077] S210, Obtain the edge width of the pre-printed graphic 11.

[0078] S220. Obtain the X-axis length and Y-axis length of the pixel grid of the pre-printed graphic 11.

[0079] S230. Based on the edge width of the pre-printed graphic 11 and the X-direction length and Y-direction length of the pixel grid of the pre-printed graphic 11, the number of X-direction border pixel grids and the number of Y-direction border pixel grids of the pre-printed graphic 11 are obtained.

[0080] S240. Based on the edge algorithm, select the edge pixels that belong to the edge part from all the pixel grids of the pre-printed graphic 11.

[0081] S250, the graphic formed by combining all the edge pixels is the edge graphic 111, and the graphic formed by combining the remaining pixels is the central graphic 112.

[0082] In step S210, the edge width of the pre-printed graphic 11 is obtained. Specifically:

[0083] Based on the pre-printed pattern 11, each pixel in the pre-printed pattern 11 is a pre-printed pixel a. A trial print is performed on the substrate according to the pre-printed pattern 11, with each pixel in the pre-printed pattern 11 filled with functional liquid. After the functional liquid on the substrate diffuses and solidifies into an encapsulation layer, a high-magnification camera is used to image the encapsulation layer obtained from the trial print, and the edge width of the trial-printed encapsulation layer is measured. This yields the edge width of the pre-printed pattern 11.

[0084] This setup allows for a more accurate determination of the edge width of the pre-printed graphic 11 by performing a test print.

[0085] In step S220, the X-axis length and Y-axis length of the pixel grid of the pre-printed graphic 11 are obtained. Specifically:

[0086] Based on the processing requirements of the encapsulation layer, the shape and size of the pixel grid of the pre-printed pattern 11 are designed accordingly. For example, the pixel grid of the pre-printed pattern 11 can be rectangular or square. Based on the determined pixel grid size, the length of the pixel grid of the pre-printed pattern 11 in the X and Y directions can be determined.

[0087] In step S230, the number of X-direction border pixels and the number of Y-direction border pixels of the pre-printed graphic 11 are obtained based on the edge width of the pre-printed graphic 11 and the X-direction and Y-direction lengths of its pixel grid. Specifically:

[0088] The pre-printed graphic 11 has consistent edge widths in both the X and Y directions, as measured in step S210. The number of pixel cells along the X-direction edge of the pre-printed graphic 11 can be determined by dividing the edge width by the X-direction length of the pixel grid. Similarly, the number of pixel cells along the Y-direction edge of the pre-printed graphic 11 can be determined by dividing the edge width by the Y-direction length of the pixel grid.

[0089] Step S240 involves selecting edge pixels belonging to the edge portion of all pixels in the pre-printed graphic 11 based on an edge algorithm. Specifically, this includes steps S241-S243.

[0090] S241. Based on the number of pixels in the X and Y directions of the preset graphic 1, establish the coordinate system of the preset graphic 1.

[0091] S242. Obtain the coordinate information of all pixel grids of the pre-printed graphic 11.

[0092] S243. Determine whether the pixel grid of the pre-printed graphic 11 belongs to the edge pixel grid, so as to select all the edge pixel grids of the pre-printed graphic 11.

[0093] Specifically, step S241 involves establishing a coordinate system for the preset graphic 1 based on the number of pixels in the X and Y directions.

[0094] The pixel grid of the preset graphic 1 is arranged in the X and Y directions, which can establish the coordinate system of the preset graphic 1. Each pixel grid of the preset graphic 1 corresponds to a coordinate.

[0095] With this setup, the position of each pixel can be determined by establishing a preset coordinate system for graphic 1.

[0096] In step S242, the coordinate information of all pixel grids of the pre-printed graphic 11 is obtained. Specifically:

[0097] By using the preset coordinate system of graphic 1, the coordinate information of all pixels in the pre-printed graphic 11 can be obtained, as well as the coordinate information of all pixels in the blank area 12.

[0098] In step S243, it is determined whether the pixel grid of the pre-printed graphic 11 belongs to the edge pixel grid, so as to select all the edge pixel grids of the pre-printed graphic 11. Specifically:

[0099] The pixel grids of the pre-printed graphic 11 are sequentially judged to determine whether they belong to the edge pixel grids using an edge algorithm. Specifically, the coordinates of the pixel grids in the pre-printed graphic 11 are (X, Y), the number of X-direction border pixel grids in the pre-printed graphic 11 is A, and the number of Y-direction border pixel grids is B. Using X±A or Y±B, four new coordinates are obtained, namely (X+A, Y), (XA, Y), (X, Y+B), and (X, YB). If at least one of the four new coordinates is in the blank area 12, it indicates that the pixel grid of the pre-printed graphic 11 is located in the edge part of the pre-printed graphic 11, and the pixel grid is an edge pixel grid; otherwise, the pixel grid of the pre-printed graphic 11 is located in the central part of the pre-printed graphic 11, and the pixel grid is a central pixel grid.

[0100] With this setup, edge pixels and central pixels can be accurately selected by classifying all pixels of the pre-printed graphic 11 using an edge algorithm.

[0101] In step S250, the graphic formed by combining all the edge pixels is the edge graphic 111, and the graphic formed by combining the remaining pixels is the central graphic 112. Specifically:

[0102] All edge pixels combine to form edge graphic 111, and the remaining pixels belong to the central pixel grid. All central pixel grids combine to form central graphic 112.

[0103] With this setting, by classifying the pixel grids of the pre-printed graphic 11 according to the edge width and the position of the pixel grids of the pre-printed graphic 11, the pre-printed graphic 11 can be accurately divided into edge graphics 111 and central graphics 112.

[0104] Reference Figure 4 In step S300, an edge in-situ replacement pattern 2 with the same resolution as the preset pattern 1 is generated, and the proportion of pre-printed pixel grid a in the edge in-situ replacement pattern 2 to all pixel grids is the edge sampling ratio, and all pre-printed pixel grids a in the edge in-situ replacement pattern 2 are evenly distributed. Specifically:

[0105] The resolution of the edge-replaced graphic 2 is the same as that of the preset graphic 1, that is, the pixel grid size in the edge-replaced graphic 2 is the same as that in the preset graphic 1, and the pixel grid arrangement and the number of pixels are the same.

[0106] In the edge in-situ replacement pattern 2, the pixel grid is divided into pre-printed pixel grid a and blank pixel grid b. During printing, the functional liquid falls onto the pre-printed pixel grid a, while the blank pixel grid b is not printed with functional liquid. The proportion of pre-printed pixel grid a to the total pixel grid of the edge in-situ replacement pattern 2 is the edge sampling ratio. Furthermore, pre-printed pixel grid a is evenly distributed throughout the edge in-situ replacement pattern 2.

[0107] Preferably, the adjacent pre-printed pixel grids a of the edge in-situ replacement pattern 2 are spaced at the same distance in the X direction, and the adjacent pre-printed pixel grids a of the edge in-situ replacement pattern 2 are spaced at the same distance in the Y direction. Thus, when patterning is performed according to the edge in-situ replacement pattern 2, after the functional liquid falls onto the pre-printed pixel grids a, the functional liquid within each pre-printed pixel grid a can diffuse outwards to all four sides of the pre-printed pixel grid a, and the diffusion distance of the functional liquid within each pre-printed pixel grid a is consistent. This supports more uniform diffusion and spreading of the functional liquid, resulting in a more uniform surface of the formed encapsulation layer and higher encapsulation quality.

[0108] The edge sampling rate ranges from 10% to 90%, and preferably, the edge sampling rate includes one of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90%. Figure 4 The edge sampling ratio for replacing the edge in situ in graphic 2 is 33%.

[0109] Reference Figure 5 In step S400, an edge replacement graphic 3 is generated based on the edge in-situ replacement graphic 2, and all pixel grids of the edge replacement graphic 3 correspond one-to-one with all pixel grids of the edge graphic 111. Specifically:

[0110] Based on the number of pixels in the X and Y directions of the edge-replaced graphic 2, a coordinate system for edge-replaced graphic 2 is established. The coordinate information of all pixels in edge-replaced graphic 2 corresponds one-to-one with the coordinate information of all pixels in the preset graphic 1.

[0111] Since all pixels in edge-replacement pattern 2 are arranged in the X and Y directions, a coordinate system for edge-replacement pattern 2 can be established, with each pixel in edge-replacement pattern 2 having a definite coordinate. Because edge-replacement pattern 2 has the same resolution as preset pattern 1, the coordinate information of the pixels in edge-replacement pattern 2 and preset pattern 1 correspond one-to-one.

[0112] An AND operation is performed on all pixel cells of the edge graphic 111 and the corresponding pixel cells of the edge in-situ replacement graphic 2, and the result of the edge in-situ replacement graphic 2 is taken as the standard to obtain the edge replacement graphic 3.

[0113] Wherein, all pixel cells of the edge graphic 111 are edge pixel cells, the corresponding pixel cells in the edge in-situ replacement graphic 2 are determined according to all the edge pixel cells, an AND operation is performed on the edge pixel cells and the corresponding pixel cells of the edge in-situ replacement graphic 2, and the result of the edge in-situ replacement graphic 2 is taken as the standard, thus obtaining the edge replacement graphic 3.

[0114] After the AND operation is performed on the edge pixel cells and the corresponding pixel cells of the edge in-situ replacement graphic 2, the pixel cell information in the edge in-situ replacement graphic 2 is retained, that is, pre-printed pixel cells a and blank pixel cells b of the edge in-situ replacement graphic 2 are retained. Thus, the edge replacement graphic 3 in which the pre-printed pixel cells a are uniformly distributed according to the edge dot sampling ratio is obtained.

[0115] Reference Figure 6 , wherein step S500: replacing the edge graphic 111 of the preset graphic 1 with the edge replacement graphic 3 to generate a printed graphic 6. Specifically:

[0116] All pixel cells of the edge replacement graphic 3 are used to replace the corresponding pixel cells of the edge graphic 111 in-situ, so as to obtain the printed graphic 6.

[0117] The coordinate information of all pixel cells of the edge graphic 111 is in one-to-one correspondence with that of all pixel cells of the edge replacement graphic 3. All pixel cells of the edge graphic 111 are replaced in-situ by the corresponding pixel cells of the edge replacement graphic 3, and other parts of the preset graphic 1 remain unchanged, thus obtaining the printed graphic 6.

[0118] The printed graphic 6 is composed of the edge replacement graphic 3 and the central graphic 112, and the density of the pre-printed pixel cells a at the edge portion of the printed graphic 6 is reduced. When patterned printing is performed according to the printed graphic 6, the edge portion of the obtained encapsulation layer is thinned, so that the thickness of the edge portion and the central portion of the encapsulation layer are consistent.

[0119] Wherein, step S600: performing test printing to judge whether the printed graphic 6 is qualified. It specifically includes:

[0120] Patterned test printing is performed according to the printed graphic 6 to form the encapsulation layer.

[0121] The edge thickness and the central thickness of the encapsulation layer are measured. The measurement can be performed by using a profilometer or an ellipsometer.

[0122] Determine whether the difference between the edge thickness and the center thickness of the encapsulation layer is within a preset flatness value range. The preset flatness value range is within 10%, meaning the difference between the edge thickness and the center thickness of the encapsulation layer is less than 10% of the edge thickness.

[0123] If the difference between the edge thickness and the center thickness of the encapsulation layer is within the preset flatness value range, then the printed pattern 6 is qualified, and patterned printing is performed according to the printed pattern 6; otherwise, the printed pattern 6 is unqualified, the edge sampling ratio in the edge replacement pattern 2 is adjusted, and the edge replacement pattern 3 is regenerated.

[0124] This setup allows us to determine whether the printed graphic 6 meets the molding requirements of the encapsulation layer through test printing. This facilitates further adjustments to the edge replacement graphic 2 to improve the printing quality of the encapsulation layer.

[0125] Step S700 involves adjusting the nozzle parameters. Specifically:

[0126] Based on the distribution of pre-printed pixel grid a in the X direction of the printed pattern 6, the scanning speed and firing frequency of the printhead are adjusted accordingly. By adjusting the scanning speed and firing frequency of the printhead, it is ensured that the functional liquid falls into the pre-printed pixel grid a as the printhead scans and the nozzles work at intervals.

[0127] In step S800, pattern printing is performed according to the printed pattern 6 to form an encapsulation layer. Specifically:

[0128] Based on the generated printing pattern 6, the printhead is used to print a pattern on the substrate, thereby forming an encapsulation layer on the substrate.

[0129] In some embodiments, the central pattern 112 of the pre-printed pattern 11 also needs to be thinned to reduce the overall thickness of the encapsulation layer. Specifically, steps S900-S1000 are included before generating the printed pattern 6.

[0130] S900, Obtain the central replacement graphic 5.

[0131] S1000: Replace the central graphic 112 of the preset graphic 1 with the central replacement graphic 5 to generate the printable graphic 6.

[0132] Step S900 involves obtaining the central replacement graphic 5. Specifically:

[0133] Reference Figure 7 A central in-situ replacement graphic 4 with the same resolution as the preset graphic 1 is generated, and the proportion of the pre-printed pixel grid a in the central in-situ replacement graphic 4 to the total pixel grid is the central sampling ratio. All the pre-printed pixel grids a in the central in-situ replacement graphic 4 are evenly distributed.

[0134] Specifically, the resolution of the central in-situ replacement graphic 4 is the same as that of the preset graphic 1, that is, the pixel grid size in the central in-situ replacement graphic 4 is the same as that in the preset graphic 1, and the pixel grid arrangement and the number of pixel grids are the same.

[0135] The pixel grid in the central in-situ replacement pattern 4 is divided into pre-printed pixel grid a and blank pixel grid b. During printing, the functional liquid falls onto the pre-printed pixel grid a, while the blank pixel grid b is not printed with functional liquid. The proportion of pre-printed pixel grid a to the total pixel grid of the central in-situ replacement pattern 4 is the central sampling ratio. Furthermore, pre-printed pixel grid a is evenly distributed throughout the central in-situ replacement pattern 4.

[0136] Preferably, the spacing between adjacent pre-printed pixel grids a in the X and Y directions of the central in-situ replacement pattern 4 is consistent. Thus, during patterning printing based on the central in-situ replacement pattern 4, after the functional liquid falls onto the pre-printed pixel grid a, the functional liquid within each pre-printed pixel grid a can diffuse outwards along the four sides of the pre-printed pixel grid a, and the diffusion distance of the functional liquid within each pre-printed pixel grid a is consistent. This supports more uniform diffusion and spreading of the functional liquid, resulting in a more uniform surface of the formed encapsulation layer and higher encapsulation quality.

[0137] The central sampling rate ranges from 10% to 90%, and preferably includes one of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90%. Figure 7 The central sampling ratio of graphic 4 is 50% for the central in-situ replacement.

[0138] Reference Figure 8 A central replacement graphic 5 is generated based on the central in-situ replacement graphic 4, and all the pixels of the central replacement graphic 5 correspond one-to-one with all the pixels of the central graphic 112.

[0139] Specifically, a coordinate system for the central in-situ replacement graphic 4 is established based on the number of pixels in the X and Y directions. The coordinate information of all pixels in the central in-situ replacement graphic 4 corresponds one-to-one with the coordinate information of all pixels in the preset graphic 1.

[0140] Since all pixels in the central in-situ replacement pattern 4 are arranged in the X and Y directions, a coordinate system for the central in-situ replacement pattern 4 can be established, and each pixel in the central in-situ replacement pattern 4 has a definite coordinate. Because the central in-situ replacement pattern 4 has the same resolution as the preset pattern 1, the coordinate information of the pixels in the central in-situ replacement pattern 4 and the preset pattern 1 correspond one-to-one.

[0141] Perform a bitwise AND operation on all pixels in the central graphic 112 and the corresponding pixels in the central in-situ replacement graphic 4, and use the result of the central in-situ replacement graphic 4 as the standard to obtain the central replacement graphic 5.

[0142] In this process, all the pixels of the central graphic 112 are central pixel cells. Based on all the central pixel cells, the corresponding pixel cells in the central in-situ replacement graphic 4 are determined. A bitwise AND operation is performed between the central pixel cells and the corresponding pixel cells of the central in-situ replacement graphic 4. The result of the central in-situ replacement graphic 4 is used as the standard to obtain the central replacement graphic 5.

[0143] After performing a bitwise AND operation between the central pixel grid and the corresponding pixel grid of the central in-situ replacement pattern 4, the pixel grid information of the central in-situ replacement pattern 4 is retained, that is, the pre-printed pixel grid a and the blank pixel grid b of the central in-situ replacement pattern 4 are retained. In this way, the central replacement pattern 5 is obtained, in which the pre-printed pixel grid a is evenly distributed according to the central sampling ratio.

[0144] Reference Figure 9 In step S1000, the central graphic 112 of the preset graphic 1 is replaced by the central replacement graphic 5 to generate the printable graphic 6. Specifically:

[0145] Replace all the pixels of the central replacement graphic 5 in place with the corresponding pixels of the central graphic 112 to obtain the printed graphic 6.

[0146] The coordinates of all pixels in the central graphic 112 correspond one-to-one with those of all pixels in the central replacement graphic 5. By replacing all pixels in the central graphic 112 with the corresponding pixels in the central replacement graphic 5, while leaving the other parts of the preset graphic 1 unchanged, the printed graphic 6 can be obtained.

[0147] With this configuration, the printed pattern 6 consists of the edge replacement pattern 3 and the central replacement pattern 5. The density of the pre-printed pixel grid a in the central portion of the printed pattern 6 is reduced. When patterning is performed based on the printed pattern 6, the overall thickness of the resulting encapsulation layer is reduced, making it easier to adapt to different encapsulation process requirements. Furthermore, the density of the pre-printed pixel grid a in the edge portion of the printed pattern 6 is also reduced. When patterning is performed based on the printed pattern 6, the edge portion of the resulting encapsulation layer is thinned to ensure that the thickness of the edge portion of the encapsulation layer is consistent with that of the central portion.

[0148] It is important to note that when simultaneously thinning both the edge and center thickness of the encapsulation layer, the edge sampling ratio must be smaller than the center sampling ratio. Preferably, if the edge sampling ratio is p, and further thinning of the central pattern is required subsequently, with a center sampling ratio of q, then the edge sampling ratio can be pq.

[0149] This application provides a TFE thin-film encapsulation process. A pre-printed pattern 11 is divided into an edge pattern 111 and a central pattern 112. An edge in-situ replacement pattern 2 is generated correspondingly based on the pre-printed pattern 11, and the pre-printed pixel grid a in the edge in-situ replacement pattern 2 is reduced according to an edge sampling ratio. An edge replacement pattern 3 is generated using the edge in-situ replacement pattern 2, and finally, the edge replacement pattern 3 replaces the edge pattern 111 in the pre-printed pattern 11 to generate a printed pattern 6. The density of the pre-printed pixel grid a in the edge portion of the printed pattern 6 is reduced. During patterned printing based on the printed pattern 6, the edge portion of the resulting encapsulation layer is thinned to ensure that the thickness of the edge portion of the encapsulation layer is consistent with that of the central portion. Therefore, the printed encapsulation layer has a more uniform thickness and a smoother surface, improving encapsulation quality and ensuring the quality of subsequent substrate processing.

[0150] Another embodiment of this application provides a TFE thin film encapsulation system manufactured based on the TFE thin film encapsulation process described above.

[0151] Another embodiment of this application provides a TFE thin film encapsulation system. Since the TFE thin film encapsulation system is manufactured based on the above-described TFE thin film encapsulation process, the beneficial effects of the TFE thin film encapsulation system are the same as the beneficial effects of the above-described TFE thin film encapsulation process, and will not be repeated here.

[0152] Another embodiment of this application provides a display device manufactured by the TFE thin film encapsulation process described above, and / or manufactured by the TFE thin film encapsulation system described above.

[0153] Another embodiment of this application provides a display device. Since the display device is manufactured by the above-mentioned TFE thin film encapsulation process and / or the above-mentioned TFE thin film encapsulation system, the encapsulation layer thickness of the display device is more uniform, the surface is flatter, and the encapsulation quality is higher.

[0154] In the description of this application, it should be understood that in the accompanying drawings, the positive direction of "X" represents the right, and correspondingly, the negative direction of "X" represents the left; the positive direction of "Y" represents the front, and correspondingly, the negative direction of "Y" represents the rear; the terms "X", "Y", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0155] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a 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 between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0156] It should be noted that in this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0157] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A TFE thin film encapsulation process, characterized in that, It includes the following steps: Obtain a preset graphic, which includes a pre-printed graphic and a blank area around the pre-printed graphic; Divide the pre-printed graphic into an edge graphic and a central graphic; An edge in-situ replacement graphic with the same resolution as the preset graphic is generated, and the proportion of the pre-printed pixel grid in the edge in-situ replacement graphic to the total pixel grid is the edge sampling ratio. All the pre-printed pixel grids in the edge in-situ replacement graphic are evenly distributed. An edge replacement graphic is generated based on the in-situ edge replacement graphic, wherein all the pixels of the edge replacement graphic correspond one-to-one with all the pixels of the edge graphic. The edge graphics of a preset graphic are replaced with edge replacement graphics to generate a printable graphic, which is composed of edge replacement graphics and a central graphic. Based on the printed graphic, pattern printing is performed to form the encapsulation layer.

2. The TFE thin-film encapsulation process according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the edge-in-situ replacement graphic, the spacing between adjacent pre-printed pixels in the X direction is consistent, and the spacing between adjacent pre-printed pixels in the Y direction is consistent.

3. The TFE thin-film encapsulation process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of dividing the pre-printed graphic into edge graphics and central graphics includes: Get the edge width of the pre-printed graphic; Get the X and Y lengths of the pixel grid of the pre-printed graphic; Based on the edge width of the pre-printed graphic and the X-axis and Y-axis lengths of the pixel grid of the pre-printed graphic, the number of X-axis border pixels and the number of Y-axis border pixels of the pre-printed graphic can be obtained. Based on the edge algorithm, edge pixels belonging to the edge part are selected from all pixels in the pre-printed graphic; The shape formed by combining all the edge pixels is the edge shape, and the shape formed by combining the remaining pixels is the center shape.

4. The TFE thin-film encapsulation process according to claim 3, characterized in that, The process of obtaining the edge width of the pre-printed graphic includes: Based on the pre-printed graphic, a trial print is performed to obtain a trial printed encapsulation layer; Measure the edge width of the trial-printed encapsulation layer to obtain the edge width of the pre-printed pattern.

5. The TFE thin-film encapsulation process according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of filtering out edge pixels belonging to the edge portion of all pixels in the pre-printed graphic according to the edge algorithm includes: A preset graphic coordinate system is established based on the number of pixels in the X and Y directions of the preset graphic. Obtain the coordinate information of all pixels in the pre-printed graphic; Determine whether a pixel in the pre-printed graphic is an edge pixel in order to select all edge pixels in the pre-printed graphic.

6. The TFE thin-film encapsulation process according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of generating an edge replacement graphic based on the in-situ edge replacement graphic includes: Based on the number of pixels in the X and Y directions of the edge in-situ replacement graphic, an edge in-situ replacement graphic coordinate system is established, and the coordinate information of all pixels in the edge in-situ replacement graphic corresponds one-to-one with the coordinate information of all pixels in the preset graphic. Perform a bitwise AND operation on all pixels of the edge graphic and the corresponding pixels of the edge in-situ replacement graphic, and use the result of the edge in-situ replacement graphic as the standard to obtain the edge replacement graphic.

7. The TFE thin-film encapsulation process according to claim 6, characterized in that, The step of replacing the edge of a preset graphic with an edge replacement graphic to generate a printable graphic includes: Perform a bitwise AND operation between all pixels in the edge graphic and the corresponding pixels in the edge replacement graphic, and use the result of the edge replacement graphic as the standard to obtain the printed graphic.

8. The TFE thin-film encapsulation process according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the patterned printing based on the printed pattern to form the encapsulation layer, a test print is also included to determine whether the printed pattern is qualified: Patterned test printing is performed based on the printed pattern to form the encapsulation layer; Measure the edge thickness and center thickness of the encapsulation layer; Determine whether the difference between the edge thickness and the center thickness of the encapsulation layer is within the preset flatness value range; If the difference between the edge thickness and the center thickness of the encapsulation layer is within the preset flatness value range, the printed pattern is qualified, and then patterned printing is performed according to the printed pattern. Otherwise, if the printed graphic is not up to standard, adjust the edge sampling ratio in the edge replacement graphic and regenerate the edge replacement graphic.

9. The TFE thin-film encapsulation process according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before generating the printable graphic, the following is also included: Obtain the central replacement graphic; Replace the central graphic of the preset graphic with a central replacement graphic to generate a printable graphic.

10. The TFE thin film encapsulation process according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before performing patterned printing based on the printed graphic, the process also includes adjusting the printhead parameters: Adjust the nozzle distribution of the printhead according to the distribution of the pre-printed pixel grid in the Y direction of the printed graphic. Based on the distribution of the pre-printed pixel grid in the X direction of the printed graphic, adjust the scanning speed and firing frequency of the printhead accordingly.

11. A TFE thin film encapsulation system, characterized in that, Manufactured based on the TFE thin film encapsulation process as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A display device, characterized in that, Processed by the TFE film encapsulation process as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, and / or processed by the TFE film encapsulation system as described in claim 11.

Images