Display panel and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a display panel and a preparation method thereof. The display panel comprises a display area and a non-display area. The non-display area comprises a packaging area and a cutting area; the packaging area is located between the display area and the cutting area; the display panel comprises an array substrate, a cover plate, a frame glue layer and a protective layer. Wherein the frame glue layer is arranged between the array substrate and the cover plate in the packaging area and is used for sealing the display area; the protective layer is at least arranged on the surface, facing the frame glue layer, of the cover plate and the surface, facing the frame glue layer, of the array substrate, and is used for preventing cracks generated by the cover plate and the array substrate from extending to the frame glue layer; wherein the protective layer is a high-temperature-resistant non-brittle material layer; the protection layer is at least arranged in the packaging area and covers the edge, close to the cutting area, of the frame glue layer. According to the display panel, the risks of water and oxygen invasion and color missing of the display panel caused by packaging failure caused by cracks of the frame glue layer can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) displays are popular among consumers for their excellent display effects, ultra-thin and lightweight design, energy-saving and environmentally friendly features, fast response time, wide viewing angle, and good shock resistance. OLED display panels are widely used in the mobile phone industry in particular. These features not only enhance the user's visual experience, but also significantly reduce the overall weight and power consumption of the device.

[0003] Although OLED display panels have many advantages, their biggest weakness is their high sensitivity to water and oxygen intrusion. Once water and oxygen invade, the screen will be discolored or even fail. Therefore, effective packaging technology is crucial to ensure the long-term stability and reliability of OLED screens. At present, OLED display panels usually use glass glue Frit (the main component is glass powder) to form a frame glue layer to encapsulate the upper and lower glass substrates to prevent water and oxygen intrusion.

[0004] However, as the market demand for narrow border design increases, manufacturers are constantly working to reduce cutting tolerances to achieve a more compact border design. However, in this process, some products will inevitably cut into the frame glue layer area during cutting, causing cracks in the frame glue layer. Since Frit material is inherently as brittle as glass, cracks can easily expand, causing further ruptures, and ultimately causing packaging failure, resulting in color loss on the screen. Summary of the invention

[0005] The display panel and the preparation method thereof provided in the present application are intended to solve the problem of cracks in the frame glue layer of the existing display panel due to the narrow frame design, resulting in packaging failure.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, a technical solution adopted by the present application is: to provide a display panel, the display panel comprising a display area and a non-display area; the non-display area comprises a packaging area and a cutting area; the packaging area is located between the display area and the cutting area; the display panel comprises: Array substrate and cover plate; A sealant layer is disposed between the array substrate and the cover plate in the packaging area and is used to seal the display area; A protective layer, at least disposed on a surface of the cover plate facing the sealant layer and a surface of the array substrate facing the sealant layer, for preventing cracks generated on the cover plate and the array substrate from extending toward the sealant layer; Wherein, the protective layer is a high temperature resistant non-brittle material layer; and the protective layer is at least arranged in the packaging area and covers the edge of the sealant layer close to the cutting area.

[0007] In a specific embodiment, the protective layer extends from the packaging area to the cutting area; and the projection of the edge of the sealant layer close to the cutting area along the stacking direction of the display panel on the array substrate is located within the projection of the protective layer along the stacking direction of the display panel on the array substrate; The protection layer includes a crack prevention portion disposed in the packaging area and an extension portion disposed in the cutting area.

[0008] In a specific embodiment, one end of the extension portion is connected to the anti-crack portion; the other end of the extension portion extends from the surface of the cover plate toward the array substrate along the stacking direction of the display panel to form a protruding structure, or extends from the surface of the array substrate toward the cover plate along the stacking direction of the display panel to form a protruding structure.

[0009] In a specific embodiment, it also includes: The sealant is arranged in the non-display area of ​​the display panel and surrounds the peripheral edge of the display panel; and the sealant covers the cover plate, the array substrate, the protection layer and the frame glue layer.

[0010] In a specific embodiment, the width of the protective layer is greater than or equal to 80 micrometers and less than or equal to 120 micrometers; wherein the width of the protective layer is the dimension of the protective layer in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the display panel.

[0011] In a specific embodiment, the thickness of the anti-crack portion is less than or equal to 3 microns; the height of the extension portion is greater than 3 microns and less than or equal to 5 microns; The thickness of the crack prevention portion is the size of the crack prevention portion along the stacking direction of the display panel; and the height of the extending portion is the size of the extending portion along the stacking direction of the display panel.

[0012] In a specific embodiment, the high temperature resistant non-brittle material layer includes one or more of modified silica, high temperature resistant polymer, and metal oxide aerogel; wherein the modified silica is metal ion doped silica and / or carbon and nitrogen co-doped silica.

[0013] In order to solve the above technical problems, another technical solution adopted by the present application is: to provide a method for preparing a display panel, comprising: Providing a cover plate and an array substrate; A high temperature resistant non-brittle material is deposited at least on one side surface of the cover plate located in the packaging area and one side surface of the array substrate located in the packaging area to form a protective layer; Depositing low-temperature glass slurry on the surface of the cover plate facing the protective layer and drying and curing it to form a pre-cured layer; the pre-cured layer covers the partial surface of the protective layer located in the packaging area and the partial surface of the cover plate not covered by the protective layer; Aligning the side of the cover plate facing the protective layer with the side of the array substrate facing the protective layer, and heating and curing the pre-cured layer to form a sealant layer; The cover plate and the array substrate are cut.

[0014] In a specific embodiment, the step of depositing a high temperature resistant non-brittle material to form a protective layer at least on one side surface of the cover plate located in the packaging area and one side surface of the array substrate located in the packaging area specifically includes: Depositing the high temperature resistant non-brittle material on one side surface of the cover plate located in the packaging area and one side surface of the array substrate located in the packaging area to form a crack prevention portion; The high temperature resistant non-brittle material is deposited on one side surface of the cover plate located in the cutting area and one side surface of the array substrate located in the cutting area to form an extension portion connected to the anti-crack portion, and the extension portion on the cover plate is extended toward the array substrate to form a protruding structure, and the extension portion on the array substrate is extended toward the cover plate to form a protruding structure.

[0015] In a specific embodiment, after the step of cutting the cover plate and the array substrate, the method further includes: A resin material is deposited on the peripheral edge of the display panel to form a sealant, and the sealant is made to cover the cover plate, the array substrate, the protection layer and the frame glue layer.

[0016] Beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application: Different from the prior art, the embodiments of the present application provide a display panel and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein the display panel includes a display area and a non-display area; the non-display area includes a packaging area and a cutting area; the packaging area is located between the display area and the cutting area; specifically, the display panel includes an array substrate and a cover plate, a sealant layer and a protective layer. The sealant layer is disposed between the array substrate and the cover plate located in the packaging area, and is used to seal the display area; the protective layer is at least disposed on the surface of the cover plate facing the sealant layer and the surface of the array substrate facing the sealant layer, and is used to prevent cracks generated by the cover plate and the array substrate from extending to the sealant layer; the protective layer is a high temperature resistant non-brittle material layer; and the protective layer is at least disposed in the packaging area and covers the edge of the sealant layer close to the cutting area. By setting a protective layer made of high-temperature resistant non-brittle material between the cover plate and the frame glue layer and between the array substrate and the frame glue layer, cracks generated when cutting the cover plate and the array substrate can be blocked by the protective layer, avoiding the cracks from extending to the frame glue layer, and preventing the frame glue layer from generating extended cracks, thereby reducing the risk of packaging failure caused by cracks in the frame glue layer, leading to water and oxygen intrusion, and color deficiency of the display panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel provided in the first embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel provided in the second embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a process for preparing a display panel provided in one embodiment of the present application; Figure 4a for Figure 3 The structural schematic diagram of the cover plate in step S2 is shown; Figure 4b for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the array substrate in step S2 is shown; Figure 5 for Figure 3 A schematic flow chart of another implementation of step S2 is shown; Figure 6a for Figure 5 The structural schematic diagram of the cover plate in step S21 is shown; Figure 6b for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the array substrate in step S21 is shown; Figure 7a for Figure 5 The structural schematic diagram of the cover plate in step S22 is shown; Figure 7b for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the array substrate in step S22 is shown; Figure 8 for Figure 3 The structural diagram of step S3 is shown; Fig. 9 for Figure 3 The structural diagram of step S4 is shown; Fig.10 for Figure 3 The structural diagram of step S5 is shown; Fig.11 For Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the structure of setting the sealant after step S5 is shown.

[0018] Description of Figure Numbers: 10-display area; 20-non-display area; 201-packaging area; 202-cutting area; 1-array substrate; 2-cover plate; 3-frame glue layer; 4-protective layer; 5-sealant; 6-pre-curing layer; 7-ultraviolet curing glue; 41-anti-crack part; 42-extension part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0020] The terms "first", "second" and "third" in this application are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined as "first", "second" and "third" can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "multiple" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. All directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back...) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication also changes accordingly. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally also includes steps or units that are not listed, or optionally also includes other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0021] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0022] In the existing hard screen packaging technology, Frit is generally used for sealing. Through the laser sintering process, Frit can form a glue frame layer that is firmly bonded to the substrate and cover plate, which can effectively prevent the intrusion of water and oxygen; and the bonding force is proportional to the width of the glue frame layer. In order to meet the sufficient bonding force requirements, the width of the glue frame layer cannot be lower than the minimum standard. However, in the process of pursuing a narrow frame design, technicians in this field have tried to save space by reducing the cutting tolerance, which has led to some products directly cutting into the glue frame layer area during the cutting process. Due to the certain reaction depth between the glue frame layer and the cover plate and substrate after laser sintering, the glass cutting cracks are easy to extend to the glue frame layer area. As a brittle material, when Frit is subjected to a slight collision or thermal stress, the cracks will further expand, causing the glue frame layer to break and causing the packaging to fail.

[0023] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides a display panel and a method for preparing the same, wherein the display panel can prevent cracks generated when cutting the cover plate and the array substrate from being blocked by a protective layer, thereby preventing the cracks from extending to the frame glue layer and preventing the frame glue layer from generating extended cracks, thereby reducing packaging failures caused by cracks in the frame glue layer.

[0024] The present application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0025] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel provided in the first embodiment of the present application; an embodiment of the present application provides a display panel, which may be an OLED display panel; the display panel includes a display area 10 and a non-display area 20 arranged around the display area 10.

[0026] The area of ​​the display panel corresponding to the display area 10 includes a plurality of pixel units (not shown) for displaying images; the area of ​​the display panel corresponding to the non-display area 20 is provided with circuits (not shown), pads (not shown) and frames (not shown) and other structures. Specifically, the non-display area 20 includes a packaging area 201 and a cutting area 202; wherein the packaging area 201 is located between the display area 10 and the cutting area 202, and is used to set a sealant layer 3 for sealing the display area 10; the cutting area 202 is located at the edge of the display panel, and is used to provide a cutting position, so as to facilitate cutting a large-area panel into a single display panel.

[0027] The display panel may include an array substrate 1, a cover plate 2, a sealant layer 3 and a protective layer 4. The array substrate 1 and the cover plate 2 may be glass substrates; a thin film transistor (TFT) array (not shown) is disposed on the array substrate 1 to control the display screen; the cover plate 2 is used to protect other film layers inside the display panel.

[0028] Specifically, the array substrate 1 and the cover plate 2 are arranged opposite to each other, the sealant layer 3 is arranged between the array substrate 1 and the cover plate 2 located in the packaging area 201, and the upper and lower surfaces of the sealant layer 3 along the stacking direction Z of the display panel are at least partially in contact with the surface of the cover plate 2 and the surface of the array substrate 1, so as to fix the array substrate 1 and the cover plate 2 and seal the display area 10 of the display panel to prevent external water and oxygen from entering the display panel. Among them, the upper surface of the sealant layer 3 refers to the side surface of the sealant layer 3 close to the cover plate 2, and the lower surface of the sealant layer 3 refers to the side surface of the sealant layer 3 close to the array substrate 1.

[0029] The protective layer 4 is at least arranged on the surface of the cover plate 2 facing the sealant layer 3 and the surface of the array substrate 1 facing the sealant layer 3, and is used to prevent cracks generated in the cover plate 2 and the array substrate 1 from extending to the sealant layer 3. Specifically, the protective layer 4 is at least arranged in the packaging area 201 and covers the edge of the sealant layer 3 close to the cutting area 202. That is, the upper surface of the sealant layer 3 away from the cutting area 202 reacts and combines with the surface of the cover plate 2, and the protective layer 4 is arranged between the upper surface of the sealant layer 3 close to the cutting area 202 and the surface of the cover plate 2; and the upper surface of the sealant layer 3 away from the cutting area 202 reacts and combines with the surface of the array substrate 1, and the protective layer 4 is also arranged between the lower surface of the sealant layer 3 close to the cutting area 202 and the surface of the array substrate 1.

[0030] Among them, the protective layer 4 is a high-temperature resistant non-brittle material layer, so that when the Frit glue is laser sintered, the protective layer 4 will not react at high temperature. At the same time, when the cracks of the cover plate 2 and the array substrate 1 extend to the protective layer 4, the protective layer 4 composed of non-brittle material can block and release stress without generating cracks.

[0031] In this way, by setting a protective layer 4 made of high-temperature resistant non-brittle material between the cover plate 2 and the frame glue layer 3 and between the array substrate 1 and the frame glue layer 3, cracks generated when cutting the cover plate 2 and the array substrate 1 can be blocked by the protective layer 4, avoiding the cracks from extending to the frame glue layer 3, and preventing the frame glue layer 3 from generating extended cracks, thereby reducing the risk of packaging failure caused by cracks in the frame glue layer 3, leading to water and oxygen intrusion and color deficiency of the display panel.

[0032] In a specific embodiment, the side surface of the frame glue layer 3 near the cutting area 202 is concave toward the display area 10 to form an arc surface. It can be understood that when Frit is wet-film printed, due to the influence of surface energy, a T-shaped structure is formed. After baking and drying, this T-shaped structure is retained. When laser sintering is performed, since Frit is similar to glass material and its water drop angle is small, under the action of surface energy, Frit will contact the glass more. At the same time, the middle part shrinks inward due to the influence of tension, forming a Figure 1 If the laser energy is too high, the Frit will overflow, resulting in a larger curvature of the interface with the glass.

[0033] Continue reading Figure 1 In a specific embodiment, the protective layer 4 can also extend from the packaging area 201 to the cutting area 202 to avoid the situation in which, during the display panel manufacturing process, when the Frit overflows to the cutting area 202 during the laser sintering process, the Frit overflows to the outside of the protective layer 4, so that the protective layer 4 cannot completely cover the frame glue layer 3 formed by the Frit, resulting in cracks being able to extend to the inside of the frame glue layer 3 through the surface of the frame glue layer 3 not covered by the protective layer 4.

[0034] Specifically, the projection of the edge of the sealant layer 3 close to the cutting area 202 on the array substrate 1 along the stacking direction Z is located within the projection of the protective layer 4 on the array substrate 1 along the stacking direction Z. In other words, the sealant layer 3 only covers a portion of the surface of the protective layer 4 close to the packaging area 201, while another portion of the surface of the protective layer 4 close to the cutting area 202 is exposed outside the sealant layer 3.

[0035] Specifically, the protective layer 4 includes an anti-crack portion 41 disposed in the packaging area 201 and an extension portion 42 disposed in the cutting area 202. Part of the protective layer 4 disposed between the cover plate 2 and the sealant layer 3, and part of the protective layer 4 between the array substrate 1 and the sealant layer 3 form the anti-crack portion 41 to separate the part of the sealant layer 3 near the cutting area 202 from the cover plate 2 and the array substrate 1. The part of the protective layer 4 extending to the cutting area 202 forms an extension portion 42 to prevent Frit from overflowing outside the protective layer 4.

[0036] In a specific embodiment, the display panel may further include a sealant 5 disposed in the non-display area 20 of the display panel and surrounding the circumferential edge of the display panel; the sealant 5 is used to protect the frame glue layer 3 and the protective layer 4 to prevent the frame glue layer 3 and the protective layer 4 from being damaged when the edge of the display panel is subjected to external impact, resulting in poor packaging. At the same time, the sealant 5 can further prevent water and oxygen from invading the display panel. Specifically, the sealant 5 covers the side edges of the cover plate 2, the array substrate 1 and the frame glue layer 3, as well as the portion of the protective layer 4 exposed outside the frame glue layer 3. The sealant 5 may be a resin material, such as an epoxy resin.

[0037] See also Figure 1 In a specific embodiment, the width a of the protective layer 4 is greater than or equal to 80 microns and less than or equal to 120 microns, so that the protective layer 4 can cover the partial surfaces of the array substrate 1 and the cover plate 2 where cracks may occur as much as possible, thereby preventing the cracks generated when the array substrate 1 and the cover plate 2 are cut from extending to the sealant layer 3 as much as possible. The width a of the protective layer 4 is the dimension of the protective layer 4 along a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction Z of the display panel.

[0038] During the preparation process of the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, the standard cutting position can be defined as the edge of the protective layer 4 close to the cutting area 202. It can be understood that due to the cutting tolerance, the protective layer 4 may be cut to a position far away from the cutting area 202 during the actual cutting process; taking the common cutting tolerance of ±70 microns as an example, the actual cutting position of the array substrate 1 and the cover plate 2 may be located at a distance of 70 microns from the edge of the protective layer 4 close to the cutting area 202 at the farthest; when cutting within a negative tolerance, that is, when the display panel has the worst appearance, the actual cutting position is 70 microns from the edge of the protective layer 4 close to the cutting area 202 in the packaging area 201.

[0039] At the same time, if Figure 1 As shown, considering that the array substrate 1 and the cover plate 2 are cut by a cutter wheel, only 20%-30% of the glass thickness is cut, and then the brittleness of the glass is used to extend the depth of the cut cracks, the array substrate 1 and the cover plate 2 may form oblique cracks toward the display area 10, increasing the risk of exposure of the frame glue layer 3. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the width a of the protective layer 4 is set to be greater than or equal to 80 microns and less than or equal to 120 microns, so that when the display panel has the worst appearance, the protective layer 4 can also well prevent the cracks of the array substrate 1 and the cover plate 2 from extending to the frame glue layer 3.

[0040] Specifically, the width a of the protective layer 4 may be any value among 80 micrometers, 90 micrometers, 100 micrometers, 110 micrometers or 120 micrometers.

[0041] Of course, if the cutting tolerance is other values, the width a of the protective layer 4 can also be adaptively adjusted according to the actual cutting tolerance.

[0042] In a specific embodiment, the thickness b of the protective layer 4 is less than or equal to 3 micrometers; specifically, the thickness b of the protective layer 4 can be any value of 1 micrometer, 1.5 micrometers, 2 micrometers, 2.5 micrometers or 3 micrometers.

[0043] In a specific embodiment, the high temperature resistant non-brittle material layer may include one or more of modified silica, high temperature resistant polymer, and metal oxide aerogel; for example, the high temperature resistant non-brittle material layer may be modified silica, high temperature resistant polymer, metal oxide aerogel, or a composite material layer of at least two of the above three materials.

[0044] The modified silicon dioxide may be metal ion doped silicon dioxide and / or carbon-nitrogen co-doped silicon dioxide. It is understood that by doping metal ions (such as iron ions or nickel ions) or carbon ions or nitrogen ions in a high temperature resistant silicon dioxide material to change the brittleness of the silicon dioxide material, the protective layer 4 has both high temperature resistance and non-brittle properties.

[0045] In addition, by using a high temperature resistant polymer as the material of the protective layer 4 , the possibility of cracks extending through the protective layer 4 to the sealant layer 3 can be reduced by reducing the reaction depth between the protective layer 4 and the glass substrate.

[0046] Metal oxide aerogels can specifically be common metal oxides with good temperature resistance such as silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, etc., and the brittleness of the aerogels can be reduced by modification or the addition of additives; for example, the aerogels can be modified by surface modification technology to reduce the brittleness of the material without sacrificing other properties; or the addition of an appropriate amount of flexible polymers or other organic / inorganic additives can improve the flexibility and impact resistance of the aerogels.

[0047] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 The structure diagram of the display panel provided in the second embodiment of the present application is as follows; the structure of the display panel provided in the second embodiment of the present application is basically the same as that of the display panel provided in the first embodiment of the present application, except that, in the second embodiment of the present application, one end of the extension portion 42 is connected to the anti-crack portion 41; and the other end of the extension portion 42 extends from the surface of the cover plate 2 toward the array substrate 1 along the stacking direction Z to form a convex structure, or extends from the surface of the array substrate 1 toward the cover plate 2 along the stacking direction Z to form a convex structure. In this way, by forming a convex structure at the edge of the protective layer 4 close to the cutting area 202, it is further prevented that Frit overflows to the outside of the protective layer 4 during laser sintering, so that the protective layer 4 cannot completely cover the seal layer 3, resulting in the crack being able to extend to the inside of the seal layer 3 through the surface of the portion of the seal layer 3 not covered by the protective layer 4.

[0048] Specifically, the protective layer 4 forms an L-shaped structure protruding toward the sealant layer 3 on the surface of the array substrate 1 and the surface of the cover plate 2 to block the overflowing Frit. The thickness b of the anti-crack portion 41 is less than or equal to 3 microns; the height c of the extension portion 42 is greater than 3 microns and less than or equal to 5 microns; so that the extension portion 42 can block the overflowing Frit and prevent it from overflowing outside the protective layer 4. The thickness b of the anti-crack portion 41 is the size of the anti-crack portion 41 along the stacking direction Z; the height c of the extension portion 42 is the size of the extension portion 42 along the stacking direction Z.

[0049] Specifically, the thickness b of the anti-crack portion 41 can be any value among 1 micron, 1.5 microns, 2 microns, 2.5 microns or 3 microns; the height c of the extension portion 42 can be any value among 3.5 microns, 4 microns, 4.5 microns, 5 microns or 6 microns.

[0050] The embodiment of the present application provides a display panel, which includes a display area 10 and a non-display area 20; the non-display area 20 includes a packaging area 201 and a cutting area 202; the packaging area 201 is located between the display area 10 and the cutting area 202; specifically, the display panel includes an array substrate 1 and a cover plate 2, a sealant layer 3 and a protective layer 4. The sealant layer 3 is arranged between the array substrate 1 and the cover plate 2 located in the packaging area 201, and is used to seal the display area 10; the protective layer 4 is at least arranged on the surface of the cover plate 2 facing the sealant layer 3 and the surface of the array substrate 1 facing the sealant layer 3, and is used to prevent cracks generated by the cover plate 2 and the array substrate 1 from extending to the sealant layer 3; the protective layer 4 is a high temperature resistant non-brittle material layer; and the protective layer 4 is at least arranged in the packaging area 201 and covers the edge of the sealant layer 3 close to the cutting area 202. By arranging a protective layer 4 made of high-temperature resistant non-brittle material between the cover plate 2 and the frame glue layer 3 and between the array substrate 1 and the frame glue layer 3, cracks generated when cutting the cover plate 2 and the array substrate 1 can be blocked by the protective layer 4, avoiding the cracks from extending to the frame glue layer 3, and preventing the frame glue layer 3 from generating extended cracks, thereby reducing the risk of packaging failure caused by cracks in the frame glue layer 3, leading to water and oxygen intrusion, and color deficiency of the display panel.

[0051] See also Figure 3-Figure 10 , Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a process for preparing a display panel provided in one embodiment of the present application; Figure 4a for Figure 3 The structural schematic diagram of the cover plate in step S2 is shown; Figure 4b for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the array substrate in step S2 is shown; Figure 5 for Figure 3 A schematic flow chart of another implementation of step S2 is shown; Figure 6a for Figure 5 The structural schematic diagram of the cover plate in step S21 is shown; Figure 6b for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the array substrate in step S21 is shown; Figure 7a for Figure 5 The structural schematic diagram of the cover plate in step S22 is shown; Figure 7b for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the array substrate in step S22 is shown; Figure 8 for Figure 3 The structural diagram of step S3 is shown; Fig. 9 for Figure 3 The structural diagram of step S4 is shown; Fig.10 for Figure 3 The structural diagram of step S5 is shown.

[0052] The present application embodiment provides a method for preparing a display panel, which is used to prepare the display panel involved in any of the above embodiments. Figure 3 As shown, the method for preparing the display panel specifically includes: Step S1: providing a cover plate and an array substrate.

[0053] The array substrate 1 and the cover plate 2 may be glass substrates; a thin film transistor array is disposed on the array substrate 1. Figure 4a and Figure 4b As shown, the array substrate 1 and the cover plate 2 both include a display area 10 and a non-display area 20 arranged around the display area 10 ; wherein the non-display area 20 includes a cutting area 202 and a packaging area 201 located between the display area 10 and the cutting area 202 .

[0054] Step S2: depositing a high temperature resistant non-brittle material at least on one side surface of the cover plate located in the packaging area and one side surface of the array substrate located in the packaging area to form a protective layer.

[0055] In one embodiment, if Figure 4a As shown, a high temperature resistant non-brittle material can be deposited on the surface of one side of the cover plate 2 located in the packaging area 201 by printing or coating to form an anti-crack portion 41; and a high temperature resistant non-brittle material can be deposited on the surface of a portion of the cutting area 202 close to the packaging area 201 to form an extension portion 42; the anti-crack portion 41 and the extension portion 42 are connected to form a protective layer 4 to block cracks that may be formed on the cover plate 2. Among them, the anti-crack portion 41 is mainly used to block cracks, and the extension portion 42 is mainly used to prevent Frit from overflowing to the outside of the protective layer 4 in subsequent processes.

[0056] The high temperature resistant non-brittle material may be one or more materials selected from the group consisting of modified silica, high temperature resistant polymers, and metal oxide aerogels.

[0057] The crack prevention portion 41 and the extension portion 42 may have the same thickness and may be made by the same printing or coating process. Figure 4a and Figure 4b , wherein the thickness b of the protective layer 4 is less than or equal to 3 microns; specifically, the thickness b of the protective layer 4 can be any value among 1 micron, 1.5 microns, 2 microns, 2.5 microns or 3 microns.

[0058] At the same time, if Figure 4b As shown, a high temperature resistant non-brittle material is deposited on one side of the array substrate 1 located in the packaging area 201 and on the surface of a portion of the cutting area 202 near the packaging area 201 to form a protective layer 4. Specifically, the high temperature resistant non-brittle material is deposited on the surface of the array substrate 1 on the light emitting side.

[0059] See also Figure 5-7b In another embodiment of the present application, one end of the extension portion 42 is connected to the anti-crack portion 41, and the other end extends along the stacking direction Z to form a convex structure; in this embodiment, the anti-crack portion 41 and the extension portion 42 can be prepared in steps; specifically, as Figure 5 As shown, step S2 may include: Step S21: depositing a high temperature resistant non-brittle material on one side surface of the cover plate located in the packaging area and one side surface of the array substrate located in the packaging area to form a crack prevention portion.

[0060] like Figure 6a As shown, in the specific implementation process, a high temperature resistant non-brittle material can be deposited on only one side of the cover plate 2 located in the packaging area 201 by printing or coating to form an anti-crack portion 41 to block cracks that may be formed on the cover plate 2. The high temperature resistant non-brittle material can be one or more materials selected from modified silica, high temperature resistant polymers, and metal oxide aerogels.

[0061] The thickness b of the anti-crack portion 41 is less than or equal to 3 micrometers; specifically, the thickness b of the anti-crack portion 41 can be any value of 1 micrometer, 1.5 micrometers, 2 micrometers, 2.5 micrometers or 3 micrometers.

[0062] At the same time, if Figure 6b As shown, a high temperature resistant non-brittle material is deposited on the surface of the light emitting side of the array substrate 1 and located in the packaging area 201 to form an anti-crack portion 41 to block cracks that may be formed on the array substrate 1 .

[0063] Step S22: depositing high temperature resistant non-brittle material on one side surface of the cover plate located in the cutting area and on one side surface of the array substrate located in the cutting area to form an extension portion connected to the anti-crack portion, and making the extension portion on the cover plate extend toward the array substrate to form a protruding structure, and the extension portion on the array substrate extends toward the cover plate to form a protruding structure.

[0064] like Figure 7aAs shown, in the specific implementation process, a release material can be used as a mold, and a high-temperature resistant non-brittle material is deposited on the surface of one side of the cover plate 2 located in the cutting area 202 to form an extension portion 42, and one end of the extension portion 42 is connected to the anti-crack portion 41, and the other end extends from the surface of the cover plate 2 along the stacking direction Z toward the direction away from the cover plate 2 to form a protruding structure; so as to further prevent Frit from overflowing to the outside of the protective layer 4 in the subsequent process.

[0065] Among them, the method of using the release material as the mold is the same as or similar to the method of using the release material as the mold in the prior art. For details, please refer to the prior art and will not be repeated here.

[0066] At the same time, if Figure 7b As shown, a release material is used as a mold, and a high-temperature resistant non-brittle material is deposited on the surface of the light-emitting side of the array substrate 1 and located in the cutting area 202 to form an extension portion 42, and one end of the extension portion 42 is connected to the anti-crack portion 41, and the other end extends from the surface of the array substrate 1 along the stacking direction Z toward a direction away from the array substrate 1 to form a protruding structure.

[0067] Combination Figure 7a and Figure 7b , wherein the height c of the extension portion 42 is greater than 3 micrometers and less than or equal to 5 micrometers; so that the extension portion 42 can block the overflowing Frit and prevent it from overflowing outside the protective layer 4. Specifically, the height c of the extension portion 42 can be any value of 3.5 micrometers, 4 micrometers, 4.5 micrometers, 5 micrometers or 6 micrometers.

[0068] Step S3: depositing low-temperature glass slurry on the surface of the cover plate facing the protective layer and drying and curing the slurry to form a pre-cured layer.

[0069] like Figure 8 As shown, in a specific embodiment, Frit (low-temperature glass paste) is first deposited on the surface of the cover plate 2 facing the protective layer 4, and the Frit covers a portion of the surface of the protective layer 4; then the Frit is dried and cured to form a Frit film to form a pre-cured layer 6, so that the pre-cured layer 6 covers a portion of the surface of the protective layer 4 located in the packaging area 201 and a portion of the surface of the cover plate 2 located in the packaging area 201 and not covered by the protective layer 4, and a portion of the surface of the protective layer 4 located in the cutting area 202 is exposed.

[0070] Step S4: aligning the side of the cover plate facing the protective layer with the side of the array substrate facing the protective layer, and heating and curing the pre-cured layer to form a sealant layer.

[0071] Combination Figure 8 and Fig. 9In the specific implementation process, after the UV curing glue 7 is coated on the cutting area 202 of the cover plate 2 and / or the array substrate 1, the side of the cover plate 2 facing the protective layer 4 is aligned and pressed with the side of the array substrate 1 facing the protective layer 4, and then irradiated and cured under an ultraviolet light source to preliminarily fix the cover plate 2 and the array substrate 1 to avoid relative displacement between the two in subsequent processes.

[0072] Then, the pre-cured layer 6 is heated and cured by laser sintering to form a sealant layer 3; and the upper and lower surfaces of the sealant layer 3 along the stacking direction Z are sintered with a part of the surface of the cover plate 2 and a part of the surface of the array substrate 1, respectively, so as to fix the cover plate 2 and the array substrate 1, and seal the display area 10. The sealant layer 3 covers a part of the surface of the protective layer 4 located in the packaging area 201 and a part of the surface of the cover plate 2 located in the packaging area 201 and not covered by the protective layer 4, and exposes a part of the surface of the protective layer 4 located in the cutting area 202.

[0073] Step S5: cutting the cover plate and the array substrate.

[0074] like Fig.10 As shown, in the specific implementation process, a cutter wheel cutting method is adopted, and the edge of the protective layer 4 close to the cutting area 202 is used as the standard cutting position to cut the cover plate 2 and the array substrate 1 respectively. Specifically, the cutter wheel only cuts 20%-30% of the glass thickness, and then uses the brittleness of the glass to extend the cutting crack depth, so that the cover plate 2 and the cover plate 2 are separated along the cutting area 202, and the array substrates 1 and the array substrates 1 are also separated along the cutting area 202, thereby forming a plurality of separate display panels.

[0075] See also Fig.11 , Fig.11 For Figure 3 The structural schematic diagram of setting the sealant after step S5 is shown; in the specific implementation process, after step S5, it can also include: depositing resin material on the circumferential edge of the display panel to form a sealant, and making the sealant cover the plate, array substrate, protective layer and frame glue layer.

[0076] In the specific implementation process, the epoxy resin can be coated on the circumferential edge of the display panel, and the epoxy resin can cover the side of the cover plate 2, the side of the array substrate 1 and the side of the sealant layer 3, and cover the uncovered surface of the protective layer 4. Then the epoxy resin is cured to form the sealant 5, so as to prevent the sealant layer 3 and the protective layer 4 from being damaged when the edge of the display panel is subjected to external impact, resulting in poor packaging. Specifically, the epoxy resin can be cured by heating or ultraviolet irradiation.

[0077] The present application provides a method for preparing a display panel, which comprises first providing a cover plate 2 and an array substrate 1; then depositing a high-temperature resistant non-brittle material on at least one surface of the cover plate 2 located in the packaging area 201 and one surface of the array substrate 1 located in the packaging area 201 to form a protective layer 4; then depositing a low-temperature glass slurry on the surface of the cover plate 2 facing the protective layer 4 and drying and curing it to form a pre-cured layer 6; the pre-cured layer 6 covers a portion of the surface of the protective layer 4 located in the packaging area 201 and a portion of the surface of the cover plate 2 not covered by the protective layer 4; then aligning a side of the cover plate 2 facing the protective layer 4 with a side of the array substrate 1 facing the protective layer 4, and heating and curing the pre-cured layer 6 to form a frame glue layer 3; and finally cutting the cover plate 2 and the array substrate 1. The display panel manufactured by the manufacturing method of the display panel has a protective layer 4 made of a high-temperature resistant non-brittle material arranged between the cover plate 2 and the frame glue layer 3 and between the array substrate 1 and the frame glue layer 3, so that cracks generated when cutting the cover plate 2 and the array substrate 1 can be blocked by the protective layer 4, thereby preventing the cracks from extending to the frame glue layer 3, and preventing the frame glue layer 3 from generating extended cracks, thereby reducing the risk of packaging failure caused by cracks in the frame glue layer 3, resulting in water and oxygen intrusion and color deficiency of the display panel.

[0078] The above description is only an implementation method of the present application, and does not limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present application specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly used in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that: The display panel includes a display area and a non-display area; the non-display area includes a packaging area and a cutting area; The encapsulation area is located between the display area and the cutting area; the display panel comprises: Array substrate and cover plate; A sealant layer is disposed between the array substrate and the cover plate in the packaging area and is used to seal the display area; A protective layer, at least disposed on a surface of the cover plate facing the sealant layer and a surface of the array substrate facing the sealant layer, for preventing cracks generated on the cover plate and the array substrate from extending toward the sealant layer; Wherein, the protective layer is a high temperature resistant non-brittle material layer; and the protective layer is at least arranged in the packaging area and covers the edge of the frame glue layer close to the cutting area.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protective layer extends from the packaging area to the cutting area; and the projection of the edge of the sealant layer close to the cutting area along the stacking direction of the display panel on the array substrate is located within the projection of the protective layer along the stacking direction of the display panel on the array substrate; The protection layer includes a crack prevention portion disposed in the packaging area and an extension portion disposed in the cutting area.

3. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: One end of the extension portion is connected to the anti-crack portion; the other end of the extension portion extends from the surface of the cover plate toward the array substrate along the stacking direction of the display panel to form a protruding structure, or extends from the surface of the array substrate toward the cover plate along the stacking direction of the display panel to form a protruding structure.

4. The display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Also includes: A sealant is disposed in a non-display area of ​​the display panel and surrounds a peripheral edge of the display panel; The sealant covers the cover plate, the array substrate, the protection layer and the frame glue layer.

5. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The width of the protective layer is greater than or equal to 80 micrometers and less than or equal to 120 micrometers; wherein the width of the protective layer is the dimension of the protective layer in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the display panel.

6. The display panel according to claim 3, characterized in that: The thickness of the anti-crack portion is less than or equal to 3 microns; the height of the extension portion is greater than 3 microns and less than or equal to 5 microns; The thickness of the crack prevention portion is the size of the crack prevention portion along the stacking direction of the display panel; and the height of the extending portion is the size of the extending portion along the stacking direction of the display panel.

7. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high temperature resistant non-brittle material layer includes one or more of modified silica, high temperature resistant polymer, and metal oxide aerogel; wherein the modified silica is metal ion doped silica and / or carbon and nitrogen co-doped silica.

8. A method for preparing a display panel, characterized in that: include: Providing a cover plate and an array substrate; A high temperature resistant non-brittle material is deposited at least on one side surface of the cover plate located in the packaging area and one side surface of the array substrate located in the packaging area to form a protective layer; Depositing low-temperature glass slurry on the surface of the cover plate facing the protective layer and drying and curing it to form a pre-cured layer; the pre-cured layer covers the partial surface of the protective layer located in the packaging area and the partial surface of the cover plate not covered by the protective layer; Aligning the side of the cover plate facing the protective layer with the side of the array substrate facing the protective layer, and heating and curing the pre-cured layer to form a sealant layer; The cover plate and the array substrate are cut.

9. The method for preparing a display panel according to claim 8, characterized in that: The step of depositing a high temperature resistant non-brittle material to form a protective layer at least on one side surface of the cover plate located in the packaging area and one side surface of the array substrate located in the packaging area specifically includes: Depositing the high temperature resistant non-brittle material on one side surface of the cover plate located in the packaging area and one side surface of the array substrate located in the packaging area to form a crack prevention portion; The high temperature resistant non-brittle material is deposited on one side surface of the cover plate located in the cutting area and one side surface of the array substrate located in the cutting area to form an extension portion connected to the anti-crack portion, and the extension portion on the cover plate is extended toward the array substrate to form a protruding structure, and the extension portion on the array substrate is extended toward the cover plate to form a protruding structure.

10. The method for preparing a display panel according to claim 8, characterized in that: After the step of cutting the cover plate and the array substrate, the method further includes: A resin material is deposited on the peripheral edge of the display panel to form a sealant, and the sealant is made to cover the cover plate, the array substrate, the protection layer and the frame glue layer.

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