Display panel, preparation method thereof and display device

Abstract

The invention discloses a display panel, a preparation method thereof and a display device. The display panel comprises a display area and a non-display area; the display panel comprises a plurality of first signal lines and a plurality of second signal lines; the outline of the display area comprises an arc edge, a plurality of first signal lines are arranged at the position corresponding to the arc edge, the first signal lines are formed through a halftone mask plate or a gray scale mask plate, and the thicknesses of partial metal layers corresponding to the first signal lines are different, so that the impedances of the first signal lines at the arc edge are close; and / or the fan-out area comprises a middle area and side edge areas arranged on the two sides of the middle area; the plurality of second signal lines of the part, far away from the middle area, of at least the side area are formed through a halftone mask plate or a gray scale mask plate, and the thicknesses of the partial metal layers corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines are different, so that the impedances of the plurality of second signal lines are close. Through the arrangement, the display unevenness is improved, and the display uniformity is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a display panel and a method for preparing the same, and a display device. Background Art

[0002] With the development of display technology, the borders of display panels have been continuously compressed, reducing the non-display area to achieve a higher screen-to-body ratio, forming narrow-border products, bringing users a wider visual experience and a stronger sense of immersion.

[0003] However, for narrow-frame products, the space limitation of the non-display area means that the space available for designing circuits is small, which easily leads to uneven display. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a display panel and a method for preparing the same, as well as a display device, to improve display uniformity.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the first technical solution provided by the present application is: provide a display panel, including a display area and a non-display area; the display panel includes a substrate, a pixel circuit unit, a scan drive unit, a plurality of first signal lines, and a plurality of second signal lines; the pixel circuit unit is arranged on one side of the substrate, located in the display area; the scan drive unit and the plurality of first signal lines are arranged on the side of the substrate where the pixel circuit unit is arranged, located in the non-display area; the plurality of second signal lines are arranged on the side of the substrate where the pixel circuit unit is arranged, located in the fan-out area of ​​the non-display area; wherein the outline of the display area includes Bracket edge; there are multiple first signal lines at the corresponding arc edge, the multiple first signal lines are formed by a halftone mask plate or a grayscale mask plate, and the thickness of the partial metal layers corresponding to the multiple first signal lines are different, so that the impedances of the multiple first signal lines at the arc edge are similar; and / or, the fan-out area includes a middle area and side areas arranged on both sides of the middle area; at least the multiple second signal lines of the side area away from the middle area are formed by a halftone mask plate or a grayscale mask plate, and the thickness of the partial metal layers corresponding to the multiple second signal lines are different, so that the impedances of the multiple second signal lines are similar.

[0006] In one embodiment, multiple first signal lines or multiple second signal lines located in the same metal layer are formed by a halftone mask or a grayscale mask, and the thickness of the partial metal layers corresponding to the multiple first signal lines or the multiple second signal lines located in the same metal layer are different; the scanning drive unit is connected to the pixel circuit unit through the first signal line; the second signal line is used to connect the driving chip and the pixel circuit unit.

[0007] In one embodiment, the plurality of first signal lines or the plurality of second signal lines located in different metal layers are formed by using a half-tone mask or a gray-scale mask.

[0008] In one embodiment, the straight-line distance between the output port of the scanning driving unit corresponding to the arc edge and the arc edge is less than or equal to 120μm; and / or the line width of the first signal line is 2.5μm-3.5μm; and / or the spacing between adjacent first signal lines located in the same metal layer is 2.5μm-3.5μm; and / or the spacing between adjacent first signal lines located in different metal layers is 0.9μm-1.5μm.

[0009] In one embodiment, the outline of the display area is a rounded rectangle, and two adjacent straight sides are connected by an arc edge; the two straight sides are respectively defined as a first straight side and a second straight side; a scanning drive unit is provided corresponding to the first straight side; along the bending direction of the arc edge from the first straight side to the second straight side, the line length of the plurality of first signal lines gradually becomes longer and / or the line width gradually becomes smaller, and the thickness of the partial metal layer corresponding to the plurality of first signal lines gradually increases.

[0010] In one embodiment, the middle region has a plurality of second signal lines, the plurality of second signal lines in the middle region are formed by a half-tone mask or a grayscale mask, and the thickness of the portions of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines are different.

[0011] In one embodiment, along the direction from the edge of the side area to the center line of the middle area, the lengths of the plurality of second signal lines gradually decrease, and the thicknesses of the portions of the metal layers corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines gradually decrease.

[0012] In one embodiment, the substrate and the pixel circuit unit form an array substrate, and the scan driving unit and the plurality of first signal lines are integrated into the array substrate.

[0013] In order to solve the above technical problem, the second technical solution provided in the present application is: to provide a display device, comprising any one of the display panels described above.

[0014] In order to solve the above technical problems, the third technical solution provided in the present application is: to provide a method for preparing a display panel of any of the above items, the display panel includes a display area and a non-display area; the outline of the display area includes an arc edge; the non-display area includes a fan-out area, and the fan-out area includes a middle area and side areas arranged on both sides of the middle area; the preparation method includes: forming a metal layer on one side of the substrate; corresponding to the arc edge, using a halftone mask plate or a grayscale mask plate to form a plurality of first signal lines in the metal layer, and the thickness of the parts of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of first signal lines is different; or, corresponding to the part of the side area away from the middle area, using a halftone mask plate or a grayscale mask plate to form a plurality of second signal lines in the metal layer, and the thickness of the parts of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines is different; wherein the first signal line is used to connect the scan drive unit with the pixel circuit unit, and the second signal line is used to connect the drive chip with the pixel circuit unit; the halftone mask plate or the grayscale mask plate includes a non-fully light-transmitting area, and the non-fully light-transmitting area has a variety of mask transmittances.

[0015] Beneficial effects of the present application: Different from the prior art, the present application discloses a display panel and a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device; the display panel includes a display area and a non-display area; the display panel includes a substrate, a pixel circuit unit, a scan drive unit, a plurality of first signal lines, and a plurality of second signal lines; the pixel circuit unit is arranged on one side of the substrate, located in the display area; the scan drive unit and the plurality of first signal lines are arranged on one side of the substrate where the pixel unit is arranged, located in the non-display area; the plurality of second signal lines are arranged on one side of the substrate where the pixel circuit unit is arranged, located in the fan-out area of ​​the non-display area; wherein the display area The contour includes an arc edge, and there are multiple first signal lines at the corresponding arc edge, and the multiple first signal lines are formed by a halftone mask plate or a grayscale mask plate, and the thickness of the partial metal layer corresponding to the multiple first signal lines is different, so that the impedance of the multiple first signal lines at the arc edge is similar; and / or, the fan-out area includes a middle area and side areas arranged on both sides of the middle area; at least the multiple second signal lines of the side area away from the middle area are formed by a halftone mask plate or a grayscale mask plate, and the thickness of the partial metal layer corresponding to the multiple second signal lines is different, so that the impedance of the multiple second signal lines is similar. Through the above settings, the impedance of the multiple first signal lines is similar, and / or the impedance of the multiple second signal lines is similar, which improves the display unevenness and improves the display uniformity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0017] Figure 1is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the display panel CC shown;

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a first signal line of an arc edge of a display panel;

[0020] Figure 4 is an enlarged structural schematic diagram of the first signal line at the connection between the upper left arc edge and the left straight edge of the display panel;

[0021] Figure 5 is an enlarged structural schematic diagram of a first signal line at a connection between an upper left arc edge and an upper side of a display panel;

[0022] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a second signal line in a fan-out area of ​​a display panel;

[0023] Figure 7 is an enlarged structural schematic diagram of a second signal line in a side area of ​​a fan-out area of ​​a display panel;

[0024] Figure 8 is an enlarged structural schematic diagram of a second signal line in a middle area of ​​a fan-out area of ​​a display panel;

[0025] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the process of the method for preparing a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] In the following description, for the purpose of explanation rather than limitation, specific details such as specific system structures, interfaces, and technologies are provided to facilitate a thorough understanding of the present application.

[0028] The terms "first", "second", and "third" in this application are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined as "first", "second", and "third" can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "multiple" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. All directional indications in the embodiments of this application (such as up, down, left, right, front, back...) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication also changes accordingly. The terms "including" and "having" in the embodiments of this application and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally also includes steps or units that are not listed, or optionally also includes other steps or components inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0029] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0030] The present application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0031] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application, Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the display panel CC shown.

[0032] The display panel includes a display area AA and a non-display area BB. The display area AA is configured as an area of ​​the display panel for displaying images. The non-display area BB is arranged around the circumference of the display area AA; the non-display area BB includes the area where the frame of the display panel is located.

[0033] The display panel includes a substrate 11 , a plurality of pixel circuit units 12 , a scan driving unit 13 , a plurality of first signal lines 14 , a plurality of second signal lines 15 and a light emitting structure layer 16 .

[0034] The substrate 11 may be rigid, such as a glass substrate; or may be flexible, such as a substrate including a polyimide (PI) layer.

[0035] The light emitting structure layer 16 is disposed on one side of the substrate 11, and the light emitting structure layer 16 is disposed in the display area AA. The light emitting structure layer 16 is used to generate and control the light required for display, so that the display area AA displays an image. The light emitting structure layer 16 includes an anode 161, an organic light emitting layer 162, and a cathode 163. The anode 161 is located on the side of the organic light emitting layer 162 facing the substrate 11, and the cathode 163 is located on the side of the organic light emitting layer 162 away from the substrate 11; according to the design requirements of the light emitting structure layer 16, the light emitting structure layer 16 may also include a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), an electron injection layer (EIL), or an electron transport layer (ETL) disposed between the anode 161 and the cathode 163.

[0036] The pixel circuit unit 12 is disposed on one side of the substrate 11 and is located in the display area AA. The pixel circuit unit 12 is disposed on one side of the light emitting structure layer 16 close to the substrate 11. The pixel circuit unit 12 is used to control the light emitting structure layer 16 to emit light.

[0037] The scanning driving unit 13 and the plurality of first signal lines 14 are arranged on one side of the substrate 11. Specifically, the scanning driving unit 13 and the plurality of first signal lines 14 are arranged on the side of the substrate 11 where the pixel circuit unit 12 is arranged. The scanning driving unit 13 and the plurality of first signal lines 14 are located in the non-display area BB. The scanning driving unit 13 is connected to the pixel circuit unit 12 through the first signal line 14. In other words, the first signal line 14 is used to connect the scanning driving unit 13 and the pixel circuit unit 12. The scanning driving unit 13 is connected to the pixel circuit unit 12; the scanning driving unit 13 is used to provide a scanning driving signal to the pixel circuit unit 12.

[0038] A plurality of second signal lines 15 are provided on one side of the substrate 11, specifically, a plurality of second signal lines 15 are provided on a side of the substrate 11 where the pixel circuit unit 12 is provided. The plurality of second signal lines 15 are located in the fan-out area BB-1 (Data fanout) of the non-display area BB. The second signal lines 15 are used to connect the driver chip (IC) and the pixel circuit unit 12. In one embodiment, one end of the second signal line 15 is connected to the pixel circuit unit 12, and the other end of the second signal line 15 is connected to the terminal pad 17 at the edge of the substrate 11, thereby achieving connection with the driver chip 18.

[0039] The outline of the display area AA includes an arc edge; there are multiple first signal lines 14 corresponding to the arc edge, and the multiple first signal lines 14 are formed by a half-tone mask (HTM, Half-Tone Mask) or a gray-scale mask (GTM, Gray-Tone Mask), and the thickness of the partial metal layers corresponding to the multiple first signal lines 14 are different, so that the impedances of the multiple first signal lines 14 at the arc edge are similar; and / or, the fan-out area BB-1 includes a middle area BB-11 and a side area BB-12 arranged on both sides of the middle area BB-11; at least the multiple second signal lines 15 of the side area BB-12 away from the middle area BB-11 are formed by a half-tone mask or a gray-scale mask, and the thickness of the partial metal layers corresponding to the multiple second signal lines 15 are different, so that the impedances of the multiple second signal lines 15 are similar.

[0040] It should be noted that Figure 1 and Figure 2 The pixel circuit unit 12, the scanning driving unit 13, the first signal line 14 and the second signal line 15 are only for illustration and are not limited to the number and position in the figure. The similar impedance of the plurality of first signal lines 14 means that the impedance difference between the first signal lines 14 is within a first threshold range, and the impedance difference between the first signal lines 14 is within the first threshold range, which has limited effect on display uniformity. The similar impedance of the plurality of second signal lines 15 means that the impedance difference between the second signal lines 15 is within a second threshold range, and the impedance difference between the second signal lines 15 is within the second threshold range, which has limited effect on display uniformity.

[0041] A half-tone mask (HTM) or a gray-tone mask (GTM) adjusts different film thicknesses by controlling the amount of light transmitted during the exposure process, so that multiple first signal lines 14 or multiple second signal lines 15 with different thicknesses can be formed on the same metal layer.

[0042] By designing multiple first signal lines 14 at the arc edge to be formed by a halftone mask or a grayscale mask, it is possible to achieve different thicknesses of the metal layers corresponding to the multiple first signal lines 14, and adjust the impedance of the first signal lines 14 to make the impedances of the multiple first signal lines 14 at the arc edge similar, thereby compensating for the display unevenness caused by the inconsistent impedance, improving the display unevenness of the display panel, and improving the display uniformity of the display panel.

[0043] By designing that at least the plurality of second signal lines 15 in the portion of the side area BB-12 away from the middle area BB-11 are formed by a halftone mask plate or a grayscale mask plate, it can be achieved that the thicknesses of the metal layers corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines 15 in the portion of the side area BB-12 away from the middle area BB-11 are different, and the impedance of the second signal lines 15 is adjusted to make the impedances of the plurality of second signal lines 15 similar, thereby compensating for the display unevenness caused by the inconsistent impedance, improving the display unevenness of the display panel, and improving the display uniformity of the display panel.

[0044] The outline of the display area AA of the display panel includes an arc edge. In one embodiment, the outline of the display area AA of the display panel is a circle. In one embodiment, the outline of the display area AA of the display panel is a polygon, and two adjacent straight edges are connected by an arc edge; illustratively, the outline of the display area AA is a rounded rectangle (such as Figure 1 In one embodiment, the outline of the display panel is the same as the outline of the display area AA, and the non-display area BB is arranged around the entire circumference of the display area AA. Taking the outline of the display area AA as a rounded rectangle as an example, the arrangement of the first signal line 14 and the second signal line 15 is described in detail.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, the lower area of ​​the display area AA is the fan-out area BB-1. The left and right sides of the display area AA are respectively provided with scan driving units 13.

[0046] Specifically, the straight side of the display area AA is correspondingly provided with a scan driving unit 13, and the arc side of the display area AA is correspondingly provided with a scan driving unit 13; accordingly, the straight side of the display area AA is correspondingly provided with a first signal line 14, and the arc side of the display area AA is correspondingly provided with a first signal line 14. The straight side includes a left straight side and a right straight side, and the arc side includes an upper left arc side, a lower left arc side, an upper right arc side, and a lower right arc side.

[0047] See also Figures 3 to 5 , Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first signal line of the arc edge of the display panel, Figure 4 is an enlarged structural diagram of the first signal line at the connection between the upper left arc edge and the left straight edge of the display panel, Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the enlarged structure of the first signal line at the connection between the upper left arc edge and the upper side of the display panel.

[0048] In the design of the first signal line 14, in order to fit the edge contour of the display panel, the first signal line 14 corresponding to the arc edge is often longer or has a more complex routing than the first signal line 14 corresponding to the straight edge (e.g. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown in the figure); and in the arc edge area, due to space limitations, more compact routing or smaller routing spacing may be required (such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown), the impedance characteristics of the routing are changed, which will cause the impedance of the multiple first signal lines 14 to be inconsistent, resulting in uneven display.

[0049] In order to improve the display unevenness, the embodiment of the present application designs that the multiple first signal lines 14 corresponding to the arc edge are formed by a halftone mask plate or a grayscale mask plate, and the thicknesses of the partial metal layers corresponding to the multiple first signal lines 14 corresponding to the arc edge are different. By adjusting the thickness of the metal layer corresponding to the first signal line 14, the impedance of the first signal line 14 is adjusted, so that the impedances of the multiple first signal lines 14 at the arc edge are similar, thereby improving the display unevenness of the display panel and improving the display uniformity of the display panel.

[0050] The multiple first signal lines 14 corresponding to the arc edge may be located in the same metal layer or in different metal layers. The multiple first signal lines 14 located in the same metal layer are formed by a halftone mask or a grayscale mask, and the thickness of the partial metal layers corresponding to the multiple first signal lines 14 located in the same metal layer is different, so that the thickness of the partial metal layers corresponding to the multiple first signal lines 14 in the same metal layer is adjusted, so that the impedance of the multiple first signal lines 14 in the same metal layer is similar; wherein, the thickness of different parts of the same metal layer is different through the halftone mask process or the grayscale mask process, and then the thickness of the partial metal layers corresponding to the multiple first signal lines 14 in the same metal layer is different. Multiple first signal lines 14 located in different metal layers are formed by a half-tone mask or a grayscale mask, that is, several first signal lines 14 in each metal layer are formed by a half-tone mask or a grayscale mask, and the thickness of the partial metal layer corresponding to the several first signal lines 14 in each metal layer is adjusted to make the impedances between the multiple first signal lines 14 located in different metal layers similar.

[0051] In order to improve the display unevenness, a halftone mask process or a grayscale mask process is used to adjust the thickness of the partial metal layer corresponding to the multiple first signal lines 14 corresponding to the arc edge. It is also possible to combine the adjustment of the line width of the multiple first signal lines 14 corresponding to the arc edge, the spacing between adjacent first signal lines 14 (i.e., line spacing), and at least one of the line length to further make the impedances of the multiple first signal lines 14 similar, thereby further improving the display uniformity.

[0052] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, the plurality of first signal lines 14 at the arc edge are formed by a halftone mask process or a grayscale mask process, which is particularly suitable for display panels with narrow bezels. For narrow bezel products, the bezel is compressed, the space of the non-display area BB is compressed, and the space at the arc edge that can be used to set the first signal line 14 is small; accordingly, the line width of the first signal line 14 and the spacing between adjacent first signal lines 14 are compressed, the line width of the first signal line 14 should not be too large, and the spacing between adjacent first signal lines 14 should not be too large. For narrow-border products, by adjusting the line width of the first signal line 14 and / or by adjusting the spacing between adjacent first signal lines 14 and / or by adjusting the line length of the first signal line 14 (the length of the first signal line 14 can be extended by bending or folding the line), due to space limitations, the impedance difference between the multiple first signal lines 14 corresponding to the arc edge may be greater than the first threshold, and it is impossible to achieve similar impedances for the multiple first signal lines 14; multiple first signal lines 14 are formed by a halftone mask process or a grayscale mask process, and the thickness of the partial metal layer corresponding to the first signal line 14 is adjusted, thereby achieving the adjustment of the impedance of the first signal line 14, which is less restricted by the space of the non-display area BB. Therefore, the solution provided in the embodiment of the present application is particularly suitable for narrow-border products.

[0053] In one embodiment, the straight-line distance between the output port of the scanning driving unit 13 corresponding to the arc edge and the arc edge is less than or equal to 120μm; and / or the line width of the first signal line 14 is 2.5μm-3.5μm; and / or the spacing between adjacent first signal lines 14 located in the same metal layer is 2.5μm-3.5μm; and / or the spacing between adjacent first signal lines 14 located in different metal layers is 0.9μm-1.5μm.

[0054] The straight-line distance between the output port of the scanning driving unit 13 corresponding to the arc edge and the arc edge is less than or equal to 120μm, and the space provided for wiring of the first signal line 14 is limited, which is a narrow-frame product; on this basis, the line width of the first signal line 14 and the spacing between adjacent first signal lines 14 are set as above, and a halftone mask process or a grayscale mask process is used to form multiple first signal lines 14, so as to adjust the impedance of the first signal line 14, so that the impedance of the multiple first signal lines 14 is similar, which is beneficial to improving the display uniformity.

[0055] The line width of the first signal line 14 may be 2.5 μm, 2.6 μm, 2.7 μm, 2.8 μm, 2.9 μm, 3.0 μm, 3.1 μm, 3.2 μm, 3.3 μm, 3.4 μm, 3.5 μm, etc., or a range consisting of any two of the above values, for example, 2.7 μm-3.0 μm, 2.6 μm-2.9 μm, etc. The spacing between adjacent first signal lines 14 located on the same metal layer may be 2.5 μm, 2.6 μm, 2.7 μm, 2.8 μm, 2.9 μm, 3.0 μm, 3.1 μm, 3.2 μm, 3.3 μm, 3.4 μm, 3.5 μm, etc., or a range consisting of any two of the above values, for example, 2.7 μm-2.9 μm, 2.6 μm-3.0 μm, etc. The spacing between adjacent first signal lines 14 located in different metal layers can be 0.9μm, 1.0μm, 1.1μm, 1.2μm, 1.3μm, 1.4μm, 1.5μm, etc., or a range consisting of any two of the above values, for example, 1.0μm-1.2μm, 0.9μm-1.2μm, etc.

[0056] In one embodiment, there are multiple first signal lines 14 at the corresponding arc edge. The outline of the display area AA is a rounded rectangle, and two adjacent straight sides are connected by an arc edge; the two straight sides are respectively defined as a first straight side and a second straight side; the first straight side is correspondingly provided with a scan driving unit 13; along the bending direction of the arc edge from the first straight side to the second straight side, the line length of the multiple first signal lines 14 gradually becomes longer and / or the line width gradually becomes smaller, and the thickness of the partial metal layer corresponding to the multiple first signal lines 14 gradually increases, and the impedance is balanced, so that the impedance between the multiple first signal lines 14 is similar, and the display unevenness is improved.

[0057] Exemplarily, the arc edge is the upper left arc edge of the rounded rectangle, the first straight side is the left straight side of the rounded rectangle, and the second straight side is the upper straight side of the rounded rectangle. The metal layer thickness of the first signal line 14 corresponding to the connection between the arc edge and the first straight side is smaller, and the metal layer thickness of the first signal line 14 corresponding to the connection between the arc edge and the second straight side is larger. Along the bending direction of the arc edge from the first straight side to the second straight side, the line length of the multiple first signal lines 14 gradually becomes longer and / or the line width gradually becomes smaller, and the thickness of the partial metal layer corresponding to the multiple first signal lines 14 gradually increases, so that the impedance between the multiple first signal lines 14 is similar.

[0058] See also Figures 6 to 8 , Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second signal line of the fan-out area of ​​the display panel, Figure 7 is an enlarged structural diagram of a second signal line in a side area of ​​a fan-out area of ​​a display panel, Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the enlarged structure of the second signal line in the middle area of ​​the fan-out area of ​​the display panel.

[0059] The fan-out area BB-1 is provided with a plurality of second signal lines 15, the line length of the second signal line 15 in the side area BB-12 of the fan-out area BB-1 is greater than the line length of the second signal line 15 in the middle area BB-11 of the fan-out area BB-1, and the impedance of the second signal line 15 in the side area BB-12 is greater than the impedance of the second signal line 15 in the middle area BB-11, resulting in inconsistent impedances of the plurality of second signal lines 15, which is prone to uneven display. Among them, the longer the line length of the second signal line 15 in the side area BB-12 of the fan-out area BB-1 is, the greater the difference in impedance with the second signal line 15 in the middle area BB-11.

[0060] In order to improve the display unevenness, the embodiment of the present application designs that at least the multiple second signal lines 15 of the part of the side area BB-12 away from the middle area BB-11 are formed by a halftone mask or a grayscale mask, and the thicknesses of the partial metal layers corresponding to the multiple second signal lines 15 in this part are different. The impedance of the second signal line 15 is adjusted to make the impedances of the multiple second signal lines 15 similar, compensate for the display unevenness caused by the inconsistent impedance, improve the display unevenness of the display panel, and improve the display uniformity of the display panel.

[0061] In one embodiment, the plurality of second signal lines 15 in the portion of the side area BB-12 away from the middle area BB-11 are formed by a halftone mask or a grayscale mask, and the thicknesses of the partial metal layers corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines 15 in this portion are different, and the thicknesses of the metal layers corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines 15 in this portion are adjusted; except for the portion of the side area BB-12 away from the middle area BB-11, the plurality of second signal lines 15 in other areas are adjusted by adjusting the line width of the second signal line 15 and / or by adjusting the spacing between adjacent second signal lines 15 and / or by adjusting the line length of the second signal line 15 (the length can be extended by bending or folding the line of the first signal line 14), so that the impedance of the plurality of second signal lines 15 in the fan-out area BB-1 is similar.

[0062] In one embodiment, the plurality of second signal lines 15 in the portion of the side area BB-12 away from the middle area BB-11 are formed by a halftone mask or a grayscale mask, and the thickness of the metal layers corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines 15 in the portion are different, and the thickness of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines 15 in the portion is adjusted; the plurality of second signal lines 15 in other areas of the side area BB-12 except the portion of the side area BB-12 away from the middle area BB-11 are adjusted by adjusting the line width of the second signal lines 15 and / or by adjusting the adjacent second signal lines 15. The spacing between the second signal lines 15 is adjusted and / or the line length of the second signal line 15 is adjusted (the length can be extended by bending or folding the line of the first signal line 14); the multiple second signal lines 15 in the middle area BB-11 are formed by a halftone mask or a grayscale mask, and the thickness of the partial metal layers corresponding to the multiple second signal lines 15 in the middle area BB-11 are different. The thickness of the metal layer corresponding to the multiple second signal lines 15 in the middle area BB-11 is adjusted to achieve similar impedance of the multiple second signal lines 15 in the fan-out area BB-1.

[0063] In one embodiment, the multiple second signal lines 15 in the side area BB-12 are formed by a halftone mask or a grayscale mask, and the thicknesses of the partial metal layers corresponding to the multiple second signal lines 15 in the side area BB-12 are different, and the thicknesses of the metal layers corresponding to the multiple second signal lines 15 in the side area BB-12 are adjusted; the multiple second signal lines 15 in the middle area BB-11 are achieved by adjusting the line width of the second signal lines 15 and / or by adjusting the spacing between adjacent second signal lines 15 and / or by adjusting the line length of the second signal lines 15 (the length can be extended by bending or folding the line of the first signal line 14), so that the impedances of the multiple second signal lines 15 in the fan-out area BB-1 are similar.

[0064] In one embodiment, the plurality of second signal lines 15 in the side area BB-12 and the middle area BB-11 are formed by a halftone mask or a grayscale mask, that is, the plurality of second signal lines 15 in the fan-out area BB-1 are formed by a halftone mask or a grayscale mask, and the thickness of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines 15 in the fan-out area BB-1 is different, and the thickness of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines 15 in the fan-out area BB-1 is adjusted to achieve similar impedances of the plurality of second signal lines 15 in the fan-out area BB-1. Optionally, along the direction from the edge of the side area BB-12 to the center line of the middle area BB-11, the lengths of the plurality of second signal lines 15 are gradually reduced, and the thickness of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines 15 is gradually reduced, so as to adjust the impedances of the plurality of second signal lines 15 so that the impedances of the plurality of second signal lines 15 are similar.

[0065] It should be noted that in order to improve display unevenness, when a half-tone mask process or a grayscale mask process is used to adjust the thickness of a partial metal layer corresponding to the multiple second signal lines 15 in the fan-out area BB-1 or a partial area of ​​the fan-out area BB-1, it is also possible to combine the adjustment of at least one of the line width of the multiple second signal lines 15, the spacing between adjacent second signal lines 15 (i.e., line pitch), and the line length to further make the impedances of the multiple second signal lines 15 similar and further improve the display uniformity.

[0066] The multiple second signal lines 15 may be located in the same metal layer or in different metal layers. The multiple second signal lines 15 located in the same metal layer are formed by a halftone mask or a grayscale mask. The thickness of the parts of the metal layers corresponding to the multiple second signal lines 15 located in the same metal layer is different, so that the thickness of the parts of the metal layers corresponding to the multiple second signal lines 15 in the same metal layer is adjusted, so that the impedance of the multiple second signal lines 15 in the same metal layer is similar; wherein, the thickness of different parts of the same metal layer is different through the halftone mask process or the grayscale mask process, thereby achieving the thickness of the parts of the metal layers corresponding to the multiple second signal lines 15 in the same metal layer is different. The multiple second signal lines 15 located in different metal layers are formed by a half-tone mask or a grayscale mask, that is, the several second signal lines 15 in each metal layer are formed by a half-tone mask or a grayscale mask, and the thickness of the partial metal layer corresponding to the several second signal lines 15 in each metal layer is adjusted so that the impedances between the multiple second signal lines 15 located in different metal layers are similar.

[0067] In the embodiment of the present application, the plurality of second signal lines 15 are formed by a halftone mask process or a grayscale mask process, which is particularly suitable for display panels with narrow frames. For narrow frame products, the frame is compressed, the space of the fan-out area BB-1 is compressed, and the space that can be used to set the second signal line 15 is small, especially the plurality of second signal lines 15 at the edge of the side area BB-12 of the fan-out area BB-1 (that is, the plurality of second signal lines 15 at the part of the side area BB-12 away from the middle area BB-11) adjust the impedance by adjusting the line width and / or the spacing between adjacent second signal lines 15. Due to space limitations, the impedance difference between the plurality of second signal lines 15 may be greater than the second threshold, and it is impossible to achieve a plurality of second signal lines 15 with similar impedances; the plurality of second signal lines 15 are formed by a halftone mask process or a grayscale mask process, and the thickness of the metal layer corresponding to the second signal line 15 is adjusted, thereby achieving the adjustment of the impedance of the second signal line 15. The space limitation is small, so the solution provided in the embodiment of the present application is particularly suitable for narrow frame products.

[0068] In one embodiment, the substrate 11 and the pixel circuit unit 12 form an array substrate, and the scan driving unit 13 and the plurality of first signal lines 14 are integrated into the array substrate, that is, the first signal lines 14 are integrated on the array substrate (GIP, Gate In Panel).

[0069] The embodiment of the present application also provides a display device, which includes the display panel provided by the above embodiment, which is conducive to improving the quality of the display device. The display device can be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a television, etc.

[0070] The present application also provides a method for preparing a display panel. Fig. 9 , Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the process of the method for preparing a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0071] The method for preparing a display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application can be used to prepare the display panel provided in the above embodiment.

[0072] The method for preparing a display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application includes:

[0073] Step S01 : forming a metal layer on one side of the substrate 11 .

[0074] Step S02: At the curved edge of the display panel, a halftone mask or a grayscale mask is used to form a plurality of first signal lines 14 in the metal layer, and the thickness of the parts of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of first signal lines 14 are different; or, corresponding to the part of the side area BB-12 away from the middle area BB-11, a halftone mask or a grayscale mask is used to form a plurality of second signal lines 15 in the metal layer, and the thickness of the parts of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines 15 are different.

[0075] Among them, the first signal line 14 is used to connect the scan drive unit 13 and the pixel circuit unit 12, and the second signal line 15 is used to connect the driver chip 18 and the pixel circuit unit 12; the halftone mask or grayscale mask includes a non-fully transparent area, and the non-fully transparent area has a variety of mask penetration rates. The halftone mask or grayscale mask adjusts different film thicknesses by controlling the amount of light transmitted during the exposure process, so that multiple first signal lines 14 or multiple second signal lines 15 with different thicknesses can be formed on the same metal layer.

[0076] The method for manufacturing a display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application has at least the same advantages as the display panel provided in the above embodiment.

[0077] The above are only implementation methods of the present application, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present application specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A display panel, comprising a display area and a non-display area, characterized in that: include: substrate; A pixel circuit unit is provided on one side of the substrate and is located in the display area; A scanning driving unit and a plurality of first signal lines are arranged on a side of the substrate where the pixel circuit unit is arranged, and are located in the non-display area; A plurality of second signal lines are arranged on a side of the substrate where the pixel circuit unit is arranged, and are located in a fan-out area of ​​the non-display area; Wherein, the outline of the display area includes an arc edge; there are a plurality of first signal lines corresponding to the arc edge, the plurality of first signal lines are formed by a halftone mask or a grayscale mask, and the thickness of the partial metal layer corresponding to the plurality of first signal lines is different; and / or, The fan-out area includes a middle area and side areas arranged on both sides of the middle area; at least a plurality of second signal lines in the side area away from the middle area are formed by a halftone mask or a grayscale mask, and the thicknesses of the partial metal layers corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines are different.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of first signal lines or the plurality of second signal lines located on the same metal layer are formed by the halftone mask or the grayscale mask, and the plurality of first signal lines or the plurality of second signal lines located on the same metal layer have different thicknesses of the metal layer corresponding to the parts thereof; the scanning driving unit is connected to the pixel circuit unit through the first signal line; and the second signal line is used to connect the driving chip and the pixel circuit unit.

3. The display panel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A plurality of the first signal lines or a plurality of the second signal lines located in different metal layers are formed by the half-tone mask or the gray-scale mask.

4. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The straight-line distance between the output port of the scan driving unit corresponding to the arc edge and the arc edge is less than or equal to 120 μm; and / or, The line width of the first signal line is 2.5 μm-3.5 μm; and / or, The spacing between adjacent first signal lines located in the same metal layer is 2.5 μm-3.5 μm; and / or, The spacing between adjacent first signal lines located in different metal layers is 0.9 μm-1.5 μm.

5. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outline of the display area is a rounded rectangle, and two adjacent straight sides are connected by an arc edge; the two straight sides are respectively defined as a first straight side and a second straight side; the first straight side is correspondingly provided with the scanning drive unit; along the bending direction of the arc edge from the first straight side to the second straight side, the line length of the plurality of first signal lines gradually becomes longer and / or the line width gradually becomes smaller, and the thickness of the part of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of first signal lines gradually increases.

6. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The middle area has a plurality of second signal lines, the plurality of second signal lines in the middle area are formed by a half-tone mask or a grayscale mask, and the thickness of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines is different.

7. The display panel according to claim 6, characterized in that: Along the direction from the edge of the side area to the center line of the middle area, the lengths of the plurality of second signal lines gradually decrease, and the thickness of the portion of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines gradually decreases.

8. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate and the pixel circuit unit form an array substrate, and the scan driving unit and the plurality of first signal lines are integrated on the array substrate.

9. A display device, characterized in that: A display panel comprising any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A method for preparing a display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the display panel comprises a display area and a non-display area; the contour of the display area comprises an arc edge; the non-display area comprises a fan-out area, and the fan-out area comprises a middle area and side areas arranged on both sides of the middle area; characterized in that: include: forming a metal layer on one side of the substrate; Corresponding to the arc edge, a halftone mask plate or a grayscale mask plate is used to form a plurality of first signal lines on the metal layer, and the thickness of the parts of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of first signal lines is different; or, corresponding to the part of the side area away from the middle area, a halftone mask plate or a grayscale mask plate is used to form a plurality of second signal lines on the metal layer, and the thickness of the parts of the metal layer corresponding to the plurality of second signal lines is different; Among them, the first signal line is used to connect the scan drive unit and the pixel circuit unit, and the second signal line is used to connect the drive chip and the pixel circuit unit; the halftone mask or grayscale mask includes a non-fully light-transmitting area, and the non-fully light-transmitting area has a variety of mask transmittances.

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