Display panel, preparation method thereof and display screen

Abstract

The invention relates to a display panel, a preparation method thereof and a display screen, the display panel comprises a flexible substrate, an organic film layer, an adjusting plating layer and a metal wire, the metal wire is located in the organic film layer, on one hand, the flexible substrate is of a single-layer structure, the bending radius can be reduced, and reduction of a lower frame is achieved; while the bending radius is reduced, the adjusting plating layer is introduced to the side, away from the flexible substrate, of the organic film layer, so that the metal wires are located at the position close to the bending neutral layer after the bending radius is reduced, and therefore the risk that the metal wires are broken or even invalid can be reduced on the basis that the lower frame of the display panel is reduced, and the display quality is improved. And the product yield of the display panel is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a display panel and its manufacturing method, and a display screen. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of display technology, displays have become one of the core components of various electronic devices. To improve user experience, high screen-to-body ratio design has become an important development direction in the display field. However, the existing structural design of displays still has many limitations. Therefore, how to optimize the structural design of displays to achieve a higher screen-to-body ratio has become a pressing technical problem to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a display panel and its manufacturing method, as well as a display screen, which can achieve a higher screen-to-body ratio.

[0004] The first aspect of this application provides a display panel, including:

[0005] A flexible substrate has a non-bending region and a bending region, wherein the bending region bends from the light-emitting side of the non-bending region to the backlight side of the non-bending region, and the flexible substrate has a single-layer structure.

[0006] An organic film layer is located on the flexible substrate, and metal traces are distributed within the organic film layer at positions corresponding to the bending area;

[0007] An adjustment coating is positioned on the side of the organic film layer away from the flexible substrate, and the orthographic projection of the adjustment coating on the flexible substrate covers the bending area;

[0008] The adjustment coating is configured such that the metal trace is close to the bend neutral layer of the display panel.

[0009] A second aspect of this application provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, comprising:

[0010] A single-layer flexible substrate is provided, the flexible substrate having a non-bending region and a bending region, the bending region bending from the light-emitting side of the non-bending region to the backlight side of the non-bending region;

[0011] An organic film layer is formed on the flexible substrate, and metal traces are distributed within the organic film layer at positions corresponding to the bending area;

[0012] An adjustment coating is formed on the side of the organic film layer away from the flexible substrate, and the orthographic projection of the adjustment coating on the flexible substrate covers the bending area;

[0013] The adjustment coating is configured such that the metal trace is close to the bend neutral layer of the display panel.

[0014] A third aspect of this application provides a display screen, comprising:

[0015] The display panel as described in any of the preceding items;

[0016] A polarizing structure is located in the non-bending area of ​​the display panel, and the polarizing side of the polarizing structure is located at the interface between the non-bending area and the bending area.

[0017] A cover plate is disposed on the side of the polarizing structure away from the display panel; and

[0018] A light-shielding structure is provided on the side of the cover plate facing the polarizing structure, and the orthogonal projection of the light-shielding structure on the polarizing structure covers a portion of the non-bending area and the bending area.

[0019] The aforementioned display panel, its manufacturing method, and display screen include a flexible substrate, an organic film layer, an adjustment coating, and metal traces. The metal traces are located within the organic film layer. On one hand, the flexible substrate has a single-layer structure, which can reduce the bending radius and achieve a reduction in the bottom bezel. While reducing the bending radius, this embodiment introduces an adjustment coating on the side of the organic film layer away from the flexible substrate. This ensures that the metal traces are positioned close to the bending neutral layer after the bending radius is reduced. Therefore, the display panel can reduce the risk of metal trace breakage or even failure while reducing the bottom bezel, thereby improving the product yield of the display panel. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 One of the structural block diagrams of a display screen according to an embodiment;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a second structural block diagram of a display screen according to one embodiment;

[0023] Figure 3 The third structural block diagram of a display screen according to one embodiment;

[0024] Figure 4 One of the structural block diagrams of a display panel according to an embodiment;

[0025] Figure 5 Fifth structural block diagram of a display panel according to one embodiment;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a second structural block diagram of a display panel according to one embodiment;

[0027] Figure 7 The third structural block diagram of a display panel according to one embodiment;

[0028] Figure 8 The fourth structural block diagram of a display panel according to one embodiment;

[0029] Figure 9 Fifth structural block diagram of a display panel according to one embodiment;

[0030] Figure 10 This is a sixth structural block diagram of a display panel according to one embodiment;

[0031] Figure 11 The seventh structural block diagram of a display panel according to one embodiment;

[0032] Figure 12 Eighth structural block diagram of a display panel according to one embodiment;

[0033] Figure 13 The ninth structural block diagram of a display panel according to one embodiment;

[0034] Figure 14 This is a structural block diagram of a display panel according to one embodiment;

[0035] Figure 15 This is a comparison diagram of strain curves between embodiments of this application and related technical embodiments;

[0036] Figure 16 One of the flowcharts illustrates a method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment;

[0037] Figure 17 This is a second flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a display panel according to one embodiment;

[0038] Figure 18 The fourth structural block diagram of a display screen according to one embodiment;

[0039] Figure 19 This is a structural block diagram of an electronic device in one embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0040] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0041] The display panel and display screen involved in the embodiments of this application can be applied to electronic devices with display functions. These electronic devices can be handheld devices, in-vehicle devices, smart cars, wearable devices, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, as well as various forms of user equipment (UE) (e.g., mobile phones), mobile stations (MS), etc. For ease of description, the devices mentioned above are collectively referred to as electronic devices.

[0042] With the rapid development of display technology, high frequency ratios have become a key development direction in the display field. For example... Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 The light-emitting area of ​​the central display area AA (Active Area) is S. AA The area of ​​the non-display area, such as the black border surrounding the display area, is S. 黑边 The screen-to-body ratio of a display screen is defined as: Screen-to-body ratio = S AA / S 黑边 *100%.

[0043] Related technologies, such as curved screens, foldable screens, waterfall screens, and wraparound screens, increase the screen-to-body ratio by changing the bonding shape of the screen. However, they cannot solve the problem of large black borders on the screen. Therefore, reducing the black borders is the key to improving the screen-to-body ratio.

[0044] by Figure 1 Taking the mobile phone display shown as an example, along Figure 1 Cut open B1~B2, as follows Figure 2 As shown, from the thickness direction of the display screen, the display screen includes a display panel 10 (Panle, PNL), a polarizing structure 20, a cover plate 30, and a light-shielding structure 40 arranged sequentially, wherein the periphery of the cover plate 30 overlaps with the middle plate 50 of the middle frame. The light-shielding structure 40 near the bottom bezel 60 constitutes the bottom black border of the entire device. The bottom black border of the entire device can be broken down into three parts: the bottom black border D = a + b + c, where a is the black border size of the light-shielding structure 40 covering the metal traces (which can also be understood as the bottom bezel size of the Panle), b is the size of the safety buffer area between the display screen and the middle frame, and c is the adhesive width between the display cover plate 30 and the middle frame. Reducing the bottom black border of the phone means finding a way to reduce the design values ​​of a, b, and c. Due to the waterproof requirements and protection strength requirements of mobile phones, it is difficult to further compress the values ​​of b and c of the display screen. Therefore, how to effectively reduce the bottom bezel size a of the display panel 10 is the key to reducing the bottom black border of the entire device.

[0045] like Figure 3As shown, the lower bezel a of the display panel 10 mainly consists of three parts: M is the distance from the display area AA to the polarizing structure 20, L is the adhesive leveling width of the protective adhesive layer, and R is the bending radius of the display screen (the MCL thickness is extremely thin and can be ignored). Through creative work, the inventors discovered that reducing M may cause abnormalities in the display screen's appearance, which is strongly related to the precision of existing bonding equipment and cannot be reduced in the short term. Similarly, reducing L is related to the flow performance of the protective adhesive layer and cannot be achieved in the short term. Therefore, the key to reducing the lower bezel lies in how to effectively reduce the bending radius R.

[0046] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a display panel 10, its manufacturing method, and a display screen, which can effectively reduce the bending radius R and the black border of the display screen, thereby increasing the screen-to-body ratio. The following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, provides further illustrative examples of the display panel 10, its manufacturing method, and the display screen provided in embodiments of this application:

[0047] Figure 4 This is a structural block diagram of a display panel 10 according to one embodiment, with reference to... Figure 4 ( Figure 4 For along Figure 3 (The cross-section shown by cutting A1~A2) In this embodiment, the display panel 10 includes: a flexible substrate 110, an organic film layer 120, an adjustment coating 130, and metal traces 140.

[0048] The flexible substrate 110 has a non-bending area and a bending area. The bending area bends from the light-emitting side of the non-bending area to the backlight side of the non-bending area. The flexible substrate 110 has a single-layer structure. An organic film layer 120 is located on the flexible substrate 110. Metal traces 140 are distributed in the organic film layer 120 at positions corresponding to the bending area. An adjustment coating 130 is located on the side of the organic film layer 120 away from the flexible substrate 110. The orthographic projection of the adjustment coating 130 on the flexible substrate 110 covers the bending area.

[0049] The non-bending area of ​​the flexible substrate 110 may include a display area, and may also include a transition area between the display area and the bending area (see reference). Figure 3The transition region is the area between the display area and the side polarizing surface of the polarizing structure. The size of this region is M (as mentioned in the above embodiments). The display area can be used to house light-emitting devices, such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), to provide light emission. The non-bending area can also house driving circuits, such as thin-film transistors (TFTs), to drive the light-emitting devices to emit light. It can also house encapsulation structures, such as thin-film TFE. It is understood that the flexible substrate also has a bonding area. After the bending area is bent, the bonding area is located on the backlight side of the non-bending area. The bonding area is used to house driving integrated circuit chips (ICs) and / or flexible printed circuits (FPCs). The ICs and FPCs are used to provide signals to OLEDs, TFTs, etc. Exemplarily, the material of the flexible substrate 110 can be any suitable flexible material. For example, the material of the flexible substrate 110 can include polyimide (PI).

[0050] The organic film layer 120 can be understood as covering the metal trace 140 to isolate the metal trace 140 from adjacent metal traces 140, other functional layers, and the external environment, preventing signal interference, physical and chemical damage to the metal trace 140 caused by adjacent metal traces 140, other functional layers, or the external environment. Simultaneously, the organic film layer 120 is mainly composed of organic materials, which helps improve the flexibility of the metal trace 140 to adapt to the bending shape of the display panel 10. For example, the material of the organic film layer 120 may include polyimide, epoxy resin, acrylic resin, etc., which will not be listed here. The metal trace 140 is correspondingly disposed on the bending area and connected between the non-bending area and the bonding area to transmit signals provided by ICs, FPCs, etc., disposed on the bonding area to the OLED and TFT of the display area. It can be understood that the metal trace 140 in the bending area can be understood as part of the signal transmission line, or as a lead of the signal transmission line in the non-bending area, used to connect the signal transmission line and the IC.

[0051] Taking the metal trace 140 in the bending region as an example, the metal trace 140 may include a lead connected to any one of the data trace, power trace, and gate drive trace in the non-bending region. For example, the metal trace 140 is a lead connected to a data trace located in the non-bending region for transmitting data signals to the data trace; for example, the metal trace 140 is a lead connected to a power trace located in the non-bending region for transmitting voltage signals to the power trace; for example, the metal trace 140 is a lead connected to a gate drive trace located in the non-bending region for transmitting drive signals to the gate drive trace.

[0052] In this embodiment, the bending area of ​​the flexible substrate 110 bends from the light-emitting side of the non-bending area to the backlight side of the non-bending area. The organic film layer 120, the adjustment coating layer 130, and the metal trace 140 located on the bending area of ​​the flexible substrate 110 bend synchronously with the bending area. The flexible substrate 110, the organic film layer 120, the adjustment coating layer 130, and the metal trace 140 form an arc-shaped bending portion with a bending radius R.

[0053] In related technologies, the flexible substrate 110 is typically a multi-layer structure, generally including two organic substrate layers and an inorganic substrate layer located between the two organic substrate layers. The overall thickness of the flexible substrate 110 is relatively large. When the bending area of ​​the flexible substrate 110 is bent, the bending radius is large, and the arc-shaped bending part is close to the standard semi-circular shape. However, the flexible substrate 110 in this embodiment is a single-layer structure. Compared with the multi-layer flexible substrate 110 in related technologies, its thickness has been reduced, which can improve the flexibility of the bending area of ​​the display panel 10 when bent, and at the same time reduce the bending radius R, which can achieve the reduction of the bottom bezel.

[0054] The inventors made a creative discovery that when the bending area is bent, the organic film layer 120 has bending stress, which causes the metal traces 140 in the bending area to have tensile stress. After the flexible substrate 110 is thinned, the tensile stress may be even greater. If the stress is too great, it will cause microcracks or direct breakage of the metal traces 140, affecting the display function and service life.

[0055] In this embodiment, based on the thinning of the flexible substrate 110, an adjustment coating 130 is further provided. The adjustment coating 130 is located on the side of the organic film layer 120 away from the flexible substrate 110, and its orthogonal projection on the flexible substrate 110 covers the bending area. The adjustment coating 130 can be configured such that the metal trace 140 is close to the bending neutral layer position of the display panel 10. Exemplarily, the material of the adjustment coating 130 includes a polyimide-based organic material; the polyimide-based organic material is selected from at least one of aromatic polyimide, fluorinated aromatic polyimide, or biphenyl polyimide.

[0056] It is understandable that when the bending zone is in a bent state, the outer layer of the bending neutral layer (the side away from the center point of the arc) is under tension, generating tensile stress, and the closer to the outer side, the greater the tensile stress; the inner layer of the bending neutral layer (the side closer to the center point of the arc) is under compression, generating compressive stress, and the closer to the inner side, the greater the compressive stress. The tensile and compressive stresses at the bending neutral layer cancel each other out, and the bending stress is close to or equal to 0, with no tension or compression. The adjustment coating 130 can be configured with appropriate parameters such as elastic modulus and thickness to adjust the stress position of the metal trace 140 during the bending process. When the metal trace 140 is closer to the bending neutral layer due to the adjustment coating 130, the bending stress is smaller, and the less likely cracks or direct breakage will occur.

[0057] The display panel 10 provided in this embodiment includes a flexible substrate 110, an organic film layer 120, an adjustment coating 130, and metal traces 140. The metal traces 140 are located in the organic film layer 120. On the one hand, the flexible substrate 110 is a single-layer structure, which can reduce the bending radius and achieve a reduction in the bottom bezel. While reducing the bending radius, this embodiment introduces the adjustment coating 130 on the side of the organic film layer 120 away from the flexible substrate 110, so that the metal traces 140 are located close to the bending neutral layer after the bending radius is reduced. Thus, the display panel 10 can reduce the risk of breakage or even failure of the metal traces 140 while reducing the bottom bezel, thereby improving the product yield of the display panel 10.

[0058] In one embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, the metal trace 140 is located at the bending neutral layer of the display panel 10. By setting and adjusting the coating 130 to a suitable thickness and elastic modulus, the metal trace 140 can be positioned precisely at the bending neutral layer of the display panel 10, even with the thinning of the flexible substrate 110. Consequently, the stress at the location of the metal trace 140 is close to or equal to zero, which avoids the risk of breakage or even failure of the metal trace 140, improves the product yield of the display panel 10, and ensures the reliability of the display panel 10 during subsequent use.

[0059] In one embodiment; such as Figure 6 As shown, the display panel also includes a protective adhesive layer 150 located on the side of the adjustment coating 130 away from the flexible substrate 110.

[0060] The protective adhesive layer 150 can be understood as a protective layer that covers and protects the adjustment plating layer 130, organic film layer 120, metal trace 140, and adjustment plating layer 130 located in the bending area, thereby preventing breakage when the bending area of ​​the display panel 10 is bent. For example, the protective adhesive layer 150 can be a UV protective adhesive, such as a metal cover layer (MCL).

[0061] In one embodiment, the display panel further includes a protective adhesive layer 150, wherein the elastic modulus of the plating layer 130 is greater than the elastic modulus of the protective adhesive layer 150.

[0062] It is understandable that, without the adjustment coating 130, the elastic modulus of the flexible substrate 110 is usually greater than that of the protective adhesive layer 150. The bending neutral layer is located closer to the thinner flexible substrate 110, and the metal trace 140 is offset from the bending neutral layer. When bent, the tensile stress is large, and there is a risk that the metal trace 140 may break or even fail.

[0063] In this embodiment, by setting an adjustment coating 130, and the elastic modulus of the adjustment coating 130 being greater than that of the protective adhesive layer 150, the elastic modulus of the organic film layer 120 on the side away from the flexible substrate 110 is increased. This causes the bending neutral layer to move from the direction close to the flexible substrate 110 toward the direction close to the metal trace 140, thereby bringing the metal trace 140 closer to the bending neutral layer or even to the location of the bending neutral layer, reducing the risk of the metal trace 140 breaking or even failing.

[0064] In one embodiment, the elastic modulus of the coating 130 is adjusted to be greater than or equal to 1 GPa.

[0065] The elastic modulus of the protective adhesive layer 150 can be on the order of MPa, while the elastic modulus of the adjusting plating layer 130 is on the order of GPa. The elastic modulus of the adjusting plating layer 130 is significantly greater than that of the protective adhesive layer 150. For example, the elastic modulus of the protective adhesive layer 150 can be 250 MPa - 300 MPa, and the elastic modulus of the adjusting plating layer 130 is greater than or equal to 1 GPa. This ensures that the adjusting plating layer 130 has a high elastic modulus, allowing the metal trace 140 to be positioned close to the bending neutral layer.

[0066] In one embodiment, the surface of the flexible substrate 110 away from the metal trace 140 in the bending region is provided with a plurality of grooves. The plurality of grooves are arranged along the bending direction of the bending region and penetrate at least a portion of the flexible substrate 110 in the direction away from the surface.

[0067] By providing multiple grooves on the surface of the flexible substrate 110 away from the metal trace 140 in the bending region, on the one hand, it helps to reduce and disperse the surface stress of the flexible substrate 110 during bending, improve the bending resistance of the flexible substrate 110, and extend the service life of the display panel 10. Furthermore, the grooves offer high surface stress relief efficiency, are simple to manufacture, and have low processing costs. On the other hand, the arrangement of multiple grooves along the bending direction of the bending region can be understood as reducing the thickness of most areas of the bending region of the flexible substrate 110. This reduces the overall elastic modulus of the bending region of the flexible substrate 110, causing the bending neutral layer to shift towards the direction of the metal trace 140, further bringing the metal trace 140 closer to the bending neutral layer and reducing the risk of cracks or even breakage of the metal trace 140. It can be understood that by adjusting parameters such as the size, depth, and density of the grooves, the bending neutral layer can be precisely adjusted to the location of the metal trace 140, thereby avoiding the risk of cracks or even breakage of the metal trace 140.

[0068] For example, such as Figure 7 As shown ( Figure 7 Taking a display panel including a protective adhesive layer 150 as an example, multiple grooves (A01 in the figure) can penetrate only a portion of the flexible substrate 110 in a direction away from the surface of the flexible substrate 110. Therefore, when the flexible substrate 110 is bent, the stress on the surface is dispersed by the multiple grooves, reducing stress. For example, as shown... Figure 8 As shown ( Figure 8 Taking the display panel including the protective adhesive layer 150 as an example, multiple grooves (A02 in the figure) can completely penetrate the flexible substrate 110 in a direction away from the surface of the flexible substrate 110 to expose the organic film layer 120. Thus, when the flexible substrate 110 is bent, the stress on the surface is completely cut off by the multiple grooves, the stress on the flexible substrate 110 is completely dispersed, and the stress on the organic film layer 120 can be further relieved.

[0069] For example, multiple grooves are arranged in an array to form a perforated structure and / or a slotted structure. The array of grooves forms a grid-like regular shape, which can increase the overall flexibility of the bending area.

[0070] like Figure 9 , Figure 10 As shown, a perforated structure with multiple grooves arranged in an array, the shape of each groove including but not limited to circles, squares, polygons, etc., through the grooves of the perforated structure, the flexible substrate 110 can have more discrete local fractures, thereby dispersing the stress of the flexible substrate 110 when bending in more discrete local areas.

[0071] like Figure 11As shown, the slit structure has multiple grooves arranged in an array. The shape of each groove includes, but is not limited to, straight strip slits, curved strip slits, and zigzag strip slits. The slot extension size of the slit structure is larger than that of the hole structure, and the continuity is stronger, thereby resisting stress transmission over a longer distance on the flexible substrate 110.

[0072] In one embodiment, such as Figure 12 As shown, the flexible substrate 110 has multiple holes inside the bending area (A03 in the figure), and the multiple holes are arranged along the bending direction of the bending area.

[0073] By setting multiple holes inside the bending area of ​​the flexible substrate 110, on the one hand, it helps to directly reduce and disperse the internal stress of the flexible substrate 110 during bending, and indirectly changes the stress transmission on the surface of the flexible substrate 110, thereby improving the bending resistance of the flexible substrate 110 and extending the service life of the display panel 10. On the other hand, the multiple grooves are arranged along the bending direction of the bending area, which can be understood as reducing the thickness of most areas of the bending area of ​​the flexible substrate 110. This reduces the overall elastic modulus of the bending area of ​​the flexible substrate 110, causing the position of the bending neutral layer to shift towards the direction of the metal trace 140, further bringing the metal trace 140 closer to the bending neutral layer and reducing the risk of cracks or even breakage of the metal trace 140. It can be understood that by adjusting parameters such as the size, depth, and density of the internal holes, the bending neutral layer can be precisely adjusted to the position of the metal trace 140, thereby avoiding the risk of cracks or even breakage of the metal trace 140.

[0074] For example, the flexible substrate 110 is a flexible cross-linked polyimide aerogel film. The flexible cross-linked polyimide aerogel film has a nanoporous structure inside. Through the internal nanoporous structure, the stress transmission path inside the flexible substrate 110 can be partially interrupted, and the flexibility of the flexible substrate 110 can be enhanced, effectively releasing the bending stress in the bending area of ​​the flexible substrate 110. On the other hand, the nanoporous structure can also reduce the overall elastic modulus of the bending area of ​​the flexible substrate 110, so that the position of the bending neutral layer is biased towards the direction of the metal trace 140.

[0075] In one embodiment, the thickness of the flexible substrate 110 is 5 μm to 8 μm. For example, the thickness of the flexible substrate 110 is 5 μm, 5.5 μm, 6 μm, 6.5 μm, 7 μm, 7.5 μm, 8 μm, or any other value within the range of 5 μm to 8 μm, which will not be listed here.

[0076] In related technologies, the flexible substrate 110 typically has a multi-layer structure. Taking a flexible substrate 110 comprising two organic layers and one inorganic layer as an example, the total thickness of the organic layer is typically 11μm to 18μm, and the thickness of the inorganic layer can be 1μm to 5μm. Therefore, the thickness of the flexible substrate 110 in related technologies is typically 12μm to 23μm. In this embodiment, the thickness of the flexible substrate 110 is reduced to 5μm to 8μm, equivalent to a reduction of 7μm to 15μm. This significantly reduces the radius of the bending area, effectively reduces the size of the bottom bezel, and effectively increases the screen-to-body ratio.

[0077] In one embodiment, the thickness of the coating 130 is adjusted to be less than or equal to 5 μm. For example, the thickness of the coating 130 is adjusted to be 2 μm, 2.5 μm, 3 μm, 3.5 μm, 4 μm, 4.5 μm, 5 μm, or any other value within the range of less than or equal to 5 μm.

[0078] On the one hand, the thickness of the adjustment coating 130 is less than or equal to 5 μm, which is relatively small compared to the reduced thickness of the flexible substrate 110. Therefore, although the adjustment coating 130 is introduced, the overall thickness of the bending area is still less than that of the bending area in related technologies, thus ensuring a reduction in the bending radius. At the same time, the thickness of the adjustment coating 130 is less than or equal to 5 μm, which can provide sufficient rigidity with minimal thickness, so that the metal trace 140 is located exactly at the bending neutral layer. If the thickness of the adjustment coating 130 is too large, the metal trace 140 may deviate from the bending neutral layer.

[0079] It is understood that in other embodiments, the appropriate size of the coating 130 can be set by combining the elastic modulus of the coating 130 with the adjustment of the elastic modulus of the coating 130. No further limitations are made here, so that the metal trace 140 is located at the bending neutral layer position under a certain elastic modulus and a certain thickness parameter.

[0080] The above embodiments are further explained and illustrated below using related technologies and some specific optional embodiments of this application:

[0081] In related technical embodiments, such as Figure 13 The flexible substrate 110' has a three-layer structure (for ease of comparison, except that the structure of the flexible substrate 110' differs from that of the embodiment in this application and does not have an adjustment plating layer 130, everything else is the same as in this embodiment; this is just an example), with an overall thickness of 23 μm. The metal trace 140 is located in the region of high tensile stress above the bending neutral layer. In the stress coordinate axis, line 0 is the stress boundary line. The structural layers above 0' of line 0 generate tensile stress, and the further away from 0', the greater the tensile stress; the structural layers below 0' of line 0 generate compressive stress, and the further away from 0', the greater the compressive stress; the plane where 0' is located is the bending neutral layer.

[0082] In this embodiment, as Figure 14 As shown, the flexible substrate 110 has a thickness of 5 μm, the adjustment coating 130 has a thickness of 5 μm, and the elastic modulus of the adjustment coating 130 is 1 GPa. The metal trace 140 is located at the bending neutral layer, where tensile and compressive stresses cancel each other out. Figure 15 As shown, by combining the aforementioned single-layer flexible substrate 110 and the adjusting coating 130, the bending stress of the metal trace 140 can be effectively adjusted, thereby reducing the bending radius of the display screen. The bending radius is expected to be reduced from 0.3mm to 0.1~0.15mm. This effectively reduces the bending radius of the display screen in the black border direction while ensuring display function and reliability, thus effectively reducing the bottom bezel.

[0083] Based on the same concept, this application also provides a method for manufacturing a display panel. The solution provided by this method is similar to the solution described in the above-described display panel. Therefore, the specific limitations of one or more display panel manufacturing method embodiments provided below can be found in the above-described limitations of the display panel, and will not be repeated here.

[0084] In one embodiment, such as Figure 16 As shown, a method for manufacturing a display panel is provided, including steps 162, 164, and 166.

[0085] Step 162: Provide a single-layer flexible substrate. The flexible substrate has a non-bending region and a bending region. The bending region bends from the light-emitting side of the non-bending region to the backlight side of the non-bending region.

[0086] Step 164: An organic film layer is formed on the flexible substrate, and metal traces are distributed within the organic film layer at positions corresponding to the bending area. For example, the organic film layer may include two layers. A bottom organic film layer may be formed on the flexible substrate first, and metal traces may be formed on the side of the bottom organic film layer away from the flexible substrate. Then, a top organic film layer may be formed on the bottom organic film layer and the side of the metal traces away from the flexible substrate, such that the top organic film layer completely covers the bottom organic film layer and the metal traces.

[0087] Step 166: An adjustment coating is formed on the side of the organic film layer away from the flexible substrate, and the orthographic projection of the adjustment coating on the flexible substrate covers the bending area.

[0088] In this embodiment, the adjustment coating is configured to bring the metal traces close to the bending neutral layer of the display panel. The flexible substrate, organic film layer, adjustment coating, protective adhesive layer, and metal traces in this embodiment can all be referred to in the relevant descriptions of the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here. The formation process of each layer can employ existing processes, and this embodiment does not further limit it.

[0089] The display panel fabrication method provided in this embodiment involves forming a flexible substrate, an organic film layer, an adjustment coating, and metal traces. The metal traces are located within the organic film layer. On one hand, the flexible substrate has a single-layer structure, which reduces the bending radius and achieves a reduction in the bottom bezel. Simultaneously, this embodiment forms an adjustment coating on the side of the organic film layer away from the flexible substrate, causing the metal traces to be closer to the bending neutral layer after the bending radius is reduced. Therefore, the display panel can reduce the risk of metal trace breakage or even failure while reducing the bottom bezel, thereby improving the product yield of the display panel.

[0090] In one embodiment, such as Figure 17 As shown, the method for preparing the display panel includes steps 172, 174, 177 and 178.

[0091] Step 172: Provide a single-layer flexible substrate. The flexible substrate has a non-bending region and a bending region. The bending region bends from the light-emitting side of the non-bending region to the backlight side of the non-bending region.

[0092] Step 174: An organic film layer is formed on the flexible substrate, and metal traces are distributed in the organic film layer at positions corresponding to the bending area.

[0093] Step 176: An adjustment coating is formed on the side of the organic film layer away from the flexible substrate, and the orthographic projection of the adjustment coating on the flexible substrate covers the bending area.

[0094] Step 178: A protective adhesive layer is formed on the side of the adjusted coating away from the flexible substrate.

[0095] The display panel manufacturing method provided in this embodiment involves forming a flexible substrate, an organic film layer, an adjustment coating, a protective adhesive layer, and metal traces. The metal traces are located within the organic film layer. On one hand, the flexible substrate has a single-layer structure, which reduces the bending radius and achieves a reduction in the bottom bezel. Simultaneously, by forming an adjustment coating between the protective adhesive layer and the organic film layer, this embodiment ensures that the metal traces are positioned closer to the bending neutral layer after the bending radius is reduced. Therefore, the display panel can reduce the risk of metal trace breakage or even failure while reducing the bottom bezel, thereby improving the product yield of the display panel.

[0096] It should be understood that although the steps in each flowchart are shown sequentially according to the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless explicitly stated herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some steps in each diagram may include multiple steps or stages, which are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times. The execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the steps or stages in other steps.

[0097] This application also provides a display screen, including a display panel. The display panel can be described with reference to the relevant descriptions of any one or more of the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here. Based on the above display panel, the bending radius of the display screen in the black border direction can be effectively reduced while ensuring the functionality and reliability of the display screen, thereby effectively reducing the bottom bezel.

[0098] In one embodiment, please continue to refer to Figure 3 The display screen also includes a polarizing structure 20, a cover plate 30, and a light-shielding structure 40.

[0099] A polarizing structure 20 is located in the non-bending area of ​​the display panel 10, with its polarizing side located at the interface between the non-bending and bending areas. Exemplarily, the display panel 10 also includes a protective adhesive layer 150, with the polarizing side of the polarizing structure 20 adjacent to the protective side surface of the adhesive layer 150. Exemplarily, the polarizing structure 20 includes a polarizer, which allows light waves in a specific direction to pass through while blocking light in other directions, thereby forming polarized light. Taking an OLED display as an example, the polarizer can be used to prevent external natural light from entering the display panel 10 and being reflected, thereby improving the display effect. The polarizer can use any suitable structure and material as needed, without further limitations.

[0100] A cover plate 30 is disposed on the side of the polarizing structure 20 away from the display panel 10. The cover plate 30 enhances the strength of the display screen, resisting scratches, impacts, etc. The cover plate 30 also serves to isolate the display from the environment, such as preventing water, oxygen, dust, etc., from entering the interior of the display screen. The cover plate 30 may have high light transmittance to ensure display clarity. Exemplarily, the cover plate 30 may include a glass cover plate 30 (Cover Glass, CG).

[0101] The light-shielding structure 40 is located on the side of the cover plate 30 facing the polarizing structure 20. The orthogonal projection of the light-shielding structure 40 onto the polarizing structure 20 covers both the non-bending area and the bending area. It can be understood that, due to the reduced bending radius, the size of the light-shielding structure 40 used to block the bending area can be effectively reduced, thus effectively reducing the size of the black border of the display screen.

[0102] In one embodiment, such as Figure 18 As shown, the display screen also includes an optical adhesive layer 70, which is located between the cover plate 30 and the polarizing structure 20. The optical adhesive layer 70 can be used to bond the cover plate 30 and the polarizing structure 20 to improve the optical performance of the display screen, enhance mechanical stability, and optimize manufacturing processes and appearance. Exemplarily, the optical adhesive layer 70 can be aligned with the end of the polarizing structure 20 near the protective adhesive layer 150. Exemplarily, the material of the optical adhesive layer 70 can be, but is not limited to, optically clear adhesive (OCA) or optically clear resin (OCR).

[0103] In one embodiment, such as Figure 18 As shown, the display also includes a support layer 80 (BF, Back Film) and a buffer layer 90.

[0104] The support layer 80 is located on the side of the display panel 10 away from the polarizing structure 20. The support layer 80 is situated between the display panel 10 and the buffer layer 90. The support layer 80 is used to enhance the strength of the display panel 10. Optionally, the support layer 80 is aligned with the end of the polarizing structure 20. Through the support layer 80, the display panel 10 is stably supported, maintaining its structural stability, and protecting critical components during production, preventing operations such as film removal from affecting the yield and quality of the display panel 10.

[0105] The buffer layer 90 is located on the side of the support layer 80 away from the display panel 10. The buffer layer 90 prevents impact damage to the back of the display screen and also helps dissipate heat, preventing excessive temperature from affecting the performance and lifespan of the display panel 10. The buffer layer 90 may include a super cooling film (SCF) layer and a spacer. The materials of the buffer layer 90 include, but are not limited to, mesh adhesive, foam, graphite sheets, and copper foil. Through the buffer layer 90, the display screen can effectively dissipate the heat generated by the display panel 10 during operation, and also has shock absorption and electromagnetic shielding functions, improving the performance and lifespan of the display panel 10.

[0106] This application embodiment also provides an electronic device, including the display panel 10 or display screen of any of the above. Based on the display panel 10 or display screen, the electronic device can effectively increase the screen ratio of the display screen while ensuring display function and reliability, thereby improving the user experience.

[0107] like Figure 19 As shown, further, taking the aforementioned electronic device as mobile phone 11 as an example for explanation, specifically, as follows... Figure 19As shown, the mobile phone 11 may include a memory 21 (which optionally includes one or more computer-readable storage media), a processor 22, a peripheral device interface 23, a radio frequency system 24, and an input / output (I / O) subsystem 26. These components optionally communicate via one or more communication buses or signal lines 29. Those skilled in the art will understand that... Figure 19 The mobile phone 11 shown does not constitute a limitation on the mobile phone and may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements. Figure 19 The various components shown are implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both, including one or more signal processing and / or application-specific integrated circuits.

[0108] Memory 21 optionally includes high-speed random access memory, and also optionally includes non-volatile memory, such as one or more disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid-state memory devices. Exemplary examples include software components stored in memory 21 such as an operating system 211, a communication module (or instruction set) 212, a global positioning system (GPS) module (or instruction set) 213, etc.

[0109] Processor 22 and other control circuits can be used to control the operation of mobile phone 11. Processor 22 can be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processors, power management units, audio codec chips, application-specific integrated circuits, etc. Processor 22 can be configured to implement control algorithms for controlling the use of the antenna in mobile phone 11. Processor 22 can also issue control commands for controlling various switches in radio frequency system 24, etc.

[0110] I / O subsystem 26 couples input / output peripherals on mobile phone 11, such as a keypad and other input control devices, to peripheral interface 23. I / O subsystem 26 optionally includes a touchscreen, buttons, a tone generator, an accelerometer (motion sensor), an ambient light sensor and other sensors, LEDs and other status indicators, data ports, etc. For example, a user can control the operation of mobile phone 11 by supplying commands via I / O subsystem 26, and can use the output resources of I / O subsystem 26 to receive status information and other outputs from mobile phone 11. For example, a user can press button 261 to turn the phone on or off.

[0111] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0112] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized by, The display panel comprises: a flexible substrate having a non-bending region and a bending region, the bending region being bent from a light-out side of the non-bending region to a light-in side of the non-bending region, the flexible substrate being a single-layer structure; an organic film layer on the flexible substrate, the organic film layer having metal traces distributed in positions corresponding to the bending region; an adjustment plating layer on a side of the organic film layer away from the flexible substrate, a normal projection of the adjustment plating layer on the flexible substrate covering the bending region; wherein the adjustment plating layer is configured such that the metal traces are close to a bending neutral layer position of the display panel.

2. The display panel of claim 1, wherein, The metal traces are located at the bending neutral layer position of the display panel.

3. The display panel of claim 1, wherein, The display panel further comprises: a protective adhesive layer on a side of the adjustment plating layer away from the flexible substrate; wherein the elastic modulus of the adjustment plating layer is greater than the elastic modulus of the protective adhesive layer.

4. The display panel of claim 3, wherein, The elastic modulus of the adjustment plating layer is greater than or equal to 1 Gpa.

5. The display panel of claim 1, wherein, The surface of the bending region of the flexible substrate away from the metal traces is provided with a plurality of grooves, the plurality of grooves being arranged along the bending direction of the bending region and penetrating at least part of the flexible substrate away from the surface.

6. The display panel of claim 5, wherein, The plurality of grooves are arranged in an array of hole structures and / or slit structures.

7. The display panel of claim 1, wherein, The bending region of the flexible substrate is internally provided with a plurality of holes, the plurality of holes being arranged along the bending direction of the bending region.

8. The display panel of claim 7, wherein, The flexible substrate is a flexible cross-linked polyimide aerogel film, the flexible cross-linked polyimide aerogel film internally forming a nano-pore structure.

9. The display panel of any of claims 1-8, wherein, The thickness of the flexible substrate is 5-8 μm.

10. The display panel of any of claims 1-8, wherein, The thickness of the adjustment plating layer is less than or equal to 5 μm.

11. A method for manufacturing a display panel, characterized by, The display panel comprises: a flexible substrate having a non-bending region and a bending region, the bending region being bent from a light-out side of the non-bending region to a light-in side of the non-bending region, the flexible substrate being a single-layer structure; an organic film layer on the flexible substrate, the organic film layer having metal traces distributed in positions corresponding to the bending region; an adjustment plating layer on a side of the organic film layer away from the flexible substrate, a normal projection of the adjustment plating layer on the flexible substrate covering the bending region; wherein the adjustment plating layer is configured such that the metal traces are close to a bending neutral layer position of the display panel.

12. A display screen, characterized by The display panel comprises: the display panel of any one of claims 1-10; a polarizing structure on the non-bending region of the display panel, a polarizing side of the polarizing structure being located at the interface between the non-bending region and the bending region; a cover plate on a side of the polarizing structure away from the display panel; and a light-shielding structure on a side of the cover plate facing the polarizing structure, a normal projection of the light-shielding structure on the polarizing structure covering part of the non-bending region and the bending region. ​

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