Phase delay film, manufacturing method of phase delay film, display module and manufacturing method of display module

Abstract

The invention provides a phase delay film, a manufacturing method of the phase delay film, a display module and a manufacturing method of the display module. The orientation layer is arranged on the first surface of the substrate and comprises a first orientation area and a second orientation area which are alternately arranged; the optical anisotropy layer is arranged on the side, away from the substrate, of the orientation layer, has a first optical axis direction at the position corresponding to the first orientation area and has a second optical axis direction at the position corresponding to the second orientation area; the guide layer is arranged on the second surface of the substrate and comprises a first surface energy region and a second surface energy region which are alternately arranged, and the contact angle of the first surface energy region is larger than that of the second surface energy region; the orthographic projection of the first surface energy region on the substrate is located at the junction of the first orientation region and the second orientation region, and covers at least one part of the adjacent first orientation region and second orientation region. According to the phase delay film, the manufacturing method thereof, the display module and the manufacturing method thereof, crosstalk can be reduced, and the display performance can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a phase retardation film and its manufacturing method, a display module and its fabrication method. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of display technology, three-dimensional (3D) display has become an important development trend in the display field, making images more realistic and giving users an immersive experience. In 3D display technology, the patterned retarder (PR) is an important device for achieving optical separation between the left and right eyes. The film-type patterned retarder (FPR) uses a flexible thin film as a substrate, forms a photoalignment layer on the substrate, exposes it with a mask, and then coats it with polymer liquid crystal (PLC) to obtain the desired phase difference. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to solve at least one technical problem in the prior art, this disclosure provides a phase delay film and a method for manufacturing the same, as well as a display module and a method for fabricating the same.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this disclosure is implemented as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a phase retardation film, comprising:

[0006] The substrate includes a first and a second surface that are opposite to each other;

[0007] An orientation layer is disposed on a first surface of the substrate, comprising a first orientation region and a second orientation region arranged alternately with each other;

[0008] An optical anisotropy layer is disposed on the side of the alignment layer away from the substrate, and has a first optical axis direction at the position corresponding to the first alignment region and a second optical axis direction at the position corresponding to the second alignment region;

[0009] A guiding layer, disposed on the second surface of the substrate, includes a first surface energy region and a second surface energy region arranged alternately with each other, wherein the contact angle of the first surface energy region is greater than the contact angle of the second surface energy region;

[0010] The orthographic projection of the first surface energy region onto the substrate is located at the boundary between the first orientation region and the second orientation region, and covers the edge portions of the adjacent first orientation region and the second orientation region.

[0011] For example, the alignment layer is made of a photo-alignment material capable of selectively forming an alignment pattern by exposure through a mask; the guide layer is made of a photoresponsive wettable surface material capable of altering its surface wettability by illumination.

[0012] For example, the formulation of the photoresponsive wettable surface material is as follows:

[0013] Matrix resin 25~35 wt%

[0014] Liquid repellency modifier monomer 15~25 wt%

[0015] Photoacid generator 3~7 wt%;

[0016] Crosslinking agent 3~7 wt%

[0017] The rest are solvents.

[0018] For example, the matrix resin is selected from acrylic copolymers containing hydroxyl or carboxyl groups; the hydrophobic regulating monomer is selected from at least one of fluoroacrylate or silicone acrylate; the photoacid generator is selected from arylonium salt; and the crosslinking agent is selected from polyfunctional acrylate.

[0019] For example, the first surface energy region is a hydrophilic region with a contact angle less than or equal to 40°; the second surface energy region is a hydrophobic region with a contact angle greater than or equal to 90°.

[0020] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a display module, including:

[0021] Display panel;

[0022] A phase retardation film located on the display side of the display panel, wherein the phase retardation film is a phase retardation film as described above; and

[0023] A light-shielding pattern layer located on the display side of the display panel includes a plurality of light-shielding areas arranged at intervals. The light-shielding areas at least partially overlap with the orthographic projection of the first surface energy region on the substrate, are all located at the boundary of the first orientation region and the second orientation region, and cover the edge portions of adjacent first orientation regions and second orientation regions.

[0024] For example, the alternating arrangement direction of the first orientation region and the second orientation region is a first direction, the first surface energy region has a first width in the first direction, the light-shielding region has a second width in the first direction, the center of the first surface energy region and the center of the light-shielding region coincide in the first direction, and the second width is greater than or equal to the first width.

[0025] Thirdly, this disclosure also provides a method for fabricating a phase retardation film, characterized in that the method for fabricating the phase retardation film as described above includes:

[0026] A substrate is provided, the substrate including a first side and a second side facing away from each other;

[0027] The orientation layer and the guiding layer are formed on the substrate, wherein the orientation layer includes a first orientation region and a second orientation region arranged alternately with each other, and the guiding layer includes a first surface energy region and a second surface energy region arranged alternately with each other.

[0028] An optical anisotropic layer is formed on the side of the alignment layer away from the substrate, wherein the optical anisotropic layer has a first optical axis direction at a position corresponding to the first alignment region and a second optical axis direction at a position corresponding to the second alignment region.

[0029] For example, forming the alignment layer and the guiding layer on the substrate specifically includes:

[0030] A photo-aligning material layer is formed on a first surface of the substrate, and a photoresponsive wettable surface material layer is formed on a second surface of the substrate;

[0031] The photo-alignment material layer is exposed twice in sequence by mask exposure to form an alternating pattern of the first alignment region and the second alignment region in the photo-alignment material layer. During the two exposures of the photo-alignment material layer, the photoresponsive wettable surface material layer simultaneously receives the exposure transmitted through the substrate, and the first surface energy region is formed at the junction of the mask patterns of the two exposures due to the overlap of exposures.

[0032] Fourthly, this disclosure also provides a method for manufacturing a display module, characterized in that the method for manufacturing the display module as described above includes:

[0033] Provide a display panel;

[0034] The phase retardation film was fabricated using the method described above;

[0035] The phase retardation film is attached to the display side of the display panel;

[0036] The light-shielding pattern layer is formed on the side of the phase retardation film opposite to the display panel. During the formation of the light-shielding pattern layer, the pixel position in the display panel is used as a reference, and the light-shielding material is deposited in the area where the first surface energy region is located under the physical guidance of the first surface energy region in the phase retardation film to form the light-shielding area.

[0037] The beneficial effects of the embodiments disclosed herein are as follows:

[0038] In the phase retardation film and its manufacturing method, and the display module and its fabrication method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure, an alignment layer and an optical anisotropic layer are disposed on a first surface of the substrate of the phase retardation film, and a guiding layer is disposed on a second surface of the substrate. The alignment layer has a first alignment region and a second alignment region arranged alternately, and the guiding layer has a first surface energy region and a second surface energy region, with the first surface energy region located at the junction of the first alignment region and the second alignment region. In this way, by disposing of the guiding layer on the second surface of the substrate, since the contact angle of the first surface energy region in the guiding layer is larger than that of the second surface energy region, and the first surface energy region is located at the junction of the first alignment region and the second alignment region, when the phase retardation film is bonded to the display panel, and a light-shielding pattern layer is formed on the phase retardation film, the light-shielding pattern layer can not only use the pixel position of the display panel as a reference, but also physically guide the material of the light-shielding pattern layer through the first surface energy region, thereby improving the registration accuracy between the final deposition position of the light-shielding pattern layer and the optical anisotropic layer. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the phase retardation film and display module provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the manufacturing process of the phase retardation film and display module provided in the embodiments of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0042] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms “a” or “one,” and similar terms do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms “connected,” “linked,” and similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as “up,” “down,” “left,” and “right,” are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, which change accordingly when the absolute position of the described objects changes.

[0043] With the continuous development of display technology, three-dimensional (3D) display has become an important development trend in the display field, which can make the picture more realistic and give users an immersive feeling. Polarized 3D display technology is a relatively mature display technology that uses the principle that light has a vibration direction to decompose the original image.

[0044] FPR (Film-type Pattern Retarder) display technology is a type of polarized 3D display technology. FPR technology uses a device (such as a phase retarder film) placed in front of the display to adjust the polarization direction of the emitted light, so that the light corresponding to the left-eye pixel and the light corresponding to the right-eye pixel have different polarization states. Therefore, when viewing the light passing through this device through polarized glasses, since the polarizer for each eye only allows one type of polarized light to pass through, the left and right eyes can receive different signals, thus creating a stereoscopic effect.

[0045] Traditional glass patterned retarders (GPRs) form liquid crystal alignment patterns directly on a glass substrate. Due to the high stability of glass, they offer high alignment accuracy and low crosstalk, but the process is complex, costly, and the glass is heavy, making them unsuitable for large-size applications. Film-type patterned retarders (FPRs) use a flexible thin film as a substrate, forming a photoalignment layer on it and exposing it with a mask, followed by coating with polymer liquid crystal (PLC) to obtain the desired phase difference. Film-type patterned retarders offer advantages such as thinness and low cost, making them the current mainstream solution. However, display devices using patterned phase retardation films suffer from crosstalk and other problems.

[0046] The inventors of this application have discovered through research that one of the reasons for the above-mentioned problems is:

[0047] A phase retardation film is disposed on the display side of the display panel. The phase retardation film mainly includes a substrate, an alignment layer, and an optical anisotropy layer disposed on the substrate. In practical applications, the phase retardation film is bonded to the display side of the display panel, and a light-shielding pattern layer is formed on top of it to block light leakage in the inter-pixel areas and prevent crosstalk between the left and right eyes. The relative positional accuracy of the light-shielding pattern layer and the optical anisotropy layer directly affects the level of display crosstalk and image quality.

[0048] In related technologies, the preparation of light-shielding pattern layers mainly faces the following technical problems:

[0049] One approach is to first prepare a light-shielding pattern layer, followed by an optical anisotropic layer. In this approach, the light-shielding pattern layer can achieve high-precision alignment with the pixel areas of the display panel. However, during the subsequent patterning process of the optical anisotropic layer, the relative positions of the light-shielding pattern layer and the optical anisotropic layer are prone to shift due to factors such as film material heating, stretching, or process stress, leading to crosstalk in the left and right optical paths and affecting display quality.

[0050] Another approach is to first fabricate the optical anisotropic layer and then the light-shielding pattern layer. This approach ensures the integrity of the optical anisotropic layer pattern, but the deposition of the light-shielding pattern layer relies solely on the pixel areas of the display panel as alignment references. During the bonding of the phase retardation film to the display panel, the film material may experience stretching, displacement, or stress deformation, making it difficult to guarantee the matching accuracy between the light-shielding pattern layer and the optical anisotropic layer, thus limiting display performance.

[0051] It is evident that the phase retardation film process in related technologies has inherent defects in the alignment accuracy between the light-shielding pattern layer and the optical anisotropic layer. How to improve the registration accuracy between the light-shielding pattern layer and the optical anisotropic layer, simplify the manufacturing process, reduce crosstalk, and improve the display effect while maintaining the advantages of the phase retardation film being thin, light, and low-cost are technical problems that urgently need to be solved in this field.

[0052] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure provides a phase retardation film, its manufacturing method, and a display device.

[0053] like Figure 1 As shown, this disclosure provides a phase retardation film, comprising:

[0054] The substrate 100 includes a first surface 100A and a second surface 100B that are opposite to each other.

[0055] An orientation layer 200 is disposed on the first surface 100A of the substrate 100, and includes a first orientation region 210 and a second orientation region 220 arranged alternately to each other.

[0056] An optical anisotropy layer 300 is disposed on the side of the alignment layer 200 away from the substrate 100, and has a first optical axis direction at the position corresponding to the first alignment region 210 and a second optical axis direction at the position corresponding to the second alignment region 220.

[0057] A guiding layer 400 is disposed on the second surface 100B of the substrate 100, and includes a first surface energy region 410 and a second surface energy region 420 arranged alternately to each other, wherein the contact angle of the first surface energy region 410 is greater than the contact angle of the second surface energy region 420.

[0058] The orthographic projection of the first surface energy region 410 onto the substrate 100 is located at the junction of the first orientation region 210 and the second orientation region 220, and covers the edge portions of the adjacent first orientation region 210 and second orientation region 220.

[0059] In the phase retardation film provided in this embodiment, the alignment layer 200 and the optical anisotropy layer 300 are disposed on the first surface 100A of the substrate 100, and the guiding layer 400 is disposed on the second surface 100B of the substrate 100. The alignment layer 200 has a first alignment region 210 and a second alignment region 220 arranged alternately with each other. The guiding layer 400 has a first surface energy region 410 and a second surface energy region 420, and the first surface energy region 410 is located at the junction of the first alignment region 210 and the second alignment region 220. Thus, by disposing of the guiding layer 400 on the second surface 100B of the substrate 100, since the contact angle of the first surface energy region 410 in the guiding layer 400 is larger than the contact angle of the second surface energy region 420, the first surface energy region 410 exhibits relatively hydrophilic properties, and the second surface energy region 420 exhibits relatively hydrophobic properties.

[0060] For example, the contact angle between the first surface energy region 410 and the second surface energy region 420 can be controlled to be greater than 20° to ensure significantly differentiated wetting behavior for liquid light-blocking materials (e.g., inks). For example, the first surface energy region 410 is a hydrophilic region with a contact angle less than or equal to 40°, and the second surface energy region 420 is a hydrophobic region with a contact angle greater than or equal to 90°. The contact angle between the first surface energy region 410 and the second surface energy region 420 can be controlled to be greater than or equal to 50°.

[0061] Since the orthographic projection of the first surface energy region 410 onto the substrate 100 is located at the junction of the first orientation region 210 and the second orientation region 220, and covers the edge portions of adjacent first orientation regions 210 and second orientation regions 220. In other words, the width of the first surface energy region 410 can be slightly wider than the width of its corresponding orientation region junction line, so that the first surface energy region 410 can extend into the range of two adjacent orientation regions. After the phase retardation film is bonded to the display panel, the light-shielding pattern layer (such as a black matrix) needs to be formed on the outer side of the phase retardation film (i.e., the side of the guide layer 400 facing away from the substrate 100). The light-shielding pattern layer can be prepared by inkjet printing, microgravure printing, or slot coating, and the ink droplets are ink containing black pigment.

[0062] The formation of the light-shielding pattern layer involves dual guidance: First, the pixel positions of the display panel are used as a reference. For example, in inkjet printing, the inkjet printhead can control the droplet landing point based on the pixel area position information of the display panel, ensuring that the droplets fall approximately above the inter-pixel area. Second, the material of the light-shielding pattern layer is physically guided by the first surface energy region 410. Due to the hydrophilic properties of the first surface energy region 410 and the hydrophobic properties of the second surface energy region 420, there is a significant difference in surface energy between them. Under the action of surface tension, the ink droplets tend to spread towards the first surface energy region 410 and eventually deposit in that area. Since the first surface energy region 410 is located at the junction of the first orientation region 210 and the second orientation region 220, the light-shielding material can be precisely guided to this position, thus forming the light-shielding area of ​​the light-shielding pattern layer. In this way, through the above dual guidance, the relative positional accuracy between the final deposition position of the light-shielding pattern layer and the optical anisotropic layer 300 is improved, thereby reducing crosstalk and improving image quality.

[0063] For example, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the relative positional accuracy error between the light-shielding pattern layer and the optical anisotropic layer 300 in the phase retardation film can be controlled within ±2–5 µm, which is significantly improved compared to the ±10 µm relative positional accuracy error between the light-shielding pattern layer and the optical anisotropic layer 300 in related technologies. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the phase retardation film reduces crosstalk by 30–40% and improves contrast by approximately 20% compared to the phase retardation film in related technologies.

[0064] In some embodiments, the alignment layer 200 is made of a photo-alignment material capable of selectively forming an alignment pattern through mask exposure. For example, the material of the alignment layer 200 can be a polymer containing photosensitive materials, such as photosensitive polyimide, polyamide, or polyvinyl alcohol, where the photosensitive molecules on the surface of the alignment layer 200 in the illuminated areas can be oriented. The orientation directions in the first alignment region 210 and the second alignment region 220 are different. For example, the orientation direction of the first alignment region 210 is +45°, and the orientation direction of the second alignment region 220 is -45°. The thickness of the alignment layer 200 can be 80±10 μm, and it can be cured by baking. However, this is not a limitation.

[0065] The optical anisotropic layer 300 may include, for example, a polymer liquid crystal layer. Guided by the alignment layer 200, the polymer liquid crystal layer can be neatly arranged, having a first optical axis direction at the position corresponding to the first alignment region 210 and a second optical axis direction at the position corresponding to the second alignment region 220. The liquid crystal molecules in the two regions can be oriented perpendicularly to each other (e.g., +45° and -45°), thereby converting the light emitted from the left-eye pixel 11 and the right-eye pixel 12 in the display panel 10 into first polarized light and second polarized light with different polarization states, respectively, for separation by the 3D glasses.

[0066] The guiding layer 400 is made of a photoresponsive wettable surface material that can change its surface wettability by light exposure. That is, the guiding layer 400 can form a hydrophilic surface in the exposed areas while maintaining hydrophobic properties in the unexposed areas. For example, the thickness of the guiding layer 400 can be 200 ± 10 nm.

[0067] The substrate 100 can be a light-transmitting flexible substrate 100, and its material can be selected from COP (cyclic olefin polymer) film, TAC (cellulose triacetate) film or PI (polyimide) film. For example, the thickness of the substrate 100 can be 100±10μm.

[0068] In the above scheme, the alignment layer 200 can first form an alignment material layer on the first surface 100A of the substrate 100, and then use a mask exposure method to form the pattern of the first alignment region 210 and the second alignment region 220. For example, the alignment layer 200 can form the pattern of the first alignment layer 200 and the second alignment layer 200 through two mask exposure processes. For the alignment layer 200, the mask pattern determines the exposure area for light extraction of material. The first mask exposure process uses a first mask template, and after exposure, the exposure area can form the first alignment region 210. The second mask exposure process uses a second mask template, and after exposure, the exposure area can form the second alignment region 220. The guiding layer 400 can first form a surface energy material layer on the second surface 100B of the substrate 100, and then use a mask exposure method to form the first surface energy region 410 and the second surface energy region 420. The surface energy pattern of the guide layer 400 and the orientation pattern of the orientation layer 200 can be formed simultaneously using the same mask exposure process, or the surface energy pattern of the guide layer 400 and the orientation pattern of the orientation layer 200 can be formed stepwise using different mask exposure processes.

[0069] Specifically, the process of simultaneously forming the surface energy pattern of the guiding layer 400 and the orientation pattern of the orientation layer 200 through the same mask exposure process is as follows:

[0070] The photoalignment material layer is subjected to two exposures sequentially using a mask exposure method to form an alternating pattern of the first alignment region 210 and the second alignment region 220 in the photoalignment material layer. Simultaneously, during the two exposures of the photoalignment material layer, the photoresponsive wettable surface material layer receives exposure transmitted through the substrate 100, and the first surface energy region 410 is formed at the intersection of the mask patterns from the two exposures due to the exposure overlap. In other words, while the alignment pattern is formed during the two exposures, the light transmitted through the substrate 100 during these two exposures forms an overlapping exposure area on the guide layer 400, thereby generating the first surface energy region 410.

[0071] like Figure 2 As shown, the specific principle is as follows:

[0072] During the first exposure, the first mask template 40 is used to perform the first mask exposure on the photo-alignment material layer, and the exposure area forms the first alignment region 210 (e.g., the optical axis direction is +45°). The mask pattern is striped, and the light-transmitting area corresponds to the position of the first alignment region 210.

[0073] During the second exposure, the alignment layer 200 is exposed a second time using the second mask 50 or by moving the first mask, forming a second alignment region 220 (e.g., with the optical axis at -45°). The light-transmitting region S1 of the second exposure intersects with the light-transmitting region S2 of the first exposure, and the light-transmitting region of the second exposure covers the gap between the first alignment regions 210.

[0074] Through the two exposures described above, a pattern of alternating first orientation region 210 and second orientation region 220 is formed on the orientation layer 200. Precise alignment is required between the two exposures to ensure that the boundary line between the two regions is clear.

[0075] During the two exposures mentioned above, the surface material layer pre-coated on the first surface 100A of the substrate 100 can be a photoresponsive wettable surface material, which can change its surface wettability according to the exposure dose. Since the substrate 100 has a certain transmittance to the exposure ultraviolet light, during the first and second exposures, the ultraviolet light passing through the mask can not only irradiate the photoalignment material layer, but also penetrate the substrate 100 to reach the guide layer 400, so that the guide layer 400 can receive the corresponding exposure dose.

[0076] During the exposure process, the mask is precisely positioned relative to the substrate 100. Theoretically, the area directly below the light-shielding strip on the mask should be completely unexposed. However, due to optical diffraction effects and the certain divergence angle of the exposure light source, and the certain thickness of the substrate 100, an overlapping exposure area is formed at the junction of the mask patterns of the two exposures due to the exposure overlap. This overlapping exposure area receives a significantly higher exposure dose than other areas due to the two exposures, that is, the exposure dose of this overlapping exposure area is greater than the threshold. As a result, the first surface energy region 410, i.e., the hydrophilic region, is formed in this overlapping exposure area, while other areas are unexposed or have an exposure dose less than the threshold, thus maintaining hydrophobic properties and forming the second surface energy region 420, i.e., the hydrophobic region.

[0077] In the above scheme, the patterns of the guide layer 400 and the alignment layer 200 are formed simultaneously through the same exposure process. Compared with the step-by-step preparation method, the patterns of the alignment layer 200 and the guide layer 400 do not require secondary calibration, thus avoiding the cumulative alignment error introduced by multiple alignments.

[0078] In some embodiments, the photoresponsive wettability surface material is formulated as follows:

[0079] Matrix resin 25~35 wt%

[0080] Liquid repellency modifier monomer 15~25 wt%

[0081] Photoacid generator 3~7 wt%;

[0082] Crosslinking agent 3~7 wt%

[0083] The rest are solvents.

[0084] For example, the formulation of the photoresponsive wettable surface material is as follows (by weight percentage):

[0085] Matrix resin 30 wt%

[0086] 20wt% of liquid-phobic regulating monomer;

[0087] Photoacid generator 5wt%;

[0088] Crosslinking agent 5 wt%

[0089] Solvent 40 wt%.

[0090] For example, the matrix resin is used to provide film-forming properties and reacts with a photoacid generator after exposure to generate hydrophilic groups. The matrix resin may be an acrylic copolymer containing hydroxyl or carboxyl groups.

[0091] For example, the hydrophobicity modifier monomer can impart hydrophobicity to areas where the exposure dose is less than a threshold, thereby creating a difference in the contact angle between the first surface energy region 410 and the second surface energy region 420. The hydrophobicity modifier monomer may be at least one of fluoroacrylates or silicone-containing acrylates.

[0092] For example, the photoacid generator is used to release acid at the boundary after exposure, promoting the hydrophilication reaction of the matrix resin. The photoacid generator can be an arylonium salt type, such as triarylsulfonium salts.

[0093] For example, the crosslinking agent is used to form a crosslinked network, improving solvent resistance and film stability. For instance, the crosslinking agent may be a multifunctional acrylate, such as trimethylolpropane triacrylate.

[0094] For example, the solvent is used to adjust the coating thickness to ensure uniform coating of the surface energy material. For instance, the solvent may be one or a mixture of propylene glycol methyl ether acetate (PGMEA), cyclohexanone, or both.

[0095] It is understood that the above is merely an example of the material used for the guiding layer 400, but is not a limitation. For example, the guiding layer 400 may also be a photosensitive self-assembled monolayer (photo-SAM). Photosensitive self-assembled monolayers are a class of functional materials that can form an ordered monolayer on the surface of the substrate 100 and undergo a chemical transformation under light irradiation. Therefore, photosensitive self-assembled monolayers (photo-SAM) can also change surface wettability by undergoing a chemical change under exposure to ultraviolet light.

[0096] In addition, such as Figure 1 As shown in the embodiments of this disclosure, a display module is also provided, including:

[0097] Display panel 10;

[0098] The phase retardation film 20 is located on the display side of the display panel 10, and the phase retardation film 20 adopts the phase retardation film 20 provided in the embodiments of this disclosure; and

[0099] The light-shielding pattern layer 30 located on the display side of the display panel 10 includes a plurality of light-shielding areas 31 arranged at intervals. The light-shielding areas 31 at least partially overlap with the orthographic projection of the first surface energy region 410 on the substrate 100, are all located at the junction of the first orientation region 210 and the second orientation region 220, and cover the edge portions of adjacent first orientation regions 210 and second orientation regions 220.

[0100] Obviously, the display module provided in this embodiment also has the beneficial effects of the phase delay film 20 provided in this embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

[0101] Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the alternating arrangement direction of the first orientation region 210 and the second orientation region 220 is the first direction X (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the stripe direction of the phase retardation film 20). The first surface energy region 410 has a first width W1 in the first direction X, and the light-shielding region 31 has a second width W2 in the first direction X. The centers of the first surface energy region 410 and the light-shielding region 31 coincide in the first direction X, and the second width W2 is greater than or equal to the first width W1.

[0102] In the above scheme, the position of the first surface energy region 410 is determined by the overlapping exposure area formed by two exposures, and its center line precisely corresponds to the boundary line between the first orientation region 210 and the second orientation region 220. The light-shielding region 31 is formed by inkjet printing or other methods. The ink droplet deposition process is guided by two factors: one is the pixel position reference on the display panel 10, and the other is the physical guidance of the surface energy pattern of the guiding layer 400. Since the first surface energy region 410 has a low contact angle, the ink droplets are naturally pulled towards the center of the first surface energy region 410 under the action of surface tension. Therefore, the center of the finally formed light-shielding region 31 automatically coincides with the center of the first surface energy region 410.

[0103] Furthermore, although the ink droplet is precisely guided to the center of the first surface energy region 410, its spreading width may have very slight fluctuations. If the first width W1 is greater than the second width W2, the edge of the light-shielding area 31 may not completely cover the boundary of the first surface energy region 410, resulting in partial exposure of the first surface energy region 410, which may cause irregular ink droplet edges or subsequent process problems. Moreover, since the main function of the light-shielding area 31 is to block light leakage between pixels and prevent crosstalk between the left and right eyes, the effective blocking area of ​​the light-shielding area 31 should at least cover the boundary area (optical boundary) between the first orientation region 210 and the second orientation region 220. If the first width W1 is greater than the second width W2, the width of the light-shielding area 31 is insufficient to completely cover the aforementioned boundary area, which may result in some crosstalk light not being effectively blocked.

[0104] Therefore, in this embodiment, the second width W2 is greater than or equal to the first width W1.

[0105] Furthermore, although alignment errors can be eliminated by setting the first surface energy region 410, there may still be slight random errors in practical applications. By designing the second width W2 to be greater than or equal to the first width W1, redundant space is provided for random errors. Even if there is a slight offset, the light-shielding area 31 can still completely cover the first surface energy region 410.

[0106] In addition, such as Figure 2 As shown, this disclosure also provides a method for fabricating a phase retardation film 20, characterized in that the method for fabricating the phase retardation film 20 provided in this disclosure includes:

[0107] Step S01: Provide a substrate 100, the substrate 100 including a first side 100A and a second side 100B that are opposite to each other;

[0108] Step S02: Form the orientation layer 200 and the guide layer 400 on the substrate 100, wherein the orientation layer 200 includes a first orientation region 210 and a second orientation region 220 arranged alternately with each other, and the guide layer 400 includes a first surface energy region 410 and a second surface energy region 420 arranged alternately with each other.

[0109] Step S03: An optical anisotropy layer 300 is formed on the side of the alignment layer 200 away from the substrate 100, wherein the optical anisotropy layer 300 has a first optical axis direction at the position corresponding to the first alignment region 210 and a second optical axis direction at the position corresponding to the second alignment region 220.

[0110] For example, step S02 above specifically includes:

[0111] Step S021: A photo-alignment material layer 200' is formed on the first surface 100A of the substrate 100, and a photo-responsive wettable surface material layer 400' is formed on the second surface 100B of the substrate 100.

[0112] Step S022: The photo-alignment material layer is exposed twice in sequence by mask exposure to form an alternating pattern of the first alignment region 210 and the second alignment region 220 in the photo-alignment material layer. During the two exposures of the photo-alignment material layer, the photoresponsive wettability surface material layer 400' simultaneously receives the exposure transmitted through the substrate 100, and the first surface energy region 410 is formed at the junction of the mask patterns of the two exposures due to the exposure overlap.

[0113] Furthermore, for example, in step S023 above, liquid crystal monomers can be coated first, and then cured by ultraviolet light or heat to form the phase difference required for the polymer liquid crystal layer (e.g., phase retardation Δn·d = ±110 nm).

[0114] In addition, such as Figure 2 As shown, this disclosure also provides a method for manufacturing a display module, used to manufacture the display module as described above, including:

[0115] Step S001: Provide a display panel 10;

[0116] Step S002: Fabricate the phase retardation film 20 using the method described above;

[0117] Step S003: Adhere the phase retardation film 20 to the display side of the display panel 10;

[0118] Step S004: The light-shielding pattern layer 30 is formed on the side of the phase retardation film 20 away from the display panel 10. During the formation of the light-shielding pattern layer 30, the pixel position in the display panel 10 is used as a reference, and the light-shielding material is physically guided by the first surface energy region 410 in the phase retardation film 20 and deposited in the area where the first surface energy region 410 is located to form the light-shielding region 31.

[0119] Obviously, the manufacturing method of the phase retardation film 20, the display module and the manufacturing method thereof provided in the embodiments of this disclosure also have the beneficial effects brought by the phase retardation film 20 provided in the embodiments of this disclosure, and will not be described in detail here.

[0120] In the various method embodiments of this disclosure, the sequence numbers of each step are not intended to limit the order of the steps. For those skilled in the art, any changes in the order of the steps are within the scope of protection of this disclosure without any creative effort.

[0121] It should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, since the embodiments are basically similar to the product embodiments, the descriptions are relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions of the product embodiments.

[0122] In the description of the above embodiments, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0123] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

[0124] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A phase retardation film, characterized in that, include: The substrate includes a first and a second surface that are opposite to each other; An orientation layer is disposed on a first surface of the substrate, comprising a first orientation region and a second orientation region arranged alternately with each other; An optical anisotropy layer is disposed on the side of the alignment layer away from the substrate, and has a first optical axis direction at the position corresponding to the first alignment region and a second optical axis direction at the position corresponding to the second alignment region; A guiding layer, disposed on the second surface of the substrate, includes a first surface energy region and a second surface energy region arranged alternately with each other, wherein the contact angle of the first surface energy region is greater than the contact angle of the second surface energy region; The orthographic projection of the first surface energy region onto the substrate is located at the boundary between the first orientation region and the second orientation region, and covers the edge portions of the adjacent first orientation region and the second orientation region.

2. The phase retardation film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The alignment layer is made of a photo-alignment material that can selectively form an alignment pattern through mask exposure; the guide layer is made of a photoresponsive wettable surface material that can change its surface wettability by using light.

3. The phase retardation film according to claim 2, characterized in that, The formulation of the photoresponsive wettable surface material is as follows: Matrix resin 25~35 wt% Liquid repellency modifier monomer 15~25 wt% Photoacid generator 3~7 wt%; Crosslinking agent 3~7 wt% The rest are solvents.

4. The phase retardation film according to claim 3, characterized in that, The matrix resin is selected from acrylic copolymers containing hydroxyl or carboxyl groups; the liquid-phobic regulating monomer is selected from at least one of fluoroacrylate or silicone acrylate; the photoacid generator is selected from aryl onium salt photoacid generator; and the crosslinking agent is selected from polyfunctional acrylate.

5. The phase retardation film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first surface energy region is a hydrophilic region with a contact angle less than or equal to 40°; the second surface energy region is a hydrophobic region with a contact angle greater than or equal to 90°.

6. A display module, characterized in that, include: Display panel; A phase retardation film located on the display side of the display panel, wherein the phase retardation film is the phase retardation film as described in any one of claims 1 to 5; and A light-shielding pattern layer located on the display side of the display panel includes a plurality of light-shielding areas arranged at intervals. The light-shielding areas at least partially overlap with the orthographic projection of the first surface energy region on the substrate, are all located at the boundary of the first orientation region and the second orientation region, and cover the edge portions of adjacent first orientation regions and second orientation regions.

7. The display module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The alternating arrangement direction of the first orientation region and the second orientation region is a first direction. The first surface energy region has a first width in the first direction, and the light-shielding region has a second width in the first direction. The center of the first surface energy region and the light-shielding region coincides in the first direction, and the second width is greater than or equal to the first width.

8. A method for fabricating a phase retardation film, characterized in that, The method for fabricating the phase retardation film as described in any one of claims 1 to 5 comprises: A substrate is provided, the substrate including a first side and a second side facing away from each other; The orientation layer and the guiding layer are formed on the substrate, wherein the orientation layer includes a first orientation region and a second orientation region arranged alternately with each other, and the guiding layer includes a first surface energy region and a second surface energy region arranged alternately with each other. An optical anisotropic layer is formed on the side of the alignment layer away from the substrate, wherein the optical anisotropic layer has a first optical axis direction at a position corresponding to the first alignment region and a second optical axis direction at a position corresponding to the second alignment region.

9. The method for fabricating a phase retardation film according to claim 8, characterized in that, The formation of the alignment layer and the guiding layer on the substrate specifically includes: A photo-aligning material layer is formed on a first surface of the substrate, and a photoresponsive wettable surface material layer is formed on a second surface of the substrate; The photo-alignment material layer is exposed twice in sequence by mask exposure to form an alternating pattern of the first alignment region and the second alignment region in the photo-alignment material layer. During the two exposures of the photo-alignment material layer, the photoresponsive wettable surface material layer simultaneously receives the exposure transmitted through the substrate, and the first surface energy region is formed at the junction of the mask patterns of the two exposures due to the overlap of exposures.

10. A method for manufacturing a display module, characterized in that, For manufacturing a display module as described in any one of claims 6 to 7, comprising: Provide a display panel; The phase retardation film is prepared by the method described in any one of claims 8 or 9; The phase retardation film is attached to the display side of the display panel; A light-shielding pattern layer is formed on the side of the phase retardation film away from the display panel. During the formation of the light-shielding pattern layer, the pixel position in the display panel is used as a reference, and the light-shielding material is deposited in the area where the first surface energy region is located under the physical guidance of the first surface energy region in the phase retardation film to form a light-shielding area.

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