Mask plate and preparation method thereof, display panel and preparation method thereof, and display device

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of display, in particular to a mask plate, a preparation method of the mask plate, a display panel, a preparation method of the display panel and a display device. The graphic layer comprises a plurality of hollow structures and is positioned on one side of the supporting layer; the first protection layer is positioned on one side, deviating from the pattern layer, of the supporting layer; the second protection layer is located on one side, deviating from the supporting layer, of the pattern layer. Therefore, the mask plate is attached to the display panel to be processed and used for manufacturing side face and / or back face routing, the display panel is prevented from being directly subjected to laser and other high-temperature manufacturing procedures, the risk that transistors in the display panel are damaged is reduced, and the yield and reliability are improved; compared with a laser etching mode, the manufacturing method is simple, and the manufacturing process is short.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a mask plate and a preparation method thereof, a display panel and a preparation method thereof, and a display device. Background Art

[0002] In display technology, narrow bezels and spliced ​​displays have become the main development trends. In related technologies, the realization of narrow bezels and seamless spliced ​​displays mainly relies on side / back wiring technology. However, the mainstream preparation method for side / back wiring is mainly laser etching, which has a complex production process and a single method. There are also problems such as low yield and poor reliability. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to solve the above technical problems or at least partially solve the above technical problems, the present disclosure provides a mask plate and a manufacturing method thereof, a display panel and a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a mask plate, comprising:

[0005] Support layer;

[0006] A graphic layer, comprising a plurality of hollow structures, and located on one side of the support layer;

[0007] A first protective layer, located on a side of the support layer away from the graphic layer;

[0008] The second protection layer is located on a side of the graphic layer away from the support layer.

[0009] In a second aspect, the present disclosure further provides a method for preparing a mask plate, comprising:

[0010] Providing a first stacking structure, the first stacking structure at least comprising a supporting layer and a layer to be patterned;

[0011] Disposing a first protective layer on a side of the support layer away from the layer to be patterned;

[0012] Performing a graphic processing on the layer to be graphicized to obtain a graphic layer;

[0013] Disposing a second protective layer on a side of the graphic layer away from the support layer;

[0014] Wherein, the mask plate includes the first protection layer, the support layer, the graphic layer and the second protection layer which are stacked.

[0015] In a third aspect, the present disclosure further provides a method for preparing a display panel, comprising:

[0016] Providing a mask plate and a display panel to be processed; the mask plate is any of the above-mentioned mask plates, or the mask plate is formed based on the preparation method of any of the above-mentioned mask plates;

[0017] Laminating the mask plate retaining the pattern layer to the side surface of the display panel, and to the back surface and / or side surface adjacent to the side surface;

[0018] Based on the mask plate, a patterned film layer is formed on at least one side of the display panel.

[0019] In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure further provides a display panel formed based on any of the above-mentioned methods for preparing the display panel.

[0020] In a fifth aspect, the present disclosure further provides a display device, comprising the above-mentioned display panel.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution provided by the present invention has the following advantages:

[0022] In the mask plate and its preparation method, display panel and its preparation method, and display device provided by the present disclosure, the mask plate includes: a support layer; a graphic layer, including multiple hollow structures, and located on one side of the support layer; a first protective layer, located on the side of the support layer away from the graphic layer; a second protective layer, located on the side of the graphic layer away from the support layer. Thus, the mask plate can be attached to the display panel to be processed to make side / back wiring, avoiding the display panel directly experiencing laser and other high-temperature processes, reducing the risk of transistor damage, and improving yield and reliability; at the same time, compared with the laser etching method, the manufacturing method is simple and the process is short. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a mask plate provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of another mask plate provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 3A schematic structural diagram of another mask plate provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of another mask plate provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of another mask plate provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of another mask plate provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram of another mask plate provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of another mask plate provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Fig. 9 A schematic structural diagram of another mask plate provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Fig.10 A schematic structural diagram of another mask plate provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Fig.11 A schematic structural diagram of a mask plate provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of a process for preparing a mask plate provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Fig.13 for Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the structures corresponding to each step in the method for preparing the mask plate shown;

[0038] Fig.14 for Fig.12 A refinement step of S130 in the method for preparing the mask plate shown;

[0039] Fig.15 A schematic structural diagram corresponding to each step of a method for preparing a mask provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Fig.16 A schematic diagram of a process for preparing a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Fig.17 for Fig.16 A detailed step of S320 in the method for preparing the display panel shown;

[0042] Fig.18 for Fig.16 A detailed step of S330 in the method for preparing the display panel shown;

[0043] Fig.19 A schematic structural diagram corresponding to each step of a method for manufacturing a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] Fig. 20 A schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] Fig.21 A schematic diagram of the structure of a display device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] Fig. 22 A schematic diagram of the structure of a display device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] Among them, 1. support layer; 11. polyester film layer; 2. graphic layer; 20. layer to be patterned; 201. portion to be retained; 202. portion to be removed; 21. photosensitive dry film layer; 3. first protective layer; 31. blue polyester film layer; 32. white polyester film (W-PET) layer; 4. second protective layer; 41. self-adhesive film layer; 42. polyethylene layer; 43. polypropylene layer; 5. display panel; 51. substrate; 52. lead wire; 53. transfer electrode block; 530. transfer electrode; 54. connecting electrode; 55. external electrode block; 6. patterned film layer; 100. display device; 200. spliced ​​display device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] In order to more clearly understand the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of the present disclosure, the scheme of the present disclosure will be further described below. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0049] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein; it is obvious that the embodiments in the specification are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of the embodiments.

[0050] In the following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the mask plate and the manufacturing method thereof, the display panel and the manufacturing method thereof, and the display device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure are exemplarily described.

[0051] In some embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, the mask plate includes: a support layer 1, a pattern layer 2, a first protective layer 3 and a second protective layer 4.

[0052] Among them, the graphic layer 2 includes a plurality of hollow structures, and the graphic layer 2 is located on one side of the support layer 1. The graphic layer 2 is a photosensitive material layer, which is patterned by photolithography and has a certain graphic resolution capability. The support layer 1, as the substrate of the graphic layer 2, satisfies the requirements of coatability, light transmittance and flexibility. When the graphic layer 2 is bonded to a non-identical plane of the display panel, the support layer 1 has good flexibility and bendability, so that the graphic layer 2 is tightly bonded to the display panel to be processed, realizing the 3D bonding of the graphic layer 2 and the display panel, that is, realizing the patterning of the bonding mask on non-identical planes.

[0053] The first protective layer 3 is located on the side of the support layer 1 away from the graphic layer 2, that is, the support layer 1 is located between the graphic layer 2 and the first protective layer 3. The first protective layer 3 is used to protect the support layer 1 and also to provide support for the support layer 1 and the graphic layer 2, and has the characteristics of good flatness, low curling, low deformation, and high temperature resistance.

[0054] The second protective layer 4 is located on the side of the graphic layer 2 away from the support layer 1, that is, the graphic layer 2 is located between the support layer 1 and the second protective layer 4. The second protective layer 4 is used to protect the graphic layer 2 from environmental pollution and the graphic structure of the graphic layer 2 from being damaged. The second protective layer 4 has a low adhesion to the graphic layer 2 and is easy to be peeled off.

[0055] In this embodiment, the mask plate is used to make routing on the side and / or back of the display panel. The specific production process is: remove the first protective layer 3 and the second protective layer 4, and only retain the double-layer structure of the support layer 1 and the graphic layer 4. The graphic layer 4 in the above double-layer structure is facing the display panel and adhered to the side and / or back of the display panel. The support layer 1 is removed, and based on the graphic layer 2, a patterned film layer is formed on the display panel to be processed; the graphic layer 2 is removed, and the part of the film layer retained on the display panel is the side / back routing.

[0056] It should be noted that the present disclosure does not limit the process for forming the patterned film layer, and the patterned film layer can be formed by any process known to those skilled in the art, such as electrodeposition or evaporation. The traces made using the mask provided in this embodiment correspond to the hollow structure of the pattern layer 2.

[0057] The mask provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a support layer 1; a graphic layer 2, including a plurality of hollow structures, and located on one side of the support layer 1; a first protective layer 3, located on the side of the support layer 1 away from the graphic layer 2; and a second protective layer 4, located on the side of the graphic layer 2 away from the support layer 1. Thus, the mask is attached to the display panel to be processed for making side / back wiring, which avoids the display panel directly undergoing laser and other high-temperature processes, reduces the risk of transistor damage, and improves yield and reliability; at the same time, compared with the laser etching method, the manufacturing method is simple and the process is short.

[0058] In some embodiments, the line / space resolution of the pattern layer 2 ranges from 15 / 15 μm to 200 / 100 μm.

[0059] Among them, "line" refers to the width of the line that forms the routing, and "space" refers to the width of the gap between the lines. Therefore, line / space resolution can also be defined as "line width / line spacing". Line / space resolution refers to the ability of the mask to form a pattern after exposure and development, which mainly depends on the pattern layer 2.

[0060] In some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, the graphic layer 2 includes a photosensitive dry film layer 21 .

[0061] The photosensitive dry film layer 21 has a photosensitive patterning property. Exemplarily, the material of the photosensitive dry film layer 21 includes dry film photoresist (DFR).

[0062] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the thickness H1 of the first protective layer 3 is greater than the thickness H3 of the support layer 1 , and / or the thickness H1 of the first protective layer 3 is greater than the thickness H2 of the second protective layer 4 .

[0063] In this embodiment, the first protective layer 3 has a relatively large thickness to ensure stable control of the total pitch / line width of the mask during patterning, storage and transportation, so that the deformation of the mask is less than the minimum allowable deformation, thereby ensuring high-precision alignment with the rigid glass conductive contact points during use.

[0064] For example, Figure 3 As shown, the thickness H1 of the first protective layer 3 is greater than the thickness H3 of the support layer 1, ie, H1>H3, and the thickness H1 of the first protective layer 3 is greater than the thickness H2 of the second protective layer 4, ie, H1>H2.

[0065] In some embodiments, the support layer 1 has an adhesive coefficient of 0 to 10 gf / 25 mm and a tensile strength greater than 140 MPa.

[0066] When making the wiring, it is necessary to attach the mask plate with only the support layer 1 and the graphic layer 2 to the display panel to be processed, and then remove the support layer 1. The support layer 1 has the characteristics of low adhesion and low deformation / stretch resistance, and the adhesion between the support layer 1 and the graphic layer 2 is small. The support layer 1 can be removed with a slight external force, without leaving any support layer 1 or damaging the graphic layer 2.

[0067] In some embodiments, the material of the support layer 1 includes polyester film (PET).

[0068] For example, Figure 4 As shown, in the mask plate, the support layer 1 includes a polyester film (PET) layer 11 .

[0069] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the thickness H3 of the support layer 1 is 10-20 μm.

[0070] In this embodiment, the thickness H3 of the support layer 1 is negatively correlated with the bendability. The smaller the thickness H3, the easier the support layer 1 is to bend, and the larger the thickness H3, the harder the support layer is to bend.

[0071] For example, when side and back wiring are produced at the same time, the mask plate retaining the supporting layer 1 and the graphic layer 2 needs to be bent and adhered to the side and back of the display panel. The mask plate retaining the supporting layer 1 and the graphic layer 2 uses the bendability of the supporting layer 1 to achieve non-plane bonding between the graphic layer 2 and the display panel, that is, 3D bonding, thereby achieving patterning on non-planes.

[0072] In some embodiments, the first protective layer 3 has an adhesive coefficient of 0-10 gf / 25 mm and a tensile strength greater than 140 MPa.

[0073] In this embodiment, before the mask plate is attached to the display panel to be processed, it is necessary to remove the first protective layer 3. The first protective layer 3 has the characteristics of low adhesion and low deformation / stretching resistance. The adhesion between the first protective layer 3 and the supporting layer 1 is relatively small. When the first protective layer 1 is removed, no residue will be left and the supporting layer 1 will not be damaged.

[0074] In some embodiments, the material of the first protection layer 3 includes a blue polyester film or a white polyester film.

[0075] In this embodiment, the material of the first protective layer 3 includes polyester film, and the appearance color can be blue or white.

[0076] For example, Figure 5 As shown, in the mask, the first protection layer 3 includes a blue polyester film (B-PET) layer 31 .

[0077] For example, Figure 6 As shown, in the mask plate, the first protection layer 3 includes a white polyester film (W-PET) layer 32 .

[0078] It should be noted that Figure 5 or Figure 6 The first protective layer 3 is shown as blue or white, but does not limit the mask provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure. In other embodiments, the first protective layer 3 may also be a polyester film layer of other colors, such as a transparent polyester film layer.

[0079] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the thickness H1 of the first protective layer 3 is 50-200 μm.

[0080] In the present embodiment, the first protective layer 3 is set to have a relatively large thickness, and H1 is set ≥ 50 μm, so as to meet the requirement of stable control of the total pitch / line width of the mask during the graphic preparation, storage and transportation, so that the deformation of the mask is less than the minimum allowable deformation, so as to ensure high-precision alignment with the rigid glass conductive contact point during use; at the same time, the thickness H1 of the first protective layer 3 is positively correlated with the production cost, and H1 is set ≤ 200 μm, which is conducive to controlling the production cost.

[0081] In some embodiments, the temperature resistance of the first protective layer 3 is greater than or equal to 100°C.

[0082] In this embodiment, the first protective layer 3 has a certain temperature resistance. With this configuration, the first protective layer 3 is not easily deformed or curled in a high temperature environment, and provides a planarization support function for the support layer 1 and the graphic layer 2 .

[0083] In some embodiments, Figure 7 As shown, the second protective layer 4 includes a self-adhesive film layer 41 .

[0084] In this embodiment, the self-adhesive film layer 41 is a weak adhesive film, which can be attached to the graphic layer 2 under the action of vacuum adsorption or electrostatic adsorption, and does not need to be additionally provided with adhesive, so as to avoid the adhesive component from contaminating the graphic layer 2 or the adhesive from dissolving in the graphic layer 2. The self-adhesive film layer 41 has a relatively low adhesive force, and while protecting the graphic layer 2 from environmental pollution, its adhesive force will not destroy the graphic structure of the graphic layer 2.

[0085] In some embodiments, the material of the second protective layer 4 includes polypropylene or polyethylene.

[0086] This embodiment utilizes the self-adhesiveness of polypropylene or polyethylene, and uses polyethylene and polypropylene to prepare the second protective layer 4. There is no need to set an adhesive layer. The second protective layer 4 can be adsorbed on the graphic layer 2 under the action of vacuum adsorption or electrostatic adsorption; at the same time, the adhesion of polypropylene or polyethylene is low, so that the second protective layer 4 is easy to be peeled off without damaging the graphic layer 2.

[0087] For example, Figure 8 As shown, in the mask plate, the second protective layer 4 includes a polyethylene (PE) layer 42 .

[0088] For example, Fig. 9 As shown, in the mask plate, the second protective layer 4 includes a polypropylene (PP) layer 41 .

[0089] In some embodiments, the adhesion coefficient of the second protective layer 4 is 0-5 gf / 25 mm.

[0090] In this embodiment, the second protective layer 4 has an adhesive coefficient in the range of 0 to 5 gf / 25 mm, has a relatively low adhesive force, and is easily peeled off without damaging the graphic layer 2 .

[0091] In some embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the thickness H2 of the second protective layer 4 is 20-80 μm.

[0092] In this embodiment, the thickness H2 of the second protective layer 2 is set to be greater than or equal to 20μm, that is, H2≥20μm, so as to meet the strength of the second protective layer 2 for protection. At the same time, the thickness H2 of the second protective layer 2 is set to be less than or equal to 80μm, that is, H2≤80μm, which is beneficial to controlling the production cost.

[0093] In some embodiments, the thickness of the graphic layer 2 is 15-30 μm.

[0094] In this embodiment, the thickness of the pattern layer 2 is related to the thickness of the wiring to be manufactured. The thickness of the wiring manufactured using the mask provided by this embodiment is 15-30 μm.

[0095] For example, Fig.10 As shown, the mask plate includes: a polyethylene (PE) layer 42 , a photosensitive dry film (DFR) layer 21 , a polyester film (PET) layer 11 and a blue polyester film (B-PET) layer 31 .

[0096] For example, Fig.11 As shown, the mask plate includes: a polypropylene (PP) layer 41 , a photosensitive dry film (DFR) layer 21 , a polyester film (PET) layer 11 and a blue polyester film (B-PET) layer 31 .

[0097] Based on the same inventive concept, the embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a method for preparing a mask plate. The mask plate provided in the above embodiment is formed based on the method for preparing the mask plate, which has corresponding beneficial effects. To avoid repeated description, it will not be repeated here.

[0098] In some embodiments, Figure 12-13 As shown, the method for preparing the mask plate includes the following steps:

[0099] S110, providing a first stacking structure, wherein the first stacking structure at least includes a supporting layer and a layer to be patterned.

[0100] For example, Fig.13 As shown in step (A) in the figure, the first stacking structure includes a supporting layer 1 and a layer to be patterned 20, wherein the supporting layer 1 serves as a substrate of the layer to be patterned 20, and the layer to be patterned 20 entirely covers a surface of one side of the supporting layer 1.

[0101] For example, Fig.15 As shown in step (A), the first stacking structure includes a supporting layer 1, a layer to be patterned 20 and a second protective layer 4, wherein the supporting layer 1 serves as a substrate of the layer to be patterned 20, the layer to be patterned 20 is entirely covered on one side surface of the supporting layer 1, and the second protective layer 4 covers the side surface of the layer to be patterned 20 that is away from the supporting layer 1.

[0102] S120, disposing a first protective layer on a side of the support layer away from the layer to be patterned.

[0103] like Fig.13 As shown in step (B) in the figure, the first protective layer 3 is located on the surface of the support layer 1 on the side away from the layer to be patterned 20, that is, the support layer 1 is located between the layer to be patterned 20 and the first protective layer 3. The first protective layer 3 is used to protect the support layer 1 and also to provide support to the support layer 1 and the layer to be patterned 20, and has the characteristics of good flatness, low curling, low deformation, and high temperature resistance.

[0104] It should be noted that the present embodiment does not limit the formation process of the first protective layer 3, and all processes known to those skilled in the art may be used, such as coating or hot pressing bonding.

[0105] S130, performing graphics processing on the graphics layer to be processed to obtain a graphics layer.

[0106] like Fig.13 As shown in step (C) in the figure, the graphic layer 2 obtained in this step includes multiple hollow structures.

[0107] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the process of patterning, and all processes known to those skilled in the art, such as exposure and development, may be used.

[0108] S140, disposing a second protective layer on a side of the graphic layer away from the supporting layer.

[0109] like Fig.13 As shown in step (D) in the figure, the second protective layer 4 is located on the side of the graphic layer 2 away from the support layer 1, and the second protective layer 4 is used to protect the graphic layer 2 from environmental pollution and scratches by hard objects. Figure 1 The mask plate obtained in this step includes a first protective layer 3, a support layer 1, a graphic layer 2 and a second protective layer 4 stacked from bottom to top.

[0110] In some embodiments, Fig.15 As shown in step (A), the first stacking structure also includes a second protective layer 4 located on the side of the layer to be patterned 20 away from the supporting layer 1, and the second protective layer 4 covers the layer to be patterned 20 in its entirety to avoid contamination of the layer to be patterned 20 during the preparation of the mask plate.

[0111] like Fig.14 As shown in the figure, "processing the graphics layer graphically" includes the following steps:

[0112] S231, performing mask exposure on the pattern layer on one side of the second protective layer to form a portion to be retained and a portion to be removed.

[0113] In this embodiment, the second protective layer 4 is light-transmissive.

[0114] like Fig.15 As shown in step (C) in the figure, the pattern layer 20 is exposed from one side of the second protective layer 4, for example, by laser irradiation or ultraviolet irradiation. The exposed portion of the pattern layer 20 undergoes a qualitative change, while the unexposed portion does not change.

[0115] In this embodiment, the material of the layer to be patterned 20 includes a positive photosensitive material and a negative photosensitive material. If the material of the layer to be patterned is a positive photosensitive material, the exposed portion of the layer to be patterned 20 softens in the developer and can be dissolved in the developer, and this portion of the layer to be patterned 20 is the portion to be removed, while the portion of the layer to be patterned that is not exposed is retained, that is, the portion to be retained. If the layer to be patterned 20 is a negative photosensitive material, the exposed portion of the layer to be patterned 20 becomes insoluble and hardens due to cross-linking, and this portion of the layer to be patterned 20 cannot be washed away in the developer, that is, the portion to be retained, and the portion of the layer to be patterned 20 that is not exposed is removed after being dissolved in the developer, that is, the portion to be removed.

[0116] S232, removing the second protective layer.

[0117] like Fig.15 As shown in step (D) in the figure, the second protective layer 4 is removed to expose the surface of the layer to be patterned 20 facing away from the supporting layer 1.

[0118] In this embodiment, the second protective layer 4 is retained before exposure to protect the exposure surface of the patterned layer 20 from being polluted by the environment, which is conducive to improving the yield. After exposure, the second protective layer 4 is removed so that the developer contacts the patterned layer 20 in the subsequent steps, removes the portion 202 to be removed, and retains the portion 201 to be retained.

[0119] S233, removing the portion to be removed and retaining the portion to be retained to obtain a graphic layer.

[0120] like Fig.15 As shown in step (E) in the figure, the mask plate obtained in the above step is developed, the portion 202 to be removed is dissolved in the developer and removed, and the portion 201 to be retained is not dissolved in the developer and is retained, thereby obtaining a graphic layer 2; the hollow structure in the graphic layer 2 corresponds to the portion 202 to be removed.

[0121] It should be noted that steps (D) to (E) in 15 are merely exemplary examples of the case where the material of the patterned layer 20 is a positive photosensitive material, the exposed portion is the portion to be removed 202, and the unexposed portion is the portion to be retained 201. If the material of the patterned layer 20 is a negative photosensitive material, the unexposed portion is the portion to be removed 202, and the exposed portion is the portion to be retained 201.

[0122] In some embodiments, “arranging a second protective layer on a side of the graphic layer away from the supporting layer” comprises the following steps:

[0123] A second protective layer is reattached to the side of the graphic layer facing away from the support layer.

[0124] like Fig.15 As shown in step (F) in the figure, after obtaining the patterned graphic layer 2, the second protective layer 4 is reattached to the side of the graphic layer 2 away from the supporting layer 1 to protect the graphic layer 2 from environmental pollution and the graphic structure from being destroyed.

[0125] In some embodiments, the second protective layer is a light-transmitting layer.

[0126] Exemplarily, the second protective layer 4 is a transparent layer, and the exposure light source can pass through the second protective layer 4 and perform exposure processing on a designated position of the pattern layer 20 .

[0127] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a method for preparing a display panel, which uses any of the above-mentioned mask plates or a mask plate formed by any of the above-mentioned preparation methods to prepare a display panel, and has corresponding beneficial effects. To avoid repeated description, it will not be repeated here.

[0128] In some embodiments, Fig.16 As shown, the method for preparing the display panel includes the following steps:

[0129] S310, providing a mask plate and a display panel to be processed.

[0130] The mask plate includes any one of the mask plates provided in the above embodiments, or the mask plate is formed based on any one of the above mask plate preparation methods.

[0131] S320, laminating the mask plate retaining the pattern layer to the side surface of the display panel, and to the back surface and / or side surface adjacent to the side surface.

[0132] Among them, the mask plate with retained graphic layer 2 is attached to the side of the display panel 5 for making side routing; the mask plate with retained graphic layer 2 is attached to the back side of the display panel 5 adjacent to the side for making back routing; the mask plate with retained graphic layer 2 is attached to the back and side sides of the display panel 5 adjacent to the side for making back routing and side routing at the same time.

[0133] For example, Fig.19 As shown in step (C), one side of the pattern layer 2 is facing the display panel, and the mask plate retaining the pattern layer 2 is attached to the display panel 5.

[0134] S330 , forming a patterned film layer on at least one side of the display panel based on the mask plate.

[0135] The patterned film layer is the routing, and the routing corresponds to the hollow structure of the graphic layer 2 .

[0136] In this step, the pattern layer 2 of the mask plate is used as a mask to form a patterned film layer on the side, back, or both side and back of the display panel, thereby forming side / back wiring.

[0137] It should be noted that the present embodiment aims to emphasize the realization of mask patterning on non-identical planes of the display panel 5, and the non-identical planes include but are not limited to the side and the back, multiple different sides, the side and the front, the front, the side and the back, and at least two other planes that are not in the same plane.

[0138] In some embodiments, Fig.17 As shown, “attaching the mask plate retaining the pattern layer to the side of the display panel, and to the back surface and / or side surface adjacent to the side surface” includes the following steps:

[0139] S421, retaining the graphic layer and the support layer of the mask plate.

[0140] like Fig.19 As shown in steps (A) to (B) in the figure, the first protective layer 3 and the second protective layer 4 on both sides of the mask plate are removed, and the pattern layer 2 and the support layer 1 are retained.

[0141] S422, attaching the mask plate with the support layer and the pattern layer retained thereon to at least one side surface of the display panel.

[0142] like Fig.19 As shown in step (C) in the figure, the first protective layer 3 and the second protective layer 4 on both sides of the mask plate are removed, and the pattern layer 2 and the support layer 1 are retained. The pattern layer 2 is placed toward the display panel 5 to be processed, and the pattern layer 2 is attached to the display panel 5 to be processed.

[0143] It should be noted that the present disclosure does not limit the lamination process, and all lamination processes known to those skilled in the art can be used, such as hot pressing lamination. The graphic layer 2 is not limited to being laminated to the side of the display panel, but can also be laminated to other planes other than the side, such as the back or front.

[0144] S423, removing the support layer, leaving the graphic layer to be bonded to the display panel.

[0145] like Fig.19 As shown in step (D) in the figure, the support layer 1 of the mask plate is removed, and only the graphic layer 2 with a hollow structure is retained on the display panel 5.

[0146] In some embodiments, Fig.18 As shown, “forming a patterned film layer on at least one side of the display panel based on a mask plate” includes the following steps:

[0147] S531, forming a film on the side of the display panel on which the graphic layer is attached.

[0148] like Fig.19 As shown in step (E) in the figure, a film is formed on the side of the graphic layer 2 facing away from the display panel 5, and the formed film layer covers the graphic layer 2 and the display panel 5 exposed by the hollow structure.

[0149] S532, removing the graphic layer, and retaining a patterned film layer on at least one side of the display panel, wherein the patterned film layer corresponds to the hollow structure of the graphic layer.

[0150] like Fig.19 As shown in step (F), while removing the graphic layer 2, the film layer covering the graphic layer 2 is also removed, and the remaining film layer is the patterned film layer 6, which corresponds to the hollow structure of the graphic layer 2.

[0151] The disclosed embodiment does not limit the process of removing the graphic layer 2, and all processes / methods known to those skilled in the art can be used to remove the graphic layer 2. For example, the graphic layer 2 is removed by hand tearing, and the edge of the patterned film layer obtained by this method is uneven and irregularly serrated.

[0152] On the basis of the above-mentioned implementation manner, the embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a display panel, which is formed based on any of the above-mentioned display panel preparation methods and has corresponding beneficial effects. To avoid repeated description, it will not be repeated here.

[0153] For example, Fig. 20As shown, the display panel 5 may include a light emitting surface S1 (i.e., the front side) and a backlight surface S2 (i.e., the back side), and the light emitting surface S1 is the side of the display panel 5 that displays the display screen to the user. The display panel 5 may also include: a substrate 51 and a lead wire 52. The lead wire 52 is located on one side of the substrate 51. The lead wire 52 may include at least a portion of the functional signal lines such as the data line, the power line, the reset line, and the clock line. The lead wire 52 can be used to electrically connect to an external test fixture, and then at least a portion of the above-mentioned functional signal lines can be electrically connected to the external test fixture, thereby realizing the performance test of the display panel 5. In order to enable the functional signal line to be electrically connected to the IC and / or the flexible circuit board, the display panel 5 also includes a transfer electrode block 53. The transfer electrode block 53 serves as a transfer part between the functional signal line and the IC and / or the flexible circuit board. The transfer electrode block 53 includes at least two transfer electrodes 530 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the plane where the display panel 5 is located and located in different conductive film layers. Since the transfer electrode block 53 includes at least two stacked transfer electrodes 530, the stacked multiple transfer electrodes 530 can be in the same layer as at least part of the functional signal lines located in different film layers in the display panel 5, which facilitates the connection between the functional signal lines and the transfer electrode block 53. For example, the transfer electrode block 53 connected to the data line includes the transfer electrode 530 in the same layer as the data line, and the data line and the transfer electrode 530 in the transfer electrode block 53 remain connected after etching, and no other structure is required for transfer, which reduces the process difficulty and improves the process reliability.

[0154] In addition, the lead wire 52 may also include a portion located in the same conductive film layer as at least one transfer electrode 530 in the transfer electrode block 53, so as to realize electrical connection between the lead wire 52 and the functional signal line through the transfer electrode block 53. Fig. 20 As shown, the lead-out wire 52 and the transfer electrode 530 which is at the bottom of the transfer electrode block 53 and is located in the same conductive film layer as the gate of the first transistor T1 are located in the same conductive film layer. Then, the lead-out wire 52 and the transfer electrode 530 in the transfer electrode block 53 remain connected after etching, and no need for transfer through other structures is required, thereby reducing the process difficulty and improving the process reliability.

[0155] like Fig. 20As shown, in order to reduce the frame of the display panel 5, the IC and / or flexible circuit board bound to the display panel 5 are bound to the display panel 5 on the side of the backlight surface S2 of the display panel 5, and the display panel 5 also includes a connecting electrode 54 and an external electrode block 55, the external electrode block 55 is located on the side of the backlight surface S2 of the display panel 5, and the external electrode block 55 is electrically connected to the functional signal line through the connecting electrode 54. Specifically, the end 541 of the connecting electrode 54 located on the side of the light-emitting surface S1 of the display panel 5 contacts the transfer electrode block 53 on the side of the light-emitting surface S1 of the display panel 5, the end 542 of the connecting electrode 54 located on the side of the backlight surface S2 of the display panel 5 contacts the external electrode block 55 on the side of the backlight surface S2 of the display panel 5 or serves as the external electrode block 55, and the portion of the connecting electrode 54 between the end 541 located on the side of the light-emitting surface S1 of the display panel 5 and the end 542 located on the side of the backlight surface S2 of the display panel 5 is routed at the side wall of the display panel 5.

[0156] The transfer electrode block 53 is an electrode block for electrically connecting the external electrode block 55 and the lead wires with the functional signal wires. The width of the transfer electrode block 53 is usually greater than the width of the signal wires and the lead wires, which facilitates the contact yield between the connection electrode 54 and the transfer electrode block 53.

[0157] In the display panel 5 provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the connecting electrode 54 can be prepared using the mask template provided in the above embodiment of the present application, and the structure of the connecting electrode 54 located on the front, back and side of the display panel 5 is formed at the same time; and at least one of the lead-out wire 52, the transfer electrode block 53, the transfer electrode 530, the external electrode block 55 and the functional signal line can also be formed using the mask template provided in the above embodiment of the present application, which is not limited here.

[0158] Based on the above implementation, the present disclosure also provides a display device, such as Fig.21 As shown, the display device 100 includes: the above-mentioned display panel 5, which has corresponding beneficial effects. For details, please refer to the specific description of the display panel 5 in the above-mentioned embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0159] The display device 100 may be a mobile phone, a tablet, a computer, a television, a vehicle-mounted display device, an instrument display device, or other display device with a display function, and the embodiments of the present disclosure do not specifically limit this.

[0160] On the basis of the above implementation, the present disclosure also provides a splicing display device, such as Fig. 22As shown, the spliced ​​display device 200 is a spliced ​​display device 200 including the above-mentioned display panel 5. This type of spliced ​​display device 200 can be a spliced ​​large screen, which can be used in public information display (Public Information Display, PID) scenes such as stations and airports.

[0161] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0162] The above description is only a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, so that those skilled in the art can understand or implement the present disclosure. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure will not be limited to the embodiments described herein, but will conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A mask plate, characterized in that: include: Support layer; A graphic layer, comprising a plurality of hollow structures, and located on one side of the support layer; A first protective layer, located on a side of the support layer away from the graphic layer; The second protection layer is located on a side of the graphic layer away from the support layer.

2. The mask plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The line / space resolution of the graphic layer ranges from 15 / 15 μm to 200 / 100 μm.

3. The mask plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: The graphic layer includes a photosensitive dry film layer.

4. The mask plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the first protective layer is greater than the thickness of the supporting layer, and / or the thickness of the first protective layer is greater than the thickness of the second protective layer.

5. The mask plate according to claim 4, characterized in that: The adhesive coefficient of the support layer is 0-10gf / 25mm, and the tensile strength is greater than 140MPa.

6. The mask plate according to claim 5, characterized in that: The material of the supporting layer includes polyester film.

7. The mask plate according to claim 4, characterized in that: The thickness of the support layer is 10-20 μm.

8. The mask plate according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first protective layer has an adhesive coefficient of 0 to 10 gf / 25 mm and a tensile strength greater than 140 MPa.

9. The mask plate according to claim 8, characterized in that: The material of the first protective layer includes blue polyester film or white polyester film.

10. The mask plate according to claim 4, characterized in that: The thickness of the first protective layer is 50-200 μm.

11. The mask plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second protective layer includes a self-adhesive film layer.

12. The mask plate according to claim 11, characterized in that: The material of the second protective layer includes polypropylene or polyethylene.

13. The mask plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the second protective layer is 20-80 μm.

14. The mask plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the graphic layer is 15-30 μm.

15. A method for preparing a mask plate, characterized in that: include: Providing a first stacking structure, the first stacking structure at least comprising a supporting layer and a layer to be patterned; Disposing a first protective layer on a side of the support layer away from the layer to be patterned; Performing a graphic processing on the layer to be graphicized to obtain a graphic layer; Disposing a second protective layer on a side of the graphic layer away from the support layer; Wherein, the mask plate includes the first protection layer, the support layer, the graphic layer and the second protection layer which are stacked.

16. The preparation method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The first stacked structure further includes a second protective layer located on a side of the patterned layer away from the supporting layer; The layer to be patterned is subjected to a patterning process, comprising: Performing mask exposure on the layer to be patterned on one side of the second protective layer to form a portion to be retained and a portion to be removed; removing the second protective layer; The to-be-removed portion is removed, and the to-be-retained portion is retained to obtain the graphic layer.

17. The preparation method according to claim 15, characterized in that: A second protective layer is provided on a side of the graphic layer away from the support layer, comprising: A second protective layer is reattached to the side of the graphic layer facing away from the support layer.

18. The preparation method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The second protective layer is a light-transmitting layer.

19. A method for preparing a display panel, characterized in that: include: A mask plate and a display panel to be processed are provided; the mask plate comprises the mask plate according to any one of claims 1 to 14, or the mask plate is formed based on the method for preparing the mask plate according to any one of claims 15 to 18; Laminating the mask plate retaining the pattern layer to the side surface of the display panel, and to the back surface and / or side surface adjacent to the side surface; Based on the mask plate, a patterned film layer is formed on at least one side of the display panel.

20. The preparation method according to claim 19, characterized in that: The mask plate retaining the pattern layer is attached to the side surface of the display panel, and to the back surface and / or side surface adjacent to the side surface, comprising: retaining the pattern layer and the support layer of the mask plate; Laminating the mask plate with the support layer and the pattern layer retained thereon to at least one side of the display panel; The support layer is removed, and the graphic layer is retained to be bonded to the display panel.

21. The preparation method according to claim 19, characterized in that: Based on the mask plate, a patterned film layer is formed on at least one side of the display panel, including: forming a film on a side of the display panel on which the graphic layer is attached; The graphic layer is removed, and a patterned film layer is retained on at least one side of the display panel, wherein the patterned film layer corresponds to the hollow structure of the graphic layer.

22. A display panel, characterized in that: The display panel is formed based on the method for preparing the display panel according to any one of claims 19 to 21.

23. A display device, characterized in that: Includes the display panel as claimed in claim 22.

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