Display module preparation method and display module

Abstract

The application provides a display module preparation method and a display module. The preparation method comprises the following steps: providing a substrate, etching a groove on the surface of the substrate; placing a binding circuit in the groove; fixing the binding circuit in the groove by a magnetic control method; preparing a substrate on the surface of the substrate provided with the groove, the binding circuit being fixed on the side of the substrate close to the substrate; preparing a screen body layer on the side of the substrate away from the substrate, etching the screen body layer and the substrate to form a wire passing hole, the screen body layer comprising a screen body circuit, the screen body circuit being electrically connected with the binding circuit through the wire passing hole; peeling the substrate from the substrate to expose the binding circuit on the side of the substrate close to the substrate; and providing a binding assembly to electrically connect the binding circuit with the binding assembly. The method uses the magnetic control method to position and fix the binding circuit, which can effectively reduce the frame of the screen body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a method for manufacturing a display module and a display module. Background Technology

[0002] With technological advancements and rising consumer aesthetic standards, terminal displays require thinner and lighter designs and further reduction in bezel size. However, currently, the screen circuitry of display modules is led out from the display panel (also known as the screen body) and the circuitry is bonded using a pad bending process, resulting in a large screen bezel that cannot meet the requirements for ultra-narrow bezels.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to improve the existing display module. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a display module and a display module to solve the problem of large screen bezels caused by the substrate bending process in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, a method for manufacturing a display module, the method comprising:

[0007] Provide a base

[0008] Grooves are etched on the surface of the substrate.

[0009] Place the bonding wires into the groove.

[0010] The bonding wire is fixed in the groove by magnetic control.

[0011] A substrate is prepared on the surface of the substrate where the groove is formed, and the bonding line is fixed to the side of the substrate close to the substrate;

[0012] A screen layer is prepared on the side of the substrate away from the substrate, and the screen layer and the substrate are etched to form vias. The screen layer includes screen lines, and the screen lines are electrically connected to the bonding lines through the vias.

[0013] The substrate is peeled off from the base, exposing the bonding lines on the side of the substrate closest to the base.

[0014] A bonding component is provided to electrically connect the bonding line to the bonding component.

[0015] Furthermore, the bonding line is placed within a groove formed on the surface of the substrate, and the bonding line protrudes from the surface of the substrate; the substrate covers the portion of the bonding line that protrudes from the groove.

[0016] Preferably, the substrate comprises a glass substrate.

[0017] Furthermore, the depth of the grooves etched on the substrate is between 7 and 10 μm.

[0018] Furthermore, the bonding line includes a connecting portion and a conductive contact fixed to the connecting portion;

[0019] Preferably, the bonding line is formed by a metal rolling process, and the connection portion includes a metal substrate;

[0020] Preferably, the bonding wire is magnetic;

[0021] Preferably, the thickness of the bonding line is greater than or equal to 20 μm. The electrical connection between the screen circuit and the chip (IC) and flexible circuit board (FPC) in the bonding area is mainly achieved through conductive contacts. Since it is difficult to place multiple parallel conductive contacts in the groove, a metal substrate is used as a support when preparing the bonding line to facilitate placing the entire bonding line into the groove.

[0022] The thickness of the bonding line is about 20μm. When the bonding line is placed in the groove, the upper part of the bonding line will be outside the groove and protrude from the surface of the glass substrate. This allows the substrate coated on the surface of the glass substrate to effectively wrap the protruding part of the upper part of the bonding line after curing. Before laser peeling the glass substrate and the substrate, the magnetron is removed so that after laser peeling, the bonding line is detached from the groove of the glass substrate and fixedly embedded on the surface of the substrate.

[0023] Furthermore, the screen layer includes a dam and an organic encapsulation layer, the organic encapsulation layer being located within the area enclosed by the dam.

[0024] Furthermore, the screen layer includes an encapsulation protection zone and a cutting zone, wherein the cutting zone is outside the encapsulation protection zone.

[0025] The display module body layer is fabricated using inkjet printing in the fabrication area. The ink needs to spread and diffuse to form a uniform film. Therefore, to prevent ink overflow outside the fabrication area, a barrier is installed around the edge of the fabrication area to block the ink. Outside this barrier is a protective encapsulation zone. This zone is designed to prevent damage to the display module caused by the edge extension of the laser-cut area; therefore, the laser-cut area is located outside the protective encapsulation zone.

[0026] Furthermore, during the cutting of the substrate, the connecting portion of the bonding lines is removed. The connecting portion serves as a support for multiple parallel conductive contacts. However, once the screen circuitry is fanned out and electrically connected to the bonding lines, the conductive contacts are fixed and embedded in the substrate surface, rendering the connecting portion ineffective. To minimize the bezel size, the entire connecting portion can be removed during laser cutting. Combined with the encapsulation protection zone outside the dam, the cutting area is outside the encapsulation protection zone and inside the connecting portion. This ensures that the cutting does not damage the screen encapsulation while also completely removing the connecting portion to reduce the screen bezel size.

[0027] Furthermore, the magnetic control method includes:

[0028] A coil is disposed on the side of the substrate opposite to the groove.

[0029] After the bonding line is placed in the groove, the coil is energized, and the magnetic field generated by the coil attracts and positions the bonding line in the groove.

[0030] Furthermore, after the bonding lines are fixed to the side of the substrate near the base, the magnetron is removed.

[0031] Secondly, the present invention provides a display module, which is manufactured using the display module manufacturing method described in any one of the preceding claims. The display module includes:

[0032] A substrate, the substrate comprising a first base layer, a first inorganic layer disposed on the first base layer, a second base layer disposed on the first inorganic layer, and a second inorganic layer disposed on the second base layer;

[0033] The display module also includes:

[0034] The screen layer is disposed on the second inorganic layer and includes screen circuitry.

[0035] In the area of ​​the display module bezel, a bonding line is embedded on the lower surface of the first base layer. The metal base of the bonding line has been removed during laser cutting, leaving a conductive contact for conducting the screen circuit and the bonding component. The conductive contact is embedded in the lower surface of the first base layer and exposed to the outside, which facilitates subsequent connection with the bonding component.

[0036] In the area of ​​the display module bezel, a through hole is formed on the substrate. The through hole passes through the first base layer, the first inorganic layer, the second base layer and the second inorganic layer and then communicates with the conductive contact located on the lower surface of the first base layer. Metal connecting lines are set in the through hole by nano-metal imprinting. One end of the metal connecting line is connected to the screen circuit, and the other end of the metal connecting line is connected to the conductive contact.

[0037] The display module also includes:

[0038] The dam is set on the surface of the second inorganic layer and is set around the outer perimeter of the screen layer. The number of dam layers is not less than one. The part outside the outermost dam is the enclosed protection zone.

[0039] The advantages of this invention are as follows:

[0040] The present invention discloses a method for manufacturing a display module and a display module that eliminates the substrate bending process. Instead, grooves are formed on the substrate (such as a glass substrate), and bonding lines are arranged in the grooves. The bonding lines are positioned and fixed by magnetic control. Then, holes are made on the substrate so that the screen lines can be directly bonded to the bonding area components after passing through the holes on the back of the screen. This can effectively reduce the screen bezel and achieve a narrow bezel effect for the display module screen. Attached Figure Description

[0041] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0042] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a display module manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the distribution of grooves in a glass substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a groove structure on the surface of a glass substrate in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a bonding circuit structure placed in a groove according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the binding line structure in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the frame portion during the manufacturing process of a display module in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the display module frame structure in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] The components in the diagram are shown below:

[0050] 1. Glass substrate; 2. Groove; 3. Substrate; 31. First base layer; 32. First inorganic layer; 33. Second base layer; 34. Second inorganic layer; 4. Screen layer; 41. Screen circuit; 5. Bonding circuit; 51. Metal substrate; 52. Conductive contact; 6. Dam; 7. Metal wire;

[0051] AA, Display area; A, Via bonding area; B, Dam area; C, Encapsulation protection area; D, Cutting area. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrates preferred embodiments of the present invention, demonstrating its implementability. These embodiments provide a complete overview of the invention for those skilled in the art, making its technical content clearer and easier to understand. The present invention can be embodied in many different forms of embodiments, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments mentioned herein.

[0053] In the accompanying drawings, components with the same structure are indicated by the same numerical designation, and components with similar structures or functions are indicated by similar numerical designations. The dimensions and thicknesses of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrary, and the present invention does not limit the dimensions and thicknesses of each component. To make the illustrations clearer, the thickness of components is appropriately exaggerated in some places in the drawings.

[0054] Furthermore, the following descriptions of the embodiments of the invention are made with reference to the accompanying illustrations, illustrating specific embodiments in which the invention can be implemented. Directional terms used in this invention, such as "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," and "side," are merely directional references to the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the use of directional terms is for better and clearer explanation and understanding of the invention, and does not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation; therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0055] When a component is described as being "on" another component, the component may be placed directly on the other component; alternatively, there may be an intermediate component on which the component is placed, and the intermediate component is placed on the other component. When a component is described as being "installed to" or "connected to" another component, both can be understood as being directly "installed" or "connected" to, or as being indirectly "installed to" or "connected to" another component via an intermediate component.

[0056] As described in the background section, the circuitry of current display modules is led out from the display panel (also known as the screen body) and bonded using a pad-bending process. The screen body circuitry located on the lower bezel of the display area (also known as the lower bezel) needs to be bent to the back of the module to make electrical connections with the bonding components (such as ICs). This results in a larger (wider) bezel for the screen body. Given the current demand for thinner and lighter devices with narrower bezels in terminal displays, the product cannot meet consumer needs.

[0057] To address the aforementioned issues, the inventors improved the manufacturing method of the display module by eliminating the pad bending process. Instead, grooves were created on the glass substrate, and bonding lines were laid out within these grooves. The bonding lines were then positioned and fixed using magnetic control. Finally, holes were drilled in the substrate, allowing the screen lines to be directly bonded to the bonding area components through the holes on the back of the screen. This effectively reduces the screen bezel size, thereby reducing the bottom bezel size and achieving a narrow (ultra-narrow) bezel effect for the display module screen.

[0058] Based on the above concept, the present application will be described exemplarily below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0059] This embodiment provides a method for manufacturing a display module, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the preparation method includes:

[0060] S1. Provide a substrate, which may be a glass substrate.

[0061] S2. Etch grooves on the surface of the substrate.

[0062] S3. Place the bonding wire into the groove.

[0063] S4. Secure the bonding wire in the groove using magnetic control.

[0064] S5. Prepare a substrate on the surface of the substrate with grooves, and fix the bonding lines on the side of the substrate close to the substrate.

[0065] S6. A screen layer is prepared on the side of the substrate away from the substrate. The screen layer and the substrate form a through hole. The screen layer includes screen lines. The screen lines and the bonding lines are electrically connected through the through hole.

[0066] The substrate is peeled off from the base, exposing the bonding lines on the side of the substrate closest to the base.

[0067] A bonding component is provided to electrically connect the bonding lines to the bonding component. This method uses magnetic control to position and fix the bonding lines, and then holes are drilled in the substrate so that the screen lines can be directly bonded to the bonding area component after passing through the holes on the back of the screen. This can effectively reduce the screen bezel and achieve a narrow bezel effect for the display module screen.

[0068] In one embodiment, the method further includes cutting the substrate into multiple sub-substrates;

[0069] The cut sub-substrate is peeled off from the substrate, exposing the bonding circuitry on the substrate surface.

[0070] Provide a bonding component to electrically connect the bonding line to the bonding component.

[0071] It should be noted that in the above display module manufacturing method, multiple display modules are simultaneously manufactured on a substrate (such as a glass substrate). At this time, a whole substrate (also called a master plate) is set on one side surface of the substrate, and then the substrate is divided into sub-substrates (sometimes called substrates) of a preset size by cutting.

[0072] like Figure 2 As shown, taking a glass substrate as an example, the number and position of the grooves 2 opened on the glass substrate 1 are consistent, with the single display module manufacturing area as the reference.

[0073] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, a groove 2 is etched on the glass substrate 1, the depth of which is between 7 and 10 μm. The bonding line 5 is formed by a metal rolling process. Preferably, the thickness of the bonding line 5 is about 20 μm. Figure 4 As shown, when the bonding line 5 is placed in the groove 2, the upper part of the bonding line 5 will be outside the groove 2 and protrude from the surface of the glass substrate 1. This allows the substrate 3 (e.g., a PI substrate) coated on the surface of the glass substrate 1 to effectively cover the protruding upper part of the bonding line 5 after curing. Before peeling the glass substrate 1 and the substrate 3 (e.g., by laser peeling), the magnetron is removed, so that after laser peeling, the bonding line 5 detaches from the groove 2 of the glass substrate 1 and is fixedly embedded on the surface of the substrate 3.

[0074] In some embodiments, the bonding line 5 is formed by a metal rolling process, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the bonding line 5 includes a connecting portion 51 and several conductive contacts 52 arranged in parallel on the connecting portion 51. The electrical connection between the screen line 41 and the chip (IC) and flexible circuit board (FPC) in the bonding area is mainly achieved through the conductive contacts 52. Since placing multiple parallel conductive contacts 52 within the groove 2 is technically challenging, the connecting portion 51 is used as a support during the fabrication of the bonding line 5 to facilitate placing the entire bonding line 5 into the groove 2. Preferably, the thickness of the bonding line is greater than or equal to 20 μm. Preferably, the bonding line is magnetic.

[0075] like Figure 6As shown, the surface of the array substrate 3 includes several modules, each module being a preparation area for a display module. The preparation area includes the preparation of an organic encapsulation layer by inkjet printing. The ink needs to be spread and diffused to form a uniform film layer. Therefore, in order to prevent ink from overflowing outside the preparation area of ​​the display module, a dam 6 needs to be set around the edge of the preparation area of ​​the display module to block the ink.

[0076] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, there is a protective enclosure outside the area enclosed by dam 6. The protective enclosure is designed to prevent damage to the display module caused by the edge extension of the laser-cut part. Therefore, the laser-cut part is located outside the protective enclosure.

[0077] In some embodiments, the connecting portion 51 in the aforementioned bonding line 5 functions as a support for multiple parallel conductive contacts 52. However, when the screen line 41 is fanned out and electrically connected to the bonding line 5, the conductive contacts 52 are fixed and embedded in the surface of the substrate 3, so the connecting portion 51 loses its function. To minimize the size of the bezel, the entire connecting portion 51 can be removed during laser cutting, combined with the encapsulation protection zone outside the dam 6, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the cutting area D is outside the encapsulation protection area and inside the connecting part 51. This ensures that the cutting does not damage the screen encapsulation and that the connecting part 51 is completely removed, thereby reducing the width of the screen bezel.

[0078] In some embodiments, the magnetic control method includes:

[0079] A coil is placed on the side of the glass substrate 1 opposite to the groove 2.

[0080] The binding line 5 is placed in the groove 2, and the coil is energized. The magnetic field generated by the coil attracts and positions the binding line 5 in the groove 2.

[0081] It should be noted that the coil can be directly set on the platform on the back of the glass substrate 1. After the binding line 5 is fixed in the groove 2 and the base layer is coated on the surface of the glass substrate 1, the energized coil can be removed.

[0082] This application provides a display module, which is manufactured using the above-described display module manufacturing method, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the display module includes:

[0083] The substrate 3 includes a first base layer 31, a first inorganic layer 32 disposed on the first base layer 31, a second base layer 33 disposed on the first inorganic layer 32, and a second inorganic layer 34 disposed on the second base layer 33.

[0084] It should be noted that both the first base layer 31 and the second base layer 33 can be flexible substrates (such as PI material, polyimide). The first base layer 31 is formed by coating on the surface of the glass substrate 3, and the second base layer 33 is formed by coating on the surface of the first inorganic layer 32.

[0085] Preferably, the display module also includes:

[0086] An organic encapsulation layer 4 and a screen layer 4 are disposed on the second inorganic layer 34. The screen layer 4 includes screen circuitry 41.

[0087] In the area of ​​the display module bezel, a bonding line 5 is embedded on the lower surface of the first base layer 31. The connecting part 51 of the bonding line 5 has been removed during laser cutting, leaving a conductive contact 52 for conducting the screen circuit 41 and the bonding component. The conductive contact 52 is embedded in the lower surface of the first base layer 31 and exposed to the outside, which facilitates subsequent connection with the bonding component.

[0088] In the area of ​​the display module bezel, a wire-passing hole is formed on the substrate 3. The wire-passing hole passes through the first base layer 31, the first inorganic layer 32, the second base layer 33 and the second inorganic layer 34 and communicates with the conductive contact 52 located on the lower surface of the first base layer 31. One end of the metal connecting wire in the wire-passing hole is connected to the screen circuit 41, and the other end is connected to the conductive contact 52.

[0089] Preferably, the display module also includes:

[0090] The dam 6 is set on the surface of the second inorganic layer 34 and surrounds the outer perimeter of the screen layer 4. The number of layers of the dam 6 is not less than one. The extra part outside the outermost dam 6 is the encapsulation protection zone.

[0091] It should be noted that in the exemplary structure, such as Figure 7 As shown in the figure, the display area AA of the display module is located on the left (not shown), and the border of the display module is located on the right. The right side includes the via bonding line area A, the dam area B, and the encapsulation protection area C. Measurements show that the width of the via bonding line area A is about 100μm, the width of the dam area B is about 100μm, and the width of the encapsulation protection area C is about 100μm. Therefore, the width of the entire border area of ​​the display module is about 300μm.

[0092] While the invention has been described herein with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely examples of the principles and applications of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that many modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments, and other arrangements can be designed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It should be understood that different dependent claims and features described herein can be combined in ways different from those described in the original claims. It is also understood that features described in conjunction with individual embodiments can be used in other described embodiments.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a display module, characterized in that, The preparation method includes: Provide a base Grooves are etched into the surface of the substrate; Place the bonding wires within the groove; The bonding wire is fixed in the groove by magnetic control. A substrate is prepared on the surface of the substrate where the groove is formed, and the bonding line is fixed to the side of the substrate close to the substrate; A screen layer is prepared on the side of the substrate away from the substrate, and the screen layer and the substrate are etched to form vias. The screen layer includes screen lines, and the screen lines are electrically connected to the bonding lines through the vias. The substrate is peeled off from the base, exposing the bonding lines on the side of the substrate close to the base. A bonding component is provided to electrically connect the bonding line to the bonding component; Wherein: the bonding line includes a connecting part and a conductive contact fixed on the connecting part, the bonding line is formed by a metal rolling process, the connecting part includes a metal substrate, and the bonding line is magnetic; The magnetic control method includes: setting a coil on the side of the substrate away from the groove; energizing the coil after the bonding line is placed in the groove; and attracting and positioning the bonding line in the groove by the magnetic field generated by the coil. After the bonding lines are fixed to the side of the substrate near the base, the magnetron is removed.

2. The method for manufacturing a display module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The bonding line is placed in a groove on the surface of the substrate and protrudes from the surface of the substrate, and the substrate covers the portion of the bonding line that protrudes from the groove.

3. The method for manufacturing a display module as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The substrate is a glass substrate.

4. The method for manufacturing a display module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The depth of the grooves etched on the substrate is between 7 and 10 μm.

5. The method for manufacturing a display module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the bonding line is greater than or equal to 20 μm.

6. The method for manufacturing a display module as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The screen layer includes a dam and an organic encapsulation layer, the organic encapsulation layer being located within the area enclosed by the dam.

7. The method for manufacturing a display module as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The screen layer includes an encapsulation protection zone and a cutting zone, with the cutting zone located outside the encapsulation protection zone.

8. The method for manufacturing a display module as described in claim 7, characterized in that, When cutting the substrate, the connection portion of the bonding circuit is removed.

9. A display module, characterized in that: The display module is manufactured using the display module manufacturing method described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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