Display panel, preparation method of display panel and display device

Abstract

The invention discloses a display panel, a preparation method of the display panel and a display device. The display panel comprises: a substrate; the display function layer is arranged on one side of the substrate and comprises at least one conducting layer; the insulating layer is arranged on the side, away from the substrate, of the display function layer, the insulating layer is provided with at least one lap joint hole area, the lap joint hole area is provided with at least one contact hole, and the orthographic projection of the contact hole on the conductive layer is at least partially overlapped with the conductive layer; and the touch metal layer is arranged on the insulating layer and is electrically connected with the conductive layer through the contact hole. According to the display panel, the preparation method of the display panel and the display device, hardware mask plates are saved, and the product cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of display technology, and in particular to a display panel, a method for manufacturing a display panel, and a display device. Background Art

[0002] With the development of economic life, people have higher and higher requirements for displays. High-definition, rich colors, and fast-response organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays have gradually become mainstream and attracted more and more attention. Among the display devices that combine OLED displays with touch screens, displays that place the touch panel (TP) on the OLED encapsulation layer (On-cell touch) have a thinner thickness and are therefore attracting more and more attention.

[0003] The existing On-cell touch display panels have complex processes and high manufacturing costs. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides a display panel, a method for preparing the display panel and a display device, which saves hardware masks and reduces product costs.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a display panel, comprising: a substrate;

[0006] A display function layer, which is disposed on one side of the substrate and includes at least one conductive layer;

[0007] An insulating layer is provided on a side of the display function layer away from the substrate, the insulating layer is provided with at least one overlapping hole area, the overlapping hole area has at least one contact hole, and the orthographic projection of the contact hole on the conductive layer at least partially overlaps with the conductive layer;

[0008] The touch metal layer is disposed on the insulating layer and is electrically connected to the conductive layer through the contact hole.

[0009] Optionally, the display panel further comprises an encapsulation layer, wherein the encapsulation layer is located between the insulating layer and the conductive layer, wherein an orthographic projection of the contact hole on the conductive layer does not overlap with an orthographic projection of the encapsulation layer on the conductive layer;

[0010] Optionally, the diameter of the contact hole ranges from 5 μm to 25 μm.

[0011] Optionally, the insulating layer is an organic insulating layer, and the insulating layer is patterned to form the overlapping hole area;

[0012] Optionally, the insulating layer is photoresist.

[0013] Optionally, the display panel further includes at least one cutting area; the orthographic projection of the cutting area on the conductive layer does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the insulating layer on the conductive layer, and the orthographic projection of the cutting area on the conductive layer overlaps with the conductive layer;

[0014] Optionally, the conductive layer consists of at least two layers.

[0015] Optionally, the display panel further includes a pad metal layer, and the insulating layer further includes at least one pad connection area;

[0016] The pad connection area has at least one pad connection hole, the orthographic projection of the pad connection hole on the conductive layer at least partially overlaps with the conductive layer; the pad metal layer is connected to the conductive layer through the pad connection hole;

[0017] Optionally, the pad metal layer and the touch metal layer are arranged in the same layer.

[0018] Optionally, the at least one overlapping hole region has one contact hole, or the at least one overlapping hole region has a plurality of contact holes, and there is no insulating layer between the plurality of contact holes;

[0019] Optionally, in the display area, the display function layer includes a stacked pixel driving circuit layer and a light emitting function layer, the pixel driving circuit layer includes a pixel driving circuit array, and each pixel driving circuit in the pixel driving circuit array is electrically connected to each light emitting element in the light emitting function layer;

[0020] Optionally, the at least one conductive layer is provided on the same layer as any metal layer in the pixel driving circuit layer or the light-emitting functional layer.

[0021] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, comprising:

[0022] A display function layer is arranged on one side of the substrate, wherein the display function layer includes at least one conductive layer;

[0023] forming an insulating layer on the display function layer;

[0024] Patterning the insulating layer so that the insulating layer includes at least one overlapping hole region, the overlapping hole region has at least one contact hole, and the orthographic projection of the contact hole on the conductive layer at least partially overlaps with the conductive layer;

[0025] A touch metal layer is provided, and the touch metal layer is connected to the conductive layer through the contact hole.

[0026] Optionally, the display panel further includes an encapsulation layer, and the encapsulation layer is located between the insulating layer and the conductive layer; and after patterning the insulating layer, the method includes:

[0027] The encapsulation layer in the overlapping hole region is etched, and the orthographic projection of the contact hole in the overlapping hole region on the conductive layer does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the encapsulation layer on the conductive layer.

[0028] Optionally, when the insulating layer is patterned, the insulating layer further comprises at least one pad connection area; the pad connection area has at least one pad connection hole, and the orthographic projection of the pad connection hole on the conductive layer at least partially overlaps with the conductive layer;

[0029] Optionally, patterning the insulating layer also includes performing process compensation on the insulating layer by exposing it to light.

[0030] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a display device, comprising the display panel of any embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] The technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention reuses the insulating layer between the display function layer and the touch metal as a mask. In the preparation process, the overlap hole area can be added by patterning the insulating layer. The overlap hole area is a hollow area on the insulating layer. After the etching process, since the overlap hole area does not cover the insulating layer, at least one contact hole is formed in the overlap hole area. The positive projection of the contact hole on the conductive layer overlaps with the conductive layer at least partially, so the contact hole can expose the conductive layer. The patterned graphics of the insulating layer are used to protect the covered area, and the packaging material in the shadow area of ​​the packaging layer not covered by the insulating layer is etched and removed, which saves hardware masks and reduces product costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel in the related art;

[0033] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at the AA' position;

[0034] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a top view structure of a touch metal layer of a display panel is provided for an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6A schematic diagram of a partial structure of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure of a display panel along a cutting line;

[0039] Figure 8 A schematic flow chart of a method for manufacturing a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Fig. 9 A schematic flow chart of another method for manufacturing a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Fig.10 A structural schematic diagram of a display device is provided for an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0043] With the continuous development of display technology, customers' requirements for thinness and lightness are gradually increasing. TP On TFE products are favored by customers because of their thinness and lightness. TP Metal Mesh products are gradually becoming mainstream because of their better touch performance.

[0044] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel in the related art, Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at the AA' position, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 , because the TP on-cell product, the TP signal needs to be overlapped with the array, so it is necessary to set the corresponding connection hole 110, so that the TP signal line 120 is connected to the conductive layer 130 in the array through the connection hole 110 to achieve signal transmission. However, since there is a shadow area in the packaging layer 240, namely CVD Shadow, there is CVD packaging material at the location of the connection hole, so it is necessary to design an additional mask template to remove the packaging material at the connection hole to achieve the electrical connection between the TP signal line 120 and the conductive layer 130 in the array, thereby increasing the preparation cost of the product.

[0045] In view of this, Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 3, comprising: a substrate 200, a display function layer 210, which is arranged on one side of the substrate 200, and the display function layer 210 includes at least one conductive layer 130;

[0046] The insulating layer 220 is disposed on a side of the display function layer 210 away from the substrate 200. The insulating layer 220 is provided with at least one overlapping hole area 221. The overlapping hole area 221 has at least one contact hole 222. The orthographic projection of the contact hole 222 on the conductive layer 130 at least partially overlaps with the conductive layer 130. The touch metal layer 230 is disposed on the insulating layer 220 and is electrically connected to the conductive layer 130 through the contact hole 222.

[0047] Specifically, a display function layer 210 is provided on one side of the substrate 200, and the display function layer 210 is a functional structural layer of the display panel. Exemplarily, in the display area, the display function layer 210 includes a stacked pixel driving circuit layer and a light-emitting function layer, because the light-emitting function layer in the display panel is very sensitive to external environmental factors such as water vapor and oxygen. In order to improve the service life and stability of the display panel, an encapsulation layer 240 can also be covered on the light-emitting function layer for sealing. The encapsulation layer 240 can extend to the non-display area 100, and the encapsulation layer 240 can be a single-layer or multi-layer structure, and the material used can be an organic film layer or an inorganic film layer, or a stacked structure of an organic film layer and an inorganic film layer.

[0048] Optionally, in the display area, the pixel driving circuit layer includes a pixel driving circuit array, the pixel driving circuit layer includes a pixel driving circuit array, the pixel driving circuit array includes a pixel driving circuit, and the pixel driving circuit is provided with a driving circuit, a thin film transistor (TFT) and a capacitor device, etc., to realize driving the light-emitting element in the corresponding light-emitting function layer. The light-emitting function layer includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a light-emitting layer, and the first electrode and the second electrode are respectively arranged on both sides of the light-emitting layer, wherein the first electrode on the side of the light-emitting layer close to the pixel driving circuit layer is an anode, and the second electrode on the side of the light-emitting layer away from the pixel driving circuit layer is a cathode, and the first electrode, the second electrode and the light-emitting layer form a light-emitting element. The light-emitting layer is connected to the driving circuit in the pixel driving circuit layer through the anode to form a signal transmission path, and the light-emitting element emits light after the holes and electrons in the light-emitting layer are combined. The light-emitting layer in the light-emitting element can generally be formed by evaporation. In addition to the light-emitting layer, the light-emitting element can also include an electron transport layer and a hole transport layer for balancing electrons and holes, and an electron injection layer and a hole injection layer for enhancing the injection of electrons and holes. When the light-emitting element is driven by an electric field, electrons are injected from the second electrode into the electron transport layer, and holes are injected from the first electrode into the hole transport layer. Electrons migrate to the light-emitting layer through the electron transport layer, and holes migrate to the light-emitting layer through the hole transport layer. As a result, electrons and holes meet in the light-emitting layer to form excitons and excite the light-emitting molecules, which emit visible light through radiative relaxation.

[0049] In the non-display area 100, the display function layer 210 also includes at least one conductive layer 130. The conductive layer 130 is arranged on one side of the substrate 200. The conductive layer 130 includes a metal trace 131 with a signal transmission function. Exemplarily, the metal trace 131 in the conductive layer 130 can be used as a signal transmission line between the touch metal layer 230 and the driving chip. The conductive layer 130 can be a metal trace layer separately provided in the display function layer 210, or it can be provided in the same layer corresponding to any metal layer in the pixel driving circuit layer or the light-emitting function layer. In order to improve the impact resistance of the display panel, in some embodiments, an inorganic layer 212 is further provided between the substrate 200 and the display function layer 210. The inorganic layer 212 serves as a buffer layer to absorb part of the deformation stress. It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present invention, Figure 3 The conductive layer 130 in the figure only illustrates the positional relationship and does not limit the positional relationship of specific film layers.

[0050] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a top view structure of a touch metal layer of a display panel is provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 The touch metal layer 230 includes functional wiring with signal transmission function, such as a touch wiring 231, and the touch wiring 231 is at least located on the non-display area 2 of the display panel. Optionally, the touch metal layer 230 also includes a touch electrode 232, which is at least located on the display area 1 of the display panel, and the touch electrode 232 is electrically connected to the touch wiring 231. Exemplarily, the touch wiring 231 and the touch electrode 232 can be arranged in the same layer. Since the adjacent touch electrodes 232 in each row or column need to be electrically connected through a bridge, when forming the touch metal layer 230, it is necessary to first deposit a first metal layer through a physical vapor deposition process, and then form an insulating layer 220 on the surface of the first metal layer, and perform a series of processes such as exposure, development and curing on the insulating layer 220 to form a pattern, so that after etching the metal layer, a corresponding bridge structure is formed, and then a second metal layer is formed, and the second metal layer is patterned and etched to form structures such as touch electrodes and / or touch wiring. Similarly, the process of patterning and etching the second metal layer can also be formed by forming an insulating layer 220 on the surface of the second metal layer, performing a series of processes such as exposure, development and curing on the insulating layer 220 to form a pattern, and then etching the second metal layer. Exemplarily, the insulating layer 220 can be an organic insulating layer, such as a photoresist (Optical Chemical, OC), so the process of exposing, developing and curing the insulating layer 220 can use a yellow light process flow to achieve patterned design. Optionally, the touch electrodes include mutual capacitance touch electrodes or self capacitance touch electrodes. The mutual capacitance touch electrodes may include touch sensing electrodes and touch driving electrodes. The touch sensing electrodes and the touch driving electrodes may be arranged crosswise.

[0051] Based on the protective effect of the insulating layer 220 on the covering position, in order to save the additional mask hardware designed in the subsequent process, at least one overlapping hole area 221 can be added when the insulating layer 220 is patterned. That is to say, the overlapping hole area 221 in the pattern formed after a series of processes such as exposure, development and curing of the insulating layer 220 is a hollow area, and the hollow area can leak the lower layer structure not covered by the insulating layer 220. After etching under the protection of the patterned insulating layer 220, the inorganic encapsulation layer 240 in the overlapping hole area 221 not covered by the insulating layer 220 will be etched, so that the inorganic encapsulation material in the shadow area of ​​the encapsulation layer 240 can be removed. For example, continue to refer to Figure 3 In some embodiments, a planarization layer 250 may be provided between the conductive layer 130 and the encapsulation layer 240. The planarization layer 250 provides a planarized plane to improve the sealing of the encapsulation layer 240. In order to leak out the conductive layer 130 in the lower layer of the encapsulation layer 240, the positive projection of the overlap hole area 221 on the conductive layer 130 overlaps with the conductive layer 130 at least partially. Therefore, after etching layer by layer, a contact hole 222 may be formed in the overlap hole area 221. At this time, the contact hole 222 penetrates the encapsulation layer 240 and the planarization layer 250, and the contact hole 222 may leak out at least part of the conductive layer 130. According to the process preparation requirements, optionally, the diameter of the contact hole 222 ranges from 5μm to 25μm. Only one contact hole 222 may be provided in the overlap hole area 221, that is, one contact hole 222 is formed corresponding to one overlap hole area 221.

[0052] In some embodiments, a plurality of contact holes 222 may be disposed in at least one overlapping hole region 221 , that is, a plurality of contact holes 222 may be formed in one overlapping hole region 221 . Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 5 , this embodiment and Figure 3 The difference between the embodiments is that when the insulating layer is patterned, the insulating material between the plurality of contact holes 222 is removed, and there is no insulating material spacing between the plurality of contact holes 222, forming Figure 5 The entire through-hole area 221 shown is shown in FIG. Figure 5, a planarization layer 250 is provided between the conductive layer 130 and the encapsulation layer 240, and a connection hole 110 for overlapping the touch metal layer 230 and the conductive layer 130 can be reserved on the planarization layer 250. In some designs, the display panel can include multiple connection holes 110 arranged in a row. When an overlapping hole area 221 is provided on the insulating layer 220, one overlapping hole area 221 can cover multiple connection holes 110. The inorganic encapsulation layer 240 in the overlapping hole area 221 not covered by the insulating layer 220 will be etched, so that the inorganic encapsulation material on the connection hole 110 can be removed, and each connection hole forms a corresponding contact hole 222. At this time, there is no insulating material interval between the multiple contact holes 222, and the overlapping hole area 221 and the contact hole 222 are one-to-many, that is, multiple contact holes 222 can be formed in one overlapping hole area 221. In the etching process, the etching conditions of the inorganic layer can be used, which has little effect on the etching of the metal and organic layers. In the subsequent process, the preparation of the touch metal layer 230 is completed, so that the touch wiring of the touch metal layer 230 can be electrically connected to the conductive layer 130 through the contact hole 222 to achieve signal transmission.

[0053] Optionally, when patterning the insulating layer 220, the insulating layer 220 can be subjected to process compensation by exposure, for example, etching the insulating layer 220 by weak exposure to avoid enlarging the opening of the patterned hollow area. The weak exposure method is a compensation process, which adjusts the exposure intensity and duration to make the exposure energy lower than the exposure energy of conventional applications, so that during the etching process, the material in the exposed area can be removed more evenly, and the opening size can be better controlled during the etching stage to avoid the opening becoming larger due to excessive etching.

[0054] The technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention reuses the insulating layer between the display function layer and the touch metal as a mask. In the preparation process, the overlap hole area can be added by patterning the insulating layer. The overlap hole area is a hollow area on the insulating layer. After the etching process, since the overlap hole area does not cover the insulating layer, at least one contact hole is formed in the overlap hole area. The positive projection of the contact hole on the conductive layer overlaps with the conductive layer at least partially, so the contact hole can expose the conductive layer. The patterned graphics of the insulating layer are used to protect the covered area, and the packaging material in the shadow area of ​​the packaging layer not covered by the insulating layer is etched and removed, which saves hardware masks and reduces product costs.

[0055] In some embodiments, see Figure 3 The display panel further includes a packaging layer 240 , which is located between the insulating layer 220 and the conductive layer 130 , wherein the orthographic projection of the contact hole 222 on the conductive layer 130 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the packaging layer 240 on the conductive layer 130 .

[0056] Specifically, since the light-emitting functional layer in the display panel is very sensitive to external environmental factors such as water vapor and oxygen, in order to improve the service life and stability of the display panel, the light-emitting functional layer may be covered with an encapsulation layer 240 for sealing. Since the encapsulation layer 240 has a shadow area, an inorganic encapsulation material exists at the position of the connection hole 110 between the touch metal layer 230 and the conductive layer 130 in the non-display area 100, so at least one overlapping hole area 221 may be added when the insulating layer 220 is patterned. That is to say, the overlapping hole area 221 in the pattern formed after a series of processes such as exposure, development and curing of the insulating layer 220 is a hollow area, and the hollow area can leak out the underlying structure not covered by the insulating layer 220. After etching under the protection of the patterned insulating layer 220, the inorganic encapsulation layer 240 in the overlapping hole area 221 not covered by the insulating layer 220 will be etched, so that the overlapping position of the encapsulation layer 240 and the contact hole 222 can be removed, exposing the overlapping part of the contact hole 222 and the projection of the conductive layer 130.

[0057] In some embodiments, when the display panel has a bending area, the wiring of the bending area can be set through the conductive layer 130. The pin pads corresponding to the chip on film (COF) and the integrated circuit (IC) can be connected to the conductive layer 130 to achieve cross-area layout of the circuit. Figure 3 and Figure 5 As an illustration, optionally, the display panel further includes a pad metal layer 310, and the insulating layer 220 further includes at least one pad connection area 311; the pad connection area 311 has at least one pad connection hole 223, and the orthographic projection of the pad connection hole 223 on the conductive layer 130 at least partially overlaps with the conductive layer 130; the pad connection hole 223 is used to expose at least one conductive layer 130, and the pad metal layer 310 is connected to the conductive layer 130 through the pad connection hole 223;

[0058] Specifically, the pad metal layer 310 is a metal setting layer for the pin pads corresponding to the chip on film (COF) and the integrated circuit (IC). When the display panel has a bending area, the routing of the bending area can be set through the conductive layer 130. The pad metal layer 310 is electrically connected to the conductive layer 130 through the pad connection hole 223, so that the conductive layer 130 is used to cross the bending area. Exemplarily, when the pin pads corresponding to the COF are made through the touch metal layer 230, the pad metal layer 310 and the touch metal layer 230 can be set in the same layer.

[0059] Based on the role of the above-mentioned insulating layer 220, in order to save the additional mask hardware designed in the subsequent process, at least one pad connection area 311 can be added when the insulating layer 220 is patterned. The pad connection area 311 is the setting area of ​​the pin pads corresponding to the COF and IC. Therefore, the pad connection area 311 in the patterning formed after a series of processes such as exposing, developing and curing the insulating layer 220 is a hollow area. The hollow area can leak out the lower layer structure not covered by the insulating layer 220. After etching under the protection of the patterned insulating layer 220, the inorganic encapsulation layer 240 in the overlapping hole area 221 not covered by the insulating layer 220 will be etched, so that the inorganic encapsulation material in the shadow area of ​​the encapsulation layer 240 can be removed. For example, continue to refer to Figure 3 In some embodiments, a planarization layer 250 may be further provided between the conductive layer 130 and the encapsulation layer 240, and the planarization layer 250 provides a planarized plane to improve the sealing of the encapsulation layer 240. In order to leak out the conductive layer 130 in the lower layer of the encapsulation layer 240, the orthographic projection of the pad connection area 311 on the conductive layer 130 at least partially overlaps with the conductive layer 130. Therefore, after etching layer by layer, a pad connection hole 223 may be formed in the pad connection area 311, and the pad connection hole 223 may at least leak out a portion of the conductive layer 130. At this time, the pad connection area 311 and the pad connection hole 223 are in one-to-one correspondence, that is, one pad connection area 311 forms one pad connection hole 223.

[0060] In some embodiments, the overlap hole area 221 and the pad connection hole 223 are one-to-many, that is, a plurality of pad connection holes 223 can be formed in one overlap hole area 221. Figure 5 , a planarization layer 250 is provided between the conductive layer 130 and the encapsulation layer 240, and a connection hole for the pad metal layer 310 to overlap the conductive layer 130 can be reserved on the planarization layer 250. In some designs, the display panel can include multiple connection holes arranged in a row. When the pad metal layer 310 is provided on the insulating layer 220, one pad metal layer 310 can cover multiple connection holes. The inorganic encapsulation layer 240 of the pad metal layer 310 not covered by the insulating layer 220 will be etched, so that the inorganic encapsulation material on the connection hole can be removed, and each connection hole forms a corresponding pad connection hole 223. At this time, the overlapping hole area 221 and the pad connection hole 223 are one-to-many, that is, multiple pad connection holes 223 can be formed in one overlapping hole area 221. In the etching process, the etching conditions of the inorganic layer can be used, which has little effect on the etching of the metal and organic layers. In the subsequent process, the preparation of the pad metal layer 310 is completed, so that the pin pads in the pad metal layer 310 can be electrically connected to the conductive layer 130 through the pad connection holes 223 to achieve signal transmission.

[0061] In some embodiments, Figure 6A partial structural diagram of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 7 for Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure of a display panel along a cutting line, see Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the display panel also includes at least one cutting area; the orthographic projection of the cutting area on the conductive layer 130 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the insulating layer 220 on the conductive layer 130, and the orthographic projection of the cutting area on the conductive layer 130 overlaps with the conductive layer 130, and the conductive layer 130 is at least two layers.

[0062] Specifically, display panels often have cutting requirements in actual production, such as cutting holes on the screen, cutting array design, and cutting display panels. If laser cutting is used, organic materials cannot be covered on the cutting line. Therefore, when patterning the organic insulating layer 220, it is necessary to avoid the cutting area of ​​the display panel. Exemplarily, in the embodiment of the present invention, the cutting area is used as the setting area of ​​the cutting line 510, and the position corresponding to the cutting area in the pattern formed after a series of processes such as exposure, development and curing of the insulating layer 220 is a hollow area. The hollow area can leak the lower structure not covered by the insulating layer 220, and the etching is performed under the protection of the patterned insulating layer 220. The inorganic encapsulation layer 240 in the cutting area not covered by the insulating layer 220 will be etched. If the orthographic projection of the cutting area on the conductive layer 130 overlaps with the conductive layer 130, then after etching the encapsulation material, the inorganic interlayer dielectric of the metal wiring 131 of the conductive layer 130 will continue to be etched, and then the metal wiring 131 will be etched, which may easily cause the metal wiring 131 to break. In order to prevent the problem of broken wires, the orthographic projection of the cutting area on the conductive layer 130 overlaps with the conductive layer 130, and the conductive layer 130 is designed as at least two layers, so as to use at least two layers of metal wiring 131 to reduce the impact of the broken wire of the metal wiring 131.

[0063] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided. Figure 3 and Figure 5 , see Figure 8 ,include:

[0064] S110, providing a display function layer on one side of the substrate, wherein the display function layer includes at least one conductive layer;

[0065] Specifically, a display function layer 210 is provided on one side of the substrate 200, and the display function layer 210 is a functional structural layer of the display panel. Exemplarily, in the display area, the display function layer 210 includes a stacked pixel driving circuit layer and a light-emitting function layer, because the light-emitting function layer in the display panel is very sensitive to external environmental factors such as water vapor and oxygen. In order to improve the service life and stability of the display panel, an encapsulation layer 240 can also be covered on the light-emitting function layer for sealing. The encapsulation layer 240 can extend to the non-display area, and the encapsulation layer 240 can be a single-layer or multi-layer structure, and the material used can be an organic film layer or an inorganic film layer, or a stacked structure of an organic film layer and an inorganic film layer.

[0066] Optionally, in the display area, the pixel driving circuit layer includes a pixel driving circuit array, the pixel driving circuit layer includes a pixel driving circuit array, the pixel driving circuit array includes a pixel driving circuit, and the pixel driving circuit is provided with a driving circuit, a thin film transistor (TFT) and a capacitor device, etc., to realize driving the light-emitting element in the corresponding light-emitting function layer. The light-emitting function layer includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a light-emitting layer, and the first electrode and the second electrode are respectively arranged on both sides of the light-emitting layer, wherein the first electrode on the side of the light-emitting layer close to the pixel driving circuit layer is an anode, and the second electrode on the side of the light-emitting layer away from the pixel driving circuit layer is a cathode, and the first electrode, the second electrode and the light-emitting layer form a light-emitting element. The light-emitting layer is connected to the driving circuit in the pixel driving circuit layer through the anode to form a signal transmission path, and the light-emitting element emits light after the holes and electrons in the light-emitting layer are combined. The light-emitting layer in the light-emitting element can generally be formed by evaporation. In addition to the light-emitting layer, the light-emitting element can also include an electron transport layer and a hole transport layer for balancing electrons and holes, and an electron injection layer and a hole injection layer for enhancing the injection of electrons and holes. When the light-emitting element is driven by an electric field, electrons are injected from the second electrode into the electron transport layer, and holes are injected from the first electrode into the hole transport layer. Electrons migrate to the light-emitting layer through the electron transport layer, and holes migrate to the light-emitting layer through the hole transport layer. As a result, electrons and holes meet in the light-emitting layer to form excitons and excite the light-emitting molecules, which emit visible light through radiative relaxation.

[0067] In the non-display area 100, the display function layer 210 also includes at least one conductive layer 130, which is arranged on one side of the substrate 200. The conductive layer 130 includes a metal trace 131 with a signal transmission function. Exemplarily, the metal trace 131 in the conductive layer 130 can be used as a signal transmission line between the touch metal layer 230 and the driver chip. The conductive layer 130 can be a metal trace layer separately arranged in the display function layer 210, or it can be arranged in the same layer corresponding to any metal layer in the pixel driving circuit layer or the light-emitting function layer. In order to improve the impact resistance of the display panel, in some embodiments, an inorganic layer 212 is also arranged between the substrate 200 and the display function layer 210, and the inorganic layer 212 serves as a buffer layer to absorb part of the deformation stress.

[0068] S120, forming an insulating layer on the display function layer;

[0069] S130, patterning the insulating layer so that the insulating layer includes at least one overlapping hole region, the overlapping hole region has at least one contact hole, and the orthographic projection of the contact hole on the conductive layer at least partially overlaps with the conductive layer;

[0070] Specifically, when the insulating layer 220 is patterned, at least one overlapping hole area 221 is added. That is, the overlapping hole area 221 in the pattern formed after a series of processes such as exposure, development and curing of the insulating layer 220 is a hollow area, and the hollow area can leak out the lower layer structure not covered by the insulating layer 220. After etching under the protection of the patterned insulating layer 220, the inorganic encapsulation layer 240 in the overlapping hole area 221 not covered by the insulating layer 220 will be etched, so that the inorganic encapsulation material in the shadow area of ​​the encapsulation layer 240 can be removed. For example, continue to refer to Figure 3 In some embodiments, a contact hole 222 is provided in the overlap hole area 221, and a planarization layer 250 may be further provided between the conductive layer 130 and the encapsulation layer 240. The planarization layer 250 provides a planarization plane to improve the sealing of the encapsulation layer 240. In order to leak out the conductive layer 130 in the lower layer of the encapsulation layer 240, the positive projection of the overlap hole area 221 on the conductive layer 130 at least partially overlaps with the conductive layer 130. Therefore, after etching layer by layer, a contact hole 222 may be formed in the overlap hole area 221, and the contact hole 222 may at least leak out part of the conductive layer 130. According to the process preparation requirements, the diameter range of the optional contact hole 222 is 5μm-25μm. At this time, the overlap hole area 221 corresponds to the contact hole 222 one by one, that is, one overlap hole area 221 corresponds to one contact hole 222.

[0071] Optionally, when patterning the insulating layer 220, the insulating layer 220 can be subjected to process compensation by exposure, for example, etching the insulating layer 220 using weak exposure to avoid enlarging the opening of the patterned hollow area. The weak exposure method is a compensation process, which adjusts the exposure intensity and duration to make the exposure energy lower than the exposure energy of conventional applications, so that during the etching process, the material in the exposed area can be removed more evenly, and the opening size can be better controlled during the etching stage to avoid the opening becoming larger due to excessive etching.

[0072] In some embodiments, see Figure 5 When the insulating layer is patterned, the insulating material between the plurality of contact holes 222 is removed, and there is no insulating material spacing between the plurality of contact holes 222, forming Figure 5 The planarization layer 250 may be reserved for connection holes for the touch metal layer 230 to overlap the conductive layer 130. In some designs, the display panel may include multiple connection holes arranged in rows. When the insulating layer 220 is provided with a connection hole area 221, one connection hole area 221 may cover multiple connection holes. The inorganic encapsulation layer 240 of the connection hole area 221 not covered by the insulating layer 220 will be etched, so that the inorganic encapsulation material on the connection hole can be removed. Each connection hole forms a corresponding contact hole 222. At this time, the connection hole area 221 and the contact hole 222 are one-to-many, that is, multiple contact holes 222 can be formed in one connection hole area 221.

[0073] S140 , providing a touch metal layer, wherein the touch metal layer is connected to the conductive layer through a contact hole.

[0074] Optionally, the display panel further includes an encapsulation layer, and the encapsulation layer is located between the insulating layer and the conductive layer; Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a process for preparing another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Fig. 9 ,include:

[0075] S210, providing a display function layer on one side of the substrate, wherein the display function layer includes at least one conductive layer;

[0076] S220, forming an insulating layer on the display function layer;

[0077] S230, patterning the insulating layer so that the insulating layer includes at least one overlapping hole region, the overlapping hole region has at least one contact hole, and the orthographic projection of the contact hole on the conductive layer at least partially overlaps with the conductive layer;

[0078] S240, etching the packaging layer in the overlapping hole area, wherein the orthographic projection of the contact hole in the overlapping hole area on the conductive layer does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the packaging layer on the conductive layer.

[0079] Specifically, since the light-emitting functional layer in the display panel is very sensitive to external environmental factors such as water vapor and oxygen. In order to improve the service life and stability of the display panel, the encapsulation layer 240 can also be covered on the light-emitting functional layer for sealing. Since there is a shadow area in the encapsulation layer 240, there is an inorganic encapsulation material at the location of the connection hole between the touch metal layer and the conductive layer in the non-display area. Therefore, when the insulating layer 220 is patterned, at least one overlapping hole area 221 can be added. In other words, the overlapping hole area 221 in the patterning formed after a series of processes such as exposing, developing and curing the insulating layer 220 is a hollow area. The hollow area can leak out the lower layer structure not covered by the insulating layer 220. The process of exposing, developing and curing the insulating layer 220 can use a yellow light process flow to achieve patterning design. When patterning the insulating layer 220, the insulating material between the multiple contact holes 222 can also be removed to form Figure 5 The entire through-hole region 221 is shown. After etching under the protection of the patterned insulating layer 220, the inorganic encapsulation layer 240 in the overlapping hole region 221 not covered by the insulating layer 220 will be etched, so that the overlapping position of the orthographic projection of the encapsulation layer 240 and the contact hole 222 can be removed, exposing the overlapping portion of the projection of the contact hole 222 and the conductive layer 130.

[0080] S250 , providing a touch metal layer, wherein the touch metal layer is connected to the conductive layer through a contact hole.

[0081] Optionally, when the insulating layer 220 is patterned, the insulating layer 220 further includes at least one pad connection area 311; the pad connection area 311 includes at least one pad connection hole 223, and the orthographic projection of the pad connection hole 223 on the conductive layer 130 at least partially overlaps with the conductive layer 130;

[0082] Specifically, the pad metal layer 310 is a metal setting layer for pin pads corresponding to chip on film (COF) and integrated circuit (IC). When the display panel has a bending area, the wiring of the bending area can be set through the conductive layer 130. The pad metal layer 310 is electrically connected to the conductive layer 130 through the pad connection hole 223, so that the conductive layer 130 is used to cross the bending area.

[0083] Based on the protective effect of the insulating layer 220 on the covering position, in order to save the additional mask hardware designed in the subsequent process, at least one pad connection area 311 can be added when the insulating layer 220 is patterned. The pad connection area 311 is the setting area of ​​the pin pads corresponding to the COF and IC. Therefore, the pad connection area 311 in the patterning formed after a series of processes such as exposing, developing and curing the insulating layer 220 is a hollow area, and the hollow area can leak out the lower structure not covered by the insulating layer 220. After etching under the protection of the patterned insulating layer 220, the inorganic encapsulation layer 240 in the overlapping hole area 221 not covered by the insulating layer 220 will be etched, so that the inorganic encapsulation material in the shadow area of ​​the encapsulation layer 240 can be removed. For example, continue to refer to Figure 3 In some embodiments, a planarization layer 250 may be further provided between the conductive layer 130 and the encapsulation layer 240. The planarization layer 250 provides a planarized plane to improve the sealing of the encapsulation layer 240. In order to leak out the conductive layer 130 in the lower layer of the encapsulation layer 240, the orthographic projection of the pad connection area 311 on the conductive layer 130 overlaps at least partially with the conductive layer 130. Therefore, after etching layer by layer, a pad connection hole 223 may be formed in the pad connection area 311, and the pad connection hole 223 may leak out at least part of the conductive layer 130. At this time, the pad connection area 311 corresponds to the pad connection hole 223, that is, one pad connection area 311 forms one pad connection hole 223. In the subsequent process, the preparation of the pad metal layer 310 is completed, so that the pin pad in the pad metal layer 310 can be electrically connected to the conductive layer 130 through the pad connection hole 223 to achieve signal transmission.

[0084] In some embodiments, see Figure 5 , a planarization layer 250 is provided between the conductive layer 130 and the encapsulation layer 240, and a connection hole for the pad metal layer 310 to overlap the conductive layer 130 can be reserved on the planarization layer 250. In some designs, the display panel can include multiple connection holes arranged in a row. When the pad metal layer 310 is provided on the insulating layer 220, one pad metal layer 310 can cover multiple connection holes. The inorganic encapsulation layer 240 of the pad metal layer 310 not covered by the insulating layer 220 will be etched, so that the inorganic encapsulation material on the connection hole can be removed, and each connection hole forms a corresponding pad connection hole 223. At this time, the overlapping hole area 221 and the pad connection hole 223 are one-to-many, that is, multiple pad connection holes 223 can be formed in one overlapping hole area 221. In the etching process, the etching conditions of the inorganic layer can be used, which has little effect on the etching of the metal and organic layers. In the subsequent process, the preparation of the pad metal layer 310 is completed, so that the pin pads in the pad metal layer 310 can be electrically connected to the conductive layer 130 through the pad connection holes 223 to achieve signal transmission.

[0085] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of a display device is provided for an embodiment of the present invention. Fig.10 , including the display panel 10 of any embodiment of the present invention. Fig.10 The display device shown is only for illustration, wherein the display device may include: a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a television, a monitor, a laptop computer, a digital photo frame, a navigator, and any other product or component with a display function, which is not limited here. The specific beneficial effects of the display panel 10 have been described in detail in the above embodiment, and the display device has the same beneficial effects as the above display panel, so it will not be repeated here.

[0086] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that: include: substrate; A display function layer, which is disposed on one side of the substrate and includes at least one conductive layer; An insulating layer is provided on a side of the display function layer away from the substrate, the insulating layer is provided with at least one overlapping hole area, the overlapping hole area has at least one contact hole, and the orthographic projection of the contact hole on the conductive layer at least partially overlaps with the conductive layer; The touch metal layer is disposed on the insulating layer and is electrically connected to the conductive layer through the contact hole.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display panel further includes an encapsulation layer, wherein the encapsulation layer is located between the insulating layer and the conductive layer, wherein an orthographic projection of the contact hole on the conductive layer does not overlap with an orthographic projection of the encapsulation layer on the conductive layer; Preferably, the diameter of the contact hole is in the range of 5 μm-25 μm.

3. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating layer is an organic insulating layer, and the insulating layer is patterned to form the overlapping hole area; Preferably, the insulating layer is photoresist.

4. The display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The display panel further comprises at least one cutting area; the orthographic projection of the cutting area on the conductive layer does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the insulating layer on the conductive layer, and the orthographic projection of the cutting area on the conductive layer overlaps with the conductive layer; Preferably, the conductive layer comprises at least two layers.

5. The display panel according to claim 3, characterized in that: Also comprising a pad metal layer, the insulating layer further comprising at least one pad connection area; The pad connection area has at least one pad connection hole, the orthographic projection of the pad connection hole on the conductive layer at least partially overlaps with the conductive layer; the pad metal layer is connected to the conductive layer through the pad connection hole; Preferably, the pad metal layer and the touch metal layer are arranged in the same layer.

6. The display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The at least one overlapping hole region has one contact hole, or the at least one overlapping hole region has a plurality of contact holes, and there is no insulating layer between the plurality of contact holes; Preferably, in the display area, the display function layer includes a stacked pixel driving circuit layer and a light emitting function layer, the pixel driving circuit layer includes a pixel driving circuit array, and each pixel driving circuit in the pixel driving circuit array is electrically connected to each light emitting element in the light emitting function layer; Preferably, the at least one conductive layer is provided on the same layer as any metal layer in the pixel driving circuit layer or the light-emitting functional layer.

7. A method for preparing a display panel, characterized in that: include: A display function layer is arranged on one side of the substrate, wherein the display function layer includes at least one conductive layer; forming an insulating layer on the display function layer; Patterning the insulating layer so that the insulating layer includes at least one overlapping hole region, the overlapping hole region has at least one contact hole, and the orthographic projection of the contact hole on the conductive layer at least partially overlaps with the conductive layer; A touch metal layer is provided, and the touch metal layer is connected to the conductive layer through the contact hole.

8. The method for preparing a display panel according to claim 7, characterized in that: The display panel further includes an encapsulation layer, and the encapsulation layer is located between the insulating layer and the conductive layer; and patterning the insulating layer includes: The encapsulation layer in the overlapping hole region is etched, and the orthographic projection of the contact hole in the overlapping hole region on the conductive layer does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the encapsulation layer on the conductive layer.

9. The method for preparing a display panel according to claim 7, characterized in that: When the insulating layer is patterned, the insulating layer further comprises at least one pad connection area; the pad connection area has at least one pad connection hole, and the orthographic projection of the pad connection hole on the conductive layer at least partially overlaps with the conductive layer; Preferably, patterning the insulating layer further includes performing process compensation on the insulating layer by exposing it to light.

10. A display device, characterized in that: A display panel comprising any one of claims 1-6.

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