Display panel, display panel manufacturing method and display module

Abstract

This application discloses a display panel, a method for manufacturing the display panel, and a display module. The display panel includes: a flexible substrate, including traces; a reinforcing portion; and a pad assembly. The pad assembly includes two or more first bonding portions spaced apart along a first direction, with a gap between the two first bonding portions. Each first bonding portion includes a pad, and the pads are interconnected with the traces. The gap includes at least one channel region, through which the traces connect to the pads, and the channel region at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the reinforcing portion onto the flexible substrate. The display panel provided in this application, where the traces connect to the pads via the channel region, and the reinforcing portion covers at least a portion of the channel region to mitigate the problem of flexible substrate deformation within the channel region. This also mitigates the problem of flexible substrate compression and accumulation within the gap region caused by deformation and pad displacement during the bonding process of the first bonding portions, thereby improving the problem of cracks appearing in the flexible substrate and leading to trace breakage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electronic product technology, specifically to a display panel, a method for manufacturing the display panel, and a display module. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, display panels primarily achieve electrical connections between the display panel and the chip through a bonding process. In Chip On Pi (COP) technology, the display panel and chip are directly bonded together. However, the bonding points of the display panel can deform due to bonding pressure, which can easily lead to problems such as breakage of the array lines within the display panel. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a display panel, a method for manufacturing the display panel, and a display module, which can avoid the problem of cracks in the flexible substrate of the display panel leading to broken wiring.

[0004] In a first aspect, according to an embodiment of this application, a display panel is provided, comprising: a flexible substrate including traces; a reinforcing portion disposed on one side of the flexible substrate; and a pad assembly disposed on one side of the flexible substrate. The pad assembly includes two or more first bonding portions spaced apart along a first direction, and a gap region is provided between two adjacent first bonding portions along the first direction. Each first bonding portion includes a pad, and the pads are interconnected with the traces. The gap region includes at least one channel region, through which the traces connect to each pad, and the channel region at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the reinforcing portion onto the flexible substrate.

[0005] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, the reinforcing part includes a first sub-part covering the space between two adjacent first binding parts.

[0006] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, two or more pads are spaced apart along a second direction, the second direction intersecting with the first direction, and the reinforcing portion further includes a second sub-portion disposed between two pads spaced apart along the second direction.

[0007] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, the reinforcing portion covers at least a portion of the first bonding portion, and the reinforcing portion further includes a plurality of hollow holes, wherein the orthographic projection of the pads on the flexible substrate and the orthographic projection of the hollow holes on the flexible substrate at least partially overlap, and the pads are exposed through the hollow holes.

[0008] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, the flexible substrate further includes a groove located in the spacing region, the groove being disposed on one side of each pad in a first direction, and a channel region being disposed on at least one side of the groove in a second direction.

[0009] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, two or more pads are spaced apart along a second direction, and grooves corresponding to adjacent pads are spaced apart. The channel area corresponding to each pad is disposed between the grooves, and the traces connected to each pad are connected to each pad via their corresponding channel areas.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present application, two or more pads of the first bonding portion are aligned along a first direction, and a groove is disposed between two adjacent pads along the first direction.

[0011] Secondly, according to embodiments of this application, another display panel is provided. It includes: a bonding area, comprising a flexible substrate, a bonding layer, and a reinforcing layer sequentially disposed along the thickness direction of the display panel; the reinforcing layer comprising at least one rigid material; the bonding layer comprising at least two sets of pads; the flexible substrate comprising traces; the pads and traces being interconnected; the flexible substrate further comprising at least one groove; the reinforcing layer comprising at least one reinforcing portion; the reinforcing portion and the groove being disposed between the two sets of pads; the orthographic projection of the reinforcing portion onto the flexible substrate at least partially covers a portion of the flexible substrate between the grooves.

[0012] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, the flexible substrate further includes a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer. The first insulating layer includes at least one inorganic layer, and the second insulating layer includes at least one organic layer. The inorganic layer includes a through-hole, and the organic layer includes a recess disposed in the through-hole. The through-hole and the recess form a groove.

[0013] Thirdly, according to embodiments of this application, a method for manufacturing a display panel is provided, comprising:

[0014] Fabricating traces within a flexible substrate;

[0015] A pad assembly is fabricated on one side of a flexible substrate. The pad assembly includes two or more first bonding portions spaced apart along a first direction. An interval region is provided between two adjacent first bonding portions along the first direction. The first bonding portion includes a pad. The pad is connected to a trace. The interval region includes at least one channel region. The trace is connected to each pad through the channel region.

[0016] A reinforcing portion is prepared on one side of the flexible substrate, and the reinforcing portion at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the channel region onto the flexible substrate.

[0017] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, the step of fabricating wiring in the substrate further includes:

[0018] Prepare a first insulating layer, the first insulating layer comprising at least one inorganic layer;

[0019] Through-holes are created in the inorganic layer;

[0020] A second insulating layer is prepared, the second insulating layer including at least one organic layer, the organic layer including a recess disposed in a through hole, the through hole and the recess forming a groove, and a channel region disposed on at least one side of the groove in a second direction.

[0021] Fourthly, according to embodiments of this application, a display module is provided, comprising: a display panel as described in any of the preceding claims; a second binding member; and the display panel and the second binding member being bound together.

[0022] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, the second bonding member includes a chip, the chip includes a chip body and a second bonding portion connected to the chip body, and the display panel is bonded to the second bonding member through the second bonding portion.

[0023] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, the second bonding portion includes a bump that is connected to the chip body along the thickness direction of the chip body.

[0024] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, the thickness of the reinforcing portion does not exceed the sum of the thickness of the bump and the thickness of the pad.

[0025] The display panel, the method for manufacturing the display panel, and the display module provided in this application embodiment have traces connected to each pad via a channel area. A reinforcing portion is provided to cover at least part of the channel area to improve the problem of deformation of the flexible substrate in the channel area. This improves the problem of compression and accumulation of the flexible substrate in the gap area caused by the deformation of the flexible substrate and the displacement of the pads during the bonding process of the first bonding portion, thereby improving the problem of cracks appearing in the flexible substrate and resulting in trace breakage. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The features, advantages, and technical effects of exemplary embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a top view of a display panel provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An enlarged structural diagram of region A in the embodiment;

[0029] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the BB direction;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart of another method for manufacturing a display panel provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figures 6 to 11 This is a schematic diagram of the process steps of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 12 This is a top view of a display module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 13 yes Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the CC direction in the embodiment.

[0035] in:

[0036] 10-Flexible substrate; 11-Wire; 12-First insulating layer; 13-Second insulating layer; 121-Inorganic layer; 1211-Through hole; 131-Organic layer; 1311-Recess;

[0037] 20-Pad assembly; 2-First bonding part; 21-Pad;

[0038] 30 - Interval area; 31 - Channel area; 32 - Groove;

[0039] 40 - Reinforcing section; 41 - First sub-section; 42 - Second sub-section; 43 - Hollowed-out hole;

[0040] 50 - Binding area; 51 - Binding layer; 52 - Reinforcement layer;

[0041] 6-Second bonding component; 60-Chip; 61-Chip body; 62-Second bonding part; 621-Bump;

[0042] 100 - Display panel; 1000 - Display module;

[0043] X - First direction; Y - Second direction; Z - Thickness direction.

[0044] In the accompanying drawings, the same parts use the same reference numerals. The drawings are not drawn to scale. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of this application will now be described in detail. Numerous specific details are set forth in the following detailed description to provide a comprehensive understanding of this application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this application can be implemented without requiring some of these specific details. The following description of embodiments is merely intended to provide a better understanding of this application by illustrating examples. In the accompanying drawings and the following description, at least some well-known structures and techniques are not shown to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the application; and, for clarity, the dimensions of some structures may be exaggerated. Furthermore, the features, structures, or characteristics described below can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0046] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0047] The directional terms used in the following description refer to the directions shown in the figures and are not intended to limit the specific structure of the display panel and display module of this application. It should also be noted in the description of this application that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "setup" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0048] Various modifications and variations can be made to this application without departing from its spirit or scope, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, this application is intended to cover modifications and variations of the invention that fall within the scope of the corresponding claims (the claimed technical solutions) and their equivalents. It should be noted that the embodiments provided in this application can be combined with each other without contradiction.

[0049] Currently, displays require a bonding process to achieve electrical connections between the display and the chip. COP bonding is the most mainstream bonding solution used in current technologies. The main implementation of COP bonding involves directly mounting the chip onto the flexible display. During the final encapsulation of the display, COP bonding involves bending a portion of the flexible display and the chip together towards the backlight side of the display to complete the final encapsulation step. Using COP packaging allows for a thinner package thickness while further narrowing the bezel width on the side where the display and chip connect, resulting in a higher screen-to-body ratio.

[0050] In the COP bonding process, the bonding connection between the chip pins and the connection components of the flexible display screen needs to be completed using thermo-press bonding technology.

[0051] Thermo-press bonding technology is a connection method that combines and electrically connects chips or other components to a substrate. The two are bonded at high temperatures and appropriate pressure is applied during the bonding process to ensure close contact between their surfaces, ultimately forming a strong connection.

[0052] Since the connecting components on a flexible display typically include multiple rows of regularly arranged sub-connecting components, the area between these rows not only serves to separate the sub-connecting components but also houses the array lines connecting each sub-connecting component. When the chip is electrically connected to the flexible display during the thermo-bonding step, the flexible material polyimide (PI) used to make the flexible substrate in the space between the multiple rows of sub-connecting components undergoes significant deformation due to thermo-bonding. The sub-connecting components also experience a certain amount of displacement, making the flexible substrate in the space prone to cracking. This can lead to the breakage of the array lines arranged in that area, resulting in abnormal display effects and other problems.

[0053] Based on considerations for solving the above problems and technical needs, this application proposes a display panel, a method for manufacturing the display panel, and a display module.

[0054] Please see Figures 1 to 3 This application provides a display panel including a flexible substrate 10, a reinforcing portion 40, and a pad assembly 20.

[0055] The flexible substrate 10 includes wiring 11.

[0056] The pad assembly 20 is disposed on one side of the flexible substrate 10. The pad assembly 20 includes two or more first bonding portions 2 spaced apart along the first direction X. A gap area 30 is provided between two adjacent first bonding portions 2 along the first direction X. The first bonding portion 2 includes a pad 21, and the pad 21 is connected to the trace 11.

[0057] The spacer area 30 includes at least one channel area 31, through which the traces 11 connect each pad 21, and the channel area 31 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the reinforcement 40 on the flexible substrate 10.

[0058] The display panel provided in this application embodiment has traces 11 connected to each pad 21 via a channel area 31. A reinforcing portion 40 is provided to cover at least a portion of the channel area 31 to improve the problem of deformation of the flexible substrate 10 in the channel area 31. This also improves the problem of the flexible substrate 10 being squeezed and accumulated in the spacing area 30 due to the deformation of the flexible substrate 10 and the displacement of the pad 21 during the bonding process of the first bonding portion 2, thereby improving the problem of cracks appearing in the flexible substrate 10 and causing the traces 11 to break.

[0059] The flexible substrate 10 should be understood here as including a substrate material and film layers such as an organic layer 131 and an inorganic layer 121 prepared on the substrate material for arranging array lines and packaging. The substrate material can be polyimide, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, poly(p-xylene), polyethersulfone, or polyethylene naphthalate. The inorganic layer 121 can specifically be a film layer such as silicon nitride, silicon oxide, or silicon oxynitride. The organic layer 131 can be made of hexamethyl dimethyl ether, epoxy resin, or polyimide (PI). It can also be other silicone adhesive materials with a light transmittance of more than 90%, or other organic adhesive materials with slightly lower light transmittance (greater than 80%) and slightly higher bending strength. In this application, the embodiments are not limited in this respect.

[0060] Optionally, the traces 11 are disposed between inorganic layers 121 and organic layers 131 in the flexible substrate 10. While the multiple traces 11 are insulated and spaced apart by inorganic layers 121, a portion of the inorganic layers 121 and organic layers 131 encapsulate the entire display panel. The traces 11 can be led out from the display area of ​​the display panel and through the non-display area of ​​the display panel from various different inorganic layers 121 to achieve electrical connection with external chips or other components. The specific location of the traces 11 leading out from the flexible substrate 10 is not limited in this embodiment.

[0061] The reinforcing part 40 can be made of a rigid material, including glass, stainless steel, etc. The attachment method between the reinforcing part 40 and the flexible substrate 10 can be adhesive bonding.

[0062] Optionally, before the thermocompression bonding connection step of the pad assembly 20 with other bonding components, an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) is also provided between the pad assembly 20 and other bonding components. The main components of the ACF adhesive layer are mainly resin adhesive and conductive particles distributed in the adhesive. When the ACF adhesive layer is attached between the pad assembly 20 and other bonding components, the conductive particles are crushed by the heating and pressure of the thermocompression bonding to form a stable mechanical and electrical connection that penetrates the ACF adhesive layer.

[0063] When an ACF adhesive layer is provided between the pad assembly 20 and other bonding components, the reinforcement 40 can share the ACF adhesive layer with the pad assembly 20, and the reinforcement can be bonded to the flexible substrate 10 using the ACF adhesive layer.

[0064] Optionally, the reinforcing part 40 is provided with a new adhesive layer and is bonded to the flexible substrate 10.

[0065] Optionally, both the pad assembly 20 and the trace 11 are conductive components and are arranged in a graphical manner. The trace 11 is a pattern with a wider spacing and thinner line width; the pad assembly 20 is a pattern with a denser spacing and thicker line width. The pad assembly 20 uses a pattern with a denser spacing and thicker line width, which ensures better connectivity and conductivity when the display panel is connected to chips or other components, such as flexible printed circuits (FPCs), facilitating installation and reducing the probability of failure.

[0066] The pad assembly 20 has a plurality of first bonding portions 2 spaced apart along a first direction X, and a plurality of pads 21 are further disposed within each first bonding portion 2. In this embodiment, the pad assembly 20 firstly divides the pads 21 into a plurality of first bonding portions 2 spaced apart along the first direction X.

[0067] Since the trace 11 needs to form an electrical connection with each pad 21 in the pad assembly 20, at least one trace 11 in the structure of the display panel needs to pass through a gap 30 disposed between two first bonding parts 2 in order to achieve the interconnection between the pad 21 and the trace 11.

[0068] The interval 30 is disposed between the first bonding parts 2. When the display panel and the chip or other components are electrically connected by thermo-press bonding technology, the interval 30 will undergo a large deformation due to thermo-pressing, and the first bonding parts 2 located on both sides of the interval 30 will also undergo a displacement toward the interval 30.

[0069] While the spacer 30 is provided with a channel area 31 through which the trace 11 passes, the reinforcement 40 also covers at least part of the channel area 31. The reinforcement 40 can improve the problem of the flexible substrate 10 in the channel area 31 deforming and cracking, which leads to the breakage of the trace 11.

[0070] In some embodiments, the reinforcing portion 40 includes a first sub-portion 41 covering the space between two adjacent first binding portions 2.

[0071] In these embodiments, the first sub-part 41 in the reinforcing part 40 covers the area between the two first binding parts 2, further improving the problem that the flexible substrate 10 in the spacing area 30 deforms and cracks, causing the trace 11 to break.

[0072] In related technologies, during the thermo-bonding connection step, the pad 21 has a larger displacement between the two first bonding portions 2, which causes the flexible substrate 10 located in the gap area 30 between the two first bonding portions 2 to crack first.

[0073] Optionally, in the related art, when the pads 21 in the two first bonding parts 2 are aligned along the first direction X, the flexible substrate 10 material in the gap area 30 between the two pads 21 will first crack during the hot-press bonding connection step. Since the multiple pads 21 in one first bonding part 2 can be spaced along the second direction Y, the cracks generated between the two pads 21 that are aligned along the first direction X and belong to the two first bonding parts 2 can extend along the second direction Y. The multiple cracks extend and connect to form a crack that runs through the entire gap area 30 along the second direction Y, causing the multiple traces 11 in the gap area 30 to break.

[0074] In this embodiment of the application, by covering the first sub-part 41 in the reinforcing part 40 between the two first binding parts 2, the deformation problem can be improved, so as to prevent cracks from appearing and extending and penetrating the entire interval 30.

[0075] In some alternative embodiments, two or more pads 21 are spaced apart along a second direction Y, which intersects with a first direction X, and the reinforcement 40 further includes a second sub-part 42 disposed between two pads 21 spaced apart along the second direction Y.

[0076] In these alternative embodiments, the second sub-part 42 is disposed between two pads 21 spaced apart along the second direction Y, which can further improve the problem of displacement of the pads 21 along the second direction Y and deformation of the flexible substrate 10 between the two pads 21, and improve the problem of deformation of the flexible substrate 10 in the area covered by the second sub-part 42, which causes cracks and breaks of the traces 11.

[0077] In related technologies, during the hot-press bonding connection step, the pad 21 also undergoes partial displacement on the Y side of the second direction, and the flexible substrate 10 between the two pads 21 also undergoes partial deformation, which makes the flexible substrate 10 located in the gap area 30 on the Y side of the pad 21 prone to cracking.

[0078] In this embodiment, the second sub-part 42 is disposed between two pads 21 spaced apart along the second direction Y, which can improve the deformation problem and reduce the risk of cracks appearing in the flexible substrate 10.

[0079] Alternatively, for clarity, the first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular to each other.

[0080] The designation of the directions as the first direction X and the second direction Y is merely for illustrative purposes. The specific settings of the first direction X and the second direction Y in this application embodiment are not limited. It is only necessary to ensure that the first direction X and the second direction Y intersect and are not the same or opposite directions.

[0081] In some embodiments, the reinforcing portion 40 covers at least a portion of the first bonding portion 2, and the reinforcing portion 40 also includes a plurality of cutout holes 43, the orthographic projection of the pad 21 on the flexible substrate 10 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the cutout holes 43 on the flexible substrate 10, and the pad 21 is exposed through the cutout holes 43.

[0082] In these embodiments, the reinforcing portion 40 further extends to cover the first bonding portion 2, and the pad 21 is exposed through the cutout hole 43 to facilitate subsequent connection, while further enhancing the role of the reinforcing portion 40 in improving the deformation problem of the flexible substrate 10.

[0083] In some embodiments, the flexible substrate 10 further includes a groove 32 located in the spacing region 30, the groove 32 being disposed on one side of each pad 21 in the first direction X, and the channel region 31 being disposed on at least one side of the groove 32 in the second direction Y.

[0084] In these embodiments, the groove 32 is disposed on one side of the pad 21 in the first direction X, which can absorb the displacement of the pad 21 in the first direction X, and further improve the problem of compression accumulation of the flexible substrate 10 in the spacer area 30, which causes cracks and leads to the breakage of the trace 11.

[0085] In related technologies, during the thermo-bonding connection step, the pad 21 has a larger displacement on the first direction X side, which causes the flexible substrate 10 located in the gap area 30 on the first direction X side of the pad 21 to crack first.

[0086] In this embodiment, the groove 32 is disposed on the pad 21 on the first direction X side, which can better improve the problem of extrusion and accumulation of the flexible substrate 10 in the spacing area 30 and reduce the risk of cracks in the flexible substrate 10.

[0087] Meanwhile, the channel area 31 is located on at least one side of the groove 32 in the second direction Y, which can prevent the trace 11 from passing between the groove 32 and the pad 21, further reducing the risk of the trace 11 breaking.

[0088] In some optional embodiments, two or more pads 21 are spaced apart along the second direction Y, and the grooves 32 corresponding to adjacent pads 21 are spaced apart. The channel area 31 corresponding to each pad 21 is disposed between the grooves 32, and the trace 11 connected to each pad 21 is connected to each pad 21 via its corresponding channel area 31.

[0089] In these optional embodiments, the grooves 32 are spaced apart, and the channel area 31 is disposed between the grooves 32. This ensures that each pad 21 is provided with a corresponding groove 32 on the first direction X side, while making reasonable use of the space between the grooves 32 to set the channel area 31, thereby achieving a reasonable arrangement of the traces 11.

[0090] In some alternative embodiments, the pads 21 of two or more first bonding portions 2 are aligned along the first direction X, and the groove 32 is disposed between two adjacent pads 21 along the first direction X.

[0091] In these alternative embodiments, the groove 32 is disposed between two adjacent pads 21 along the first direction X, which can further absorb the displacement of the pads 21 on both sides along the first direction X, and further improve the problem of compression accumulation of the flexible substrate 10 in the spacing area 30, which causes cracks and leads to the breakage of the trace 11.

[0092] In related technologies, when the pads 21 in the two first bonding portions 2 are aligned along the first direction X, the flexible substrate 10 material in the gap area 30 between the two pads 21 firstly cracks during the thermo-bonding connection step. Since multiple pads 21 in one first bonding portion 2 can be spaced along the second direction Y, the cracks generated between the two pads 21 aligned along the first direction X and belonging to the two first bonding portions 2 can extend along the second direction Y. Multiple cracks extend and connect to form a crack that runs through the entire gap area 30 along the second direction Y, causing multiple traces 11 in the gap area 30 to break.

[0093] In this embodiment, grooves 32 are provided between the pads 21 that are respectively arranged opposite to each other along the first direction X and belong to the two first bonding parts 2. The displacement of the two pads 21 and the deformation of the flexible substrate 10 material between the two pads 21 are absorbed by the grooves 32, which can better improve the problem of compression and accumulation of the flexible substrate 10 in the spacing area 30 and reduce the risk of cracks in the flexible substrate 10.

[0094] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 3 Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a display panel, including a binding area 50.

[0095] The bonding area 50 includes a flexible substrate 10, a bonding layer 51, and a reinforcing layer 52 arranged sequentially along the thickness direction Z of the display panel. The reinforcing layer 52 includes at least one layer of rigid material.

[0096] The bonding layer 51 includes at least two sets of pads 21, and the flexible substrate 10 includes traces 11, with the pads 21 and traces 11 interconnected.

[0097] The flexible substrate 10 also includes at least one groove 32, and the reinforcing layer 52 includes at least one reinforcing portion 40. The reinforcing portion 40 and the groove 32 are disposed between two sets of pads 21. The orthographic projection of the reinforcing portion 40 on the flexible substrate 10 at least partially covers a portion of the flexible substrate 10 between the grooves 32.

[0098] The display panel provided in this application embodiment, by providing a reinforcing layer 52 including at least one layer of rigid material, wherein the reinforcing portion 40 in the reinforcing layer 52 covers part of the flexible substrate 10 between the grooves 32, can prevent the flexible substrate 10 from deforming. The bonding layer 51 improves the problem of the flexible substrate 10 being squeezed and accumulated between the two sets of bonding pads 21 by the deformation of the flexible substrate 10 and the displacement of the pads 21 during the bonding process, thereby improving the problem of cracks appearing in the flexible substrate 10 and causing the traces 11 to break.

[0099] In some embodiments, the flexible substrate 10 further includes a first insulating layer 12 and a second insulating layer 13. The first insulating layer 12 includes at least one inorganic layer 121, and the second insulating layer 13 includes at least one organic layer 131. The inorganic layer 121 includes a through hole 1211, and the organic layer 131 includes a recess 1311 disposed in the through hole 1211. The through hole 1211 and the recess 1311 form a groove 32.

[0100] In these embodiments, by opening a through hole 1211 in the inorganic layer 121 in the first insulating layer 12, the organic layer 131 in the second insulating layer 13 is embedded in the through hole 1211 of the inorganic layer 121 to form a recess 1311. The through hole 1211 of the inorganic layer 121 and the recess 1311 of the organic layer 131 together form a groove 32. The inorganic layer 121, which has poor resistance to deformation, has an through hole 1211, so that the deformation of the inorganic layer 121 is absorbed by the through hole 1211, and cracks are not easily generated.

[0101] The inorganic layer 121 in the first insulating layer 12 mainly includes insulating layers that serve to space and insulate the traces 11 in the flexible substrate 10. It includes at least a chemical vapor deposition layer (CVD), a gate insulator (GI), and a color insulator (CI). The main components of these inorganic layers 121 are silicon, nitrogen, oxygen, and combinations thereof.

[0102] The organic layer 131 is mainly a packaging film layer that serves a packaging function, including at least an organic layer 131 such as a planarizer (PLN) layer and an inkjet printed layer (IJP).

[0103] The inorganic layer 121 has poor resistance to deformation during hot-press bonding and is prone to cracking. Therefore, a through-hole 1211 is formed in the inorganic layer 121 to absorb the deformation of the inorganic layer 121 and further prevent cracking. At the same time, the organic layer 131 is embedded in the through-hole 1211 to form a recess 1311. The through-hole 1211 and the recess 1311 together form a groove 32 on the flexible substrate 10.

[0104] Please see Figure 4 Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide a method for manufacturing a display panel, comprising:

[0105] Step S10, please refer to Figure 6 Lines 11 are fabricated within the flexible substrate 10.

[0106] Step S20, please refer to Figure 7 A pad assembly 20 is prepared on one side of the flexible substrate 10. The pad assembly 20 includes two or more first bonding portions 2 spaced apart along a first direction X. A gap region 30 is provided between two adjacent first bonding portions 2 along the first direction X. The first bonding portion 2 includes a pad 21. The pad 21 is connected to the trace 11. The gap region 30 includes at least one channel region 31. The trace 11 is connected to each pad 21 through the channel region 31.

[0107] Step S30, please refer to Figure 8 A reinforcing portion 40 is prepared on one side of the flexible substrate 10, and the reinforcing portion 40 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the channel region 31 onto the flexible substrate 10.

[0108] The display panel fabrication method provided in this application involves covering the reinforcing portion 40 after the wiring 11 and pad assembly 20 are fabricated in the flexible substrate 10. The process steps are simple.

[0109] Please see Figure 6The flexible substrate 10 includes at least a substrate material and films such as an organic layer 131 and an inorganic layer 121 prepared on the substrate material. The wiring 11 can be led out from a variety of different inorganic layers 121. The method for preparing the display panel provided in this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0110] Please see Figure 7 The pad assembly 20 is formed on one side of the flexible substrate 10. Compared with the trace 11, it has a more closely spaced and wider pattern, which has better connectivity and conductivity, facilitates installation, and forms an electrical connection with the chip or other components.

[0111] Please see Figure 8 The reinforcing part 40 is specifically made of a rigid material, including glass, stainless steel, etc. The attachment method between the reinforcing part 40 and the flexible substrate 10 is mainly by adhesive bonding.

[0112] Please see Figure 5 In some embodiments, step S10 further includes:

[0113] Step S11, please refer to Figure 9 Prepare a first insulating layer 12, the first insulating layer 12 comprising at least one inorganic layer 121.

[0114] Step S12, please refer to Figure 10 A through hole 1211 is formed in the inorganic layer 121.

[0115] Step S13, please refer to Figure 11 A second insulating layer 13 is prepared. The second insulating layer 13 includes at least one organic layer 131. The organic layer 131 includes a recess 1311 disposed in a through hole 1211. The through hole 1211 and the recess 1311 form a groove 32. A channel region 31 is disposed on at least one side of the groove 32 in the second direction Y.

[0116] In these embodiments, through holes 1211 are formed on the inorganic layer 121 while the inorganic layer 121 is being prepared, so that the deformation of the inorganic layer 121, which has poor resistance to deformation, is absorbed by the through holes 1211, and cracks are not easily generated.

[0117] Optionally, after step 20 is completed, the through-hole 1211 on the inorganic layer is provided on one side of each pad 21 of the pad assembly 20 in the first direction X, so that the groove 32 is also provided on one side of each pad 21 of the pad assembly 20 in the first direction X.

[0118] Please see Figure 9 In step S11, the first insulating layer 12 is prepared;

[0119] Please see Figure 10In step S12, after the inorganic layer 121 is prepared, through holes 1211 are etched on the inorganic layer 121 by means of coating, exposure and development.

[0120] Please see Figure 11 In step S13, an organic layer 131 is prepared on the inorganic layer 121. The organic layer 131 is partially embedded in the through hole 1211 of the inorganic layer 121 to form a recess 1311. The through hole 1211 and the recess 1311 form a groove 32.

[0121] Please see Figure 12 and Figure 13 Fourthly, embodiments of this application also provide a display module 1000, including a display panel and a second bonding member 6 as provided in any of the first and second aspect embodiments.

[0122] The display panel is connected to the second tether 6.

[0123] The display module 1000 provided in this application includes the display panel provided in the first and second aspects of the above-described embodiments. Therefore, the display module 1000 provided in the third aspect of this application has the beneficial effects of the display panel of the first aspect of the embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0124] In some embodiments, the second bonding member 6 includes a chip 60, the chip 60 includes a chip body 61 and a second bonding part 62 connected to the chip body 61, and the display panel is bonded to the second bonding member 6 through the second bonding part 62.

[0125] In these embodiments, the chip body 61 is directly connected to the display panel via the second bonding part 62, forming a COP bonding.

[0126] The chip 60 is harder than the flexible substrate 10 of the display panel and is less prone to deformation than the display panel. The chip 60 can be regarded as a rigid body. In the hot-press bonding connection step, the amount of deformation of the chip 60 can be ignored.

[0127] In some alternative embodiments, the second bonding portion 62 includes a bump 621 that is connected to the chip body 61 along the thickness direction Z of the chip body 61.

[0128] In these alternative embodiments, the chip body 61 is electrically connected to the display panel using bumps 621, resulting in high connection density and strong reliability.

[0129] Bump 621 is a connection technology for connecting chip 60 to other external devices. Bump 621 is usually a tiny columnar structure made of conductive material, which is set on one side surface of chip body 61 and has good integration.

[0130] The conductive materials used in bump 621 include, but are not limited to, tin, copper, gold, and other alloy materials, which can provide good conductivity.

[0131] In thermo-press bonding technology, the bump 621 and the pad 21 of the display panel are pressed together under appropriate temperature and pressure to form an electrical connection.

[0132] Optionally, the thickness direction of the chip 60 is the same as the thickness direction Z of the display panel.

[0133] In some alternative embodiments, the thickness of the reinforcement 40 does not exceed the sum of the thickness of the bump 621 and the thickness of the pad 21.

[0134] In these alternative embodiments, by adjusting the thickness of the bump 621 and the pad 21, the sum of their thicknesses is ensured to be less than the thickness of the reinforcing part 40, so that the space between the bump 621 and the pad 21 after connection can accommodate the reinforcing part 40, ensuring that the setting of the reinforcing part 40 will not interfere with the normal electrical connection between the bump 621 and the pad 21.

[0135] Although this application has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications can be made thereto and components can be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of this application. In particular, the technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any manner, provided there is no structural conflict. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that, include: Flexible substrate, including wiring; A reinforcing portion is disposed on one side of the flexible substrate; A pad assembly is disposed on one side of the flexible substrate. The pad assembly includes two or more first bonding portions spaced apart along a first direction. An interval is provided between two adjacent first bonding portions along the first direction. Each first bonding portion includes a pad, and the pad is interconnected with the trace. The interval region includes at least one channel region, the traces connect each of the pads via the channel region, and the channel region at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the reinforcement on the flexible substrate; The reinforcing portion includes a first sub-portion covering the space between two adjacent first bonding portions, and two or more pads are spaced apart along a second direction. The reinforcing portion also includes a second sub-portion disposed between two pads spaced apart along the second direction. The flexible substrate further includes a groove located in the spacing region, the groove being disposed on one side of each of the pads in the first direction, and the channel region being disposed on at least one side of the groove in the second direction, wherein the first direction intersects the second direction; Two or more pads are spaced apart along the second direction, and the grooves corresponding to adjacent pads are spaced apart. The channel area corresponding to each pad is disposed between the grooves. The traces connected to each pad are connected to each pad via their corresponding channel areas. The pads of two or more first bonding portions are aligned along the first direction, and the grooves are disposed between two adjacent pads along the first direction.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reinforcing portion covers at least a portion of the first bonding portion, and the reinforcing portion further includes a plurality of hollow holes. The orthographic projection of the pad on the flexible substrate and the orthographic projection of the hollow holes on the flexible substrate at least partially overlap, and the pad is exposed through the hollow holes.

3. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible substrate further includes a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer. The first insulating layer includes at least one inorganic layer, and the second insulating layer includes at least one organic layer. The inorganic layer includes a through-hole, and the organic layer includes a recess disposed in the through-hole. The through-hole and the recess form the groove.

4. A method for manufacturing a display panel, used to manufacture the display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, include: Fabricating traces within a flexible substrate; A pad assembly is fabricated on one side of the flexible substrate. The pad assembly includes two or more first bonding portions spaced apart along a first direction. An interval region is provided between two adjacent first bonding portions along the first direction. Each first bonding portion includes a pad. The pads are interconnected with the traces. The interval region includes at least one channel region. The traces are connected to each of the pads via the channel region. A reinforcing portion is formed on one side of the flexible substrate, and the reinforcing portion at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the channel region onto the flexible substrate.

5. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of fabricating traces within the flexible substrate further includes: Prepare a first insulating layer, the first insulating layer comprising at least one inorganic layer; Through holes are formed in the inorganic layer; A second insulating layer is prepared, the second insulating layer comprising at least one organic layer, the organic layer comprising a recess disposed within the through hole, the through hole and the recess forming a groove, and a channel region disposed on at least one side of the groove in a second direction, the first direction intersecting the second direction.

6. A display module, characterized in that, include: The display panel as described in any one of claims 1 to 3; Second binding component; The display panel is bonded and connected to the second binding component.

7. The display module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second bonding component includes a chip, the chip including a chip body and a second bonding part connected to the chip body, and the display panel is bonded to the second bonding component through the second bonding part.

8. The display module according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second bonding portion includes a bump that is connected to the chip body along the thickness direction of the chip body.

9. The display module according to claim 8, characterized in that, The thickness of the reinforcing part does not exceed the sum of the thickness of the bump and the thickness of the pad.

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