A low-cost self-luminous OLED transmissive aiming lens and its manufacturing method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a low-cost self-luminous OLED transmissive aiming lens and a manufacturing method thereof. The aiming lens includes a glass substrate with high transmittance, on which an aiming auxiliary line and an OLED light-emitting layer are provided. The aiming auxiliary line is made by lithography technology and is composed of a superposition of a transparent conductive film and a high-reflectivity metal conductive film, which improves the contrast and uniformity of the light-emitting pattern. In the manufacturing method, an ordinary evaporation mask template is combined with an electrode patterning process to generate the aiming auxiliary line pattern, and the patterning of the transparent cathode and the anode connection area is gradually completed, which not only reduces the cost but also avoids the problem of hole blockage in the production of fine mask templates, and the consistency of the light-emitting area is higher. Finally, a transparent thin film encapsulation layer is covered on the surface of the light-emitting layer, effectively improving the environmental adaptability and service life of the product; the present invention can reduce the cost, and the product has good aiming accuracy and environmental adaptability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field, and particularly to a low-cost self-luminous OLED transmissive aiming lens and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] To meet the usage requirements of high-precision optical sights in the outdoor field, the central reticle cue line of the sight needs to have the ability of self-luminescence to form a cue for a sight point with a higher contrast, thereby improving the aiming accuracy. The transmissive self-luminous sight is widely used in the telescopic observation fields such as optical aiming and auxiliary observation due to its characteristics of no electronic noise, high transmittance, high contrast of the sight point, and customizable, etc., and it is the core device for improving the aiming and observation capabilities.

[0003] For a general transmissive sight, its aiming mark area adopts the form of a metal reticle line, mainly a metal cross or a metal circle. Through the superposition of the transmissive pattern at the center of the aiming mark and the external environment, the central cue function of the sight is formed. However, since the metal reticle line does not have the ability of self-luminescence, when the marks in the aiming cue area are in an environment with bright and dark intervals during aiming and the outdoor background environment, it is easy to form mutual interference, resulting in the problem of difficult identification of the aiming area marks. Generally, a general transmissive sight usually uses a ring-shaped LED to irradiate the central reticle aiming area to form central luminescence, which can solve the problem that the marks in the aiming cue area are easy to interfere with the outdoor background environment during aiming, resulting in difficult identification of the aiming area. However, the ring-shaped LED light source has disadvantages such as high power consumption and large volume, and it is inconvenient to use.

[0004] Moreover, the known schemes for using OLED as the light-emitting design of the transparent reticle aiming area mostly use the method of evaporation coating through a fine mask template transfer to form a specific light-emitting pattern. Since the width of the auxiliary aiming line of a general sight is only a few micrometers wide, it is necessary to use a more expensive customized fine mask template, and it is easy to have problems such as the line width becoming smaller with the passage of time due to the evaporation and accumulation of the film thickness during the production process.

[0005] In summary, the existing technical schemes for manufacturing OLED transmissive aiming lenses using fine mask templates have problems such as high manufacturing cost and easy clogging of holes during the production process. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical Objective: Aiming at the deficiencies of the existing aiming lens structure and manufacturing method, the present invention discloses a low-cost self-luminous OLED transmissive aiming lens and a manufacturing method thereof. By introducing the electrode patterning structure technology and combining with a common evaporation mask template, a high-brightness OLED light-emitting pattern with self-luminescence ability and aiming cue effect is formed, solving the problem of too high OLED manufacturing cost caused by the introduction of a fine mask template, and providing a solution for low-cost and lightweight optical sights.

[0007] Technical solution: To achieve the above technical objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] A low-cost self-luminous OLED transmissive aiming lens, including a glass substrate with high transmittance, on which aiming auxiliary lines are provided. The aiming auxiliary lines include a horizontal observation auxiliary line, an aiming observation auxiliary line, a cathode connection line, an anode connection line, a cathode external connection area, and an anode external connection area. The horizontal observation auxiliary line is arranged on the surface of the glass substrate to provide a horizontal alignment reference. The aiming observation auxiliary line is located at the center of the glass substrate to provide an aiming reference. The cathode connection line connects the cathode external connection area. One end of the anode connection line is connected to the aiming observation auxiliary line, and the other end is connected to the anode external connection area. Both the cathode external connection area and the anode external connection area are located at the edge of the glass substrate and are symmetrically arranged;

[0009] An OLED light-emitting layer is also provided on the glass substrate, and the OLED light-emitting layer covers the aiming observation auxiliary line and part of the anode connection line. The part where the OLED light-emitting layer contacts the aiming observation auxiliary line combines to form a light-emitting spot.

[0010] Preferably, the aiming auxiliary line is composed of a superposition of a metal conductive film with high reflectivity and a transparent conductive film with high transmittance, and the metal conductive film is located on the upper layer of the transparent conductive film.

[0011] Preferably, the aiming auxiliary line is formed into an image through a photolithography patterning process, and a specific graphic effect is formed by the metal conductive film and the transparent conductive film. The metal conductive film constitutes a reflective graphic surface, and the transparent conductive film is connected to the anode connection line after being patterned.

[0012] Preferably, the thickness range of the metal conductive film is 30nm - 150nm, and the thickness range of the transparent conductive film is 50nm - 150nm.

[0013] Preferably, the surface of the OLED light-emitting layer is respectively covered with a semi-transparent metal cathode and a dense transparent thin film encapsulation layer. The transparent thin film encapsulation layer is located above the semi-transparent metal cathode, and a transparent cathode connection area is provided below the semi-transparent metal cathode. The transparent cathode connection area is connected to the cathode connection line.

[0014] Preferably, the OLED light-emitting layer is one of red, green, yellow, or other specific colors.

[0015] Preferably, the thickness range of the OLED light-emitting layer is 100nm - 300nm, and the thickness range of the semi-transparent metal cathode is 10nm - 20nm.

[0016] Preferably, the transparent thin film encapsulation layer is grown using a transparent medium, and the constituent materials include one or more of SiO2, SiON, SiN, Al2O3, TiO2, and the total thickness is 1μm.

[0017] Preferably, a transparent anode connection region is also provided at a position vertically symmetric to the transparent cathode connection region on the glass substrate.

[0018] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a low-cost self-luminous OLED transmissive aiming lens for manufacturing the above-mentioned low-cost self-luminous OLED transmissive aiming lens, including the following steps:

[0019] Step 1: Sputter ITO film, metal Al, and TiN film on the glass substrate in sequence to form a transparent conductive film and a metal conductive film.

[0020] Step 2: Spin-coat a layer of photoresist on the glass substrate obtained in Step 1, and use an exposure machine to expose to form patterns of specific alignment marks, horizontal observation auxiliary lines, aiming observation auxiliary lines, cathode connection lines, anode connection lines, cathode external connection regions, and anode external connection regions, and complete the production of the first patterning.

[0021] Step 3: Use an etching device to perform an etching action on the surface of the glass substrate, leaving the patterns of the metal conductive film and the transparent conductive film regions formed in Step 2.

[0022] Step 4: Spin-coat a layer of photoresist on the glass substrate obtained in Step 3, and use an exposure machine to expose according to the alignment marks formed in Step 1, thereby completing the exposure and development of the pattern of the transparent cathode connection region, and completing the production of the second patterning.

[0023] Step 5: Use an etching device to perform a metal etching process on the surface of the glass substrate, thereby completing the second patterning and leaving the pattern of the transparent cathode connection region.

[0024] Step 6: Use an organic evaporation pattern mask to complete the evaporation of a specific region of the OLED light-emitting layer to obtain the OLED light-emitting layer, and then replace the cathode evaporation mask to complete the evaporation of a specific region of the semi-transparent metal cathode to obtain the semi-transparent metal cathode.

[0025] Step 7: Use a thin-film encapsulation device to complete the production of a dense transparent thin-film encapsulation layer on the glass substrate.

[0026] Step 8: Use a cutting device to cut the processed glass substrate into a specific pattern to complete the production.

[0027] Beneficial effects: The low-cost self-luminous OLED transmissive aiming lens and its manufacturing method provided by the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0028] By using a common evaporation mask instead of a fine mask and combining it with the photolithography process of electrode patterning, a specific aiming auxiliary line structure is formed on the glass substrate in the present invention. It can achieve a smaller width of the auxiliary line, resulting in a smaller affected area during auxiliary observation, greatly improving the auxiliary effect of the aiming lens. At the same time, it has the characteristics of high consistency in the size of the light-emitting area, which can effectively avoid the problem of discontinuous light-emitting areas caused by unclear light-emitting brightness due to uneven film thickness at the evaporation edge or material clogging of holes during the evaporation process when using a fine mask to fabricate the light-emitting pattern, effectively improving the production efficiency and significantly reducing the manufacturing cost and maintenance cost, and the process is simple and controllable.

[0029] The present invention adopts a stacked structure design of a transparent conductive film and a high-reflectivity metal conductive film, making the aiming auxiliary line not only have light transmittance but also provide higher contrast when emitting light. Especially in the OLED light-emitting layer at the position of the aiming observation auxiliary line, it can directly combine with the transparent conductive film to form a clear light-emitting spot. This structural feature makes the edge of the light-emitting area uniform and the light-emitting brightness consistent, ensuring that the aiming point is always clearly visible in various environments, thus improving the aiming accuracy and user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art.

[0031] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the aiming auxiliary line of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 It is a schematic longitudinal structural diagram of the OLED light-emitting layer area of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the completed OLED transparent anode;

[0034] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the completed OLED transparent cathode;

[0035] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the aiming auxiliary display state when lit;

[0036] Figure 6 It is a flowchart of the manufacturing method of the low-cost self-luminous OLED transmissive aiming lens of the present invention.

[0037] In the figure: 101, cathode external connection area; 201, cathode connection line; 301, transparent cathode connection area; 401, aiming and observation auxiliary line; 4011, transparent conductive film; 4012, metal conductive film; 402, OLED light-emitting layer; 403, semi-transparent metal cathode; 501, horizontal observation auxiliary line; 601, transparent anode connection area; 701, anode connection line; 801, anode external connection area; 901, transparent thin film encapsulation layer. Detailed implementation mode

[0038] The present invention will be more clearly and completely described below by way of a preferred embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the described embodiments.

[0039] As Figure 1 shown, the present invention provides a low-cost self-luminous OLED transmissive aiming lens, including a glass substrate with high transmittance. An aiming auxiliary line is arranged on the glass substrate. The aiming auxiliary line includes a horizontal observation auxiliary line 501, an aiming and observation auxiliary line 401, a cathode connection line 201, an anode connection line 701, a cathode external connection area 101, and an anode external connection area 801. The horizontal observation auxiliary line 501 is arranged on the surface of the glass substrate and is used to provide a horizontal alignment reference. It is located on the horizontal center line of the glass substrate. The aiming and observation auxiliary line 401 is located at the center of the glass substrate and is used to provide an aiming reference. The aiming and observation auxiliary line is circular and does not contact the horizontal observation auxiliary line 501. The cathode connection line 201 connects the cathode external connection area 101 and is located on the vertical center line of the upper half of the glass substrate. One end of the anode connection line 701 is connected to the aiming and observation auxiliary line 401, and the other end is connected to the anode external connection area 801 and is located on the vertical center line of the lower half of the glass substrate, forming a light-emitting anode and an anode lighting interface. The cathode external connection area 101 and the anode external connection area 801 are both located at the edge of the glass substrate and are symmetrically arranged;

[0040] An OLED light-emitting layer 402 is also arranged on the glass substrate, and the OLED light-emitting layer 402 covers the aiming and observation auxiliary line 401 and part of the anode connection line 701. The OLED light-emitting layer 402 is circular, and the part where the OLED light-emitting layer 402 contacts the aiming and observation auxiliary line 401 combines to form a light-emitting spot 404.

[0041] In one embodiment, as Figure 2 shown, the aiming auxiliary line is composed of a metal conductive film 4012 with high reflectivity and a transparent conductive film 4011 with high transmittance stacked, and the metal conductive film 4012 is located on the upper layer of the transparent conductive film 4011.

[0042] As Figure 3As shown, the aiming auxiliary line is formed into an image through a photolithography patterning process, and a specific graphic effect is formed by the metal conductive film 4012 and the transparent conductive film 4011. Among them, the metal conductive film 4012 constitutes the reflective graphic surface, and after the transparent conductive film 4011 is patterned, it is connected to the anode connection line 701.

[0043] In one embodiment, the thickness range of the metal conductive film 4012 is 30nm to 150nm, and the thickness range of the transparent conductive film 4011 is 50nm to 150nm.

[0044] In one embodiment, as Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the surface of the OLED light-emitting layer 402 is respectively covered with a semi-transparent metal cathode 403 and a dense transparent thin film encapsulation layer 901, which are used to prevent the erosion of water and oxygen in the air on the OLED material and improve the working life and optical transmittance of the light-emitting material; the transparent thin film encapsulation layer 901 is grown using a transparent medium, and the constituent materials include one or more of SiO2, SiON, SiN, Al2O3, TiO2, and the total thickness is 1μm;

[0045] The transparent thin film encapsulation layer 901 is located above the semi-transparent metal cathode 403. A transparent cathode connection area 301 is provided below the semi-transparent metal cathode 403, and the transparent cathode connection area 301 is connected to the cathode connection line 201. Among them, the part of the semi-transparent metal cathode 403 in contact with the OLED light-emitting layer 402 is circular in shape and completely covers the OLED light-emitting layer 402. The part of the semi-transparent metal cathode 403 located in the transparent cathode connection area 301 is arc-shaped and is connected to its circular part through a straight line.

[0046] In one embodiment, the OLED light-emitting layer 402 is one of red, green, yellow or other specific colors.

[0047] In one embodiment, the thickness of the OLED light-emitting layer 402 varies according to the requirements of the light-emitting device, and the typical thickness range is 100nm to 300nm. The thickness of the semi-transparent metal cathode 403 varies according to the requirements of the optical design, and the typical thickness range is 10nm to 20nm.

[0048] A transparent anode connection area 601 is also provided at a position vertically symmetric to the transparent cathode connection area 301 on the glass substrate. The transparent anode connection area 601 is located below the OLED light-emitting layer 402 and is bisected into two parts by the anode connection line 701, and neither part is in contact with the OLED light-emitting layer 402 and the anode connection line 701.

[0049] As Figure 5As shown in the figure, the working method of the low-cost self-luminous OLED transmissive aiming lens provided by the present invention is as follows: A positive voltage is applied to the anode external connection area 801, and a connection loop is connected to the cathode external connection area 101. After the OLED light-emitting layer 402 located above the aiming observation auxiliary line 401 is powered on, light is emitted, and after being reflected by the aiming auxiliary line metal conductive layer 4012 with high reflectivity, a reflected light-emitting area 404 is formed, and finally a patterned aiming auxiliary effect is formed.

[0050] The working method also includes that when the voltage range is set to 0~20V, a gradually changing aiming auxiliary spot effect can be observed, and the aiming auxiliary effect gradually becomes brighter as the applied voltage increases, forming a light-emitting auxiliary aiming effect in different application scenarios.

[0051] As Figure 6 shown in the figure, the present invention also provides a manufacturing method of a low-cost self-luminous OLED transmissive aiming lens for manufacturing the above-mentioned low-cost self-luminous OLED transmissive aiming lens, including the following steps:

[0052] Step 1: Sputter ITO film, metal Al, and TiN film on the glass substrate in sequence to form a transparent conductive film 4011 and a metal conductive film 4012. The transparent conductive film will serve as the anode substrate, and the metal conductive film will be used for reflection and conduction to improve the contrast and reflection effect of the aiming auxiliary line.

[0053] Step 2: Spin-coat a layer of photoresist on the glass substrate obtained in Step 1, and use an exposure machine to expose to form patterns of specific alignment marks, horizontal observation auxiliary line 501, aiming observation auxiliary line 401, cathode connection line 201, anode connection line 701, cathode external connection area 101, and anode external connection area 801, completing the production of the first patterning. These patterns constitute the basic electrode structure of the aiming lens for forming electrical connections and visual references;

[0054] Step 3: Use an etching device to perform an etching action on the surface of the glass substrate, which is completed by using a conventional metal etching process, leaving the patterns of the metal conductive film 4012 and the transparent conductive film 4011 formed in Step 2;

[0055] This step ensures the accuracy of the auxiliary line pattern and improves the contrast of the light-emitting area.

[0056] Step 4: Spin-coat a layer of photoresist on the glass substrate obtained in Step 3, and use an exposure machine to expose according to the alignment marks formed in Step 1, thereby completing the exposure and development of the pattern of the transparent cathode connection area 301, completing the production of the second patterning;

[0057] This step is used to define the connection area of the cathode region and ensure that the two ends of the OLED are respectively an opaque anode and a transparent cathode connection area, so as to separate the anode and cathode regions and form a characteristic light-emitting pattern.

[0058] Step Five: Use an etching device to perform a metal etching process on the surface of the glass substrate, thereby completing the second patterning process and leaving the pattern of the transparent cathode connection area 301.

[0059] Step Six: Use an organic evaporation pattern mask to complete the evaporation of a specific area of the OLED light-emitting layer to obtain the OLED light-emitting layer 402, and then replace the cathode evaporation mask to complete the evaporation of a specific area of the semi-transparent metal cathode to obtain the semi-transparent metal cathode 403.

[0060] Step Seven: Use a thin-film encapsulation device to complete the production of a dense transparent thin-film encapsulation layer 901 on the glass substrate.

[0061] The transparent thin-film encapsulation layer 901 is made of one or more of transparent media such as SiO2, SiON, SiN, Al2O3, and TiO2, with a total thickness of 1 μm, so as to block the erosion of moisture and oxygen in the environment on the OLED material, thereby improving the stability and lifespan of the light-emitting layer.

[0062] Step Eight: Use a cutting device to cut a specific pattern on the processed glass substrate to complete the production.

[0063] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the principle of the present invention, several improvements and refinements can be made, and these improvements and refinements should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A low-cost self-luminous OLED light-transmitting aiming lens, characterized in that: A glass substrate with high transmittance is provided on the glass substrate, wherein the glass substrate is provided with aiming auxiliary lines, the aiming auxiliary lines comprising a horizontal observation auxiliary line (501), an aiming observation auxiliary line (401), a cathode connection line (201), an anode connection line (701), a cathode external connection area (101) and an anode external connection area (801), wherein the horizontal observation auxiliary line (501) is provided on the surface of the glass substrate and is used to provide a horizontal alignment reference, the aiming observation auxiliary line (401) is located at the center of the glass substrate and is used to provide an aiming reference, the cathode connection line (201) is connected to the cathode external connection area (101), one end of the anode connection line (701) is connected to the aiming observation auxiliary line (401) and the other end is connected to the anode external connection area (801), and the cathode external connection area (101) and the anode external connection area (801) are both located at the edge of the glass substrate and are symmetrically arranged; An OLED light-emitting layer (402) is also provided on the glass substrate, and the OLED light-emitting layer (402) covers the aiming and observation auxiliary line (401) and part of the anode connection line (701), and the part of the OLED light-emitting layer (402) in contact with the aiming and observation auxiliary line (401) is combined to form a light-emitting spot (404); the aiming auxiliary line is composed of a metal conductive film (4012) with a high reflectivity and a transparent conductive film (4011) with a high transmittance, and the metal conductive film (4012) is located on the upper layer of the transparent conductive film (4011); the aiming auxiliary line is patterned by a photolithography patterning process, and the metal conductive film (4012) and the transparent conductive film (4011) form a specific pattern effect, wherein the metal conductive film (4012) constitutes a reflective pattern surface, and the transparent conductive film (4011) is connected to the anode connection line (701) after patterning.

2. A low-cost self-luminous OLED light-transmitting aiming lens according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the metal conductive film (4012) ranges from 30nm to 150nm, and the thickness of the transparent conductive film (4011) ranges from 50nm to 150nm.

3. The low-cost self-luminous OLED light-transmitting aiming lens according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the OLED light-emitting layer (402) is respectively covered with a semi-transparent metal cathode (403) and a dense transparent thin film encapsulation layer (901); the transparent thin film encapsulation layer (901) is located above the semi-transparent metal cathode (403); a transparent cathode connection area (301) is provided below the semi-transparent metal cathode (403); and the transparent cathode connection area (301) is connected to a cathode connection line (201).

4. A low-cost self-luminous OLED light-transmitting aiming lens according to claim 3, characterized in that: The OLED light-emitting layer (402) is one of red, green and yellow.

5. The low-cost self-luminous OLED light-transmitting aiming lens according to claim 3, characterized in that: The thickness of the OLED light-emitting layer (402) ranges from 100 nm to 300 nm, and the thickness of the semi-transparent metal cathode (403) ranges from 10 nm to 20 nm.

6. The low-cost self-luminous OLED light-transmitting aiming lens according to claim 3, characterized in that: The transparent thin film encapsulation layer (901) is grown using a transparent medium, and its constituent materials include one or more of SiO2, SiON, SiN, Al2O3, and TiO2, with a total thickness of 1 μm.

7. The low-cost self-luminous OLED light-transmitting aiming lens according to claim 3, characterized in that: A transparent anode connection area (601) is also provided at a position vertically symmetrical to the transparent cathode connection area (301) on the glass substrate.

8. A method for manufacturing a low-cost self-luminous OLED light-transmitting aiming lens, used for manufacturing a low-cost self-luminous OLED light-transmitting aiming lens as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1: sputtering an ITO film and metal Al and TiN films on a glass substrate in sequence to form a transparent conductive film and a metal conductive film; Step 2, spin-coating a layer of photoresist on the glass substrate obtained in step 1, and using an exposure machine to form specific alignment marks, horizontal observation auxiliary lines, aiming observation auxiliary lines, cathode connection lines, anode connection lines, cathode external connection areas and anode external connection areas, to complete the first patterning production; Step 3: using an etching device to etch the surface of the glass substrate, leaving the metal conductive film and transparent conductive film area patterns formed in step 2; Step 4: Spin-coat a layer of photoresist on the glass substrate obtained in step 3, and use an exposure machine to expose according to the alignment mark formed in step 1, thereby completing the pattern exposure and development of the transparent cathode connection area; Step 5: Use an etching device to perform a metal etching process on the surface of the glass substrate, thereby completing the second patterning and leaving a transparent cathode connection area pattern; Step 6: Use an organic vapor deposition pattern mask to complete vapor deposition in a specific area of ​​the OLED light-emitting layer to obtain the OLED light-emitting layer, and then replace the cathode vapor deposition mask to complete vapor deposition in a specific area of ​​the semi-transparent metal cathode to obtain a semi-transparent metal cathode; Step 7: Using a thin film encapsulation device to complete the production of a dense transparent thin film encapsulation layer on a glass substrate; Step 8: Use a cutting device to cut the processed glass substrate into specific patterns to complete the production.

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