Array substrate, liquid crystal display panel, display device and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention provides an array substrate, a liquid crystal display panel, a display device and electronic equipment. The array substrate comprises an array alignment film layer, bosses are arranged at the positions, corresponding to supporting columns, of the surface of the array alignment film layer, and orthographic projections of the bottoms of the supporting columns fall into the ranges of the surfaces of the bosses. According to the array substrate, the concave discs are arranged on the bosses, when the liquid crystal display panel is pressed, the supporting columns directly abut against the concave discs, the concave discs are pressed to prevent the supporting columns from sliding, the supporting columns cannot be stressed to slide to other positions, then the supporting columns are prevented from scratching an array alignment film layer, liquid crystal alignment cannot be affected, and the yield of the liquid crystal display panel is improved. And the condition of red and blue spots is avoided, so that the yield and the stability of the liquid crystal display panel are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of liquid crystal display technology, and in particular to an array substrate, a liquid crystal display panel, a display device and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] Liquid crystal display panels have the advantages of small size, low power consumption, and no radiation. They have been rapidly developed in recent years and currently have a dominant position in the flat panel display market. At present, the liquid crystal display panel includes an array substrate and a color film substrate arranged relatively to each other, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the array substrate and the color film substrate. The array substrate and the color film substrate are separated by a main support column and an auxiliary support column. Among them, the main support column is generally installed in the frame glue position, and is a column that always plays a supporting role under normal working conditions; when the liquid crystal display panel is in a normal unstressed state, the bottom of the auxiliary support column is suspended, leaving a certain gap with the surface of the array substrate. The color film substrate generally includes a glass substrate arranged from top to bottom, a black matrix located in the black matrix area, and a color filter layer, a protective layer, a common electrode layer, and a color film alignment film layer located in the pixel area. The array substrate generally includes a glass substrate, a TFT layer (thin film transistor), a common electrode, an insulating layer, a pixel electrode, and an array alignment film layer arranged from bottom to top. The top of the auxiliary support column is connected to the color film substrate, and a certain gap is left between the bottom and the array substrate.

[0003] During daily use or during back pressure testing of the LCD panel, when the LCD panel is squeezed by external force, the array substrate and color film substrate in the LCD panel will shift, and the auxiliary support columns will also shift. Since the contact surface between the auxiliary support columns and the array substrate is not fixed, the auxiliary support columns will scratch the array alignment film layer on the array substrate, causing the liquid crystal to be unable to turn normally, resulting in light leakage at the scratched area, that is, the red and blue spots will appear, and the damage to the LCD panel caused by the red and blue spots is irreversible.

[0004] In the current solution, the array alignment film layer is usually baked to make the array alignment film layer dryer and scratch-resistant. However, this solution still has the risk of scratching the array alignment film layer, resulting in light leakage. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the current array alignment film layer so that the auxiliary support column will not scratch the array alignment film layer when the liquid crystal display panel is under pressure. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides an array substrate, a liquid crystal display panel, a display device and an electronic device to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an array substrate is provided, comprising an array alignment film layer, a surface of the array alignment film layer having bosses at positions corresponding to support pillars, and an orthographic projection of the bottom of the support pillar falls within the range of the boss surface.

[0007] In one embodiment, the surface of the boss is provided with a plurality of recessed disks which are spaced apart and have elastic reset capability.

[0008] In one possible implementation manner, the concave disc is provided with an exhaust hole;

[0009] The exhaust holes are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the side surface of the concave plate.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the concave discs are arranged in a circular array on the surface of the boss; or, the concave discs are arranged in a square array on the surface of the boss;

[0011] The diameter of the concave disk is between 3 and 5 μm; the depth of the concave disk is between 1 and 2 μm.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the cross-sectional shape of the boss is a circle or a regular polygon;

[0013] The boss and the orthographic projection of the bottom of the support column are concentrically arranged.

[0014] In one possible implementation manner, the height of the boss is 1 / 5 to 1 / 10 of the height of the support column; the diameter or width of the boss is 1.5 to 2 times the bottom diameter of the support column.

[0015] In one possible implementation manner, the support column, the boss and the recessed disk are made of the same material.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a liquid crystal display panel, comprising an array substrate in any one of the embodiments of the first aspect;

[0017] It also includes a color filter substrate arranged in a box with the array substrate, and a plurality of support columns arranged between the color filter substrate and the array substrate; when the liquid crystal display panel is not subjected to force, a gap is left between the bottom of the support column and the boss of the array substrate; when the liquid crystal display panel is subjected to force, the bottom of the support column abuts against the boss.

[0018] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a display device is provided, comprising the liquid crystal display panel.

[0019] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising the display device.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present application are as follows: 1) The present application sets a boss on the array alignment film layer of the array substrate, and the boss corresponds to the support column. When the support column is subjected to pressure, the support column will be in diameter corresponding to the boss, thereby preventing damage to the alignment film of the liquid crystal part, thereby not affecting the liquid crystal alignment, and not causing the red and blue spot phenomenon. 2) In the array substrate of the present application, a concave disk is provided on the boss. When the liquid crystal display panel is subjected to pressing force, the support column is directly pressed against the concave disk. The concave disk is pressed to prevent the support column from sliding, so that the support column will not slide to other positions under force, thereby preventing the support column from scratching the array alignment film layer, thereby not affecting the liquid crystal alignment, and not causing the red and blue spot phenomenon, thereby improving the yield and stability of the liquid crystal display panel.

[0021] It should be understood that the content described in this section is not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will become readily understood by reading the detailed description below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, several embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in an exemplary and non-limiting manner, in which:

[0023] In the drawings, the same or corresponding reference numerals represent the same or corresponding parts.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a liquid crystal display panel in the prior art is shown;

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a liquid crystal display panel in the prior art under a stress state;

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a liquid crystal display panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the structure of a liquid crystal display panel under force according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0028] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of bosses and recesses provided on the array alignment film layer of an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0029] Explanation of the numbers in the figure: 1-array substrate, 2-support column, 3-color film substrate, 4-liquid crystal layer, 11-array alignment film layer, 12-pixel electrode, 13-insulating layer, 14-common electrode, 15-TFT layer, 16-glass substrate, 17-boss, 18-concave disk. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to make the purpose, features, and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and easy to understand, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the existing liquid crystal display panel (LCD) includes an array substrate 1 and a color filter substrate 3 arranged opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal layer 4 sandwiched between the array substrate 1 and the color filter substrate 3 (CF), and a support column (PS column) 2 is also provided between the array substrate 1 and the color filter substrate 3. The color filter substrate 3 generally includes a glass substrate arranged from top to bottom, a black matrix located in the black matrix area, and a color filter layer, a protective layer, a common electrode layer, and a color filter alignment film layer located in the pixel area. The array substrate 1 generally includes a glass substrate 16, a TFT layer (thin film transistor) 15, a common electrode 14, an insulating layer 13, a pixel electrode 12, and an array alignment film layer (PI) 11 arranged from bottom to top.

[0032] The top of the support column (PS) 2 is connected to the color filter substrate 3, and there is a gap between the bottom and the array substrate. In a normal unstressed state, there is a certain gap between the bottom of the support column 2 and the array substrate 1, that is, when the LCD is not under pressure, the bottom of the support column is suspended. When the LCD is accidentally subjected to external pressure, the support column 2 increases the overall support strength of the PS column by supporting the array substrate to prevent the LCD from being damaged by external forces. However, when the LCD is subjected to pressure, a relative displacement will occur between the array substrate and the color filter substrate. Under a large pressure, since the pressure applied by each support column to the array alignment film layer 11 on the array substrate is too large, the support column 2 will scratch the array alignment film layer 11. Since the array alignment film layer 11 is used to arrange and rotate the liquid crystal molecules to control the alignment, once the array alignment film layer at the liquid crystal molecules is scratched, it will affect the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules and cause alignment film debris, resulting in red and blue spots.

[0033] like Figure 2 The simplified schematic diagram of the liquid crystal display panel is shown. At present, when the liquid crystal display panel is not under stress, there is a gap between the bottom of the support column 2 and the surface of the array alignment film layer 11. When the liquid crystal display panel is under pressure, the support column 2 scratches the array alignment film layer 11 because the pressure applied by each support column (PS) to the array alignment film layer 11 on the array substrate side is too large, resulting in alignment film debris on the array alignment film layer, affecting the liquid crystal alignment, and forming red and blue fragmented bright spots. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, the present application provides an array substrate 1.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 3-5 As shown, the present application provides an array substrate 1, including an array alignment film layer 11, a surface of the array alignment film layer 11 is provided with a boss 17 at a position corresponding to the support column 2, and the orthographic projection of the bottom of the support column 2 falls within the range of the surface of the boss 17.

[0035] The array substrate 1 of the present application is provided with a boss 17 protruding from the surface of the film layer on the array alignment film layer 11, and the boss is arranged corresponding to the support column. When there is no force normally, there is a gap between the boss 17 and the bottom of the support column 2, such as Figure 4 As shown, when the liquid crystal display panel is subjected to force, the bottom of the support column 2 can directly press against the surface of the boss 17, and will not slide to other positions under force, thereby preventing the support column 2 from scratching the array alignment film layer 11, and will not affect the liquid crystal alignment, and will not cause red and blue spots, thereby ensuring the yield and stability of the array substrate 1 of the present application. In the present application, the boss 17 is provided on the array alignment film layer 11, which reduces the risk of the alignment film layer being scratched, improves the function of the array alignment film layer, thereby improving the uniformity and stability of the arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules, and thereby ensuring the stability of the array substrate and even the entire liquid crystal display panel.

[0036] For example, since users have different requirements for the specifications of liquid crystal display panels, the mask designs of liquid crystal display panels are also different, and the width and height of the support pillars PS are also inconsistent. Therefore, it is impossible to make specific requirements on the height and width of the boss 17 on the array alignment film layer 11. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the optimal boss size through simulation and calculation based on the design requirements and performance goals of the liquid crystal display panel.

[0037] Therefore, in this application, the height of the boss 17 is 1 / 5 to 1 / 10 of the height of the support column 2. The height of the boss 17 does not need to be too high, and the diameter should match the diameter of the bottom of the support column to ensure uniform distribution of pressure. The specific height needs to be determined according to the structure and actual needs of the liquid crystal display panel. If the height of the boss is too low, it may not be able to effectively support the support column. If the boss is too high, it may cause excessive tension in the film, thereby affecting the display effect. For example, the height of the boss 17 is recommended to be between 2 and 5 μm.

[0038] For example, the cross-sectional shape of the boss 17 is a circle or a regular polygon. The boss 17 is concentrically arranged with the orthographic projection of the bottom of the support column 2. The regular polygon includes but is not limited to an equilateral triangle, a regular quadrilateral, a regular pentagon, and a regular hexagon. Preferably, the cross-sectional shape of the boss 17 is a circle, and the circular boss is easy to process. That is, the boss 17 is a circular boss, and a circular boss protruding from the surface of the film layer is formed on the array alignment film layer 11 under each support column 2. When the support column (PS) is subjected to pressure, the support column 2 will directly correspond to the pressing of the array alignment film layer on the circular boss, and the contact with the support column will be more uniform, thus reducing stress concentration and preventing the array alignment film layer at the liquid crystal part from being scratched, thereby not affecting the liquid crystal alignment and not generating red and blue spots.

[0039] For example, the diameter or width of the boss 17 should be 1.5 to 2 times the bottom diameter of the support column 2. This is to ensure that the boss 17 can provide sufficient support so that the support column 2 can evenly contact the boss surface, ensure that the force between the support column and the boss surface is uniform, and prevent the support column from scratching the surface of the boss, resulting in scratches on the array alignment film layer. For example, when the cross-section of the boss is circular, the bottom diameter of the support column is 15μm, and the boss diameter is 25 microns. When the cross-section of the boss is a regular polygon, such as a regular quadrilateral, the bottom diameter of the support column is 15μm, and the boss width is 25 microns. For example, when the cross-section of the boss is a regular polygon with more than four sides, such as a regular pentagon, a regular hexagon, etc., the so-called boss width can be the minimum value of the line between two opposite sides and passing through the center of the circumscribed circle. Therefore, in order to facilitate processing and save production costs, the boss 17 of the present application is preferably a boss with a circular cross-section, that is, a cylindrical shape. The cylindrical boss has more uniform contact with the support column and helps to reduce stress concentration. The diameter of the circular boss can be between 10 and 30 μm.

[0040] For example, the general shape of the support column 2 is cylindrical or truncated cone. When the shape of the support column is truncated cone, the diameter of the top of the support column is larger than the diameter of the bottom. Therefore, when the LCD is subjected to force, the bottom of the support column presses against the surface of the boss. Therefore, the orthographic projection of the bottom of the support column falls within the range of the boss surface. Since the orthographic projection of the bottom of the support column on the boss is circular, the center of the orthographic projection of the bottom of the support column 2 can be set co-centered with the center of the boss. When the LCD is subjected to force, the boss can support the support column to the maximum extent to prevent the support column from scratching out of the boss.

[0041] In one embodiment, a plurality of recessed disks 18 are disposed at intervals on the surface of the boss 17 and have elastic restoring capability.

[0042] like Figure 5As shown, the concave disk 18 is generally a dish-shaped structure with convex sides and concave inside, so that the concave disk 18 protrudes from the surface of the boss 17 as a whole. The concave disk 18 has elastic reset ability, that is, the concave disk 18 can be deformed by pressure and undergo elastic deformation, and can return to its original state after the external force is removed. Therefore, when the LCD is not subjected to force, there is a gap between the concave disk 18 and the bottom of the support column 2; when the LCD is subjected to force, the bottom of the support column 2 directly presses against the concave disk 18 on the surface of the boss, and the bottom of the support column 2 presses the concave disk 18 down, and the two are in close contact. The concave disk 18 can absorb part of the pressure of the support column, further fix the bottom of the support column, prevent relative displacement between the array substrate and the color film substrate, prevent the bottom of the support column 2 from scratching the array alignment film layer 11 near the boss, and improve the arrangement uniformity and stability of the liquid crystal molecules.

[0043] For example, the depth and diameter of the concave disc 18 should be designed according to the specific requirements of the liquid crystal display panel. The depth of the concave disc 18 can help absorb part of the pressure and reduce scratches on the PI film.

[0044] Furthermore, the concave disk 18 is provided with exhaust holes. The exhaust holes are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the side surface of the concave disk. The arrangement of the exhaust holes allows the support column 2 to press against the concave disk 18 on the surface of the boss 17. As the concave disk 18 is squeezed and deformed, the air in the concave disk is discharged from the exhaust holes, so that the inside of the concave disk is in a negative pressure state, adsorbing the bottom surface of the support column, thereby absorbing part of the pressure of the support column, preventing the support column from scratching out of the boss range, and reducing the risk of scratching the array alignment film layer.

[0045] Furthermore, the surfaces of the boss and the concave disc are smoothed to reduce the risk of friction and scratches.

[0046] For example, the support column 2, the boss 17 and the concave plate 18 are made of the same material, such as polystyrene. In the present application, the material of the boss and the concave plate is the same as the material of the boss. This choice can usually provide better support performance, pressure resistance and higher mechanical stability, and can effectively support and protect the PI alignment film (array alignment film layer) and reduce the risk of scratches.

[0047] For example, the diameter of the concave disc 18 is between 3 and 5 μm, and the depth of the concave disc is between 1 and 2 μm. The concave discs 18 are arranged in a circular array on the surface of the boss 17; or, the concave discs 18 are arranged in a square array on the surface of the boss 17. That is, the concave discs 18 can be arranged in a matrix on the surface of the boss, or can be formed on the surface of the boss in a circular shape from the inside to the outside. Therefore, generally speaking, the diameter of each concave disc 18 should be as small and precise as possible to ensure that the concave disc matches the support column as much as possible. The depth of the concave disc is between 1 and 2 microns, which can accommodate the support column and maintain good contact.

[0048] In terms of technology, modern LCD manufacturing processes (such as photolithography, etching, etc.) can achieve nanometer-level precision, so the dimensions of the convex and concave plates designed in this application are technically feasible. This requires the use of high-precision photolithography and etching technology to achieve the design requirements.

[0049] Among them, the mask (also known as the mask) is designed with extremely high precision, and the convex pattern is usually designed on the mask, and the pattern is transferred to the substrate during the photolithography process. These patterns include PS columns and convex platforms as well as the position and shape of concave disks.

[0050] Photolithography: A photomask is used to block the light so that ultraviolet (UV) light can pass through the pattern on the photomask and transfer the pattern to a substrate coated with photoresist. The photoresist undergoes chemical changes after exposure, and then the unexposed or exposed part of the photoresist is removed through the development process, thereby forming the desired pattern on the substrate.

[0051] Alignment and exposure: During the photolithography process, the mask and substrate are accurately aligned to ensure accurate transfer of the pattern. The existing high-precision interference alignment system can be used to align and then expose to transfer the pattern on the mask to the substrate.

[0052] The engraved substrate will go through several repeated processes: etching, deposition, cleaning, and finally form PS columns (support columns), bosses, and concave disks. Therefore, the photomask, photolithography, alignment and exposure, etching, deposition, and cleaning can be obtained by using existing known technologies, which will not be repeated here.

[0053] In a second aspect, the present disclosure further provides a liquid crystal display panel, such as Figure 3-4 As shown, it includes the above-mentioned array substrate 1; it also includes a color filter substrate 3 arranged in a box with the array substrate 1, and a plurality of support pillars 2 arranged between the color filter substrate 3 and the array substrate 1; when the liquid crystal display panel is not subjected to force, a gap is left between the bottom of the support pillar and the concave disk 18 on the surface of the boss of the array substrate; when the liquid crystal display panel is subjected to force, the bottom of the support pillar 2 abuts against the concave disk on the surface of the boss. When the liquid crystal display panel with the array substrate 1 is subjected to force, the support pillar 2 can prevent the array alignment film layer 11 from being scratched by the array substrate 1, so that the liquid crystal alignment will not be affected, and the red and blue spots will not appear, thereby ensuring the yield and stability of the liquid crystal display panel.

[0054] In a third aspect, the present disclosure further provides a display device, including a liquid crystal display panel.

[0055] In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure further provides an electronic device, including a display device. When the liquid crystal display panel is subjected to force, the support column 2 can be prevented from scratching the array alignment film layer 11, and the liquid crystal alignment will not be affected, and the red-blue spot condition will not occur. Therefore, the display device and the electronic device having the liquid crystal display panel will not have the red-blue spot condition, thereby ensuring the yield and stability of the display device and the electronic device.

[0056] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to reorder, add or delete steps. For example, the steps recorded in this disclosure can be executed in parallel, sequentially or in different orders, as long as the desired results of the technical solutions disclosed in this disclosure can be achieved, and this document does not limit this.

[0057] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present disclosure, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0058] The orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0059] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0060] Furthermore, those skilled in the art may combine and associate different embodiments or examples and features of different embodiments or examples described in this specification without mutual contradiction.

[0061] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present disclosure, which should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An array substrate, comprising an array alignment film layer, characterized in that: A boss is provided on the surface of the array alignment film layer at a position corresponding to the support column, and the orthographic projection of the bottom of the support column falls within the range of the boss surface.

2. The array substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the boss is provided with a plurality of recessed disks which are arranged at intervals and have elastic reset capability.

3. The array substrate according to claim 2, characterized in that: The concave plate is provided with an exhaust hole; The exhaust holes are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the side surface of the concave plate.

4. The array substrate according to claim 2, characterized in that: The concave disks are arranged on the surface of the boss in a circular array; or, the concave disks are arranged on the surface of the boss in a square array; The diameter of the concave disk is between 3 and 5 μm; the depth of the concave disk is between 1 and 2 μm.

5. The array substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cross-sectional shape of the boss is a circle or a regular polygon; The boss and the orthographic projection of the bottom of the support column are concentrically arranged.

6. The array substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The height of the boss is 1 / 5 to 1 / 10 of the height of the support column; the diameter or width of the boss is 1.5 to 2 times the bottom diameter of the support column.

7. The array substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The support column, the boss and the concave plate are made of the same material.

8. A liquid crystal display panel, characterized in that: An array substrate comprising any one of claims 1 to 7; It also includes a color filter substrate arranged in a box with the array substrate, and a plurality of support columns arranged between the color filter substrate and the array substrate; when the liquid crystal display panel is not subjected to force, a gap is left between the bottom of the support column and the boss of the array substrate; when the liquid crystal display panel is subjected to force, the bottom of the support column abuts against the boss.

9. A display device, characterized in that: Comprising the liquid crystal display panel as claimed in claim 8.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: A display device comprising the display device according to claim 9.

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