Display panel and its manufacturing method, display device

Abstract

This application belongs to the field of display technology, specifically relating to a display panel and its manufacturing method, and a display device. The display panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a spacer. The second substrate is disposed on one side of the first substrate. One of the first substrate and the second substrate is an array substrate, and the other is an opposing substrate. The spacer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The spacer includes spacer pillars and balls. The spacer pillars are disposed on the first substrate, and the balls are disposed on the top of the spacer pillars away from the first substrate. The balls are capable of rolling under the force applied by the second substrate. Because the balls are rotatably disposed in the receiving groove, the friction between the spacer and the second substrate is rolling friction. The rate at which the top of the spacer shortens due to wear is significantly reduced, improving the display uniformity caused by changes in the thickness of the liquid crystal cell, thereby improving the display effect of the display panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of display technology, specifically relating to a display panel and its manufacturing method, and a display device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of display technology, thin film transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCDs) have become the mainstream display devices due to their advantages such as high image quality, energy saving, and mature and stable manufacturing process. They are widely used in various consumer electronic products such as mobile phones, televisions, digital cameras, and laptops.

[0003] The liquid crystal display screen includes an array substrate, an opposing substrate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the array substrate and the opposing substrate. Furthermore, the liquid crystal display screen includes spacers disposed within the liquid crystal layer and supported between the array substrate and the opposing substrate to maintain the thickness of the liquid crystal cell.

[0004] When an LCD screen is subjected to external forces (such as pressing and dropping) during use, the spacers and the array substrate or opposing substrate will move relative to each other. The top of the spacers will be worn, resulting in a reduction in the thickness of the liquid crystal cell, which in turn leads to uneven display (Mura) and affects the display effect of the LCD screen. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a display panel and its manufacturing method, as well as a display device, to reduce wear on the top of the spacer and improve the display uniformity caused by changes in the thickness of the liquid crystal cell.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides a display panel, comprising:

[0007] First substrate;

[0008] The second substrate is disposed on one side of the first substrate, wherein one of the first substrate and the second substrate is an array substrate and the other is an opposing substrate;

[0009] A spacer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The spacer includes spacer pillars and balls. The spacer pillars are disposed on the first substrate, and the balls are disposed on the top of the spacer pillars away from the first substrate. The balls are capable of rolling under the force applied by the second substrate.

[0010] Optionally, the top of the septum post is provided with a receiving groove, and the ball is rotatably disposed in the receiving groove, the depth of the receiving groove being less than the diameter of the ball.

[0011] Optionally, the depth of the receiving groove is greater than the radius of the ball.

[0012] Optionally, the spacer further includes a positioning retaining ring, which is disposed at the end of the spacer post away from the first substrate. The positioning retaining ring is connected to the spacer post, and the inner diameter of the positioning retaining ring is smaller than the diameter of the ball. The height of the positioning retaining ring relative to the bottom surface of the receiving groove is smaller than the diameter of the ball.

[0013] Optionally, the inner wall of the positioning retaining ring is spherical, and the radius of the sphere is greater than or equal to the radius of the ball. The diameter of the inner hole of the positioning retaining ring near the septum post is greater than the diameter of the inner hole of the positioning retaining ring away from the septum post.

[0014] Optionally, the spacer post and the positioning retaining ring are made of the same material, including ultraviolet-cured resin, and the ball bearing is made of the same or different material as the spacer post.

[0015] This application also provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, including:

[0016] Provide a first substrate;

[0017] A spacer post is formed on the first substrate, and a receiving groove is provided on the top of the spacer post away from the first substrate;

[0018] A ball bearing is installed in the receiving groove, the ball bearing being rotatably disposed in the receiving groove, and the depth of the receiving groove being less than the diameter of the ball bearing;

[0019] The second substrate and the first substrate are assembled to form a liquid crystal cell. The ball bearings and the spacer pillars are both located in the frame adhesive between the first substrate and the second substrate. One of the first substrate and the second substrate is an array substrate and the other is an opposing substrate.

[0020] Optionally, the method for manufacturing the display panel further includes:

[0021] Before assembling the second substrate and the first substrate to form a liquid crystal cell, a third spacer material layer is formed on the side of the spacer pillar away from the first substrate, and the third spacer material layer at least covers the spacer pillar and the ball.

[0022] A portion of the third spacer material layer is removed to form a positioning retaining ring. The height of the positioning retaining ring relative to the bottom surface of the receiving groove is less than the diameter of the ball, and the depth of the receiving groove is greater than the radius of the ball.

[0023] Optionally, the method for manufacturing the display panel further includes:

[0024] Before installing the ball bearings, a support boss is formed at the bottom of the receiving groove;

[0025] When assembling the second substrate and the first substrate to form a liquid crystal cell, a vacuum is drawn into the area inside the frame adhesive, causing the ball bearings to crush the support protrusions, thereby separating the ball bearings from the positioning retaining ring.

[0026] This application also provides a display device, including:

[0027] Backlight module;

[0028] The display panel is located on the light-emitting side of the backlight module.

[0029] The display panel, its manufacturing method, and the display device disclosed in this application have the following beneficial effects:

[0030] In this application, the display panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a spacer. The second substrate is disposed on one side of the first substrate, and the spacer is disposed between the first and second substrates. The spacer includes spacer pillars and balls. The spacer pillars are disposed on the first substrate, and the balls are disposed on the top of the spacer pillars away from the first substrate. The balls can roll under the force applied by the second substrate. Because the balls are rotatably disposed in the receiving groove, the friction between the spacer and the second substrate is rolling friction. The rate at which the top of the spacer shortens due to wear is greatly reduced, improving the display uniformity caused by changes in the thickness of the liquid crystal cell, thereby improving the display effect of the display panel.

[0031] Other features and advantages of this application will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part from practice of this application.

[0032] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0033] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the display panel structure in Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0035] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of position A in the middle.

[0036] Figure 3This is a flowchart illustrating the manufacturing method of the display panel in Embodiment 2 of this application.

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the columnar portion formed in Embodiment 2 of this application.

[0038] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the groove wall and supporting boss formed in Embodiment 2 of this application.

[0039] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning retaining ring formed in Embodiment 2 of this application.

[0040] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the formation of a liquid crystal cell in Embodiment 2 of this application.

[0041] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the display device in Embodiment 3 of this application.

[0042] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0043] 10. Display panel;

[0044] 100, First substrate; 200, Second substrate;

[0045] 300. Spacer; 310. Spacer post; 311. Post body; 312. Groove wall; 313. Receiving groove; 320. Ball bearing; 330. Positioning retaining ring; 340. Support boss;

[0046] 400, frame adhesive; 500, liquid crystal layer;

[0047] 20. Backlight module. Detailed Implementation

[0048] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided to make this application more comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0049] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the following description to give a thorough understanding of embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this application can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, apparatuses, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known methods, apparatuses, implementations, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this application.

[0050] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the technical features involved in the various embodiments described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present application, and should not be construed as limiting the present application.

[0051] Example 1

[0052] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the display panel 10 includes a first substrate 100, a second substrate 200, and spacers 300. The second substrate 200 is disposed on one side of the first substrate 100. One of the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200 is an array substrate, and the other is a counter substrate. The counter substrate includes a color filter substrate. For example, the first substrate 100 is an array substrate, and the second substrate 200 is a color filter substrate.

[0053] The spacer 300 is disposed between the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200. The spacer 300 includes spacer pillars 310 and balls 320. The spacer pillars 310 are disposed on the first substrate 100, and the balls 320 are disposed on the top of the spacer pillars 310 away from the first substrate 100. The balls 320 can roll under the force applied by the second substrate 200. That is, when relative movement occurs between the spacer 300 and the second substrate 200, the friction between the two is rolling friction.

[0054] In addition, the display panel 10 may also include a frame adhesive 400 and a liquid crystal layer 500. The frame adhesive 400 is disposed between the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200 and surrounds the edges of the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200. The spacer 300 and the liquid crystal layer 500 are both disposed within the frame adhesive 400. The first substrate 100, the spacer 300, and the second substrate 200 form a liquid crystal cell. The spacer 300 is used to support the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200, maintain the thickness of the liquid crystal cell, and make the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 500 uniform.

[0055] In some technical solutions, the top of the spacer of the display panel is in direct contact with the array substrate or the opposing substrate. When the display panel is subjected to external forces during use (such as pressing and dropping), the spacer and the array substrate or the opposing substrate will move relative to each other. The top of the spacer will be worn and gradually shortened, resulting in a reduction in the thickness of the liquid crystal cell, which in turn leads to uneven display and affects the display effect of the display panel.

[0056] In this embodiment, the display panel 10 includes a first substrate 100, a second substrate 200, and a spacer 300. The second substrate 200 is disposed on one side of the first substrate 100, and the spacer 300 is disposed between the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200. The spacer 300 includes spacer pillars 310 and balls 320. The spacer pillars 310 are disposed on the first substrate 100, and the balls 320 are disposed on the top of the spacer pillars 310 away from the first substrate 100. The balls 320 can roll under the force applied by the second substrate 200. Since the balls 320 are rotatably disposed in the receiving groove 313, the friction between the spacer 300 and the second substrate 200 is rolling friction. The rate at which the top of the spacer 300 is worn down and shortens is greatly reduced, improving the display uniformity caused by changes in the thickness of the liquid crystal cell, thereby improving the display effect of the display panel 10.

[0057] In some embodiments, the top of the spacer post 310 is provided with a receiving groove 313, and the ball 320 is rotatably disposed within the receiving groove 313. The depth of the receiving groove 313 is less than the diameter of the ball 320. The depth of the receiving groove 313 is less than the diameter of the ball 320, meaning that the ball 320 is partially located within and partially exposed within the receiving groove 313. The ball 320 is rotatably disposed within the receiving groove 313, meaning that the orthographic projection of the groove wall of the receiving groove 313 onto the first substrate 100 is outside the orthographic projection of the ball 320 onto the first substrate 100. The spacer post 310 may include a post body 311 and a groove wall 312. The post body 311 may be a cylinder, a frustum, a cuboid post, or a quadrangular prism, etc. The post body 311 is disposed on the first substrate 100. The groove wall 312 is located on the side of the post body 311 away from the first substrate 100. The groove wall 312 is disposed around the edge of the top surface of the post body 311, and a receiving groove 313 is formed on the top of the post body 311.

[0058] The ball 320 is partially exposed in the receiving groove 313 to ensure that the ball 320 can contact the second substrate 200. The ball 320 is partially located in the receiving groove 313 to prevent the ball 320 from falling out of the receiving groove 313.

[0059] In some embodiments, the depth of the receiving groove 313 is greater than the radius of the ball 320. For example, the depth of the receiving groove 313 is 1 to 1.5 times the radius of the ball 320.

[0060] It should be understood that the shallower the depth of the receiving groove 313, the easier it is for the ball 320 to fall out of the receiving groove 313; the deeper the receiving groove 313, the higher the manufacturing precision requirements for the spacer post 310 and the ball 320 are to avoid contact between the spacer post 310 and the second substrate 200. A depth slightly greater than the radius of the ball 320 can both prevent the ball 320 from falling out of the receiving groove 313 and avoid contact between the spacer post 310 and the second substrate 200 with lower manufacturing precision requirements.

[0061] In some embodiments, the spacer 300 further includes a positioning retaining ring 330, which is disposed at the end of the spacer post 310 away from the first substrate 100. The positioning retaining ring 330 is connected to the spacer post 310. The inner diameter of the positioning retaining ring 330 is smaller than the diameter of the ball 320, and the height of the positioning retaining ring 330 relative to the bottom surface of the receiving groove 313 is smaller than the diameter of the ball 320. That is, the ball 320 is sandwiched between the bottom surface of the receiving groove 313 and the positioning retaining ring 330, with the portion of the ball 320 away from the first substrate 100 exposed by the positioning retaining ring 330, ensuring that the ball 320 can contact the second substrate 200.

[0062] The positioning retaining ring 330 is disposed at the end of the spacer post 310 away from the first substrate 100 and is connected to the spacer post 310. The positioning retaining ring 330 can block the ball 320 and prevent the ball 320 from falling out of the receiving groove 313.

[0063] In some embodiments, the inner wall of the positioning retaining ring 330 is spherical, and the radius of the sphere is greater than or equal to the radius of the ball 320. The diameter of the opening of the inner hole of the positioning retaining ring 330 near the spacer post 310 is greater than the diameter of the opening of the inner hole of the positioning retaining ring 330 away from the spacer post 310.

[0064] The inner hole of the positioning retaining ring 330 mates with the ball 320. The inner hole wall of the positioning retaining ring 330 is spherical to avoid sharp corners or inclined surfaces from hindering the rotation of the ball 320, thereby reducing the wear on the ball 320.

[0065] In some embodiments, the spacer post 310 and the positioning retaining ring 330 are made of the same material. For example, both the spacer post 310 and the positioning retaining ring 330 are made of UV-curable resin. The ball bearing 320 may be made of the same or different material as the spacer post 310.

[0066] The spacer post 310 and the positioning retaining ring 330 are made of the same material and can be connected as a whole, which improves the structural strength of the connection between the spacer post 310 and the positioning retaining ring 330 and prevents the positioning retaining ring 330 and the ball 320 from falling off as a whole. If the ball 320 and the spacer post 310 are made of the same material, that is, the entire spacer 300 is made of one material, the types of raw materials can be reduced, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. If the ball 320 and the spacer post 310 are made of different materials, the material of the ball 320 can be selected to have a lower coefficient of friction with the positioning retaining ring 330 and the spacer post 310, in order to reduce the sliding friction between the ball 320 and the second substrate 200, and at the same time reduce the wear caused by friction between the ball 320 and the positioning retaining ring 330 and the spacer post 310.

[0067] Example 2

[0068] This application also provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, used to manufacture the display panel 10 disclosed in Embodiment 1. See also Figures 3 to 7 As shown, the method for manufacturing the display panel in this embodiment includes:

[0069] S100: Provides a first substrate 100;

[0070] S200: A spacer post 310 is formed on the first substrate 100, and a receiving groove 313 is provided on the top of the spacer post 310 away from the first substrate 100.

[0071] S300: A ball bearing 320 is installed in a receiving groove 313. The ball bearing 320 is rotatably disposed in the receiving groove 313. The depth of the receiving groove 313 is less than the diameter of the ball bearing 320.

[0072] S400: The second substrate 200 and the first substrate 100 are assembled to form a liquid crystal cell. The ball bearings 320 and the spacer pillars 310 are both located in the frame adhesive 400 between the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200. One of the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200 is an array substrate and the other is an opposing substrate.

[0073] In this embodiment, spacer pillars 310 are formed on the first substrate 100. A receiving groove 313 is provided at the top of the spacer pillars 310 away from the first substrate 100. Then, a ball bearing 320 is installed within the receiving groove 313, rotatably disposed within the groove 313. The depth of the receiving groove 313 is less than the diameter of the ball bearing 320. The spacer pillars 310 and the ball bearing 320 form a spacer 300. The second substrate 200 is then assembled with the first substrate 100 to form a liquid crystal cell. One of the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200 is an array substrate, and the other is a counter substrate. Because the ball bearing 320 is rotatably disposed within the receiving groove 313, the friction between the spacer 300 and the second substrate 200 is rolling friction. The rate at which the top of the spacer 300 is worn down and shortens is significantly reduced, improving the display uniformity caused by changes in the thickness of the liquid crystal cell, thereby improving the display effect of the display panel 10.

[0074] In some embodiments, the spacer post 310 may include a post body 311 and a groove wall 312. The post body 311 may be a cylinder, a frustum, a cuboid post, or a quadrangular prism, etc. The post body 311 is disposed on the first substrate 100. The groove wall 312 is located on the side of the post body 311 away from the first substrate 100. The groove wall 312 is disposed around the edge of the top surface of the post body 311, forming a receiving groove 313 at the top of the post body 311. For example, the post body 311 is a frustum, the diameter of the bottom surface of the post body 311 is 25±2 micrometers, the diameter of the ball 320 is 0.52±0.03 micrometers, and the depth of the receiving groove 313 is 0.29±0.03 micrometers.

[0075] The pillar portion 311 and the groove wall portion 312 can be made of different materials with etching selectivity. When forming the spacer pillar 310 in step S200, a first spacer material layer can be formed on the first substrate 100 firstly, and then a portion of the first spacer material layer can be removed by processes such as photoresist coating, exposure, development and etching to form the pillar portion 311. Then, a second spacer material layer can be formed on the side of the pillar portion 311 away from the first substrate 100. Then, a portion of the second spacer material layer can be removed by processes such as photoresist coating, exposure, development and etching to form the groove wall portion 312, thus forming the spacer pillar 310 with a receiving groove 313 at the top.

[0076] The pillar portion 311 and the groove wall portion 312 are made of different materials with etching selectivity, which reduces the process of forming the spacer pillar 310 and reduces the manufacturing cost of the display panel 10.

[0077] It should be noted that the column portion 311 and the groove wall portion 312 can be made of different materials with etching selectivity, but are not limited to this. The column portion 311 and the groove wall portion 312 can also be made of the same material to improve the connection structure strength between the column portion 311 and the groove wall portion 312, depending on the specific situation. When the column portion 311 and the groove wall portion 312 are made of the same material, after the column portion 311 is formed, an etching barrier layer can be formed on the bottom surface of the receiving groove 313 before the groove wall portion 312 is formed, thus forming a septum column 310 with the receiving groove 313 on the top.

[0078] In some embodiments, when forming the spacer pillar 310, a first spacer material layer is first formed on the first substrate 100. Then, through processes such as photoresist coating, exposure, development, and etching, a portion of the first spacer material layer is removed to form the outer contour of the spacer pillar 310. A receiving groove 313 is then etched into the outer contour of the spacer pillar 310, thus forming a spacer pillar 310 with a receiving groove 313 at the top. Alternatively, after forming the first spacer material layer, a grayscale mask process is used to directly etch the first spacer material layer. All of the first spacer material layer in the area outside the spacer pillar 310 is etched, while only a portion of the first spacer material layer at the location of the receiving groove 313 is etched, forming a spacer pillar 310 with a receiving groove 313 at the top.

[0079] By using grayscale masking technology, the first spacer material layer is directly etched to form a spacer pillar 310 with a receiving groove 313 on the top, which can simplify the manufacturing process of the display panel 10 and reduce the manufacturing cost of the display panel 10.

[0080] In some embodiments, the method of manufacturing the display panel further includes:

[0081] Before assembling the second substrate 200 and the first substrate 100 to form a liquid crystal cell, a third spacer material layer is formed on the side of the spacer pillar 310 away from the first substrate 100, and the third spacer material layer at least covers the spacer pillar 310 and the ball 320.

[0082] A portion of the third spacer material layer is removed to form a positioning retaining ring 330. The height of the positioning retaining ring 330 relative to the bottom surface of the receiving groove 313 is less than the diameter of the ball 320, and the depth of the receiving groove 313 is greater than the radius of the ball 320. For example, the thickness of the positioning retaining ring 330 is 0.16 ± 0.03 micrometers, and the total height of the positioning retaining ring 330 and the spacer post 310 is 3 ± 0.10 micrometers.

[0083] The ball 320 is held between the bottom surface of the receiving groove 313 and the positioning retaining ring 330. The part of the ball 320 away from the first substrate 100 is exposed by the positioning retaining ring 330, which ensures that the ball 320 can contact the second substrate 200. At the same time, the positioning retaining ring 330 can block the ball 320 and prevent the ball 320 from falling out of the receiving groove 313.

[0084] In some embodiments, the positioning retaining ring 330 and the spacer post 310 are made of different materials. After the third spacer material layer is formed, part of the third spacer material layer can be directly etched away to form the positioning retaining ring 330.

[0085] It should be noted that the positioning retaining ring 330 and the spacer post 310 can be made of different materials, but are not limited to this. The positioning retaining ring 330 and the spacer post 310 can be made of the same material, depending on the specific circumstances.

[0086] The positioning retaining ring 330 and the spacer post 310 are made of the same material, which can connect the spacer post 310 and the positioning retaining ring 330 into one piece, thereby improving the structural strength of the connection between the spacer post 310 and the positioning retaining ring 330 and preventing the positioning retaining ring 330 and the ball 320 from falling off as a whole.

[0087] In some embodiments, the positioning retaining ring 330 and the spacer post 310 are made of the same material, while the ball bearing 320 is made of a different material than the positioning retaining ring 330 and the spacer post 310.

[0088] The ball bearing 320 is made of a different material than the positioning retaining ring 330. The ball bearing 320 can serve as an etching barrier layer for forming the positioning retaining ring 330, thereby reducing one process step in the formation of the positioning retaining ring 330 and lowering the manufacturing cost of the display panel 10. Because the ball bearing 320 and the positioning retaining ring 330 are made of different materials, the ball bearing 320 and the positioning retaining ring 330 are easier to separate, which can prevent the ball bearing 320 from sticking together and affecting its rotation. This would prevent the ball bearing 320 from experiencing accelerated wear due to sliding friction with the second substrate 200, which in turn would lead to changes in the thickness of the liquid crystal cell and cause uneven display.

[0089] In addition, the ball bearing 320 and the spacer 310 are made of different materials. The ball bearing 320 can be made of a material with a smaller coefficient of friction with the positioning ring 330 and the spacer 310, so as to reduce the sliding friction between the ball bearing 320 and the second substrate 200, and at the same time reduce the wear caused by the friction between the ball bearing 320 and the positioning ring 330 and the spacer 310.

[0090] It should be noted that the ball bearing 320 may be made of different materials than the positioning retaining ring 330 and the spacer 310, but it is not limited to this. The ball bearing 320 may also be made of the same material as the positioning retaining ring 330 and the spacer 310, depending on the specific circumstances.

[0091] The ball bearing 320, the positioning retaining ring 330, and the spacer post 310 are made of the same material, that is, the spacer 300 is made of the same material as a whole, which can reduce the types of raw materials and thus reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0092] In some embodiments, the method of manufacturing the display panel further includes:

[0093] Before installing the ball bearing 320, a support boss 340 is formed at the bottom of the receiving groove 313;

[0094] When the second substrate 200 and the first substrate 100 are assembled to form a liquid crystal cell, the area inside the frame adhesive 400 is evacuated, causing the ball bearing 320 to crush the support boss 340, thereby separating the ball bearing 320 from the positioning retaining ring 330.

[0095] During the fabrication of the display panel 10, a vacuum can be first applied to the area within the frame adhesive 400, followed by the injection of liquid crystal material to form the liquid crystal layer 500. Vacuuming the area within the frame adhesive 400 allows for the removal of as much air as possible from the liquid crystal cell. If a vacuum is applied after the liquid crystal material has been injected, the material is already inside the cell, and vacuuming at this point cannot effectively remove all the air. Residual air will form bubbles within the liquid crystal cell, affecting display quality, such as causing bright spots, dark spots, or blurriness. Vacuuming before injection creates a near-vacuum environment, allowing the liquid crystal material to smoothly fill the entire liquid crystal cell during injection, reducing the formation of bubbles. Furthermore, vacuuming before injection promotes uniform distribution of the liquid crystal material within the liquid crystal cell. In a vacuum environment, the liquid crystal material is less affected by air pressure, allowing it to flow more smoothly into all parts of the liquid crystal cell, resulting in a more uniform thickness of the liquid crystal layer 500, thus ensuring display consistency and stability.

[0096] By using a vacuuming process before injecting liquid crystal material, the ball bearing 320 crushes the support boss 340, thereby separating the ball bearing 320 from the positioning retaining ring 330. This process eliminates the need for additional processing steps and avoids pressing the second substrate 200 to separate the ball bearing 320 from the positioning retaining ring 330, which could damage the structure of the second substrate 200.

[0097] In some embodiments, the pillar portion 311 and the groove wall portion 312 are made of the same material. After forming the pillar portion 311, an etching barrier layer can be formed to cover the area of ​​the pillar portion 311 that serves as the bottom surface of the receiving groove 313. Then, a second septum material layer is formed, and the second septum material layer is etched to form the groove wall portion 312 and the support boss 340. Finally, the etching barrier layer is removed to form the septum pillar 310 and the support boss 340. The support boss 340 can be a frustum, with a bottom diameter of approximately 0.01 micrometers and a height of approximately 0.02 micrometers.

[0098] The support boss 340 and the groove wall 312 are manufactured in one process, which can reduce the manufacturing cost of the display panel 10.

[0099] It should be noted that the support boss 340 and the groove wall portion 312 can be manufactured in a single process, but are not limited to this. The support boss 340 can also be manufactured using an etch stop layer, depending on the specific circumstances. When the support boss 340 is manufactured using an etch stop layer, after the groove wall portion 312 is formed, a portion of the etch stop layer can be retained to form the support boss 340. Alternatively, a grayscale mask can be used when forming the etch stop layer, making the thickness of the area where the etch stop layer forms the support boss 340 greater than the thickness of other areas. During the etching of the second spacer material layer: the area where the etch stop layer forms the support boss 340 is retained, thus forming the support boss 340, while the other areas of the etch stop layer are completely removed during the formation of the groove wall portion 312.

[0100] Example 3

[0101] See Figure 8 As shown, the display device in this embodiment includes the display panel 10 and the backlight module 20 disclosed in Embodiment 1, with the display panel 10 disposed on the light-emitting side of the backlight module 20.

[0102] The display device includes a display panel 10, which includes a first substrate 100, a second substrate 200, and a spacer 300. The second substrate 200 is disposed on one side of the first substrate 100, and the spacer 300 is disposed between the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200. The spacer 300 includes spacer pillars 310 and balls 320. The spacer pillars 310 are disposed on the first substrate 100, and the balls 320 are disposed on the top of the spacer pillars 310 away from the first substrate 100. The balls 320 can roll under the force applied by the second substrate 200. Since the balls 320 are rollably disposed in the receiving groove 313, the friction between the spacer 300 and the second substrate 200 is rolling friction. The rate at which the top of the spacer 300 is worn down and shortens is greatly reduced, improving the display uniformity caused by changes in the thickness of the liquid crystal cell. The display panel 10, when used in the display device, can improve the display effect of the display device.

[0103] The terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0104] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "assembly," "connection," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0105] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "some embodiments," "exemplarily," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. The illustrative expressions of the above terms in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0106] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application. Therefore, any changes or modifications made in accordance with the claims and description of this application should fall within the scope of this patent application.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that, include: First substrate; The second substrate is disposed on one side of the first substrate, wherein one of the first substrate and the second substrate is an array substrate and the other is an opposing substrate; A spacer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The spacer includes a spacer post and a ball. The spacer post is disposed on the first substrate. The top of the spacer post is provided with a receiving groove. The ball is rotatably disposed in the receiving groove. The depth of the receiving groove is less than the diameter of the ball. The ball can roll under the force applied by the second substrate. A positioning retaining ring is disposed at the end of the spacer post away from the first substrate. The positioning retaining ring is connected to the spacer post. The diameter of the opening of the inner hole of the positioning retaining ring at the end away from the spacer post is smaller than the diameter of the ball. The height of the positioning retaining ring relative to the bottom surface of the receiving groove is smaller than the diameter of the ball.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The depth of the receiving groove is greater than the radius of the ball.

3. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the positioning retaining ring is spherical, and the radius of the sphere is greater than or equal to the radius of the ball. The diameter of the inner hole of the positioning retaining ring near the septum post is greater than the diameter of the inner hole of the positioning retaining ring away from the septum post.

4. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spacer post and the positioning retaining ring are made of the same material, including ultraviolet-cured resin. The ball bearing is made of the same or different material as the spacer post.

5. A method for manufacturing a display panel, characterized in that, include: Provide a first substrate; A spacer post is formed on the first substrate, and a receiving groove is provided on the top of the spacer post away from the first substrate; A ball bearing is installed in the receiving groove, the ball bearing being rotatably disposed in the receiving groove, and the depth of the receiving groove being less than the diameter of the ball bearing; The second substrate and the first substrate are assembled to form a liquid crystal cell. The ball bearings and the spacer pillars are both located in the frame adhesive between the first substrate and the second substrate. One of the first substrate and the second substrate is an array substrate and the other is an opposing substrate. The method for manufacturing the display panel further includes: Before assembling the second substrate and the first substrate to form a liquid crystal cell, a third spacer material layer is formed on the side of the spacer pillar away from the first substrate, and the third spacer material layer at least covers the spacer pillar and the ball. A portion of the third septum material layer is removed to form a positioning retaining ring. The diameter of the opening at the end of the inner hole of the positioning retaining ring away from the septum post is smaller than the diameter of the ball. The height of the positioning retaining ring relative to the bottom surface of the receiving groove is smaller than the diameter of the ball. The depth of the receiving groove is greater than the radius of the ball.

6. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method for manufacturing the display panel further includes: Before installing the ball bearings, a support boss is formed at the bottom of the receiving groove; When assembling the second substrate and the first substrate to form a liquid crystal cell, a vacuum is drawn into the area inside the frame adhesive, causing the ball bearings to crush the support protrusions, thereby separating the ball bearings from the positioning retaining ring.

7. A display device, characterized in that, include: Backlight module; The display panel as described in any one of claims 1 to 4 is disposed on the light-emitting side of the backlight module.

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