Method for manufacturing cover plate, cover plate, and electronic device

Abstract

The application provides a cover plate preparation method, a cover plate and an electronic device. The cover plate preparation method comprises the following steps: providing a stamping master plate, the surface of the stamping master plate is provided with a microstructure; providing a substrate; pressing the stamping master plate on the substrate, so that the surface of the substrate is provided with a convex structure which is complementary to the microstructure; curing the substrate, and separating the substrate from the stamping master plate to obtain the cover plate. The cover plate preparation method has low reflectivity, high durability, good optical clarity and is suitable for large-scale production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of display technology, and more particularly to a method for preparing a cover plate, the cover plate itself, and an electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread use of electronic devices, the visibility of their displays under various ambient lighting conditions has become a key user experience indicator. Currently, the display surfaces of mainstream electronic devices (such as smartphones, tablets, and monitors) are typically made of smooth glass or polymer material covers. When the ambient light is high, external light will produce significant specular reflection on their surfaces. Strong reflected light can severely interfere with the readability of the displayed content, causing users to frequently adjust the device angle or increase the screen brightness. This not only increases the device's power consumption but also easily leads to eye fatigue, and long-term use will have an adverse effect on the user's eye health.

[0003] To reduce surface reflection, various technical solutions have been developed in the industry. For example, a common approach is to coat the cover plate with an anti-reflective optical film, which weakens reflected light through the interference effect of multiple media. However, such coatings typically suffer from low mechanical strength and are easily scratched and worn, causing the anti-reflective effect to decrease over time. In addition, some solutions attempt to create rough structures through surface chemical etching to diffuse light, but this method often struggles to precisely control the morphology, potentially leading to increased haze and reduced image clarity.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need in the field for a cover plate and its manufacturing method that combines low reflectivity, high durability, good optical clarity, and suitability for mass production. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a method for preparing a cover plate, the cover plate itself, and an electronic device, which features low reflectivity, high durability, good optical clarity, and is suitable for mass production.

[0006] This application provides a method for preparing a cover plate, including:

[0007] An impression master is provided, the surface of which is formed with microstructures; Provide substrate; The printing master is pressed onto the substrate, so that a raised structure complementary to the microstructure is formed on the surface of the substrate; The substrate is cured and molded, and then separated from the printing master to obtain the cover plate.

[0008] In some embodiments, the substrate is glass; before pressing the imprint master onto the substrate, the method further includes heating the substrate to a softened state.

[0009] In some embodiments, the substrate is an ultraviolet-curable resin; the step of curing the substrate includes curing the substrate by irradiating it with ultraviolet light.

[0010] In some embodiments, the substrate is a thermosetting polymer; prior to the step of pressing the imprint master onto the substrate, the method further includes: heating the thermosetting polymer to a fluid state; the curing process is heat curing.

[0011] In some embodiments, the imprinting master is a roller structure, and pressing the imprinting master onto the substrate includes: rolling the imprinting master onto the substrate.

[0012] This application also provides a cover plate prepared by the above-described cover plate preparation method, wherein at least one surface of the cover plate has a raised structure.

[0013] In some embodiments, the height of the protrusion structure is 100nm to 400nm; the distance between the center points of two adjacent protrusion structures is 100nm to 400nm.

[0014] In some embodiments, the protrusion structure is frustum-shaped or hemispherical.

[0015] In some embodiments, when the protrusion structure is frustum-shaped, the protrusion structure has a bottom end near the cover plate and a top end away from the cover plate, and the diameter of the bottom end is 50% to 80% of the distance between the center points of two adjacent protrusion structures.

[0016] This application embodiment also provides an electronic device, including a display panel and a cover plate, wherein the cover plate is the aforementioned cover plate and the cover plate is disposed on the light-emitting side of the display panel.

[0017] The cover plate preparation method, cover plate, and electronic device provided in this application mainly include: providing an imprint master with a microstructure formed on its surface; providing a substrate; pressing the imprint master onto the surface of the substrate to transfer a raised structure complementary to the microstructure; subsequently, curing the substrate and separating it from the imprint master to obtain the cover plate. The raised structure on the surface of the cover plate can effectively suppress light reflection, simultaneously achieving excellent low-reflection characteristics, high structural durability, good optical clarity, and considering the feasibility of large-scale production. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating the method for preparing the cover plate provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of the cover plate provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a first structure of the cover plate provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a second structure of the cover plate provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a top view of the protruding structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] This application provides a method for preparing a cover plate, the cover plate itself, and an electronic device. The technical solution achieves a combination of advantages—low reflectivity, high durability, good optical clarity, and suitability for mass production—through innovative surface microstructure design and fabrication processes. The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates each part.

[0027] Please see Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 , Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of the method for preparing the cover plate provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of the cover plate provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0028] The cover plate 200 fabrication method provided in this application embodiment constructs a functional protrusion structure 22 on the surface of a substrate 21 using an imprinting technique. The fabrication method of the cover plate 200 includes the following steps.

[0029] S10. An impression master 100 is provided, and the surface of the impression master 100 is formed with microstructures 11.

[0030] In this step, the imprinting master 100 serves as the core mold for transferring the pattern, and its surface is precision-machined to form specific microstructures 11. These microstructures 11 refer to a collection of microstructures with specific geometric shapes, dimensional parameters, and spatial arrangement rules. Their design is based on biomimetic principles, particularly simulating the anti-reflective properties of a moth's eye structure. The parameters of the microstructures 11 include: a structural height ranging from 100 nm to 400 nm, and a spacing between the center points of adjacent structures ranging from 100 nm to 400 nm. This subwavelength scale design effectively breaks down traditional optical interfaces, achieving excellent anti-reflective performance through structural effects.

[0031] S20, Provide substrate 21.

[0032] The substrate 21 is the basic material constituting the cover plate 200 body, and different material systems can be selected according to application requirements. For applications requiring high hardness and scratch resistance, glass can be used; for applications that emphasize processing efficiency and cost control, organic materials such as UV-curable resins or thermosetting polymers can be used. The choice of substrate 21 material directly affects the subsequent process route and the performance characteristics of the final product.

[0033] S30. Press the printing master 100 onto the substrate 21, so that a raised structure 22 complementary to the microstructure 11 is formed on the surface of the substrate 21.

[0034] This step is the core of microstructure 11 molding. Pressing refers to the process of applying pressure to make the master mold and substrate 21 come into close contact. In order to achieve the transfer of the structure, the physical state of the substrate 21 needs to be adjusted according to its material.

[0035] If the substrate 21 is glass, it needs to be heated to a softened state to give it the ability to be plastically deformed.

[0036] If the substrate 21 is a polymer, the structure can be transferred at room temperature or under appropriate heating conditions, depending on the material properties.

[0037] Through lamination, the microstructure 11 on the surface of the master plate is completely replicated to the surface of the substrate 21, forming the corresponding protrusion structure 22.

[0038] S40. The substrate 21 is solidified and molded, and separated from the printing master 100 to obtain the cover plate 200.

[0039] The curing process employs different methods depending on the material properties. For example, if the substrate 21 is glass, it is cured by natural cooling or controlled cooling; if the substrate 21 is a UV-curable resin, it is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet light at a specific wavelength (such as 365nm); and if the substrate 21 is a thermosetting polymer, it is cured by heating to achieve cross-linking.

[0040] After curing, the microstructures 11 on the surface of the glass cover 200 slightly shrink in volume upon cooling due to the physical property of thermal expansion and contraction of the material, thereby creating a micro-gap with the imprinting master 100 and achieving natural separation. This separation method is non-destructive, avoiding damage to the microstructures 11 that may be caused by mechanical separation, while protecting the imprinting master 100 and extending its service life.

[0041] In some alternative embodiments, the substrate 21 is glass; the method of preparing the cover plate 200 before pressing the imprint master 100 onto the substrate 21 further includes heating the glass substrate 21 to a softened state.

[0042] In this embodiment, the glass substrate 21 needs to be heated to its softened state, which corresponds to a specific temperature range above the glass transition temperature and below the softening point of the glass. Within this temperature range, the glass material maintains sufficient structural integrity while possessing good plastic deformation capability, enabling the replication of micron- or even nanometer-level precision structures under imprinting pressure.

[0043] Specific process parameters include: heating temperature controlled within the range of 650℃ to 1000℃, holding time adjusted from 5 minutes to 30 minutes depending on the thickness of the substrate 21, and imprinting pressure adjusted from 0.5MPa to 5MPa depending on the structural dimensions and depth. This process path is suitable for electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets that require high surface hardness and durability.

[0044] In some alternative embodiments, the substrate 21 is a UV-curable resin; curing the substrate 21 includes curing the substrate 21 by irradiating it with ultraviolet light.

[0045] In this embodiment, the UV-curable resin can undergo a rapid polymerization reaction under UV irradiation by a photoinitiator, achieving a transformation from liquid or semi-solid to solid state.

[0046] The step of curing the substrate 21 specifically includes: after the master printing plate 100 is pressed, the resin substrate 21 is irradiated with an ultraviolet light source of a specific wavelength and intensity, so that it completes cross-linking and curing while maintaining the morphology of the microstructure 11. The process parameters include: the ultraviolet light wavelength can be 365 nm, and the irradiation intensity can be 200 mW / cm². 2 Up to 500mW / cm 2 The exposure time can be from 30 seconds to 120 seconds.

[0047] The advantages of this process route lie in its low-temperature processing characteristics, high production efficiency, and good structural replication accuracy, making it particularly suitable for applications that are heat-sensitive or require high-efficiency continuous production.

[0048] In some alternative embodiments, the substrate 21 is a thermosetting polymer; prior to the step of pressing the imprint master 100 onto the substrate 21, the method further includes: heating the thermosetting polymer to a fluid state; and curing the polymer by heat curing.

[0049] In this embodiment, the substrate 21 is made of a thermosetting polymer material, such as epoxy resin or phenolic resin. Such materials require heating to achieve cross-linking and curing, forming a three-dimensional network structure. The process includes two stages: first, the material is heated to a fluid state (typically 80°C to 150°C) to give it good filling properties; then, while maintaining pressure, the temperature is increased to the curing temperature (typically 150°C to 250°C) to complete the cross-linking reaction.

[0050] This technological approach combines the processing convenience of polymer materials with the excellent mechanical properties and heat resistance of thermosetting materials, making it particularly suitable for applications with high reliability requirements, such as automotive displays and industrial control equipment.

[0051] The above embodiments have designed corresponding process parameters for the characteristics of different materials, which demonstrates the wide applicability of this preparation method to different material systems, while ensuring high-fidelity transfer of the surface microstructure 11 of the final product and excellent functional performance.

[0052] In some alternative embodiments, the impression master 100 is a roller structure. A roller structure refers to an impression mold formed by fabricating the microstructure 11 on the surface of a cylindrical roller, which is different from a planar impression mold.

[0053] The step of pressing the printing master 100 onto the substrate 21 specifically includes: rolling the printing master 100 onto the substrate 21, specifically by rolling the printing master 100 with the roller structure along the surface of the substrate 21 to achieve pressing. Here, rolling refers to applying a preset pressure while the roller rolls on the surface of the substrate 21, and the transfer process of the microstructure 11 from the master to the substrate 21 is completed through this line contact and gradual pressure application method.

[0054] This implementation scheme has significant technical advantages: the roller structure is suitable for continuous production processes. When combined with a feeding system for strip or sheet substrates 21, it enables continuous roller-to-roll production, which greatly improves production efficiency and reduces unit cost, providing a feasible technical path for large-scale industrial production. Secondly, compared with overall imprinting, the rolling method involves line contact or partial contact, requiring significantly less imprinting pressure than the overall pressure required for planar imprinting. This reduces equipment requirements and also reduces the risk of substrate 21 breakage due to uneven force during imprinting. Furthermore, since rolling is performed gradually, it helps to expel air between substrate 21 and the master plate, avoiding the formation of pores, thereby ensuring the integrity and consistency of the microstructure 11 transfer and effectively improving product yield.

[0055] The roller structure of the embossing master 100 can be used in conjunction with the aforementioned substrates 21, demonstrating the significant progress of this preparation method in improving production efficiency and product quality.

[0056] In some optional embodiments, the imprint master 100 is made of a high-temperature resistant material to ensure structural stability during high-temperature imprinting. Specifically, the material of the imprint master 100 is selected from at least one of tungsten metal, molybdenum alloy, quartz glass, or silicon carbide. The tungsten metal imprint master 100 can withstand high-temperature environments above 1500°C, and its coefficient of thermal expansion at 1000°C is 4.5 × 10⁻⁶. -6 The quartz glass imprinting master plate 100 maintains a thermal stability of 99.8% at 1000℃, with a surface roughness Ra≤2nm, ensuring the accuracy of the transfer structure.

[0057] The microstructure 11 on the surface of the imprint master 100 is formed through a precision machining process. In one specific embodiment, an ion beam etching process is employed, using an argon ion beam at an accelerating voltage of 800V and a beam current density of 1.2mA / cm². 2 Etching is performed under the following conditions, with the etching rate controlled at 20 nm / min, and the depth uniformity reaching ±3%. In another embodiment, a femtosecond laser etching process is employed, using a laser beam with a wavelength of 1030 nm and a pulse width of 300 fs, at a repetition frequency of 100 kHz and a power density of 10... 14 W / cm 2 Under certain conditions, microstructures with a sidewall verticality of 89°±1° can be achieved through processing.11

[0058] To meet different production needs, the printing master 100 can adopt different structural forms. In the mass production embodiment, the printing master 100 can be in the form of a roller. The roller base is made of high-strength alloy steel, and the surface is plated with a 500μm thick hard chromium layer. The roller diameter can be adjusted within the range of 200mm to 800mm according to production needs, with a roundness error ≤5μm. The microstructures 11 set on the roller surface have a splicing accuracy controlled within ±1μm in the circumferential direction, ensuring the continuity of the pattern during continuous printing.

[0059] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a first structure of a cover plate provided in an embodiment of this application. An embodiment of this application also provides a cover plate 200, prepared by the method described in the above embodiments. At least one surface of the cover plate 200 has a raised structure 22.

[0060] The cover plate 200 is used to protect the surface components of the display panel 300 or other optical elements, and its material can be optically transparent materials such as glass or polymer. The manufacturing method described above ensures that at least one functional surface of the cover plate 200 has a precisely designed protruding structure 22.

[0061] The raised structure 22 refers to the micro-geometric shapes formed on the surface of the cover plate 200 by the embossing process. These structures are arranged according to a specific rule and together constitute the functional microstructure 11.

[0062] Furthermore, the protruding structures 22 are periodically arranged on the surface of the cover plate 200 to form a biomimetic moth-eye structure film layer, thereby creating a gradually changing refractive index transition zone and fundamentally suppressing Fresnel reflection.

[0063] Please see Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a second structure of the cover plate provided in an embodiment of this application. The height H of the protruding structure 22 is 100nm to 400nm; the distance P between the center points of two adjacent protruding structures 22 is 100nm to 400nm. This size range is set based on the biomimetic moth eye antireflection principle. By controlling the structural size to the subwavelength level of the visible light wavelength, the continuous refractive interface of the medium can be effectively broken, forming a gradual transition of refractive index, thereby significantly reducing the interface reflectivity. When the structural size exceeds this range, the optimal antireflection effect cannot be achieved: if the size is too small, it will lead to processing difficulties and weakened optical effects; if the size is too large, the subwavelength condition cannot be met, and the antireflection performance will be significantly reduced.

[0064] Please continue reading for more details. Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 The protruding structure 22 can be frustum-shaped or hemispherical. For example... Figure 3A frustum is a truncated cone structure with a circular base and a specific taper, such as... Figure 4 The hemispherical shape refers to the approximately hemispherical convex structure 22. The design of these specific shapes facilitates the gradual refraction of light between the air and the cover plate 200 medium, avoiding sudden phase changes in the incident light, thereby maximally suppressing Fresnel reflection.

[0065] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a top view of the protruding structure provided in an embodiment of this application. When the protruding structure 22 is frustum-shaped, it has a bottom end near the cover plate 200 and a top end away from the cover plate 200, with the diameter D2 of the bottom end being larger than the diameter D1 of the top end. The diameter D2 of the bottom end is 50% to 80% of the distance P between the center points of two adjacent protruding structures 22.

[0066] When the diameter D2 of the bottom end occupies less than 50% of the distance P between the center points of two adjacent protrusions 22, the gap between adjacent structures is too large, resulting in insufficient effective anti-reflection area. When the diameter D2 of the bottom end occupies more than 80% of the distance P between the center points of two adjacent protrusions 22, the spacing between adjacent structures is too small, increasing the fabrication difficulty and potentially causing diffraction effects, thus affecting imaging quality. By controlling the ratio of the bottom diameter to the spacing within the range of 50% to 80%, it is possible to maintain the independence of the structures and the feasibility of fabrication while ensuring sufficient anti-reflection area, achieving optimal broadband anti-reflection characteristics.

[0067] Through the above-mentioned optimized combination of structural parameters, the cover plate 200 provided in this embodiment can achieve excellent performance with an average reflectivity of less than 0.5% in the visible light band of 380nm to 780nm, while maintaining good optical transparency and image fidelity, providing an effective technical solution for solving the screen reflection problem of electronic device 1.

[0068] Please see Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0069] This application embodiment also provides an electronic device 1, wherein the electronic device 1 refers to a terminal product including a display function, including but not limited to smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart wearable devices, in-vehicle display devices, and various displays. The "display panel 300" refers to the core component that realizes the image display function, and can be a liquid crystal display panel 300, an organic electroluminescent display panel 300, a micro light-emitting diode display panel 300, or other types of display panels 300. The light-emitting side refers to the side of the display panel 300 used to output display light for user observation, i.e., the viewing side.

[0070] The electronic device 1 includes a display panel 300 and a cover plate 200, wherein the cover plate 200 is the aforementioned cover plate 200, and the cover plate 200 is disposed on the light-emitting side of the display panel 300. This arrangement has multiple technical advantages: First, the raised structure 22 formed on the surface of the cover plate 200 is based on the biomimetic moth eye principle, which can effectively reduce the reflectivity of ambient light on the surface of the cover plate 200, significantly improving the visibility and contrast of the display panel 300 in strong light environments; second, the cover plate 200, as an outer protective layer of the display panel 300, can provide reliable physical protection to prevent the display panel 300 from being damaged by scratches, impacts, etc.; third, since the raised structure 22 and the cover plate 200 substrate are integrally formed, compared with traditional anti-reflective coating solutions, it has superior wear resistance, weather resistance and service life.

[0071] The electronic device 1 also includes an optical adhesive 400, which is disposed between the display panel 300 and the cover plate 200 to fix the cover plate 200 to the display panel 300.

[0072] By combining a functional cover plate 200 with a specific microstructure 11 with a display panel 300, the electronic device 1 provided in this embodiment can maintain excellent display performance under various lighting conditions, effectively alleviating user eye fatigue, while also having higher structural reliability and a longer service life. This technical solution is particularly suitable for application scenarios such as mobile devices that need to be used in complex lighting environments, providing users with a significantly improved visual experience.

[0073] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0074] In the description of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features.

[0075] The preparation method of the cover plate, the cover plate, and the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application, and the descriptions of the embodiments above are only for the purpose of helping to understand this application. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this application, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a cover plate, characterized in that, include: An impression master is provided, the surface of which is formed with microstructures; Provide substrate; The printing master is pressed onto the substrate, so that a raised structure complementary to the microstructure is formed on the surface of the substrate; The substrate is cured and molded, and then separated from the printing master to obtain the cover plate.

2. The method for preparing the cover plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate is glass; before pressing the imprint master onto the substrate, the method further includes heating the substrate to a softened state.

3. The method for preparing the cover plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate is a UV-curable resin; the step of curing the substrate includes curing the substrate by irradiating it with ultraviolet light.

4. The method for preparing the cover plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate is a thermosetting polymer; before the step of pressing the printing master onto the substrate, the method further includes: heating the thermosetting polymer to a fluid state; the curing process is heat curing.

5. The method for preparing the cover plate according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The printing master is a roller structure, and pressing the printing master onto the substrate includes: rolling the printing master onto the substrate.

6. A cover plate, characterized in that, The cover plate is prepared by the method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one surface of the cover plate has a raised structure.

7. The cover plate according to claim 6, characterized in that, The height of the protrusion is 100nm to 400nm; the distance between the center points of two adjacent protrusions is 100nm to 400nm.

8. The cover plate according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, The protruding structure is frustum-shaped or hemispherical.

9. The cover plate according to claim 8, characterized in that, When the protrusion structure is frustum-shaped, the protrusion structure has a bottom end near the cover plate and a top end away from the cover plate, and the diameter of the bottom end is 50% to 80% of the distance between the center points of two adjacent protrusion structures.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a display panel and a cover plate, wherein the cover plate is the cover plate according to any one of claims 6 to 9, and the cover plate is disposed on the light-emitting side of the display panel.

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