Display panel, display device and preparation method
By placing the adapter cable under a flexible substrate in the OLED display panel and connecting the signal lines using the adapter hole, the problems of uneven film thickness and high production cost caused by metal masks are solved, achieving uniform coverage of the encapsulation layer and simplifying the production process.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-14
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, metal masks cause uneven film thickness and high production costs during OLED packaging. Furthermore, different product models require the design of specific mask openings, which affects the production preparation process and efficiency.
The adapter cable is placed under the first flexible substrate, and the signal line and the adapter cable are connected through the adapter hole in the first flexible substrate, thus eliminating the metal mask obstruction of the adapter cable area and achieving full coverage of the encapsulation layer.
It achieves uniform coverage of the encapsulation layer across the entire panel surface, improves the reliability of water and oxygen barrier, simplifies the production preparation process, and enhances the flexibility and efficiency of the production line.
Smart Images
Figure CN121865807A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application belongs to the field of display technology, specifically relating to a display panel, display device, and manufacturing method. Background Technology
[0002] Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), as organic electroluminescent devices, are extremely sensitive to water and oxygen, and are easily damaged by oxidation. Therefore, they must be protected by effective encapsulation methods. Summary of the Invention
[0003] This application provides a display panel, a display device, and a manufacturing method to address the impact of metal photomasks on the packaging performance of the display panel.
[0004] A first aspect of this application provides a display panel, the display panel including a display area and a non-display area located on at least one side of the display area, the display panel comprising: First flexible substrate; A connecting cable located on one side of the first flexible substrate, the connecting cable being located in the non-display area; Multiple sub-pixels and multiple signal lines are located on the side of the first flexible substrate opposite to the adapter cable; the multiple sub-pixels are located in the display area, and each sub-pixel includes: a pixel driving circuit and a light-emitting device, the pixel driving circuit is connected to the light-emitting device, and the signal lines are connected to the pixel driving circuit; The first flexible substrate includes an adapter hole that penetrates the first flexible substrate, one end of the adapter hole being connected to the signal line and the other end being connected to the adapter cable.
[0005] A second aspect of this application provides a display device, the display device comprising: the display panel described in the first aspect of this application.
[0006] A third aspect of this application provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, the method comprising: Prepare a first flexible substrate and fabricate a transfer line located on one side of the first flexible substrate, the transfer line being located in the non-display area; Multiple sub-pixels and multiple signal lines are fabricated on the side of the first flexible substrate opposite to the adapter line. The multiple sub-pixels are located in the display area. Each sub-pixel includes a pixel driving circuit and a light-emitting device. The pixel driving circuit is connected to the light-emitting device, and the signal lines are connected to the pixel driving circuit. The first flexible substrate includes an adapter hole that penetrates the first flexible substrate, one end of the adapter hole being connected to the signal line and the other end being connected to the adapter cable.
[0007] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: The display panel proposed in this application achieves full deposition without a mask by placing the adapter cable under the first flexible substrate. Specifically, this application utilizes the first flexible substrate to cover the adapter cable, and connects the signal line and the adapter cable through the adapter hole in the first flexible substrate. This allows the encapsulation layer to cover the entire first flexible substrate, eliminating the need to use a metal mask to block the conductivity of the area where the adapter cable is located. On the one hand, the encapsulation layer can be formed uniformly and without obstruction on the entire panel surface, completely eliminating the problem of uneven film thickness caused by the mask, thereby significantly improving the reliability of water and oxygen barrier. On the other hand, since it is no longer necessary to design specific mask openings for different product models, the technical solution proposed in this application has universality, greatly simplifying the production preparation process and improving the flexibility and efficiency of the production line.
[0008] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description
[0009] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or related technologies of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. It should be noted that the scale in the drawings is for illustration only and does not represent the actual scale.
[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the protected area of a metal mask proposed in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the film structure of an optoelectronic device proposed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the film structure of a display area proposed in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the location of an adapter cable proposed in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the location of another adapter cable proposed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second flexible substrate proposed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the steps of a display panel fabrication method proposed in an embodiment of this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of a display panel proposed in an embodiment of this application; Reference numerals: Display area A, Non-display area B, Isolation area B1, and Fan-out area B2; 1. First flexible substrate, 101. Adapter hole, 2. Adapter line, 3. Signal line, 4. Sub-pixel, 401. Pixel driving circuit, 402. Light-emitting device, 4021. Anode, 4022. Light-emitting functional layer, 4023. Cathode, 5. Encapsulation layer, 501. First inorganic encapsulation layer, 502. Second inorganic encapsulation layer, 503. Second flexible substrate, 6. Planarization layer, 7. Mask, 8. Glass substrate, 9. Isolation dam, 10. Pixel definition layer, 11. Detailed Implementation
[0011] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0012] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first" and "second" are generally of the same class, not limited in number; for example, the first object can be one or at least two. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.
[0013] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.
[0014] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0015] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions provided in this application, the main technical concepts involved in the embodiments of this application are briefly described below.
[0016] Because OLED devices are organic electroluminescent, their materials are highly susceptible to oxidation and failure, thus requiring specific protection methods. Currently, the industry standard involves depositing one or more inorganic thin films onto the light-emitting device using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment to isolate them from water and oxygen. Due to the nature of CVD, all objects within the device space are covered by the inorganic film, which lacks conductivity. Therefore, metal photomasks are needed to protect areas requiring external circuitry.
[0017] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the protected area of a metal photomask is shown, such as... Figure 1 As shown, signal line 3 and adapter line 2 are located on the same side of the first flexible substrate 1. During encapsulation, when depositing the encapsulation layer 5, a mask 8 is needed to protect the adapter line 2 located in the fan-out region to prevent the encapsulation layer 5 from depositing on the adapter line 2, which would affect its conductivity and prevent subsequent module assembly (MDL) processes. After the front-end process is completed, a laser is used to scan the glass substrate 9, ashing the first flexible substrate 1 adhered to the glass substrate 9. This yields the display panel. Then, in subsequent MDL processes, components such as the driver chip IC are soldered onto the adapter line using a soldering process.
[0018] However, the use of metal photomasks presents two problems: First, the photomask is made of metal, which can cause a "cathode sheath phenomenon" in the plasma environment of isochemical vapor deposition. This phenomenon can lead to the thinning of the inorganic film near the photomask, thereby reducing the packaging performance. Second, the metal photomask is made of Invar alloy, which is extremely expensive, and photomasks for different products cannot be used interchangeably, which greatly increases the production cost.
[0019] To address the aforementioned issues, this application proposes a display panel that achieves full deposition without a mask by placing the adapter cable under a first flexible substrate. Specifically, this application utilizes the first flexible substrate to cover the adapter cable, connecting the signal line and the adapter cable through adapter holes in the first flexible substrate. This allows the encapsulation layer to cover the entire first flexible substrate, eliminating the need for a metal mask to block the conductivity of the area where the adapter cable is located. On one hand, the encapsulation layer can be formed uniformly and without obstruction across the entire panel surface, completely eliminating the uneven film thickness problem caused by the mask, thereby significantly improving the reliability of water and oxygen barrier properties. On the other hand, since it is no longer necessary to design specific mask openings for different product models, the technical solution proposed in this application has universality, greatly simplifying the production preparation process and improving the flexibility and efficiency of the production line.
[0020] The first aspect of this application provides a display panel, referring to... Figure 2 , Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the film layer structure of a display panel is shown, as follows. Figure 2 As shown, the display panel includes a display area and a non-display area located on at least one side of the display area, and the display panel includes: First flexible substrate; A connecting cable located on one side of the first flexible substrate, the connecting cable being located in the non-display area; Multiple sub-pixels and multiple signal lines are located on the side of the first flexible substrate opposite to the adapter cable; the multiple sub-pixels are located in the display area, and each sub-pixel includes: a pixel driving circuit and a light-emitting device, the pixel driving circuit is connected to the light-emitting device, and the signal lines are connected to the pixel driving circuit; The first flexible substrate includes an adapter hole that penetrates the first flexible substrate, one end of the adapter hole being connected to the signal line and the other end being connected to the adapter cable.
[0021] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, the display panel includes a first flexible substrate 1, which is the supporting substrate for the entire structure. It is a continuous and complete thin film layer whose planar range covers the display area A and the non-display area B of the entire panel. The material used for the first flexible substrate 1 is typically a flexible material such as polyimide (PI), and its thickness can range from 5μm to 15μm.
[0022] The adapter cable 2 is located in the non-display area on the back side of the first flexible substrate 1 (i.e., the adapter cable and the sub-pixel are not on the same side). The adapter cable 2 is responsible for receiving control signals (such as scan signals, data signals, and power signals) from the driver chip (IC) or flexible printed circuit board (FPC), and transmitting these signals from the bonding area (i.e., the non-display area) at the edge of the panel (through the adapter hole) to specific signal lines in the display area. The adapter cable 2 is adjacent to the first flexible substrate 1, i.e., the adapter cable 2 is in contact with the surface of the back-ion pixel side of the first flexible substrate 1. The adapter cable 2 itself is embedded or fabricated on the back side of the first flexible substrate 1. During the fabrication process of the display panel, such as... Figure 4 As shown, below the adapter cable is a second flexible substrate 6 (i.e., a sacrificial layer) and a temporary rigid carrier plate (e.g., a glass substrate 9). After the laser lift-off process, the second flexible substrate 6 and the glass substrate 9 below the adapter cable are removed, exposing the adapter cable. The materials used for the adapter cable 2 are mainly low-resistivity metals, metal alloys, or multilayer metal stacks; in this embodiment, the type of material for the adapter cable is not limited.
[0023] The adapter cable 2 is connected to the signal line 3 through the adapter hole 101 of the first flexible substrate 1. The signal line 3 and the adapter cable 2 are located on different sides of the first flexible substrate 1 and need to be connected through the adapter hole 3 that penetrates the first flexible substrate 1. The adapter hole 3 is filled or covered with conductive material to form a conductive path. The adapter hole 3 can be a vertical channel or other shapes, which are not limited in this embodiment. The adapter holes 3 are mainly distributed in the non-display area B, and each adapter hole corresponds to connecting a specific signal line and a specific adapter cable. The signal line can be a positive power supply voltage (VDD), negative power supply voltage (VSS), gate, or other traces.
[0024] The display area includes multiple sub-pixels 4 arranged in an array. Each sub-pixel 4 includes a light-emitting device 402 and a pixel driving circuit 401 (including a thin-film transistor) electrically connected to the light-emitting device. The pixel driving circuit drives the electrically connected light-emitting device to emit light, thereby realizing the display function. The pixel driving circuit 401 is located on the surface of the first flexible substrate 1 opposite to the adapter line 2 and is the underlying structure of the sub-pixel. The pixel driving circuit 401 typically consists of at least two thin-film transistors and a storage capacitor. (Refer to...) Figure 3 , Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the film structure of a display area is shown, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the light-emitting device 402 is located above the pixel driving circuit 401. The two are often isolated by a planarization layer 7 and electrically connected through a via on the anode. Figure 3The connection structure between the light-emitting device 402 and the pixel driving circuit 401 is not shown. The position of the light-emitting device is defined by the pixel opening in the pixel definition layer 11. The light-emitting device is mainly composed of multiple functional film layers stacked together, including an anode 4021, a light-emitting functional layer 4022, and a cathode 4023 stacked sequentially. The light-emitting functional layer 4022 may further include a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light-emitting layer, and an electron transport layer. An encapsulation layer 5 is provided on the side of the light-emitting device away from the first flexible substrate to isolate it from external water and oxygen intrusion. Furthermore, on the side of the encapsulation layer away from the first flexible substrate, a touch layer, a leveling layer (OC layer), a light-shielding layer, and a color filter layer (the color filter layer includes multiple color filter units) may be stacked sequentially.
[0025] The display panel proposed in this application achieves full deposition without a mask by placing the adapter cable under a first flexible substrate. Specifically, this application utilizes the first flexible substrate to cover the adapter cable, and connects the signal line and the adapter cable through adapter holes in the first flexible substrate. This allows the encapsulation layer to cover the entire first flexible substrate, eliminating the need to use a metal mask to block the conductivity of the area where the adapter cable is located. On the one hand, the encapsulation layer can be formed uniformly and without obstruction across the entire panel surface, completely eliminating the problem of uneven film thickness caused by the mask, thereby significantly improving the reliability of water and oxygen barrier. On the other hand, since it is no longer necessary to design specific mask openings for different product models, the technical solution proposed in this application has universality, greatly simplifying the production preparation process and improving the flexibility and efficiency of the production line.
[0026] In some embodiments, the display panel further includes: An encapsulation layer located on the side of the sub-pixel and the signal line opposite to the first flexible substrate, wherein the orthographic projection of the encapsulation layer on the first flexible substrate at least partially covers the orthographic projection of the adapter line on the first flexible substrate.
[0027] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, the encapsulation layer 5 covers the top of all display devices (sub-pixels, signal lines) to protect them from water and oxygen corrosion. Furthermore, since the adapter line 2 is disposed on the back side of the first flexible substrate 1 in this embodiment, when fabricating the encapsulation layer 5 from the front, no mask is needed to protect the area where the adapter line is located. This allows the encapsulation layer 5 to be deposited unimpeded, covering or at least partially covering the area where the adapter line is located. Because the metal mask is eliminated, the "cathode sheath" phenomenon and the resulting thinning of the encapsulation film naturally disappear. The encapsulation layer is uniform and complete throughout the entire display and non-display areas, greatly improving encapsulation reliability and product yield.
[0028] In some embodiments, the encapsulation layer includes at least one inorganic encapsulation layer and at least one organic encapsulation layer, wherein the inorganic encapsulation layer and the organic encapsulation layer are alternately stacked; and the inorganic encapsulation layer is closest to the light-emitting device. For example, as shown... Figure 2 As shown, the encapsulation layer 5 includes a first inorganic encapsulation layer 501, an organic encapsulation layer 502, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer 503 stacked together. The second inorganic encapsulation layer 503 is located on the side of the organic encapsulation layer 502 facing away from the light-emitting device 402. The orthographic projection of at least one of the encapsulation layers 5 (e.g., the second inorganic encapsulation layer 503) on the flexible substrate covers the orthographic projection of the metal adapter wire on the flexible substrate.
[0029] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of at least one of the encapsulation layers 5 (e.g., the second inorganic encapsulation layer 503) onto the first flexible substrate at least partially covers the orthographic projection of the signal line onto the first flexible substrate.
[0030] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the encapsulation layer onto the first flexible substrate completely covers the first flexible substrate. Specifically, the orthographic projection of the encapsulation layer onto the first flexible substrate completely covers the orthographic projection of the adapter cable onto the first flexible substrate. The orthographic projection of the encapsulation layer onto the first flexible substrate completely covers the orthographic projection of the signal line onto the first flexible substrate. The encapsulation layer includes at least one inorganic encapsulation layer and at least one organic encapsulation layer, with the inorganic and organic encapsulation layers alternately stacked; wherein at least one inorganic encapsulation layer (its orthographic projection onto the first flexible substrate) completely covers the first flexible substrate. For example, as shown... Figure 2 As shown, both the first inorganic encapsulation layer 501 and the second inorganic encapsulation layer 503 completely cover the first flexible substrate. The first inorganic encapsulation layer 501 and the second inorganic encapsulation layer 503 can use different inorganic encapsulation materials or the same encapsulation material. In the accompanying drawings, the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer are distinguished to illustrate different film layer structures. In practical applications, when both use the same material, they can be a single integrated structure.
[0031] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of at least one inorganic encapsulation layer on the first flexible substrate covers the orthographic projection of the adapter cable on the first flexible substrate; and the orthographic projection of at least one organic encapsulation layer on the first flexible substrate covers the orthographic projection of the adapter cable on the first flexible substrate. That is, both the organic and inorganic encapsulation layers can cover the area where the adapter cable is located.
[0032] In some embodiments, the encapsulation layer includes at least one inorganic encapsulation layer and at least one organic encapsulation layer, wherein the inorganic encapsulation layer and the organic encapsulation layer are alternately stacked. Wherein, the orthographic projection of at least one of the inorganic encapsulation layers on the first flexible substrate covers the orthographic projection of the adapter line on the first flexible substrate; and The orthographic projection of the organic encapsulation layer on the first flexible substrate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the adapter cable on the first flexible substrate.
[0033] Specifically, considering the encapsulation effect, the organic encapsulation layer (e.g., organic encapsulation layer 502) in the encapsulation layer will be blocked by the isolation dam 10 and will not be able to extend further and cover the non-display area, while the inorganic encapsulation layer (e.g., the second inorganic encapsulation layer 503) in the encapsulation layer can extend to the non-display area and cover the entire first flexible substrate.
[0034] In some embodiments, in an orthographic projection onto the first flexible substrate, the adapter line and the signal line are located on opposite sides of the adapter hole, with the signal line located on the side of the adapter hole closer to the display area and the adapter line located on the side of the adapter hole farther from the display area.
[0035] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the location of an adapter cable is provided, as follows. Figure 4 As shown, adapter cable 2 and signal cable 3 are located on opposite sides of adapter hole 101, with adapter cable 2 located on the side of adapter hole 101 furthest from the display area. Figure 4 As shown, the non-display area includes an isolation zone B1 and a fan-out zone B2. Isolation zone B1 is located between display area A and fan-out zone B2. Signal line 3 extends from isolation zone B1 to fan-out zone B2, and adapter line 2 is located in fan-out zone B2, without overlapping with isolation zone B1. Isolation zone B1 refers to the area where isolation dam 10 is located, and fan-out zone B2 includes all the fan-shaped metal traces extending from display area A. Generally, the adapter hole is located near the midpoint between isolation zone B1 and fan-out zone B2, so that signal line 3 and adapter line 2 are located on opposite sides of adapter hole 101.
[0036] In some embodiments, in the orthographic projection on the first flexible substrate, the adapter line and the signal line are located on the same side of the adapter hole, and both the adapter line and the signal line are located on the side of the adapter hole closer to the display area.
[0037] Reference Figure 5 , Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the location of another type of adapter cable is provided, as follows: Figure 5 As shown, adapter cable 2 and signal cable 3 are located on the same side of adapter hole 101, and adapter cable 2 and signal cable 3 are located on the side of adapter hole 101 closer to the display area. Figure 5As shown, the non-display area includes an isolation area B1, and the fan-out area B2 can be present or omitted. The signal line 3 is located in the isolation area B1, and at least a portion of the adapter line 2 is located in the isolation area B1. The adapter hole penetrating the flexible substrate is also located in the isolation area. Here, the isolation area B1 refers to the region where the isolation dam 10 is located. In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the adapter line on the first flexible substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the signal line on the first flexible substrate, or the orthographic projection of the adapter line on the first flexible substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the isolation dam on the first flexible substrate. This embodiment moves the adapter line from the original fan-out area to the isolation area, which helps reduce the area occupied by the non-display area of the display panel, enabling its application in products with extremely narrow bezels.
[0038] In some embodiments, a groove structure is provided on the surface of the first flexible substrate near the adapter cable; and The adapter cable completely fills the groove structure, making the surface of the groove structure flat.
[0039] Specifically, the process of fabricating the adapter cable may include the following steps: preparing a glass substrate; fabricating a second flexible substrate on one side of the glass substrate; fabricating the adapter cable on the side of the second flexible substrate opposite to the glass substrate; fabricating a first flexible substrate on the side of the adapter cable opposite to the glass substrate, and fabricating the adapter hole in the first flexible substrate; then processing the second flexible substrate to remove the entire second flexible substrate layer. After fabricating multiple sub-pixels and multiple signal lines located on the side of the first flexible substrate opposite to the adapter cable, the glass substrate is peeled off.
[0040] In the above-described fabrication process of the adapter line, since the adapter line is fabricated first on a flat surface (e.g., the surface of the second flexible substrate) and then the first flexible substrate is deposited, the adapter line is embedded in the surface of the first flexible substrate. A groove structure is formed on the surface of the first flexible substrate near the adapter line. This groove structure fits the shape of the adapter line, and the adapter line is located within the groove structure, i.e., it completely fills the groove structure (e.g., ...). Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the surface on the side where the groove structure is located is restored to a flat surface.
[0041] In some embodiments, the display panel further includes: A second flexible substrate is located on the side of the adapter cable opposite to the first flexible substrate; and The orthographic projection of the second flexible substrate onto the first flexible substrate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the adapter line onto the first flexible substrate.
[0042] Specifically, refer to Figure 6, Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a second flexible substrate is shown, as follows. Figure 6 As shown, the second flexible substrate 6 is located on the side of the adapter line 2 facing away from the first flexible substrate 1. During the fabrication of the display panel, the second flexible substrate 6 (i.e., the sacrificial layer) and a temporary rigid carrier (e.g., a glass substrate 9) lie beneath the adapter line. That is, the glass substrate 9 and the second flexible substrate 6 on it are prepared first. Then, the adapter line 2, the first flexible substrate 1, and other functional film layers are fabricated on the second flexible substrate 6. Finally, the second flexible substrate 6 beneath the adapter line 2 is removed using processes such as laser lift-off, exposing the adapter line.
[0043] In this embodiment, the entire second flexible substrate 6 can be removed, resulting in a final display panel as shown in the embodiment. Figure 2 The structure shown (excluding the second flexible substrate), or, by removing only the second flexible substrate 6 in the area where the adapter line 2 is located, results in a final display panel as shown. Figure 6 The structure shown includes a second flexible substrate 6.
[0044] In some embodiments, the surface of the first flexible substrate near the adapter cable is a flat surface, and the adapter cable has a raised structure relative to that side surface. The adapter cable is embedded in the second flexible substrate (e.g., ...). Figure 6 (As shown). A groove structure or through-hole structure is provided on the surface of the second flexible substrate near the adapter line, so that the adapter line is located in the groove structure or through-hole structure and completely fills the groove structure or through-hole structure.
[0045] In some embodiments, the second flexible substrate is made of the same material as the first flexible substrate. Specifically, the materials used for the second flexible substrate 6 and the first flexible substrate 1 are typically flexible materials such as polyimide (PI).
[0046] In some embodiments, the thickness of the second flexible substrate is less than or equal to the thickness of the first flexible substrate.
[0047] In some embodiments, the thickness of the second flexible substrate is greater than or equal to 100 nm and less than or equal to 200 nm.
[0048] Specifically, the second flexible substrate acts as a sacrificial layer. During the laser lift-off process, the laser needs to penetrate or act on this layer to ash or partially ash it. Its extremely thin thickness of 100-200 nm allows the laser to remove it thoroughly and cleanly with lower energy and faster scanning speed, thus exposing the overlying bonding wires. If the second flexible substrate is too thick, the laser cannot completely remove it, resulting in residue that affects subsequent processes such as welding.
[0049] The display panel proposed in this application achieves full deposition without a mask by placing the adapter cable under a first flexible substrate. Specifically, this application utilizes the first flexible substrate to cover the adapter cable, and connects the signal line and the adapter cable through adapter holes in the first flexible substrate. This allows the encapsulation layer to cover the entire first flexible substrate, eliminating the need to use a metal mask to block the conductivity of the area where the adapter cable is located. On the one hand, the encapsulation layer can be formed uniformly and without obstruction across the entire panel surface, completely eliminating the problem of uneven film thickness caused by the mask, thereby significantly improving the reliability of water and oxygen barrier. On the other hand, since it is no longer necessary to design specific mask openings for different product models, the technical solution proposed in this application has universality, greatly simplifying the production preparation process and improving the flexibility and efficiency of the production line.
[0050] A second aspect of this application also provides a display device, the display device comprising: the display panel described in the first aspect of this application.
[0051] The display panel proposed in this embodiment can be an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. The above-mentioned display device can be any product or component with display function, such as a television, digital camera, mobile phone, or tablet computer. A third aspect of this application also provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, referring to... Figure 7 , Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating the steps of a display panel fabrication method is shown, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the method includes: Step S101: Prepare a first flexible substrate and fabricate a transfer line located on one side of the first flexible substrate, wherein the transfer line is located in the non-display area; Step S102: Prepare a plurality of sub-pixels and a plurality of signal lines located on the side of the first flexible substrate away from the adapter line. The plurality of sub-pixels are located in the display area. The sub-pixels include: a pixel driving circuit and a light-emitting device. The pixel driving circuit is connected to the light-emitting device, and the signal lines are connected to the pixel driving circuit. The first flexible substrate includes an adapter hole that penetrates the first flexible substrate, one end of the adapter hole being connected to the signal line and the other end being connected to the adapter cable.
[0052] In some embodiments, preparing the first flexible substrate and fabricating the adapter cable located on one side of the first flexible substrate includes: Prepare the glass substrate; A second flexible substrate is prepared on one side of the glass substrate; The adapter cable is fabricated on the side of the second flexible substrate opposite to the glass substrate; On the side of the adapter cable facing away from the glass substrate, a first flexible substrate is prepared, and the adapter hole is prepared in the first flexible substrate; After the fabrication of multiple sub-pixels and multiple signal lines located on the side of the first flexible substrate away from the adapter cable, the glass substrate is peeled off.
[0053] In this embodiment, the PI flexible substrate is processed in multiple steps, referring to... Figure 8 , Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of a display panel is shown, such as... Figure 8 As shown, first, a glass substrate 9 is prepared. A thin layer of a second flexible substrate 6, approximately 100-200 nm thick, is then coated onto the glass substrate 9. Next, physical vapor deposition (PVD) and dry etching are used to deposit adapter lines 2 on the second flexible substrate 6. A first flexible substrate 1 is then coated over the adapter lines 2, followed by other base film layer processes. After these processes, adapter holes need to be pre-drilled in the first flexible substrate. When performing the thin-film transistor (TFT) process for the pixel driving circuit on the first flexible substrate, the signal lines are connected to the adapter lines through the adapter holes. During the encapsulation process, no photomask is used; the entire upper surface of the display panel is encapsulated, ensuring the encapsulation layer completely covers the first flexible substrate.
[0054] In some embodiments, after fabricating the first flexible substrate on the side of the adapter cable facing away from the glass substrate, the method further includes: The second flexible substrate is processed to remove the entire second flexible substrate layer.
[0055] Specifically, during the Edge Area Cleaning (EAC) laser lift-off (LO) process, laser scanning atomizes the entire second flexible substrate, exposing the connecting lines, such as... Figure 2 As shown.
[0056] In some embodiments, after fabricating the first flexible substrate on the side of the adapter cable facing away from the glass substrate, the method further includes: A local area of the second flexible substrate is processed to remove the second flexible substrate in the local area, exposing the adapter cable; wherein, the local area is the region where the adapter cable is projected onto the second flexible substrate.
[0057] Specifically, during the Edge Area Cleaning (EAC) laser lift-off (LO) process, a wire beam laser can be used to scan the area where the adapter cable is located (i.e., the local area) separately to expose the adapter cable, so that the subsequent module assembly MDL overlapping process can be carried out.
[0058] In some embodiments, after fabricating a plurality of sub-pixels and a plurality of signal lines located on the side of the first flexible substrate opposite to the adapter line, the method further includes: An encapsulation layer is deposited on the side of the signal line opposite to the flexible substrate, and the orthographic projection of the encapsulation layer on the flexible substrate at least partially covers the orthographic projection of the adapter line on the flexible substrate.
[0059] When performing the above packaging process, it is not necessary to use a photomask to encapsulate the entire upper surface of the display panel, so that the encapsulation layer covers the entire first flexible substrate.
[0060] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.
[0061] Finally, it should be noted that in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.
[0062] The above provides a detailed description of a display panel, display device, and manufacturing method provided in this application. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.
[0063] Other embodiments of this application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this application are indicated by the following claims.
[0064] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.
[0065] The terms "an embodiment," "embodiment," or "one or more embodiments" as used herein mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Furthermore, please note that the examples of the phrase "in one embodiment" do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.
[0066] Numerous specific details are set forth in the specification provided herein. However, it will be understood that embodiments of this application may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this specification.
[0067] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses should not be construed as limiting the claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claims. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. This application can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a unit claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc., does not indicate any order. These words can be interpreted as names.
[0068] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.
Claims
1. A display panel, characterized in that, The display panel includes a display area and a non-display area located on at least one side of the display area. The display panel includes: First flexible substrate; A connecting cable located on one side of the first flexible substrate, the connecting cable being located in the non-display area; Multiple sub-pixels and multiple signal lines are located on the side of the first flexible substrate opposite to the adapter cable; the multiple sub-pixels are located in the display area, and each sub-pixel includes: a pixel driving circuit and a light-emitting device, the pixel driving circuit is connected to the light-emitting device, and the signal lines are connected to the pixel driving circuit; The first flexible substrate includes an adapter hole that penetrates the first flexible substrate, one end of the adapter hole being connected to the signal line and the other end being connected to the adapter cable.
2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The display panel also includes: An encapsulation layer located on the side of the sub-pixel and the signal line opposite to the first flexible substrate, wherein the orthographic projection of the encapsulation layer on the first flexible substrate at least partially covers the orthographic projection of the adapter line on the first flexible substrate.
3. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that, The orthographic projection of the encapsulation layer onto the first flexible substrate covers the entire surface of the first flexible substrate.
4. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that, The encapsulation layer includes at least one inorganic encapsulation layer and at least one organic encapsulation layer, wherein the inorganic encapsulation layer and the organic encapsulation layer are alternately stacked. Wherein, the orthographic projection of at least one of the inorganic encapsulation layers on the first flexible substrate covers the orthographic projection of the adapter line on the first flexible substrate; and The orthographic projection of the organic encapsulation layer on the first flexible substrate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the adapter cable on the first flexible substrate.
5. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the orthographic projection on the first flexible substrate, the adapter line and the signal line are located on opposite sides of the adapter hole, with the signal line located on the side of the adapter hole closer to the display area and the adapter line located on the side of the adapter hole farther from the display area.
6. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the orthographic projection on the first flexible substrate, the adapter line and the signal line are located on the same side of the adapter hole, and both the adapter line and the signal line are located on the side of the adapter hole closer to the display area.
7. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first flexible substrate has a groove structure on its surface near the adapter cable; and The adapter cable completely fills the groove structure, making the surface of the groove structure flat.
8. The display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The display panel also includes: A second flexible substrate is located on the side of the adapter cable opposite to the first flexible substrate; and The orthographic projection of the second flexible substrate onto the first flexible substrate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the adapter line onto the first flexible substrate.
9. The display panel according to claim 8, characterized in that, The second flexible substrate is made of the same material as the first flexible substrate.
10. The display panel according to claim 8, characterized in that, The thickness of the second flexible substrate is less than or equal to the thickness of the first flexible substrate.
11. The display panel according to claim 10, characterized in that, The thickness of the second flexible substrate is greater than or equal to 100 nm and less than or equal to 200 nm.
12. A display device, characterized in that, The display device includes: the display panel according to any one of claims 1-11.
13. A method for manufacturing a display panel, characterized in that, The method includes: Prepare a first flexible substrate and fabricate a transfer line located on one side of the first flexible substrate, the transfer line being located in the non-display area; Multiple sub-pixels and multiple signal lines are fabricated on the side of the first flexible substrate opposite to the adapter line. The multiple sub-pixels are located in the display area. Each sub-pixel includes a pixel driving circuit and a light-emitting device. The pixel driving circuit is connected to the light-emitting device, and the signal lines are connected to the pixel driving circuit. The first flexible substrate includes an adapter hole that penetrates the first flexible substrate, one end of the adapter hole being connected to the signal line and the other end being connected to the adapter cable.
14. The preparation method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The preparation of the first flexible substrate and the fabrication of the adapter cable located on one side of the first flexible substrate include: Prepare the glass substrate; A second flexible substrate is prepared on one side of the glass substrate; The adapter cable is fabricated on the side of the second flexible substrate opposite to the glass substrate; On the side of the adapter cable facing away from the glass substrate, a first flexible substrate is prepared, and the adapter hole is prepared in the first flexible substrate; After the fabrication of multiple sub-pixels and multiple signal lines located on the side of the first flexible substrate away from the adapter cable, the glass substrate is peeled off.
15. The preparation method according to claim 14, characterized in that, After fabricating the first flexible substrate on the side of the adapter cable facing away from the glass substrate, the method further includes: A local area of the second flexible substrate is processed to remove the second flexible substrate in the local area, exposing the adapter cable; wherein the local area is the region where the adapter cable is projected onto the second flexible substrate.