Display module, display device and manufacturing method

Abstract

The invention discloses a display module, a display device and a manufacturing method.The display module comprises a display panel used for displaying two-dimensional images and a switching assembly arranged on the light emitting side of the display panel, the switching assembly comprises a first substrate, a second substrate and a liquid crystal layer, the first substrate and the second substrate are oppositely arranged, and the liquid crystal layer is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate comprises a first substrate, and a lens layer and a first alignment layer which are stacked in sequence; the lens layer comprises a plurality of micro lenses which are made of a resin material and are formed by adopting a hot reflux process; the first alignment layer comprises a plurality of first alignment grooves which are regularly arranged, and liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are regularly arranged according to the first alignment grooves and form an initial inclination angle with the first substrate. According to the embodiment provided by the invention, the resin material lens is formed by using the hot reflux process, and the alignment layer which covers the lens and is provided with the same alignment groove is formed by performing inclined evaporation on the inorganic material, so that the alignment capability and the display effect of the display module are effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of display technologies, and particularly to a display module, a display device, and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of display technologies, both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) displays have made great progress. In the solutions of currently proposed two-dimensional / three-dimensional switchable autostereoscopic 3D display products, such as the liquid crystal resin lens solution, there are problems such as alignment material accumulation, alignment limitation, and poor alignment ability.

[0003] How to improve the alignment ability of two-dimensional / three-dimensional switchable autostereoscopic 3D display products has become a technical problem that needs to be urgently solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve at least one of the above problems, a first embodiment of the present invention provides a display module, including a display panel for displaying a two-dimensional image, and a switching component disposed on the light-emitting side of the display panel, where

[0005] The switching component includes a first substrate, a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first substrate includes a first substrate, and a lens layer and a first alignment layer sequentially stacked on the first substrate;

[0006] The lens layer includes a plurality of microlenses made of a resin material formed by a thermal reflow process;

[0007] The first alignment layer includes a plurality of regularly arranged first alignment grooves, and the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are regularly arranged according to the first alignment grooves and form an initial inclination angle with the first substrate;

[0008] When the liquid crystal molecules respond to an applied electric field and are in the initial inclination angle, the refractive index of the switching component is less than or equal to a preset refractive threshold, and the light emitted from the display panel is directly emitted through the switching component, and the display module presents a two-dimensional image;

[0009] When the liquid crystal molecules respond to an applied electric field and are deflected, the refractive index of the switching component is greater than the refractive threshold, and the light emitted from the display panel is refracted and emitted through the switching component, and the display module presents a three-dimensional image.

[0010] For example, in the display module provided in some embodiments of the present application, the second substrate includes a second substrate, and a second alignment layer disposed on the second substrate,

[0011] The liquid crystal molecules maintain the initial inclination angle with the first substrate without an applied electric field in response to the surface anchoring effects of the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer.

[0012] For example, in the display module provided in some embodiments of the present application, the first alignment groove includes a first inclined surface facing the same direction and a first side surface forming a certain angle with the first inclined surface;

[0013] The second alignment layer includes a plurality of regularly arranged second alignment grooves, and the second alignment groove includes a second inclined surface facing the same direction and a second side surface forming a certain angle with the second inclined surface;

[0014] The second inclined surface is parallel to the first inclined surface, and the second side surface is parallel to the first side surface.

[0015] For example, in the display module provided in some embodiments of the present application, the alignment material of the first alignment layer is an inorganic material, the first substrate includes a first electrode disposed between the first substrate and the lens layer, and the second substrate includes a second substrate and a second electrode disposed on the second substrate;

[0016] One of the first electrode and the second electrode is a common electrode, and the other of the first electrode and the second electrode is a pixel electrode disposed at intervals, and the liquid crystal molecules are deflected in response to the electric field formed by the first electrode and the second electrode.

[0017] For example, in the display module provided in some embodiments of the present application, the alignment material of the first alignment layer is a metal material, and the second substrate includes a second substrate and a third electrode disposed on the second substrate;

[0018] The first alignment layer is multiplexed as a common electrode, the third electrode is a pixel electrode disposed at intervals, and the liquid crystal molecules are deflected in response to the electric field formed by the first alignment layer and the third electrode.

[0019] For example, in the display module provided in some embodiments of the present application, the metal material is one of Au, Pt, and Cu.

[0020] For example, in the display module provided in some embodiments of the present application, the first alignment layer is formed by obliquely evaporating the alignment material using an evaporation device, and the sizes of the first alignment grooves are the same.

[0021] For example, in the display module provided in some embodiments of the present application, the thickness of the first alignment layer is greater than or equal to 10 nm and less than or equal to 100 nm.

[0022] For example, in the display module provided by some embodiments of the present application, the initial inclination angle is greater than or equal to 20° and less than or equal to 30°.

[0023] For example, in the display module provided by some embodiments of the present application, the display panel is an organic light-emitting display panel, a liquid crystal display panel, a micro light-emitting diode display panel, or a quantum dot display panel.

[0024] The second embodiment of the present invention provides a display device, including the display module of the first embodiment.

[0025] The third embodiment of the present invention provides a manufacturing method for manufacturing the display module of the first embodiment, including:

[0026] Form a lens layer of resin material on the first substrate through a thermal reflow process, and the lens layer includes a plurality of microlenses;

[0027] Form a first alignment layer covering the lens layer to obtain a first substrate, and the first alignment layer includes a plurality of first alignment grooves arranged regularly;

[0028] Form a second substrate, pair the first substrate and the second substrate, and inject liquid crystal molecules to form a switching component. The liquid crystal molecules are arranged regularly according to the first alignment grooves and form an initial inclination angle with the first substrate;

[0029] Form a display panel, and attach the switching component to the light-emitting side of the display panel.

[0030] For example, in the manufacturing method provided by some embodiments of the present application, the forming of the lens layer of resin material on the first substrate through a thermal reflow process further includes:

[0031] Coat a first resin material on the first substrate to form a first resin material layer;

[0032] Expose, develop, and bleach the first resin material layer to form a patterned first resin pattern layer;

[0033] Perform a thermal reflow process on the first resin pattern layer to form a lens layer including a plurality of microlenses.

[0034] For example, in the manufacturing method provided by some embodiments of the present application, the forming of the lens layer of resin material on the first substrate through a thermal reflow process further includes:

[0035] Coat a second resin material layer on the first substrate;

[0036] Coat a photoresist layer on the side of the second resin material layer away from the first substrate;

[0037] Expose and develop the photoresist layer to form a photoresist pattern layer;

[0038] Using the photoresist pattern layer as a mask, perform an etching process and a thermal reflow process on the second resin material layer to form a lens layer including a plurality of microlenses.

[0039] For example, in the manufacturing method provided in some embodiments of the present application, the forming of the first alignment layer covering the lens layer and obtaining the first substrate further includes:

[0040] Use an electron beam evaporation device to obliquely evaporate an inorganic material onto the lens layer to form a first alignment layer, and the first alignment layer includes a plurality of regularly arranged first alignment grooves.

[0041] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0042] In view of the existing problems, the present invention provides a display module, a display device, and a manufacturing method. By using a resin material lens formed by a thermal reflow process and an alignment layer formed by obliquely evaporating an inorganic material to cover the lens and having the same alignment grooves, on the one hand, the resin material formed by the thermal reflow process effectively simplifies the lens manufacturing process and breaks through the existing lens material manufacturing barriers. On the other hand, it simplifies the manufacturing process of the alignment layer, improves the alignment performance of liquid crystal molecules, and effectively improves the display effect of the display module, can make up for the problems existing in the prior art, and has a wide application prospect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the following drawings are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0044] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram showing a typical switching structure in the related art;

[0045] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram showing another typical switching structure in the related art;

[0046] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram showing the display module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 4 Show Figure 3 An enlarged schematic diagram of area A in;

[0048] Figures 5a - 5b Schematic diagrams showing two switching states of the switching component of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 6 Flow chart showing the manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figures 7a - 7d Schematic diagram showing the phased process of manufacturing a microlens according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figures 8a - 8e Schematic diagram showing the phased process of manufacturing a microlens according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 9 Schematic diagram showing the inclined evaporation used in manufacturing the first alignment layer according to the present invention;

[0053] Figure 10 Schematic diagram showing the structure of a display module according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 11 Schematic diagram showing the structure of a display module according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 12 Schematic diagram showing the structure of the alignment layer of a display module according to another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0056] To more clearly illustrate the present invention, the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. Similar components in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals. Those skilled in the art should understand that the content specifically described below is illustrative rather than restrictive, and should not be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention.

[0057] It should be noted that the terms "on...", "formed on...", and "disposed on..." as used herein may mean that one layer is directly formed or disposed on another layer, or may mean that one layer is indirectly formed or disposed on another layer, that is, there are other layers between the two layers. In this article, unless otherwise specified, the term "located on the same layer" means that two layers, components, members, elements, or parts can be formed by the same lithography process, and generally, these two layers, components, members, elements, or parts are formed of the same material. In this article, unless otherwise specified, the expression "lithography process" generally includes steps such as coating of photoresist, exposure, development, etching, and stripping of photoresist. The expression "one lithography process" means a process of forming a patterned layer, component, member, etc. using a single mask.

[0058] In the related art, two-dimensional / three-dimensional switchable autostereoscopic 3D display products use liquid crystal resin lenses to achieve the switching between two-dimensional display and three-dimensional display, such as Figure 1As shown, a typical structure includes a lower substrate 011, a first electrode 012, a lens and an alignment layer structure 013, an upper substrate 021, a second electrode 022, and a liquid crystal layer 030. Among them, the lens and the alignment layer structure are customized with special specific materials. Through soft film imprinting, separation, and then using the rubbing process, the lens function and the alignment function of liquid crystal molecules can be achieved. This material has technical barriers and the alignment performance needs to be improved; as Figure 2 As shown, another typical structure includes a lower substrate 041, a first electrode 042, a lens 043 and an alignment layer 044, an upper substrate 051, a second electrode 052, and a liquid crystal layer 060. Among them, the alignment layer 044 is formed by coating an alignment liquid on the lens in a coating (Coater) manner through an alignment film coating device and then using the rubbing process. There is a problem that the alignment liquid accumulates at the lens junction position, affecting the alignment performance.

[0059] In view of the above situation, as Figures 3 - 4 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a display module, including a display panel 40 for displaying a two-dimensional image, and a switching component disposed on the light-emitting side of the display panel, where

[0060] The switching component includes a first substrate 10, a second substrate 20 disposed opposite to the first substrate 10, and a liquid crystal layer 30 disposed between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 10. The first substrate 10 includes a first substrate 11, and a lens layer 13 and a first alignment layer 14 sequentially stacked on the first substrate 11;

[0061] The lens layer 13 includes a plurality of microlenses 131 made of a resin material formed by a thermal reflow process;

[0062] The first alignment layer 14 includes a plurality of first alignment grooves 141 arranged regularly. The liquid crystal molecules 31 of the liquid crystal layer 30 are arranged regularly according to the first alignment grooves 141 and form an initial inclination angle α with the first substrate 11;

[0063] When the liquid crystal molecules 31 respond to the applied electric field and are in the initial inclination angle α, the refractive index of the switching component is less than or equal to a preset refractive threshold, and the light emitted from the display panel is directly emitted through the switching component, and the display module presents a two-dimensional image;

[0064] When the liquid crystal molecules 31 deflect in response to the applied electric field, the refractive index of the switching component is greater than the refractive threshold, and the light emitted from the display panel is refracted and emitted through the switching component, and the display module presents a three-dimensional image.

[0065] In this embodiment, in view of the problems in the related art that the alignment layer manufacturing process is complex and the alignment performance needs to be improved, in this embodiment, the initial posture of liquid crystal molecules is determined by using a resin material lens formed by a thermal reflow process and a first alignment layer having a plurality of first alignment grooves formed on the resin material lens. Specifically, Figure 3 For the display module shown in this embodiment, Figure 4 is Figure 3 A partial enlarged view of A in. In the actual application process, it is ensured that the liquid crystal molecules 31 maintain the initial posture under the action of the applied electric field so that the refractive index of the switching component is approximately 0, that is, the switching component behaves like a transparent glass, and the outgoing light of the display panel directly passes through the switching component, and the display module behaves like a two-dimensional display device; or, by controlling the applied electric field, the liquid crystal molecules 31 are flipped under the action of the applied electric field so that the refractive index of the switching component meets a certain threshold, that is, the switching component behaves like a lens with a certain refractive index, and the outgoing light of the display panel is refracted through the lens, changing the outgoing angle, and the display module behaves like a three-dimensional display device; thus, the switchable two-dimensional / three-dimensional display effect of the display module is achieved by controlling the applied electric field. In this embodiment, the resin material lens formed by the thermal reflow process and the first alignment layer with a specific morphology, on the one hand, effectively simplifies the lens manufacturing process by the thermal reflow process and breaks through the existing lens material manufacturing barriers, on the other hand, simplifies the manufacturing process of the alignment layer, improves the alignment performance of liquid crystal molecules, and effectively improves the display effect of the display module.

[0066] Specifically, as Figure 5a shown, when the liquid crystal molecules maintain the initial posture under the action of the applied electric field, that is, the angle between the liquid crystal molecules and the first substrate is the initial inclination angle, the difference between the refractive index of the resin material lens and the refractive index of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer is 0 or approximately 0, and the switching component 2 behaves like a transparent glass, and the outgoing light L1 and L2 of the display panel 1 directly pass through the switching component, and the display module behaves like a two-dimensional display device, that is, the outgoing light L1 and L2 of the display panel 1 are directly emitted through the switching component at the original outgoing angle, that is, the outgoing light L1 and L2 of the display panel 1 are incident on the left eye and the right eye of the viewer at the same time, that is, the left eye and the right eye of the viewer receive the same outgoing light L1 and L2, and the display module realizes two-dimensional display. At the same time, as Figure 5bAs shown, when the liquid crystal molecules are deflected under the action of an applied electric field, that is, when the angle between the liquid crystal molecules and the first substrate is no longer the initial inclination angle, there is a certain difference between the refractive index of the resin material lens and the refractive index of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer. The switching component 2 behaves as a lens with a certain refractive index. The outgoing light of the display panel 1 passes through the lens (i.e., the switching component 2) and is refracted, changing the outgoing angle. The display module behaves as a three-dimensional display device, that is, the outgoing lights L1 and L2 of the display panel 1 are refracted by the switching component, changing the original outgoing light angles and exiting in the refracted directions. The spaced outgoing lights of the display panel 1 are respectively incident on the left and right eyes of the viewer. That is, by providing a switching component on the light-emitting side of the display panel 1, the incident light is refracted by the switching component, and the outgoing lights L1 and L2 with a certain viewing distance are formed from the outgoing light of the display panel 1. L1 is incident on the left eye of the viewer, and L2 is incident on the right eye of the viewer. The naked-eye three-dimensional display is realized by the viewer viewing the outgoing lights L1 and L2 with different viewing distances through the left and right eyes.

[0067] To further illustrate the specific implementation manners of the present application, taking the production of the display module of this embodiment as an example for illustration, as Figure 6 shown, it includes the following steps:

[0068] First step, forming a lens layer of resin material on the first substrate through a thermal reflow process, and the lens layer includes a plurality of microlenses.

[0069] In this embodiment, by adopting the thermal reflow process to form each microlens of the lens layer, the lens manufacturing process is effectively simplified, and the existing lens material manufacturing barriers are broken through.

[0070] In an optional embodiment, as Figures 7a - 7d shown, further including:

[0071] First, coating a first resin material on the first substrate to form a first resin material layer.

[0072] In this embodiment, as Figure 7a shown, the first resin material layer is a resin material with a relatively high refractive index, such as a resin material with a refractive index greater than or equal to 1.6. The first resin material is a kind of photoresist, such as phenolic resin. In this embodiment, the entire layer of the first resin material is coated on the first substrate 111 to form the first resin material layer 1132.

[0073] Second, performing exposure development and bleaching on the first resin material layer to form a patterned first resin pattern layer.

[0074] In this embodiment, as Figure 7b and 7cAs shown in the figure, a mask 50 is used to expose the first resin material layer 1132. The exposure pattern is rectangular. Then, the exposed first resin material layer is developed to form a specific pattern. To further improve the transmittance of the first resin material, a photo-bleaching process is performed on the developed resin material to form a first resin pattern layer with an interval rectangular shape 1133.

[0075] Third, a thermal reflow process is performed on the first resin pattern layer to form a lens layer including a plurality of microlenses.

[0076] In this embodiment, as Figure 7d shown, during the thermal reflow process, first, during the thermal reflow, the molecular motion energy increases and the fluidity increases, forming the contour of the microlens. The volume remains unchanged, the slope angle becomes smaller, and the arch height increases. Second, during the cooling process, the stress is released to the equilibrium state, forming a continuous microlens 113 morphology. The volume remains unchanged, and the slope angle tends to be stable. Each microlens 113 in this embodiment is a continuous microlens, and there is no interval between adjacent microlenses.

[0077] In this embodiment, a lithography process and a thermal reflow process are used to form continuous microlenses, which have the characteristics of simplified process and cost reduction compared with the spaced microlenses formed by a black matrix in the related art, effectively improving the transmittance and light extraction efficiency of the microlenses.

[0078] Considering that the bleaching process adopted in Solution 1 is prone to generate bubbles, which in turn affect the display effect. In an optional embodiment, as Figures 8a - 8d shown, forming a lens layer of resin material on the first substrate further includes:

[0079] First, a second resin material layer is coated on the first substrate.

[0080] In this embodiment, as Figure 8a shown, the second resin material layer is a resin material with a relatively high refractive index, such as a resin material with a refractive index greater than or equal to 1.6. The second resin material is a type of photoresist, such as acrylic resin. In this embodiment, a whole layer of the second resin material is coated on the second substrate 211 to form the second resin material layer 2132.

[0081] Second, a photoresist layer is coated on the side of the second resin material layer away from the first substrate.

[0082] In this embodiment, as Figure 8b shown, the photoresist of the photoresist layer is phenolic resin. A whole layer of photoresist is coated on the second resin material layer 2132 to form the photoresist layer 2140.

[0083] Third, the photoresist layer is exposed and developed to form a photoresist pattern layer.

[0084] In this embodiment, as Figure 8c shown, a photomask is used to expose the photoresist layer 2140, and the exposure pattern is rectangular. Then, the exposed photoresist is developed to form a photoresist rectangular pattern layer 2141 with an interval rectangular shape. As Figure 8d shown, a thermal reflow process is performed on the photoresist rectangular pattern layer to form a photoresist pattern layer 2142 including a plurality of microlens morphologies.

[0085] Fourth, using the photoresist pattern layer as a mask, an etching process and a thermal reflow process are performed on the second resin material layer to form a lens layer including a plurality of microlenses.

[0086] In this embodiment, taking Figure 8d the photoresist pattern layer 2142 formed as shown as a mask, an etching process such as dry etching is performed on the second resin material layer 2132, and then a thermal reflow process is performed to form a lens layer 2133 with a continuous microlens morphology. As Figure 8e shown, there is no interval between adjacent microlenses and no residual substances.

[0087] In this embodiment, using a lithography process and a thermal reflow process to form continuous microlenses has the characteristics of simplified process and reduced cost compared with the spaced microlenses formed by a black matrix in the related art, effectively improving the transmittance and light extraction efficiency of the microlenses. At the same time, the continuous microlenses formed by using a second resin material + photoresist in this embodiment for the lithography process and the thermal reflow process have better process adaptability, higher production stability, and do not require a bleaching process compared with the continuous microlenses directly formed by using the first resin material in the foregoing embodiment, further improving the display effect of the display module.

[0088] Second step, forming a first alignment layer covering the lens layer to obtain a first substrate, and the first alignment layer includes a plurality of first alignment grooves arranged regularly.

[0089] In this embodiment, an inorganic material is obliquely evaporated onto the lens layer using an electron beam evaporation device to form a first alignment layer, and the first alignment layer includes a plurality of first alignment grooves arranged regularly. Specifically, the first alignment layer uses an inorganic material. In this embodiment, an inorganic alignment process is adopted, and an inorganic material is obliquely evaporated onto the continuous microlenses formed in the above step using an electron beam evaporation device to form regularly arranged "grooves" and have an oblique orientation, without the need for a subsequent rubbing process. On the one hand, it can reduce the process steps and process complexity, and on the other hand, it can flexibly set and adjust the oblique angle according to requirements.

[0090] In an alternative embodiment, as Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the alignment material of the first alignment layer 14 is an inorganic material. The first substrate 10 includes a first electrode 12 disposed between the first substrate 11 and the lens layer 13, and the second substrate 20 includes a second substrate 21 and a second electrode 22 disposed on the second substrate 21.

[0091] One of the first electrode 12 and the second electrode 22 is a common electrode, and the other of the first electrode 12 and the second electrode 22 is a pixel electrode disposed at intervals. The liquid crystal molecules 31 are deflected in response to the electric field formed by the first electrode 12 and the second electrode 22.

[0092] In this embodiment, considering that the alignment material of the first alignment layer is an inorganic material, the formed inorganic alignment layer is realized by the "oblique evaporation method". As Figure 9 shown, inorganic materials such as metals (e.g., Au, Pt, Cu, etc.), oxides (e.g., silicon oxide), and fluorides are evaporated in a direction at a certain angle (e.g., θ angle) with respect to the normal of the surface to be evaporated. In this embodiment, it is necessary to adjust according to the morphology of the continuous microlens to form an obliquely arranged alignment film. Further, the thickness of the first alignment layer is greater than or equal to 10 nm and less than or equal to 100 nm, which can effectively control the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules and form the required initial inclination angle, so as to meet the optical performance and process stability of the switching component. That is, based on the first alignment layer formed by oblique evaporation, the liquid crystal molecules are obliquely aligned along the regularly arranged groove structure formed on the surface of the alignment film, thereby realizing a specific molecular arrangement, without the need to search for and develop high-refractive-index resin materials with alignment functions. That is, through oblique evaporation, the interaction between the groove structure of the corrugated surface formed on the surface of the microlens and the liquid crystal molecules is utilized to realize the initial posture of the liquid crystal molecules, that is, each liquid crystal molecule forms a certain inclination angle with the first substrate, for example, an initial inclination angle of α, and the initial inclination angle is greater than or equal to 20° and less than or equal to 30°. Through this initial inclination angle, it can be ensured that each liquid crystal molecule maintains the same inclined morphology in the initial state and flips with the same inclined morphology when responding to the applied electric field, effectively improving the flipping performance of the liquid crystal and thus improving the display effect of the display module.

[0093] Specifically, as Figure 4As shown, the first alignment layer is formed by obliquely evaporating an alignment material using an evaporation device, and the sizes of the first alignment grooves 141 are the same. Specifically, the lengths L, widths (not shown in the figure), and depths T of the alignment grooves of the first alignment layer are the same. The same lengths L, widths, and depths T determine that the coverage range or action distance of the alignment grooves in the specified direction is the same, the contact area and interaction degree with the liquid crystal molecules are the same, and the alignment effect and accommodation capacity presented are the same. The overall uniformity and alignment performance of the first alignment layer are good, thereby ensuring that the included angle between each liquid crystal molecule 31 and the first substrate is the initial inclination angle α, that is, ensuring that each liquid crystal molecule maintains the same initial posture. Further, the cross-sectional shapes of the first alignment grooves are also the same, such as Figure 4 The cross-sectional shapes shown are all triangles with the same size, and the angles between the inclined surfaces 142 and the side surfaces 143 are also the same.

[0094] In practical applications, when the electric field formed by the voltages applied to the first electrode 12 and the second electrode 22 causes the liquid crystal molecules to maintain the initial posture, that is, when the included angle between the liquid crystal molecules and the first substrate is the initial inclination angle, the switching component behaves as a transparent glass, and the outgoing light of the display panel 40 directly passes through the switching component, and the display module behaves as a two-dimensional display device, that is, the outgoing lights L1 and L2 of the display panel 1 directly pass through the switching component and are emitted at the original outgoing light angles. When the electric field formed by the voltages applied to the first electrode 12 and the second electrode 22 causes the liquid crystal molecules to deflect, that is, when the included angle between the liquid crystal molecules and the first substrate is no longer the initial inclination angle, there is a certain difference in the refractive index between the resin material lens and the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer. The switching component behaves as a lens with a certain refractive index, and the outgoing light of the display panel 40 is refracted by the switching component, changing the outgoing angle, and the display module behaves as a three-dimensional display device, that is, the outgoing light of the display panel 40 is refracted by the switching component, changing the original outgoing light angle and being emitted in the refracted direction.

[0095] To further reduce the thickness of the switching component and reduce the manufacturing cost, in an alternative embodiment, such as Figure 10 shown, the alignment material of the first alignment layer 14 is a metal material, and the second substrate 20 includes a second substrate 21 and a third electrode 22 disposed on the second substrate 21;

[0096] The first alignment layer 14 is reused as a common electrode, the third electrode 22 is pixel electrodes arranged at intervals, and the liquid crystal molecules are deflected in response to the electric field formed by the first alignment layer 14 and the third electrode 22.

[0097] In this embodiment, when the inorganic material of the first alignment layer 14 is a metal material, such as one of Au, Pt, and Cu, it is reused as the common electrode provided as a whole layer. Specifically, using metal materials such as Au, Pt, and Cu as raw materials, the first alignment layer covering the continuous microlenses is formed by oblique evaporation, and the metal alignment layer evaporated as a whole layer is used as the common electrode, omitting the electrode disposed between the lens layer and the first substrate in the foregoing embodiment, thereby reducing the thickness of the switching component, simplifying the manufacturing steps, and further reducing the overall manufacturing cost of the display module.

[0098] It should be noted that the specific implementation manner and the structure of the first alignment layer formed in this embodiment are similar to those in the foregoing embodiment, and will not be elaborated herein.

[0099] The third step is to form the second substrate.

[0100] In this embodiment, as Figure 3 shown, the second substrate 20 includes a second substrate 21 and a second electrode 22 disposed on the second substrate. The second substrate 20 is a substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate 10. At the same time, each liquid crystal molecule of the liquid crystal layer 30 maintains an initial posture or flips in response to the electric field formed by the first electrode 12 and the second electrode 22. The structure and morphology of the second electrode in this embodiment are not specifically limited. It is an electrode disposed opposite to the first electrode of the first substrate. If the first electrode is a common electrode, the second electrode is a pixel electrode disposed at intervals. If the first electrode is a pixel electrode disposed at intervals, the second electrode is a common electrode provided as a whole layer. Those skilled in the art should select a suitable setting according to actual application requirements to meet the design criterion that the electric field formed by the first electrode and the second electrode and capable of driving the liquid crystal molecules to move, and will not be elaborated herein.

[0101] Considering that only one alignment layer is used in the above embodiment, in an optional embodiment, as Figure 11 shown, the second substrate 20 includes a second substrate 21 and a second alignment layer 23 disposed on the second substrate 21. The liquid crystal molecules maintain the initial inclination angle with the first substrate when no electric field is applied in response to the surface anchoring effect of the first alignment layer 14 and the second alignment layer 23.

[0102] In this embodiment, the corresponding first alignment layer 14 and second alignment layer 23 are respectively disposed on the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 to act on the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer together, so as to more stably define the liquid crystal molecules to maintain the initial morphology in the initial state, that is, the liquid crystal molecules maintain the initial inclination angle with the first substrate, so that the performance of the switching component is more stable. Specifically, the second alignment layer 23 in this embodiment can be an alignment layer formed of polyimide as a whole layer, or an alignment layer with alignment grooves formed by the same process as the first alignment layer.

[0103] In an optional embodiment, to further improve the alignment performance of the display module, as Figure 12 shown, the first alignment groove 141 includes a first inclined surface 142 facing the same direction and a first side surface 143 forming a certain angle with the first inclined surface 142;

[0104] The second alignment layer 23 includes a plurality of regularly arranged second alignment grooves 231, and the second alignment grooves 231 include a second inclined surface 232 facing the same direction and a second side surface 233 forming a certain angle with the second inclined surface 232;

[0105] The second inclined surface 232 is parallel to the first inclined surface 142, and the second side surface 233 is parallel to the first side surface 143.

[0106] In this embodiment, the first alignment layer 14 and the second alignment layer 23 with corresponding grooves are respectively disposed on the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 to jointly act on the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer, further improving the initial morphology of the liquid crystal molecules in the initial state and further improving the stability of the switching component.

[0107] Fourth step, pair the first substrate and the second substrate, inject liquid crystal molecules to form a switching component, and the liquid crystal molecules are regularly arranged according to the first alignment groove and form an initial inclination angle with the first substrate.

[0108] In this embodiment, the formed first substrate and second substrate are paired, and liquid crystal molecules are injected. The liquid crystal molecules are regularly arranged in an initial state under the guidance of the first alignment groove, that is, an initial inclination angle is formed with the first substrate, and the initial inclination angle is greater than or equal to 20° and less than or equal to 30°. That is, the liquid crystal molecules are arranged in an initial state under the anchoring effect of the first alignment layer.

[0109] Furthermore, when the display module includes a first alignment layer disposed on the first substrate and a second alignment layer disposed on the second substrate, the liquid crystal molecules are more stably maintained in the initial state under the predetermination of the surface anchoring effect of the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer.

[0110] In this embodiment,

[0111] Fifth step, form a display panel, and attach the switching component to the light-emitting side of the display panel.

[0112] In this embodiment, the display panel is a two-dimensional display panel, such as an organic light-emitting display panel, a liquid crystal display panel, a micro light-emitting diode display panel, or a quantum dot display panel. This application does not specifically limit the display panel, and the basic criterion is to achieve the two-dimensional display function. The formed switching component is attached to the light-emitting side of the formed display panel, that is, the switching component is arranged on the light-emitting side of the display panel. By controlling the voltages applied to the common electrode and the pixel electrode in the switching component, the posture of the liquid crystal molecules is controlled, so as to form different refractive indexes. By controlling the refractive index difference between the liquid crystal molecules and the microlens, the switching component is in a flat glass state with a refractive index of 0 or approximately 0, and the incident light is directly emitted without changing its exit angle, or in a state with a refractive index greater than a preset threshold, and the incident light is refracted to change the exit angle of the incident light, so as to convert the two-dimensional display signal into a three-dimensional display signal, thereby realizing the switching between two-dimensional and three-dimensional displays of the display module.

[0113] So far, the production of the display module in this embodiment is completed. In the actual use process of the display module in this embodiment, when the electric field applied to the liquid crystal molecules is controlled so that the liquid crystal molecules are in the initial tilt angle, the refractive index of the switching component is less than or equal to the preset refraction threshold, and the light emitted from the display panel is directly emitted through the switching component, and the display module presents a two-dimensional image; when the electric field applied to the liquid crystal molecules is controlled so that the liquid crystal molecules are deflected, the refractive index of the switching component is greater than the refraction threshold, and the light emitted from the display panel is refracted and emitted through the switching component, and the display module presents a three-dimensional image.

[0114] The display module in this embodiment uses a resin material lens formed by a thermal reflow process and an alignment layer formed by inclined evaporation of an inorganic material to cover the lens and having the same alignment grooves. On the one hand, the resin material is formed by the thermal reflow process, which effectively simplifies the lens manufacturing process and breaks through the existing lens material manufacturing barriers. On the other hand, it simplifies the manufacturing process of the alignment layer, improves the alignment performance of liquid crystal molecules, and effectively improves the display effect of the display module.

[0115] Based on the display module described in the above embodiment, the present application further provides a display device, including the above display module.

[0116] The display device of this embodiment uses a resin material lens formed by a thermal reflow process and an alignment layer formed by inclined evaporation of an inorganic material to cover the lens and having the same alignment grooves, effectively simplifying the lens manufacturing process, breaking through the existing barriers in lens material manufacturing, while effectively simplifying the manufacturing process of the alignment layer, improving the alignment performance of liquid crystal molecules, and effectively improving the display effect of the display module. The display device includes the display panel of the above embodiment of the present invention. Among them, the display device can be any product or component with a display function such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, a television, a monitor, a notebook computer, a digital photo frame, a navigator, etc., and this embodiment does not make any limitations in this regard.

[0117] Based on the display module described in the above embodiment, the present application also provides a manufacturing method for manufacturing the above display module, as Figure 6 shown, including:

[0118] Form a lens layer of resin material on the first substrate by a thermal reflow process, and the lens layer includes a plurality of microlenses;

[0119] Form a first alignment layer covering the lens layer to obtain a first substrate, and the first alignment layer includes a plurality of regularly arranged first alignment grooves;

[0120] Form a second substrate, pair the first substrate and the second substrate, and inject liquid crystal molecules to form a switching component, and the liquid crystal molecules are regularly arranged according to the first alignment grooves and form an initial inclination angle with the first substrate;

[0121] Form a display panel, and attach the switching component to the light-emitting side of the display panel.

[0122] The display module of this embodiment uses a resin material lens formed by a thermal reflow process and an alignment layer formed by inclined evaporation of an inorganic material to cover the lens and having the same alignment grooves. On the one hand, forming a resin material by a thermal reflow process effectively simplifies the lens manufacturing process and breaks through the existing barriers in lens material manufacturing. On the other hand, it simplifies the manufacturing process of the alignment layer, improves the alignment performance of liquid crystal molecules, and effectively improves the display effect of the display module.

[0123] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly explaining the present invention, and are not limitations on the embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other different forms of changes or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is impossible to enumerate all the embodiments here. Any obvious changes or modifications derived from the technical solutions of the present invention are still within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A display module, characterized in that: The invention comprises a display panel for displaying a two-dimensional image, and a switching component arranged on the light-emitting side of the display panel, wherein The switching component comprises a first substrate, a second substrate arranged opposite to the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the first substrate comprises a first substrate, and a lens layer and a first alignment layer sequentially stacked on the first substrate; The lens layer includes a plurality of micro lenses made of a resin material formed by a thermal reflow process; The first alignment layer comprises a plurality of first alignment grooves arranged regularly, and the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are arranged regularly according to the first alignment grooves and form an initial tilt angle with the first substrate; When the liquid crystal molecules are at the initial tilt angle in response to the applied electric field, the refractive index of the switching component is less than or equal to a preset refractive threshold, the outgoing light of the display panel is directly emitted through the switching component, and the display module presents a two-dimensional image; When the liquid crystal molecules deflect in response to the applied electric field, the refractive index of the switching component is greater than the refraction threshold, the outgoing light of the display panel is refracted and emitted through the switching component, and the display module presents a three-dimensional image.

2. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second substrate includes a second substrate and a second alignment layer disposed on the second substrate. The liquid crystal molecules maintain the initial tilt angle with the first substrate in response to the surface anchoring effect of the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer when no electric field is applied.

3. The display module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first alignment groove comprises a first inclined surface facing the same direction, and a first side surface forming a certain angle with the first inclined surface; The second alignment layer comprises a plurality of regularly arranged second alignment grooves, wherein the second alignment grooves comprise second inclined surfaces facing the same direction and second side surfaces forming a certain angle with the second inclined surfaces; The second inclined surface is parallel to the first inclined surface, and the second side surface is parallel to the first side surface.

4. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The alignment material of the first alignment layer is an inorganic material, the first substrate includes a first electrode disposed between the first substrate and the lens layer, and the second substrate includes a second substrate and a second electrode disposed on the second substrate; One of the first electrode and the second electrode is a common electrode, and the other of the first electrode and the second electrode is a pixel electrode arranged at intervals, and the liquid crystal molecules are deflected in response to the electric field formed by the first electrode and the second electrode.

5. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The alignment material of the first alignment layer is a metal material, and the second substrate includes a second substrate and a third electrode arranged on the second substrate; The first alignment layer is reused as a common electrode, the third electrodes are pixel electrodes arranged at intervals, and the liquid crystal molecules are deflected in response to the electric field formed by the first alignment layer and the third electrodes.

6. The display module according to claim 5, characterized in that: The metal material is one of Au, Pt and Cu.

7. The display module according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The first alignment layer is formed by obliquely evaporating an alignment material using an evaporation device, and the sizes of the first alignment grooves are the same.

8. The display module according to claim 7, characterized in that: The thickness of the first alignment layer is greater than or equal to 10 nm and less than or equal to 100 nm.

9. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The initial inclination angle is greater than or equal to 20° and less than or equal to 30°.

10. A display device, characterized in that: Comprising a display module as described in any one of claims 1-9.

11. A method for manufacturing the display module according to claim 1, characterized in that: include: forming a lens layer of a resin material on a first substrate by a thermal reflow process, wherein the lens layer includes a plurality of micro lenses; forming a first alignment layer covering the lens layer and obtaining a first substrate, wherein the first alignment layer comprises a plurality of first alignment grooves arranged regularly; Forming a second substrate, aligning the first substrate and the second substrate, injecting liquid crystal molecules to form a switching component, wherein the liquid crystal molecules are regularly arranged according to the first alignment grooves and form an initial tilt angle with the first substrate; A display panel is formed, and the switching component is attached to the light emitting side of the display panel.

12. The manufacturing method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The forming of a lens layer of resin material on the first substrate by a thermal reflow process further comprises: coating a first resin material on the first substrate to form a first resin material layer; exposing, developing and bleaching the first resin material layer to form a patterned first resin pattern layer; The first resin pattern layer is subjected to a thermal reflow process to form a lens layer including a plurality of micro lenses.

13. The manufacturing method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The forming of a lens layer of resin material on the first substrate by a thermal reflow process further comprises: coating a second resin material layer on the first substrate; coating a photoresist layer on a side of the second resin material layer away from the first substrate; exposing and developing the photoresist layer to form a photoresist pattern layer; The photoresist pattern layer is used as a mask, and the second resin material layer is subjected to an etching process and a thermal reflow process to form a lens layer including a plurality of micro lenses.

14. The manufacturing method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The forming of a first alignment layer covering the lens layer and obtaining a first substrate further comprises: An inorganic material is obliquely evaporated onto the lens layer using an electron beam distillation device to form a first alignment layer, wherein the first alignment layer includes a plurality of regularly arranged first alignment grooves.

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