Splicing exposure method of display panel

Abstract

The application discloses a splicing exposure method of a display panel, comprising the following steps: S1, dividing a large-size panel into an effective area and a peripheral area; S2, exposing the effective area by using a first mask; S3, exposing the peripheral area by using a second mask; S4, judging whether there is an unexposed area; if yes, returning to step S1; if no, executing the next step S5; S5, splicing the exposed areas to form a complete large-size panel. The splicing exposure method of the display panel uses the splicing design of a small mask, uses a baffle to shield, adopts a direct splicing mode, separately extracts the effective area of the panel to expose the effective area by using a mask, exposes the peripheral wiring and other parts by using other masks. The method can effectively reduce the production cost, reduce the mold opening cost and the number of masks, shorten the whole product manufacturing time, reduce the management and storage space cost of the masks, improve the use efficiency of the exposure machine, reduce the labor cost, and improve the production work efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of display panel technology. Specifically, this invention relates to a method for splicing and exposing display panels. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the size of LCD panels is getting larger and larger. However, due to the limitations of exposure machines on the size of photomasks, when manufacturing large-size LCD panels, it is usually necessary to divide the large-size panel into several areas, use photomasks to splice and expose the areas separately, and finally assemble them into a large-size display panel.

[0003] Due to differences in manufacturing processes, existing splicing exposure methods can cause uneven brightness in the splicing area of ​​the display panel, resulting in various traces, known as splicing mura (uneven patches). Furthermore, as panel size increases, the number of splicing positions and the number of splicing operations also increase, leading to more splicing mura and affecting the image display quality. In addition, the cost and quantity of photomasks also increase, resulting in higher production costs.

[0004] This invention provides a method for splicing exposures of display panels, particularly concerning how to improve the image display quality of display panels. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention provides a method for splicing and exposing display panels, with the purpose of improving the image display quality of the display panel.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a method for splicing and exposing display panels, comprising the following steps:

[0007] S1. Divide the large-size panel into an effective area and a peripheral area;

[0008] S2. Expose the effective area using the first photomask;

[0009] S3. Expose the peripheral area using a second photomask;

[0010] S4. Determine if there are any unexposed areas; if so, return to step S1; if not, proceed to the next step S5.

[0011] S5. The exposed areas are spliced ​​together to form a complete large-size panel.

[0012] Step S1 includes:

[0013] S101. Determine the division method of the effective area and the peripheral area based on the panel size and pattern distribution;

[0014] S102. Use a baffle to block the outer area and extract the effective area separately;

[0015] S103. Using direct spelling, the effective area is divided into one region.

[0016] Step S2 includes:

[0017] S201. Expose the effective area using the first photomask;

[0018] S202. By changing the position of the shading, adjust the position of the mosaic area to avoid the mosaic area being concentrated.

[0019] In step S202, by changing the light-blocking position of the baffle, the distribution of the mosaic area within the effective area is changed, so that the mosaic area is dispersed.

[0020] In step S201, when there is enough space in the exposure area around the first photomask, a portion of the pattern in the outer area is placed in the exposure area around the first photomask for exposure, and one first photomask is set.

[0021] In step S201, when the space around the first photomask is insufficient, other photomasks are used in conjunction with the first photomask to expose the effective area.

[0022] Step S3 includes:

[0023] S301. Expose the peripheral area using the second photomask;

[0024] S302. As needed, the outer area is exposed multiple times to form wiring and other parts.

[0025] The effective area of ​​the first photomask is an arrayable pattern, which is extracted into arrayable cells and placed on the first photomask.

[0026] The first and second photomasks are small-sized photomasks.

[0027] The splicing and exposure method for display panels of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0028] 1. By using a splicing design of small photomasks and using baffles to block the view, the effective area of ​​the panel is extracted separately and exposed with a single photomask. The peripheral wiring and other parts are placed in the exposure area around the photomask.

[0029] If space is insufficient, other photomasks can be used for exposure, which can effectively avoid uneven brightness marks in the splicing area, i.e. splicing mura, thereby improving the display quality of the display panel.

[0030] 2. By reducing the number of splicing positions and splicing times, the risk of splicing mura can be greatly reduced, further improving the display effect;

[0031] 3. This method optimizes the photomask division method, improves the uniformity and accuracy of exposure, and helps to improve product quality;

[0032] 4. This method can be flexibly adjusted according to different product sizes and pattern distributions, making it more adaptable and able to meet the needs of different products;

[0033] 5. This method reduces the number of exposures, improves overlay accuracy and splicing alignment accuracy, thereby increasing production efficiency;

[0034] 6. This method can significantly and effectively reduce production costs, reduce mold opening costs and quantity of photomasks, shorten the overall product manufacturing time, reduce photomask management and storage space costs, improve the efficiency of exposure machines, reduce labor costs, and enhance production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0035] This manual includes the following figures, which illustrate the following:

[0036] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the splicing and exposure method for the display panel of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall exposure method of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the MASK of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 4 This is an overall schematic diagram of a conventional exposure.

[0040] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a standard exposure mask. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in order to help those skilled in the art to have a more complete, accurate and in-depth understanding of the concept and technical solutions of the present invention, and to facilitate its implementation.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a method for splicing and exposing a display panel, including the following steps:

[0043] S1. Divide the large-size panel into an effective area and a peripheral area;

[0044] S2. Expose the effective area using the first photomask;

[0045] S3. Expose the peripheral area using a second photomask;

[0046] S4. Determine if there are any unexposed areas; if so, return to step S1; if not, proceed to the next step S5.

[0047] S5. The exposed areas are spliced ​​together to form a complete large-size panel.

[0048] Specifically, this invention proposes a splicing exposure method for large-size panel products. It utilizes a splicing design with small photomasks, employs baffles for shielding, and uses a direct splicing method to extract the effective area of ​​the panel for exposure with a single photomask, while the peripheral wiring and other parts are exposed using other photomasks. This method can significantly and effectively reduce production costs, decrease mold opening costs and the number of photomasks required, shorten the overall product manufacturing time, reduce photomask management and storage space costs, improve the efficiency of the exposure machine, reduce labor costs, and enhance production efficiency.

[0049] In this embodiment of the invention, step S1 includes:

[0050] S101. Determine the division method of the effective area and the peripheral area based on the panel size and pattern distribution;

[0051] S102. By using a baffle to block the outer area of ​​the panel, the effective area of ​​the panel is extracted separately.

[0052] S103. Using a direct splicing method, the effective area of ​​the panel is divided into one area.

[0053] In step S102 above, the function of the baffle is not only to divide the effective area and the outer area, but also to control the range and boundary of shading by adjusting its own position.

[0054] In step S103 above, "straight splicing" refers to the edges of each effective area of ​​the panel being connected in a straight line (rather than complex interlacing or overlapping splicing), simplifying the splicing process. This method reduces alignment errors caused by complex splicing paths, lowers the risk of splicing mura (uneven brightness), and improves splicing efficiency.

[0055] The effective area is the core display area of ​​the panel. The effective area of ​​the panel is treated as an independent unit, and exposure is completed using a small photomask. This is because the pattern of the effective area is usually regular (such as arrayable pixel units). Using a single photomask can ensure the consistency of display quality while reducing the number of photomasks.

[0056] In this embodiment of the invention, step S2 includes:

[0057] S201. Expose the effective area using the first photomask;

[0058] S202. By changing the position of the shading, adjust the position of the mosaic area to avoid the mosaic area being concentrated.

[0059] In step S202 above, by changing the light-blocking position of the baffle, the distribution of the mosaic area within the effective area is altered, resulting in a more dispersed mosaic area and preventing the mosaic from becoming too concentrated, which would cause noticeable mura. The baffle is a key component for controlling the exposure boundary; therefore, adjusting the baffle's position directly changes the light-blocking boundary position, thereby altering the distribution of the mosaic area.

[0060] When exposing the effective area, factors such as photomask size and exposure equipment characteristics may cause mosaic-like areas (i.e., local patterns or brightness differences caused by slight differences in exposure parameters, baffle edge effects, etc.) to form at the edges or seams of the exposed area. If these mosaic areas are concentrated in one location, the seam marks (i.e., splicing mura, manifested as uneven brightness marks) in that area will be particularly noticeable, affecting the panel display quality. In this embodiment of the invention, by changing the light-blocking position (e.g., adjusting the position of the baffle used for blocking), the distribution of mosaic areas within the effective area can be changed, allowing the mosaic areas that might have been concentrated to disperse, thereby reducing the visibility of splicing mura and improving the panel's display effect.

[0061] In step S201 above, when there is sufficient space in the exposure area around the first photomask, a portion of the pattern in the outer area is placed in the exposure area around the first photomask for exposure, and one first photomask is set. In this way, while the effective area is being exposed, the outer area around the same photomask can be exposed simultaneously, avoiding the additional stitching boundary caused by these two areas belonging to different photomasks.

[0062] In step S201 above, when the space around the first photomask is insufficient, other photomasks are used in conjunction with the first photomask to expose the effective area.

[0063] The effective area of ​​the panel is extracted and exposed using a single photomask. The peripheral traces and other parts are placed in the peripheral exposure area of ​​this photomask. The peripheral exposure area refers to the remaining usable space on the same photomask excluding the effective area pattern. When the pattern in the peripheral area (such as traces, non-display area structures, etc.) is large enough to exceed the remaining usable space of a single photomask, it constitutes "insufficient space." In this case, the excess pattern needs to be transferred to another photomask for exposure.

[0064] Graphics outside the effective display area of ​​the panel can be placed around the first photomask. If there is not enough space within the effective exposure area, they can be placed on another photomask. Furthermore, by using a single photomask to handle the exposure of multiple related areas, the extra stitching boundaries caused by splitting these areas onto different photomasks are avoided.

[0065] In this embodiment of the invention, step S3 includes:

[0066] S301. Expose the outer area using a second photomask;

[0067] S302. As needed, the outer area is exposed multiple times to form wiring and other parts.

[0068] In this embodiment of the invention, the effective area of ​​the first photomask is an arrayable pattern. The pattern is extracted into arrayable units and placed on the first photomask, which is a small-sized photomask.

[0069] In this embodiment of the invention, the second photomask is a small-sized photomask.

[0070] The present invention has been described above by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the specific implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-described manner. Any non-substantial improvements made using the inventive concept and technical solution; or the direct application of the inventive concept and technical solution to other situations without modification, are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for splicing and exposing display panels, characterized in that, Including the following steps: S1. Divide the large-size panel into an effective area and a peripheral area; S2. Expose the effective area using the first photomask; S3. Expose the peripheral area using a second photomask; S4. Determine if there are any unexposed areas; if so, return to step S1; if not, proceed to the next step S5. S5. The exposed areas are spliced ​​together to form a complete large-size panel.

2. The splicing exposure method for a display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S1 includes: S101. Determine the division method of the effective area and the peripheral area based on the panel size and pattern distribution; S102. Use a baffle to block the outer area and extract the effective area separately; S103. Using direct spelling, the effective area is divided into one region.

3. The splicing exposure method for a display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S2 includes: S201. Expose the effective area using the first photomask; S202. By changing the position of the shading, adjust the position of the mosaic area to avoid the mosaic area being concentrated.

4. The splicing exposure method for a display panel according to claim 3, characterized in that, In step S202, by changing the light-blocking position of the baffle, the distribution of the mosaic area within the effective area is changed, so that the mosaic area is dispersed.

5. The splicing exposure method for a display panel according to claim 3, characterized in that, In step S201, when there is enough space in the exposure area around the first photomask, a portion of the pattern in the outer area is placed in the exposure area around the first photomask for exposure, and one first photomask is set.

6. The splicing exposure method for a display panel according to claim 5, characterized in that, In step S201, when the space around the first photomask is insufficient, other photomasks are used in conjunction with the first photomask to expose the effective area.

7. The splicing exposure method for a display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, Step S3 includes: S301. Expose the peripheral area using the second photomask; S302. As needed, the outer area is exposed multiple times to form wiring and other parts.

8. The splicing exposure method for a display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The effective area of ​​the first photomask is an arrayable pattern, which is extracted into arrayable cells and placed on the first photomask.

9. The splicing exposure method for a display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first and second photomasks are small-sized photomasks.

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