Electronic device

Abstract

The present application provides an electronic device, including a panel, a protective substrate, and a first light shielding structure. The panel has an active area and a peripheral area adjacent to the active area. The protective substrate is disposed relative to the panel, and the first light shielding structure is disposed on a surface of the protective substrate and corresponds to the peripheral area. Furthermore, a portion of the first light shielding structure overlapping the peripheral area has at least one opening.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to electronic devices, and particularly to electronic devices with light shielding structures. BACKGROUND

[0002] Electronic devices, including panels, have become an essential necessity in modern society. Consumers have high expectations for the viewing quality and functionality of these electronic devices.

[0003] However, these electronic products still do not meet expectations in various aspects, such as the visual boundary feeling between the light shielding structure and the active area of the substrate due to the obvious difference in transmittance. Therefore, developing a structure that can improve the viewing quality or performance of electronic devices is still one of the research topics that the industry is committed to. SUMMARY

[0004] According to some embodiments of the present application, an electronic device is provided, including a panel, a protective substrate, and a first light shielding structure. The panel has an active area and a peripheral area adjacent to the active area. The protective substrate is disposed relative to the panel, and the first light shielding structure is disposed on the surface of the protective substrate and corresponds to the peripheral area. The first light shielding structure overlaps at least one opening in a portion of the peripheral area.

[0005] To make the features or advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, some embodiments are specifically described below, and the accompanying drawings are described in detail as follows. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 For some embodiments of the present application, a top view schematic diagram of an electronic device is shown;

[0007] Figure 2 For some embodiments of the present application, a partial cross-sectional structure schematic diagram of an electronic device is shown;

[0008] Figure 3 For some embodiments of the present application, a partial top view schematic diagram of a first light shielding structure of an electronic device is shown;

[0009] Figure 4 For some embodiments of the present application, a partial top view schematic diagram of a first light shielding structure of an electronic device is shown;

[0010] Figure 5 For some embodiments of the present application, a partial top view schematic diagram of a first light shielding structure of an electronic device is shown;

[0011] Figure 6 For some embodiments of the present application, a partial cross-sectional structure schematic diagram of an electronic device is shown;

[0012] Figure 7AThis is a partial top view of the third light-shielding structure of the electronic device in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 7B This is a partial top view of the third light-shielding structure of the electronic device in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 8 This is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of an electronic device in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 9 This is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of an electronic device in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0016] Figures 10A to 10C This is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of some components of an electronic device in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 11 This is a partial top view of the first light-shielding structure of an electronic device in some embodiments of the present invention.

[0018] Symbol Explanation

[0019] 10: Electronic devices

[0020] 10A: Electronic Devices

[0021] 10B: Electronic devices

[0022] 10C: Electronic devices

[0023] 100: Panel

[0024] 200: Protective substrate

[0025] 200s1: Surface

[0026] 200s2: Surface

[0027] 300: First light-shielding structure

[0028] 300e: Inner edge

[0029] 300e1: Inner edge

[0030] 300P1: Part 1

[0031] 300P2: Part Two

[0032] 300t1: Thickness

[0033] 300t2: Thickness

[0034] 310: Second light-shielding structure

[0035] 310e: Inner edge

[0036] 310e1: outer edge

[0037] 320: third light-shielding structure

[0038] AA: active area

[0039] NAA: non-active area

[0040] OP: opening

[0041] OP-1: opening

[0042] OP-2: opening

[0043] OP-3: opening

[0044] OP-4: opening

[0045] PN: pattern

[0046] Px1: first pitch

[0047] Px2: second pitch

[0048] Px3: third pitch

[0049] Pxn: nth pitch

[0050] Pxa: pitch

[0051] Pxb: pitch

[0052] Pxc: pitch

[0053] R1: region

[0054] SP1: first sub-portion

[0055] SP2: second sub-portion

[0056] SP3: third sub-portion

[0057] SPn: nth sub-portion

[0058] SPw1: width

[0059] SPw2: width

[0060] SPw3: width

[0061] SPwn: width

[0062] S1: first region

[0063] S2: second region

[0064] TR: light-transmitting region

[0065] TR-1: light-transmitting region

[0066] TR-2: Transmission Region

[0067] W1: Width

[0068] Wa: Second Width

[0069] Wb: First Width DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0070] Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present application, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

[0071] The present application can be understood with reference to the following detailed description and drawings in which:

[0072] Certain terms are used throughout the present description and claims which refer to particular components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, electronic manufacturers can refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not in function. In the following description and in the claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean "including, but not limited to." Also, the term "couple" or "coupled" means to be directly or indirectly connected physically or logically, whether electrically, mechanically or otherwise. In addition, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc. are used herein only to describe different components but do not imply these components must be in a certain order. Only those components that are necessary for an understanding of the present application have been shown in the drawings and described in the specification.

[0073] Directional phrases used herein, such as, for example, "upper," "lower," "front," "back," "left," "right," and the like, are made only with reference to the positions of the components as presented in the figures. The directional phrases are used for purposes of explanation only, and not to limit the present application. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements throughout. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and certain components can be exaggerated or minimized in order to show details.

[0074] The structure (or layer, component, substrate) described in the present invention is located on / above another structure (or layer, component, substrate), which can mean that the two structures are adjacent and directly connected, or can mean that the two structures are adjacent but not directly connected. Non-direct connection means that there is at least one intermediate structure (or intermediate layer, intermediate component, intermediate substrate, intermediate spacing) between the two structures, the lower surface of a structure is adjacent to or directly connected to the upper surface of the intermediate structure, and the upper surface of another structure is adjacent to or directly connected to the lower surface of the intermediate structure. The intermediate structure can be a single-layer or multi-layer solid structure or a non-solid structure, and there is no limitation. In the present invention, when a certain structure is arranged "on" another structure, it can mean that the certain structure is "directly" on the other structure, or it can mean that the certain structure is "indirectly" on the other structure, i.e. there is at least one structure between the certain structure and the other structure.

[0075] The term "equal" or "same", "substantially" or "approximately" is generally interpreted as within 20% of the given value or range, or within 10%, 5%, 3%, 2%, 1%, or 0.5% of the given value or range.

[0076] The ordinal numbers used in the specification and claims, such as "first", "second", etc., are used to modify components and do not inherently imply and represent any previous ordinal number of the component(s), nor represent the order of a component relative to another component or the order of a manufacturing method. The use of these ordinal numbers is only used to clearly distinguish a component with a certain name from another component with the same name. The same words can not be used in the claims and the specification, so the first member in the specification can be the second member in the claims.

[0077] It should be understood that the following examples can be replaced, reorganized, mixed to complete other examples without departing from the spirit of the invention. The features of each example can be arbitrarily mixed and used as long as they do not conflict with the spirit of the invention.

[0078] The electrical connection or coupling described in the present invention can mean direct connection or indirect connection. In the case of direct connection, the terminals of the components on the two circuits are directly connected or connected to each other by a conductor segment, and in the case of indirect connection, there is a switch, diode, capacitor, inductor, other suitable component, or a combination of the above components between the terminals of the components on the two circuits, but not limited to this.

[0079] In the present disclosure, the measurements of thickness, length, width, and area can be made using optical microscopy, and the thickness can be measured from cross-sectional images taken by electron microscopy, but are not limited thereto. In addition, any two values or directions compared can have some error. If a first value is equal to a second value, it is implied that the first value can have an error of about 10% from the second value; if a first direction is perpendicular to a second direction, the angle between the first direction and the second direction can be between 80 and 100 degrees; if a first direction is parallel to a second direction, the angle between the first direction and the second direction can be between 0 and 10 degrees.

[0080] Further, it should be understood that, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the depth, thickness, width, or height of a component, or the spacing or distance between components, can be measured using an optical microscope (OM), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), an alpha-step film thickness profiler, an ellipsometer, or other suitable means. According to some embodiments, a cross-sectional image of a structure including the components to be measured can be taken using a scanning electron microscope, and the depth, thickness, width, or height of a component, or the spacing or distance between components, can be measured.

[0081] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device can include a display device, a tiled device, a touch electronic device, a sensing electronic device, a curved electronic device, or a non-rectangular electronic device, but is not limited thereto. The electronic device may, for example, include a liquid crystal, a light-emitting diode, fluorescence, phosphor, other suitable display medium, or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto. The electronic device can include passive components and active components, such as a capacitor, a resistor, an inductor, a diode, a transistor, etc. The diode can include a light-emitting diode (LED) or a photodiode. The light-emitting diode may, for example, include an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a mini LED, a micro LED, or a quantum dot LED, but is not limited thereto. The tiled device may, for example, be a display tiled device, but is not limited thereto. It should be noted that the electronic device can be any arrangement combination of the foregoing, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the electronic device can be a foldable or flexible electronic device. In addition, the electronic device can have a rectangular, circular, polygonal, shape with curved edges, or other suitable shape. The electronic device can have a peripheral system such as a driving system, a control system, a light source system, a shelf system, etc. to support the display device or the tiled device. For convenience of description, the electronic device will be described below as a display device, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0082] When the electronic device is a display device, the display device can be a non-self-emissive display device or a self-emissive display device. The display device may, for example, include a diode, a liquid crystal, a light-emitting diode (LED), a quantum dot (QD), fluorescence, phosphor, other suitable display medium, or a combination thereof. The light-emitting diode may, for example, include an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a mini LED, a micro LED, or a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QD LED), but is not limited thereto.

[0083] The electronic device of the present embodiment can be applied, for example, to a digital gallery, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a public information display, and / or other electronic devices that can be used in an outdoor or high-intensity ambient light environment. The electronic device can include a liquid crystal display panel, an organic light emitting diode display panel, a micro light emitting diode display panel, a reflective display panel, or other suitable display panel, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0084] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure, and will not be interpreted in an overly idealized or formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0085] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, including a specific light-shielding structure design, which can reduce color difference lines between a light-shielding structure of a protective substrate and an active area, blur and soften the edge between the light-shielding structure and the active area, thereby improving the display image quality.

[0086] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a top view of an electronic device 10 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 2 FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the electronic device 10 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, corresponding to a region R1 of Figure 1 It should be understood that, for the sake of clarity, some components of the electronic device 10 can be omitted from the drawings and only some components are schematically shown. According to some embodiments, additional features can be added to the electronic device 10 described below.

[0087] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the electronic device 10 can include a panel 100, a protective substrate 200, and a first light-shielding structure 300. The panel 100 can have an active area AA and a peripheral area NAA adjacent to the active area AA. According to some embodiments, the peripheral area NAA can be adjacent to at least one side of the active area AA. According to some embodiments, the peripheral area NAA can be disposed around the active area AA. According to some embodiments, the active area AA can include, for example, a display area, a detection area, a touch area, other suitable application area, or a combination thereof, and the peripheral area NAA can be other areas outside the active area AA. The peripheral area NAA can include, for example, a peripheral wiring area including outer lead bonding (OLB) for bonding electronic components (not shown), such as a chip, a flexible printed circuit board, and the like.

[0088] According to some embodiments, the panel 100 can include a display panel, a touch panel, a sensing or detecting device, or a combination thereof. According to some embodiments, the panel 100 can include a curved panel, a rollable panel, a foldable panel, a stretchable panel, or a non-rectangular panel, but not limited thereto. The panel 100 can include a non-self-emissive panel, a self-emissive panel, a reflective panel, a semi-transflective panel, or a transparent panel, but not limited thereto.

[0089] A protective substrate 200 can be disposed relative to the panel 100. The protective substrate 200 can have a surface 200s1 and a surface 200s2. The surface 200s1 is closer to the panel 100, and the surface 200s2 is farther from the panel 100. The surface 200s2 is adjacent to a viewing surface of a user. Further, the protective substrate 200 can be used to protect structures, such as the first light shielding structure 300 and / or the panel 100, disposed thereunder. According to some embodiments, the protective substrate 200 can selectively provide a surface for touch, operation, or other functions, but not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, other components, such as touch components or detecting components, can be selectively inserted between the protective substrate 200 and the panel 100, but not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, a functional layer (not shown), such as an anti-reflective layer, an anti-glare layer, an anti-fouling layer, an anti-scratch layer, an anti-UV layer, other suitable functional layer, or a combination thereof, can be selectively disposed on the protective substrate 200.

[0090] According to some embodiments, the protective substrate 200 can include a flexible substrate, a rigid substrate, or a combination thereof, but not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, the material of the protective substrate 200 can include glass, quartz, sapphire, ceramic, polyimide (PI), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), other suitable material, or a combination thereof, but not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, the top view profile of the protective substrate 200 and / or the panel 100 can include any shape, such as a rectangle, a circle, a polygon, or an irregular shape. The surface 200s1 or the surface 200s2 of the protective substrate 200 is not limited to a flat surface, and can selectively include a curved surface, a wavy surface, or other special shape. The surface 200s1 and the surface 200s2 of the protective substrate 200 are not limited to both extending in parallel, and can include one curved surface and the other flat surface, but not limited thereto. The surface 200s1 and the surface 200s2 of the protective substrate 200 can have different degrees of curvature, respectively.

[0091] According to some embodiments, the protective substrate 200 may include a first region S1 and a second region S2 adjacent to the first region S1. The first region S1 may overlap with the active region AA, and the first region S1 may selectively partially overlap with the peripheral region NAA or not overlap with the peripheral region NAA. According to some embodiments, the second region S2 may overlap with the peripheral region NAA.

[0092] According to some embodiments, a first light-shielding structure 300 may be disposed on surface 200s1 of the protective substrate 200 and corresponding to the second region S2, the boundary between the first region S1 and the second region S2 may be defined, for example, by the inner edge 300e of the first light-shielding structure 300 adjacent to the active region AA. According to some embodiments, the first light-shielding structure 300 may be disposed on surface 200s1 of the protective substrate 200 and corresponding to the peripheral region NAA of the panel 100. In other embodiments (not shown), the first light-shielding structure 300 may be selectively disposed on surface 200s2. According to some embodiments, the first light-shielding structure 300 corresponding to the peripheral region NAA of the panel 100 means that, in the direction of viewing the electronic device 10 from above, the first light-shielding structure 300 overlaps the peripheral region NAA. When referring to component A overlapping component B in the direction of viewing the electronic device 10 from above, it means that component A at least partially overlaps component B. In other embodiments (not shown), the first light-shielding structure 300 may selectively partially overlap the active region AA. Figure 2 As shown, the portion of the first light-shielding structure 300 overlapping the peripheral region NAA may have at least one opening OP. According to some embodiments, the first light-shielding structure 300 may include a first portion 300P1 and a second portion 300P2 adjacent to or connected to the first portion 300P1. The first portion 300P1 is closer to the active region AA than the second portion 300P2, and the first portion 300P1 has at least one opening OP. The opening OP may not penetrate the first portion 300P1 or may penetrate it. If the opening OP does not penetrate the first portion 300P1, for example, in the normal direction (Z direction) of the protective substrate 200, the depth (e.g., maximum depth) of the opening OP is less than the thickness of the first portion 300P1. If the opening OP penetrates the first portion 300P1, for example, in the normal direction (Z direction) of the protective substrate 200, the depth (e.g., maximum depth) of the opening OP is equal to the thickness of the first portion 300P1. According to some embodiments, a portion of the plurality of openings OP may not penetrate the first part 300P1, while another portion of the plurality of openings OP may penetrate the first part 300P1. It is worth noting that, since the first part 300P1, which is closer to the active region AA, has openings OP, the transmittance of the first light-shielding structure 300 can gradually decrease from the active region AA to the peripheral region NAA, thereby reducing the color difference lines between the first light-shielding structure 300 and the active region AA.

[0093] Further, the first portion 300P1 has a thickness 300t1, and the second portion 300P2 has a thickness 300t2. The thickness 300t1 of the first portion 300P1 is less than the thickness 300t2 of the second portion 300P2. According to some embodiments, the thickness 300t1 of the first portion 300P1 can be between 100 micrometers (pm) and 8000 pm (i.e., 100 pm < thickness 300t1 < 8000 pm). According to some embodiments, the thickness 300t2 of the second portion 300P2 can be between 200 pm and 16000 pm (i.e., 200 pm < thickness 300t2 < 16000 pm). According to some embodiments, the aforementioned thickness 300t1 is obtained by averaging the thicknesses measured at any three points of the first portion 300P1 in the normal direction of the protective substrate 200 (Z direction in the figure) under one cross section. Similarly, the aforementioned thickness 300t2 is obtained by averaging the thicknesses measured at any three points of the second portion 300P2 in the normal direction of the protective substrate 200 (Z direction in the figure) under one cross section. According to some embodiments, the first portion 300P1 and / or the second portion 300P2 can have a gradually changing thickness.

[0094] According to some embodiments, the width W1 of the first portion 300P1 is at least greater than or equal to 1 millimeter (mm), for example, can be greater than 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, 5 mm, but not limited thereto. When the width W1 of the first portion 300P1 is at least greater than 1 mm or the above-mentioned appropriate range of values, the first light-shielding structure 300 can have sufficient space to produce a gradual change in transmittance, achieving the edge blurring effect. According to some embodiments, the aforementioned width W1 refers to the maximum width of the first portion 300P1 in the direction perpendicular to the normal direction of the protective substrate 200 (for example, the X direction in the figure). It should be noted that, Figure 2 For example, the cross-sectional view of the region R1 is as follows: Figure 1 The first light-shielding structure 300 of the other side of the active area AA also has a similar design.

[0095] According to some embodiments, the material of the first light-shielding structure 300 can include photoresist (for example, black photoresist or other suitable color photoresist), printing ink (for example, black ink or other suitable color ink), resin (for example, black resin or other suitable color resin), black metal, other suitable light-shielding materials, or combinations thereof, but not limited thereto.

[0096] According to some embodiments, the first light-shielding structure 300 can be formed by a printing fabrication process, such as a screen printing fabrication process or an inkjet printing fabrication process, a coating fabrication process, a deposition fabrication process, an evaporation fabrication process, a sputtering fabrication process, screen printing, other suitable fabrication processes, or a combination of the foregoing. Subsequently, the first light-shielding structure 300 can be patterned by a laser fabrication process to form the openings OP in the first portion 300P1, but is not limited thereto. Further, by adjusting parameters of the laser fabrication process, the openings OP having a specific shape, size (aperture, width, length, or depth), or spacing between the openings OP can be formed in the first portion 300P1.

[0097] According to some embodiments, the electronic device 10 can include a second light-shielding structure 310, which can be disposed in the peripheral region NAA of the panel 100, and a portion of the second light-shielding structure 310 overlaps the first light-shielding structure 300 in the top-down direction (e.g., the Z direction) of the electronic device 10. According to some embodiments, a portion of the second light-shielding structure 310 can overlap the first portion 300P1 of the first light-shielding structure 300 in the top-down direction (e.g., the Z direction) of the electronic device 10. According to some embodiments, a portion of the second light-shielding structure 310 can overlap the first portion 300P1 and at least a portion of the second portion 300P2 of the first light-shielding structure 300 in the top-down direction of the electronic device 10. According to some embodiments, at least one opening OP of the first light-shielding structure 300 overlaps the second light-shielding structure 310 in the top-down direction of the electronic device 10. According to some embodiments, the projection of at least one opening OP of the first light-shielding structure 300 onto the surface 200s1 of the protective substrate 200 can be located within the projection of the second light-shielding structure 310 onto the surface 200s1 of the protective substrate 200. According to some embodiments, the second light-shielding structure 310 can be a light-shielding structure in the panel 100, such as being disposed on one of the substrates (not shown) in the panel 100. According to some embodiments (not shown), the second light-shielding structure 310 can optionally be the same material layer as the black photoresist layer disposed in the active region AA of the panel 100, or the second light-shielding structure 310 can optionally be the same layer as the black photoresist layer disposed in the active region AA of the panel 100, but is not limited thereto. According to some embodiments (not shown), the second light-shielding structure 310 can optionally be a different material layer from the black photoresist layer disposed in the active region AA of the panel 100, or the second light-shielding structure 310 can optionally be a different layer from the black photoresist layer disposed in the active region AA of the panel 100. According to some embodiments, the profile of the inner edge 310e of the second light-shielding structure 310 can substantially correspond to (e.g., have the same shape as) or not correspond to (have a different shape from) the profile of the inner edge 300e of the first light-shielding structure 300 in the top-down direction of the electronic device 10. According to some embodiments, the inner edge 310e of the second light-shielding structure 310 and the inner edge 300e of the first light-shielding structure 300 having a substantially corresponding profile means that the inner edge 310e of the second light-shielding structure 310 and the inner edge 300e of the first light-shielding structure 300 substantially maintain the same distance at different positions (e.g., corresponding to different side edges of the active region AA) of the peripheral region NAA, but is not limited thereto. According to some embodiments, the inner edge 310e of the second light-shielding structure 310 and the inner edge 300e of the first light-shielding structure 300 having a non-corresponding profile means that the inner edge 310e of the second light-shielding structure 310 and the inner edge 300e of the first light-shielding structure 300 can have different distances at different positions (e.g., corresponding to different side edges of the active region AA) of the peripheral region NAA.According to some embodiments, the inner edge 300e of the first light-shielding structure 300 and the inner edge 310e of the second light-shielding structure 310 can be, for example, misaligned or aligned. According to some embodiments, in the top-down direction of the electronic device 10, the inner edge 300e of the first light-shielding structure 300 and the inner edge 310e of the second light-shielding structure 310 overlapping can represent that the inner edge 300e of the first light-shielding structure 300 and the inner edge 310e of the second light-shielding structure 310 are aligned. Conversely, in the top-down direction of the electronic device 10, the inner edge 300e of the first light-shielding structure 300 and the inner edge 310e of the second light-shielding structure 310 not overlapping can represent that the inner edge 300e of the first light-shielding structure 300 and the inner edge 310e of the second light-shielding structure 310 are misaligned.

[0098] According to some embodiments, the material of the second light-shielding structure 310 can include photoresist (e.g., black photoresist or other suitable color photoresist), printed ink (e.g., black ink or other suitable color ink), resin (e.g., black resin or other suitable color resin), black metal, other suitable light-shielding material, or a combination thereof, but not limited thereto.

[0099] According to some embodiments, the second light-shielding structure 310 can be formed by a printing fabrication process, such as a screen printing fabrication process or an inkjet printing fabrication process, a coating fabrication process, a deposition fabrication process, an evaporation fabrication process, a sputtering fabrication process, other suitable fabrication process, or a combination thereof.

[0100] Next, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 A partial top-down structural schematic diagram of the first light-shielding structure 300 of the electronic device 10 according to some embodiments of the present application is shown. In detail, Figure 3 A top-down structural schematic diagram of the first portion 300P1 of the first light-shielding structure 300 is shown.

[0101] As Figure 3As shown, according to some embodiments, the first portion 300P1 of the first light-shielding structure 300 can have a plurality of openings OP, and the first portion 300P1 includes n sub-portions (e.g., a first sub-portion SP1, a second sub-portion SP2, a third sub-portion SP3, …, an n-th sub-portion SPn) arranged in sequence, n being a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, the first sub-portion SP1 of the n sub-portions being, for example, the one closest to the active area AA, the second sub-portion SP2 of the n sub-portions being adjacent to the side of the first sub-portion SP1 away from the active area AA, the third sub-portion SP3 of the n sub-portions being adjacent to the side of the second sub-portion SP2 away from the first sub-portion SP1, and so on. In other words, the second sub-portion SP2 can be located between the first sub-portion SP1 and the third sub-portion SP3, and so on. The distance between two adjacent openings OP in the first sub-portion SP1 is a first distance Px1, the distance between two adjacent openings OP in the second sub-portion SP2 of the n sub-portions is a second distance Px2, and the first distance Px1 is, for example, smaller than the second distance Px2, but is not limited thereto. In the same manner, the distance between two adjacent openings OP in the (n-1)-th sub-portion SPn-1 of the n sub-portions is an (n-1)-th distance Pxn-1, the distance between two adjacent openings OP in the n-th sub-portion SPn of the n sub-portions is an n-th distance Pxn, and the n-th distance Pxn is smaller than the (n-1)-th distance Pxn-1 and / or the second distance Px2. In this embodiment, the sizes (length, width, or depth) of the plurality of openings OP are substantially the same, which, for example, can have an error range of 8%, but is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the sizes (length, width, or depth) of the plurality of openings OP can be partially different.

[0102] In this configuration, the distance between the openings OP close to the active area AA of the panel 100 (e.g., the first distance Px1) is smaller than the distance between the openings OP far from the active area AA (e.g., the second distance Px2 and / or the n-th distance Pxn), and thus the density of the openings OP (or the total area of the openings OP) of the first light-shielding structure 300 close to the active area AA of the panel 100 is larger, so the transmittance is larger, while the density of the openings OP (or the total area of the openings OP) of the first light-shielding structure 300 far from the active area AA is smaller, so the transmittance is smaller. The transmittance of the first light-shielding structure 300 can gradually decrease from the active area AA to the non-active area NAA (e.g., the difference in transmittance of the openings OP in adjacent sub-portions can be between 10% and 20%), thereby achieving a color gradient effect. It should be noted that the transmittance can gradually decrease from the active area AA to the non-active area NAA, which can not be limited to be reduced at a constant ratio, and can also include non-constant ratio reduction.

[0103] According to some embodiments, the aforementioned pitch refers to the distance between the same side of two adjacent openings OP, or the aforementioned pitch can also refer to the distance between the centers of two adjacent openings OP. The center of the opening OP can be the geometric center. For example, if the opening OP is circular, the center of the opening OP can be the center of the circle; if the opening OP has a shape similar to a rectangle or a square, the center can be the intersection of the two diagonals; if the opening OP is irregularly shaped and cannot be defined in the aforementioned manner, a smallest circle that can surround the opening can be drawn, and the center of the smallest circle can be defined as the center of the opening OP.

[0104] According to the foregoing, although the openings OP shown in the drawings are all circular, this is not limiting. According to some embodiments, the openings OP of the first light shielding structure 300 can have a circular, rectangular, or triangular shape in a top view, but are not limited thereto. According to different embodiments, the openings OP can have any other suitable shape, such as an elliptical shape, other polygonal shape, irregular shape, etc. According to some embodiments, the plurality of openings OP of the first light shielding structure 300 can all have the same shape. According to other embodiments, the first light shielding structure 300 can have a plurality of openings OP with different shapes.

[0105] According to some embodiments, the difference between the second pitch Px2 and the first pitch Px1 is less than or equal to 20 μm, 19 μm, 18 μm, 17 μm, 16 μm, 15 μm, 14 μm, 13 μm, 12 μm, 11 μm, or 10 μm. According to some embodiments, in the arrangement direction (e.g., the X direction in the drawings) of the first portion 300P1 and the second portion 300P2, the widths of at least two of the n sub-portions are not equal, for example, the width SPw1 of the first sub-portion SP1 is different from the width SPw2 of the second sub-portion SP2, the width SPw2 of the second sub-portion SP2 is different from the width SPw3 of the third sub-portion SP3, and so on. According to some embodiments, the width SPw1 of the first sub-portion SP1 can be less than the width SPw2 of the second sub-portion SP2, the width SPw2 of the second sub-portion SP2 can be less than the width SPw3 of the third sub-portion SP3, and so on. According to some embodiments, the width SPw1 of the first sub-portion SP1, the width SPw2 of the second sub-portion SP2, the width SPw3 of the third sub-portion SP3, and the width SPwn of the nth sub-portion SPn can be gradually increasing, but are not limited thereto. It should be noted that the aforementioned sub-portion widths can be gradually increasing, can not be limited to equal proportionally increasing, or can include non-equal proportionally increasing.

[0106] As mentioned above, according to some embodiments, the transmittance of the first sub-portion SP1 can be greater than the transmittance of the second sub-portion SP2 of the n sub-portions, and the difference between the transmittance of the first sub-portion SP1 and the transmittance of the second sub-portion SP2 is less than or equal to 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, or 5%. According to some embodiments, the transmittance of the second sub-portion SP2 can be greater than the transmittance of the third sub-portion SP3, and the difference between the transmittance of the second sub-portion SP2 and the transmittance of the third sub-portion SP3 is less than or equal to 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, or 5%. Similarly, the transmittance of the opening OP of the first light-shielding structure 300 closer to the active area AA of the panel 100 is higher, and the transmittance of the opening OP of the first light-shielding structure 300 farther away from the active area AA is lower, and the transmittance of the first light-shielding structure 300 can be gradually reduced from the active area AA to the non-active area NAA, thereby achieving the color gradient effect.

[0107] It should be noted that, Figure 3 For example, only a partial cross-sectional view is illustrated, and the first light-shielding structure 300 of the non-active area NAA corresponding to the other side of the active area AA also has a similar design.

[0108] Next, please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 A partial top view of the first light-shielding structure 300 of the electronic device 10 according to some embodiments of the present application is shown. In detail, Figure 4 A top view of the first portion 300P1 of the first light-shielding structure 300 is shown.

[0109] As Figure 4 shown, according to some embodiments, the widths of the n sub-portions are substantially equal in the arrangement direction of the first portion 300P1 and the second portion 300P2 (for example, the X direction in the figure), for example, the width SPw1 of the first sub-portion SP1 is substantially the same as the width SPw2 of the second sub-portion SP2, the width SPw2 of the second sub-portion SP2 is substantially the same as the width SPw3 of the third sub-portion SP3, and the width SPw of the third sub-portion SP3 is also substantially the same as the width SPn of the nth sub-portion SPn. According to other embodiments, the widths of some of the sub-portions are the same, and the widths of some of the sub-portions are different.

[0110] It should be noted that, Figure 4 For example, only a partial cross-sectional view is illustrated, and the first light-shielding structure 300 of the non-active area NAA corresponding to the other side of the active area AA also has a similar design.

[0111] It should be understood that although the interfaces between the n sub-sections of the first section 300P1 are substantially linear in the drawings, they are not limited thereto. According to some embodiments (not shown), the interfaces between the n sub-sections of the first section 300P1 can be wavy, curved, irregular, or other suitable shapes, but are not limited thereto.

[0112] Next, please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 a partial top view of the first light-shielding structure 300 of the electronic device 10 according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In detail, Figure 5 a top view of the first section 300P1 of the first light-shielding structure 300 is shown.

[0113] As shown in Figure 5 , according to some embodiments, the openings OP of the first section 300P1 of the first light-shielding structure 300 can have different sizes. According to some embodiments, in the top direction (e.g., the Z direction) of the electronic device 10, the size of the openings OP closer to the active area AA (indicated as OP-1) among the plurality of openings OP is greater than the size of the openings OP farther from the active area AA (indicated as OP-2) among the plurality of openings OP. In other words, the size of the openings OP closer to the active area AA (indicated as OP-1) is greater than the size of the openings OP farther from the active area AA (indicated as OP-2). The size of the openings OP closer to the active area AA (indicated as OP-2) is greater than the size of the openings OP farther from the active area AA (indicated as OP-3). The size of the openings OP closer to the active area AA (indicated as OP-3) is greater than the size of the openings OP farther from the active area AA (indicated as OP-4), and so on. In this embodiment, the distance Pxa between the openings OP closer to the active area AA (e.g., the openings OP-1 and OP-2) is substantially equal to the distance Pxb between the openings OP farther from the active area AA (e.g., the openings OP-2 and OP-3), but is not limited thereto. The distance Pxb between the openings OP closer to the active area AA (e.g., the openings OP-2 and OP-3) is substantially equal to the distance Pxc between the openings OP farther from the active area AA (e.g., the openings OP-3 and OP-4), but is not limited thereto.

[0114] In this configuration, the area of the openings OP of the first light-shielding structure 300 closer to the active area AA of the panel 100 is larger (higher transmittance), and the area of the openings OP of the first light-shielding structure 300 farther from the active area AA is smaller (lower transmittance), so that the transmittance of the first light-shielding structure 300 can gradually decrease from the active area AA to the non-active area NAA, thereby achieving the color gradient effect.

[0115] It should be noted that Figure 5For example, only a partial cross-sectional view is illustrated, and the first light-shielding structure 300 of the peripheral region NAA corresponding to the other side of the active region AA also has a similar design.

[0116] In other embodiments (not shown), the design of the first light-shielding structure 300 can also meet the condition that the size of the opening OP relatively close to the active region AA is larger than the size of the opening OP relatively far away from the active region AA, and at the same time, the number or density of the openings OP of the first light-shielding structure 300 relatively close to the active region AA of the panel 100 is higher (higher transmittance), and the number or density of the openings OP of the first light-shielding structure 300 relatively far away from the active region AA is lower (lower transmittance), thereby achieving the color gradient effect.

[0117] Next, please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 shows a partial cross-sectional structure schematic diagram of an electronic device 10A according to some embodiments of the present application. Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional structure schematic diagram of the electronic device 10A corresponding to the region R1 of Figure 1 It should be understood that the components (or components) in the following text that are the same as or similar to those in the foregoing text will be denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and their materials, manufacturing methods, and functions are the same as or similar to those described in the foregoing text, and thus will not be described again in the following text.

[0118] Figure 6 The electronic device 10A is substantially similar to the aforementioned electronic device 10, and the electronic device 10A can further include a third light-shielding structure 320, which is, for example, disposed between the first light-shielding structure 300 and the protective substrate 200, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the transmittance of the portion of the third light-shielding structure 320 closer to the active region AA is higher than that of another portion farther away from the active region AA, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, in the Z direction, the third light-shielding structure 320 can be selectively disposed between the first light-shielding structure 300 and the panel 100, or the third light-shielding structure 320 can be selectively disposed on the surface 200s2 of the protective substrate 200. In some embodiments, the third light-shielding structure 320 and the first light-shielding structure 300 can be in contact with each other or other transparent material layers (not shown) can be disposed therebetween.

[0119] According to some embodiments (not shown), the third light-shielding structure 320 can be adjusted to have a higher transmittance in the portion adjacent to the active area AA than in the portion away from the active area AA by adjusting the thickness of the third light-shielding structure 320. For example, the portion of the third light-shielding structure 320 adjacent to the active area AA has a thickness 320t1, and the portion of the third light-shielding structure 320 away from the active area AA has a thickness 320t2, where the thickness 320t1 can be, for example, smaller than the thickness 320t2, so that the portion of the third light-shielding structure 320 adjacent to the active area AA has a relatively higher transmittance, achieving the effect of gradual transmittance variation.

[0120] Alternatively, please refer to Figure 7A According to other embodiments, the third light-shielding structure 320 can be adjusted to have a higher transmittance in the portion adjacent to the active area AA than in the portion away from the active area AA by adjusting the size of the transmittance region TR of the third light-shielding structure 320. For example, the portion of the third light-shielding structure 320 adjacent to the active area AA has a relatively larger size of the transmittance region TR (denoted as TR1), and the portion of the third light-shielding structure 320 away from the active area AA has a relatively smaller size of the transmittance region TR (denoted as TR2), so that the portion of the third light-shielding structure 320 adjacent to the active area AA has a relatively higher transmittance, achieving the effect of gradual transmittance variation, but not limited thereto.

[0121] Alternatively, please refer to Figure 7B According to other embodiments, the third light-shielding structure 320 can be adjusted to have a higher transmittance in the portion adjacent to the active area AA than in the portion away from the active area AA by adjusting the size of the transmittance region TR of the third light-shielding structure 320. For example, the portion of the third light-shielding structure 320 adjacent to the active area AA has a relatively larger size of the transmittance region TR (denoted as TR1), and the portion of the third light-shielding structure 320 away from the active area AA has a relatively smaller size of the transmittance region TR (denoted as TR2), so that the portion of the third light-shielding structure 320 adjacent to the active area AA has a relatively higher transmittance, achieving the effect of gradual transmittance variation, but not limited thereto.

[0122] In some embodiments, the third light-shielding structure 320, the first light-shielding structure 300 and / or the second light-shielding structure 310 can be made of different or similar materials. The material of the third light-shielding structure 320 can be, for example, as described above for the first light-shielding structure 300. Similarly, the third light-shielding structure 320 can be formed by a printing manufacturing process, such as a screen printing manufacturing process or an inkjet printing manufacturing process, a coating manufacturing process, a deposition manufacturing process, an evaporation manufacturing process, a sputtering manufacturing process, other suitable manufacturing processes, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the third light-shielding structure 320 and the first light-shielding structure 300 are formed by the same or different manufacturing processes, but not limited thereto.

[0123] Next, please refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 shows a partial cross-sectional structure diagram of an electronic device 10B according to other embodiments of the present application.Figure 8 This is shown in some embodiments of the present invention, corresponding to Figure 1 A cross-sectional structural diagram of the electronic device 10B in region R1.

[0124] Figure 8 The electronic device 10B is generally similar to the aforementioned electronic device 10, but in the electronic device 10B, the inner edge 300e of the first portion 300P1 of the first light-shielding structure 300 and the inner edge 310e of the second light-shielding structure 310 may be aligned. In some embodiments, the inner edge 300e1 of the second portion 300P2 of the first light-shielding structure 300 and the outer edge 310e1 of the second light-shielding structure 310 may be aligned or not aligned.

[0125] Next, please refer to Figure 9 , Figure 9 This diagram shows a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic device 10C according to other embodiments of the present invention. Figure 9 This is shown in some embodiments of the present invention, corresponding to Figure 1 A cross-sectional structural diagram of the electronic device 10C in region R1.

[0126] Figure 9 The electronic device 10C is generally similar to the aforementioned electronic device 10, but in the electronic device 10C, the thickness 300t1 of the first part 300P1 of the first light-shielding structure 300 and the thickness 300t2 of the second part 300P2 are substantially the same. In this embodiment, the density of the openings OP of the first light-shielding structure 300 relatively close to the active area AA of the panel 100 is higher (higher transmittance), while the density of the openings OP of the first light-shielding structure 300 relatively far from the active area AA is lower (lower transmittance). The transmittance of the first light-shielding structure 300 can be gradually reduced from the active area AA to the peripheral area NAA, thereby achieving a color gradient effect. In this embodiment, the inner edge 300e of the first part 300P1 of the first light-shielding structure 300 and the inner edge 310e of the second light-shielding structure 310 can be aligned or misaligned.

[0127] Next, please refer to Figures 10A to 10C , Figures 10A to 10C This diagram shows a cross-sectional view of some components of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present invention. Specifically, Figures 10A to 10C A partial cross-sectional view of the protective substrate 200 of the electronic device and the first part 300P1 of the first light-shielding structure 300 is shown.

[0128] The first light-shielding structure 300 is disposed on the surface 200s1 of the protection substrate 200. As mentioned above, the opening OP can be formed in the first portion 300P1 of the first light-shielding structure 300 by a laser fabrication process, and the opening OP has, for example, a first width Wb, such as a width away from the surface 200s1 of the protection substrate 200, and a second width Wa, such as a width adjacent to the surface 200s1 of the protection substrate 200. As shown in Figure 10A , according to some embodiments, the first width Wb of the opening OP is substantially equal to the second width Wa, and a cross-sectional width (not shown) of the opening OP substantially corresponding to the intermediate region can also be substantially equal to the first width Wb or the second width Wa. As shown in Figure 10B , according to some embodiments, the first width Wb of the opening OP is different from the second width Wa. According to some embodiments, as shown in Figure 10C , the first width Wb of the opening OP is smaller than the second width Wa, and a cross-sectional width (not shown) of the opening OP substantially corresponding to the intermediate region can be smaller than the second width Wa and larger than the first width Wb. According to some embodiments, as shown in Figure 10B , the first width Wb of the opening OP is larger than the second width Wa, and a cross-sectional width (not shown) of the opening OP substantially corresponding to the intermediate region can be larger than the second width Wa and smaller than the first width Wb. Figure 10C

[0129] Next, please refer to Figure 11 , Figure 11 , which shows a partial top-down schematic view of the first light-shielding structure 300 of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present application.

[0130] ​As mentioned above, the first light shielding structure 300 (the first portion 300P1) can have a plurality of openings OP, and the pitch (e.g., the first pitch Pxl) between two adjacent openings OP relatively close to the active area AA is smaller than the pitch (e.g., the second pitch Px2) between two adjacent openings OP relatively far away from the active area AA. Similarly, the pitch (e.g., the second pitch Px2) between two adjacent openings OP relatively close to the active area AA is smaller than the pitch (e.g., the third pitch Px3) between two adjacent openings OP relatively far away from the active area AA. In this embodiment, the variation of the pitch between the openings OP can be continuous and gradual. Specifically, in the X direction, the pitch between any two adjacent openings OP can be different. As the distance from the active area AA increases, the pitch between any two adjacent openings OP gradually increases. In some embodiments, the difference (i.e., Px2-Pxl) between the second pitch Px2 and the first pitch Pxl is the same as or different from the difference (i.e., Px3-Px2) between the second pitch Px2 and the third pitch Px3. In some embodiments, the ratio (i.e., Px2 / Pxl) of the second pitch Px2 to the first pitch Pxl is the same as or different from the ratio (i.e., Px3 / Px2) of the second pitch Px2 to the third pitch Px3. In this embodiment, the size of the plurality of openings OP is substantially the same.

[0131] In this configuration, the pitch (e.g., the first pitch Pxl) between the openings OP relatively close to the active area AA is smaller than the pitch (e.g., the second pitch Px2, the third pitch Px3) between the openings OP relatively far away from the active area AA, so the density of the openings OP of the first light shielding structure 300 relatively close to the active area AA is higher (higher transmittance), and the density of the openings OP of the first light shielding structure 300 relatively far away from the active area AA is lower (lower transmittance), and since the pitch between the openings OP is continuously and gradually reduced, the variation of the transmittance is also continuously and gradually reduced (e.g., the difference in transmittance between adjacent openings OP can be between 1% and 10%, between 1% and 8%, between 1% and 7%, between 1% and 6%, or between 1% and 5%), so a more gentle color gradient effect can be achieved.

[0132] In summary, according to the embodiments of the present application, the electronic device provided includes a specific light shielding structure design, which can reduce the color difference lines between the light shielding structure of the protective substrate and the active area, blur and soften the edge between the light shielding structure and the active area, thereby improving the one-black effect in the dark state and giving the display screen in the bright state a sense of extension, and further improving the performance of the electronic device.

[0133] Although the present application has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the application. The features of the various embodiments of the application can be combined with each other, unless specifically stated otherwise. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. Accordingly, the application is to be construed as embracing all alternatives, modifications and variations falling within the scope of the claims appended hereto. Any of the features of any of the embodiments of the application can be used in any combination with any other feature of any of the embodiments of the application. Any of the features of any of the embodiments of the application can be used in any combination with any other feature of any of the embodiments of the application. Any of the features of any of the embodiments of the application can be used in any combination with any other feature of any of the embodiments of the application. Any of the features of any of the embodiments of the application can be used in any combination with any other feature of any of the embodiments of the application. Any of the features of any of the embodiments of the application can be used in any combination with any other feature of any of the embodiments of the application. Any of the features of any of the embodiments of the application can be used in any combination with any other feature of any of the embodiments of the application. Any of the features of any of the embodiments of the application can be used in any combination with any other feature of any of the embodiments of the application.

Claims

1. An electronic device, characterized by comprising: Comprising: a panel having an active area and a peripheral area adjacent to the active area; a protective substrate disposed relative to the panel; and a first light-shielding structure disposed on a surface of the protective substrate facing the panel and corresponding to the peripheral area, wherein a portion of the first light-shielding structure overlapping the peripheral area has at least one opening. wherein the first light-shielding structure includes a first portion and a second portion adjacent to the first portion, the first portion has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the second portion, the first portion is closer to the active area than the second portion, the first portion has the at least one opening, and a width of the first portion is at least greater than or equal to 1 mm. 2.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, wherein the first portion of the first light-shielding structure has a plurality of openings, the first portion includes n sub-portions arranged in sequence, n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, a first sub-portion of the n sub-portions is closest to the active area, a second sub-portion of the n sub-portions is adjacent to a side of the first sub-portion away from the active area, a distance between two adjacent openings in the first sub-portion is a first distance, a distance between two adjacent openings in the second sub-portion is a second distance, and the first distance is smaller than the second distance. 3.The electronic device of claim 2, wherein, wherein a difference between the second distance and the first distance is less than or equal to 20 μm. 4.The electronic device of claim 3, wherein, wherein in a direction of arrangement of the first portion and the second portion, widths of at least two of the n sub-portions are not equal. 5.The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to: wherein the first portion includes n sub-portions arranged in sequence, n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, a first sub-portion of the n sub-portions is closest to the active area, a second sub-portion of the n sub-portions is adjacent to a side of the first sub-portion away from the active area, a transmittance of the first sub-portion is greater than a transmittance of the second sub-portion, and a difference between the transmittance of the first sub-portion and the transmittance of the second sub-portion is less than or equal to 10%. 6.The electronic device of claim 2, wherein, further comprising a second light-shielding structure disposed in the peripheral area of the panel, wherein in a top-down direction of the electronic device, a portion of the second light-shielding structure overlaps the first light-shielding structure. 7.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, wherein the at least one opening of the first light-shielding structure overlaps the second light-shielding structure. 8.The electronic device of claim 7, wherein, the first light-shielding structure has a plurality of openings, a size of a first opening of the plurality of openings closer to the active area is greater than a size of a second opening of the plurality of openings farther away from the active area. 9.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, further comprising a third light-shielding structure disposed between the first light-shielding structure and the protective substrate, wherein a portion of the third light-shielding structure closer to the active area has a higher transmittance than another portion of the third light-shielding structure farther away from the active area. 10.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, ​

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