Display panel, preparation method thereof and display device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a display panel, a preparation method thereof and a display device, and relate to the technical field of display, and are used for improving the preparation yield of the display panel. The display panel comprises a bending area; the display panel further comprises a substrate; a first organic insulating layer located on one side of the substrate, at least part of the first organic insulating layer being located in the bending area; a first inorganic insulating layer located on the side of the first organic insulating layer away from the substrate; the first inorganic insulating layer comprises a first opening, at least part of the first opening being located in the bending area; the display panel further comprises a first area adjacent to the first opening, the first area being located on the side of the edge of the first opening close to the non-opening part of the first inorganic insulating layer; in the first area, there is a distance d between the first inorganic insulating layer and the first organic insulating layer in the direction perpendicular to the plane where the substrate is located, and d>0.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of display technology, and more specifically to a display panel, its manufacturing method, and a display device. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of science and technology, more and more electronic devices with display functions are being widely used in people's daily lives and work, bringing great convenience to people's daily lives and work, and becoming an indispensable tool for people today.

[0003] Currently, display panels suffer from a low manufacturing yield. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a display panel, a method for manufacturing the same, and a display device, which are used to improve the yield of display panel manufacturing.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a display panel including a bending area; The display panel also includes: Substrate; A first organic insulating layer located on one side of the substrate, at least a portion of the first organic insulating layer being located in the bending region; A first inorganic insulating layer is located on the side of the first organic insulating layer away from the substrate; the first inorganic insulating layer includes a first opening, at least a portion of which is located in the bending region; The display panel also includes a first region adjacent to the first opening, the first region being located on the side of the edge of the first opening near the non-opening portion of the first inorganic insulating layer; In the first region, along a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, there is a distance d between the first inorganic insulating layer and the first organic insulating layer, where d > 0.

[0006] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a display device, including the display panel described above.

[0007] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for manufacturing a display panel, comprising: A substrate is provided, the substrate including a bending region; A first organic insulating layer is formed on one side of the substrate; A protective material film is formed on the side of the first organic insulating layer away from the substrate; A first inorganic insulating material layer is formed on the side of the protective material film away from the substrate. The first inorganic insulating material layer is patterned, and the portion of the first inorganic insulating material layer located in the bending region is removed to obtain the first inorganic insulating layer. The first inorganic insulating layer includes a first opening located in the bending region. The protective material film is patterned, and at least a portion of the protective material film located within the first opening is removed, so that in the first region, there is a distance d, where d > 0, between the first inorganic insulating layer and the first organic insulating layer; wherein the first region is adjacent to the first opening and is located on the side of the edge of the first opening near the non-opening portion of the first inorganic insulating layer.

[0008] The display panel, its manufacturing method, and the display device provided in this invention can increase the screen-to-body ratio of the display panel by setting a bending area in the display panel.

[0009] Based on this, the embodiments of the present invention, by providing a first opening in the first inorganic insulating layer, can avoid placing the inorganic material used to prepare the first inorganic insulating layer in the bending area. Since the inorganic material has weak bending resistance, the method provided by the embodiments of the present invention can avoid bending cracks in the first inorganic insulating layer after bending, which is beneficial to improving the reliability of the bending area of ​​the display panel, and thus improving the reliability of the display panel.

[0010] Furthermore, in the first region, by having a distance d, where d > 0, between the first inorganic insulating layer and the first organic insulating layer, the embodiments of the present invention can prevent the first inorganic insulating layer and the first organic insulating layer from directly contacting each other in the first region. The space between the first inorganic insulating layer and the first organic insulating layer in the first region can serve as a space for accommodating a protective material film. The protective material film can be used to block the film layer above it and the film layer below it, preventing etching residues from crossing the protective material film and affecting the film layer below when etching the upper film layer. The upper film layer refers to the film layer located on the side of the protective material film away from the substrate, and the lower film layer refers to the film layer located on the side of the protective material film closer to the substrate, which can improve the yield of the display panel. Attached Figure Description

[0011] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0012] Figure 1 A top view schematic diagram of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a cross-section along BB'; Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shown is a top view of the display panel in its unfolded state at the bend. Figure 4A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display panel in an unfolded state in the bending area, provided as an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of another display panel in an unfolded state in the bending area, provided for an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display panel in an unfolded state in the bending area, as provided in another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display panel in an unfolded state in the bending area, as provided in another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display panel in an unfolded state in the bending area, as provided in another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display panel in an unfolded state in the bending area, as provided in another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a display device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0013] To better understand the technical solution of this application, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] It should be understood that the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments in this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0015] The terminology used in the embodiments of this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in the embodiments of this invention and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0016] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0017] This invention provides a display panel, such as... Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This is a top view schematic diagram of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a cross-section along BB'. Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shown is a top view of the display panel in its unfolded state at the bend. Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of a display panel in its unfolded state at the bend area. The display panel includes a display area AA and a bend area BA; the bend area BA is capable of bending, as shown below. Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the display panel also includes a bonding area PA, and a bending area BA is located between the display area AA and the bonding area PA. The bending area BA connects the display area AA and the bonding area PA. When the bending area BA is in a bent state, the bonding area PA can be positioned on the side of the display panel away from the light-emitting side. Figure 2 The light emission direction of the display panel is indicated by the z-direction. The setting of the bending area BA can improve the screen-to-body ratio of the display panel.

[0018] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the display panel also includes a substrate 11, a first organic insulating layer 121, and a first inorganic insulating layer 131.

[0019] For example, substrate 11 may include various materials with flexible or bendable properties, such as ultrathin glass, metal foil or polymer plastic material. The ultra-thin glass includes ultra-thin alkali-free glass with a thickness of less than 0.2 mm; the metal foil includes stainless steel foil, aluminum foil, copper foil, etc.; the polymer plastic materials include polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyethersulfone (PES), polyacrylate (PA), polyetherimide (PEI), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyarylate (PAR), polycarbonate (PC), cellulose acetate propionate (CAP), or glass fiber reinforced plastics (FRP), etc. This invention does not limit these components.

[0020] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the first organic insulating layer 121 is located on one side of the substrate 11, and at least a portion of the first organic insulating layer 121 is located in the bending region BA; the first inorganic insulating layer 131 is located on the side of the first organic insulating layer 121 away from the substrate 11; the first inorganic insulating layer 131 includes a first opening 1310, and at least a portion of the first opening 1310 is located in the bending region BA.

[0021] By providing a first opening 1310 in the first inorganic insulating layer 131, this embodiment of the invention avoids placing the inorganic material used to prepare the first inorganic insulating layer 131 in the bending region BA. Since the inorganic material has weak bending resistance, the method provided by this embodiment of the invention can prevent bending cracks from appearing in the first inorganic insulating layer 131 after bending, which is beneficial to improving the reliability of the bending region of the display panel, and thus improving the reliability of the display panel.

[0022] For example, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the display panel also includes a first region A1 adjacent to the first opening 1310. The first region A1 is located on the side of the edge E1 of the first opening 1310 near the non-opening portion 1311 of the first inorganic insulating layer 131. The non-opening portion 1311 may at least partially surround the first opening 1310. Figure 3 The first region A1 surrounds the first opening 1310 as an illustration.

[0023] In the first region A1, along the direction h1 perpendicular to the plane where the substrate 11 is located, there is a distance d between the first inorganic insulating layer 131 and the first organic insulating layer 121, where d > 0.

[0024] In the first region A1, this embodiment of the invention avoids direct contact between the first inorganic insulating layer 131 and the first organic insulating layer 121 by having a distance d, where d > 0. The space between the first inorganic insulating layer 131 and the first organic insulating layer 121 in the first region A1 can serve as a space for a protective material film. The protective material film can be used to block the film layer above it and the film layer below it, preventing etching residues from affecting the lower film layer when etching the upper film layer. The upper film layer refers to the film layer on the side of the protective material film away from the substrate, and the lower film layer refers to the film layer on the side of the protective material film closer to the substrate 11. This can improve the yield of the display panel.

[0025] It should be noted that, Figure 1 and Figure 3The bending area BA located on one side of the display area AA in the second direction h12 is only an illustration. In this embodiment of the invention, the bending area BA can also be set on one side of the display area AA in the first direction h11. This embodiment of the invention does not limit the relative positional relationship between the bending area BA and the display area AA.

[0026] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another display panel provided in an embodiment of the present invention, in which the display panel is in an unfolded state in the bending area. The display panel also includes a protective layer 14. At least a portion of the orthographic projection of the protective layer 14 onto the plane where the substrate 11 is located is located in the first region A1, and along the direction h1 perpendicular to the plane where the substrate 11 is located, the protective layer 14 is located between the first organic insulating layer 121 and the first inorganic insulating layer 131.

[0027] In the preparation of having such Figure 5 When manufacturing a display panel with the structure shown, a film can first be formed on the surface of the first organic insulating layer 121 using the material that forms the protective layer 14. This film is hereinafter referred to as the protective material film. The protective material film can block the film layer above it and the film layer below it, preventing etching residues from affecting the lower film layer when etching the upper film layer. The upper film layer refers to the film layer located on the side of the protective material film away from the substrate, and the lower film layer refers to the film layer located on the side of the protective material film closer to the substrate. This can improve the yield of the display panel.

[0028] After the etching of the upper film layer is completed, the present invention embodiment can at least partially remove the portion of the protective material film corresponding to the first opening 1310, and the portion of the protective material film that is retained is the aforementioned protective layer 14.

[0029] This configuration allows for two advantages. First, the protective material film can block the film layers above and below it, preventing etching residues from affecting the lower film layer during etching of the upper film layer. Second, it can reduce the thickness of the portion of the protective material film overlapping with the first opening 1310, or it can avoid having a portion of the protective material film overlapping with the first opening 1310. This can reduce the thickness of the film layer in the bending area BA, or reduce the number of film layers in the bending area BA, which is beneficial for improving the bending characteristics and reliability of the bending area in the display panel.

[0030] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, along the direction h1 perpendicular to the plane of the substrate 11, the edge E1 of the protective layer 14 and the first opening 1310 at least partially overlap. This arrangement reduces the precision control requirements when removing the portion of the protective material film corresponding to the first opening 1310, thus simplifying the fabrication of the protective layer 14.

[0031] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, along direction h1 perpendicular to the plane of substrate 11, the non-opening portion 1311 of the protective layer 14 and the first inorganic insulating layer 131 at least partially overlap. This arrangement reduces the precision control requirements when removing the portion of the protective material film corresponding to the first opening 1310, thus simplifying the fabrication of the protective layer 14.

[0032] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, the overlap width of the non-opening portion 1311 of the protective layer 14 and the first inorganic insulating layer 131 is D1, where D1 ≤ 1µm. By setting the overlap width to a smaller value, this embodiment of the invention reduces the width of the protective layer 14 retained in the display panel, thereby preventing the protective layer 14 from interfering with other traces in the display panel. Specifically, as the bezel width of the display panel gradually decreases, the distance between traces decreases. By setting D1 to a smaller value, this embodiment of the invention can adapt to the structural requirements of narrow bezels.

[0033] Optional, such as Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another display panel provided in an embodiment of the present invention, in which the edge of the protective layer 14 is flush with the edge E1 of the first opening 1310.

[0034] For example, in the preparation of having Figure 6 When constructing the display panel with the structure shown, a protective material film can first be formed on the surface of the first organic insulating layer 121 using the material used to form the protective layer. Then, a first inorganic insulating layer 131 is formed on the side of the protective material film away from the substrate 11. The first inorganic insulating layer 131 has a first opening 1310. The portion of the protective material film corresponding to the first opening 1310 is then removed. During the removal of the protective material film, wet etching can be used, such as using an etchant to etch the protective material film to remove unwanted portions. The etchant includes acid or alkali solutions, with the acid including any one of nitric acid, sulfonic acid, or acetic acid. During the removal process, in addition to contacting and etching the protective material film, the etchant can also penetrate along the interface between the protective material film and other adjacent layers, such as the first inorganic insulating layer 131, potentially causing voids to form inside the first inorganic insulating layer 131 and reducing its density. By aligning the edge of the protective layer 14 with the edge of the first opening 1310, this embodiment of the invention can control the amount of corrosive liquid penetrating into the interior of the first inorganic insulating layer 131 through the interface between the protective material film and the first inorganic insulating layer 131. This reduces or avoids the formation of voids in the first inorganic insulating layer 131, which helps to improve the density of the first inorganic insulating layer 131 and thus improves the reliability of the display panel.

[0035] In addition, this arrangement reduces the area of ​​the protective layer 14 in the bending zone BA, thereby ensuring the bending characteristics of the bending zone BA.

[0036] Optional, such as Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display panel in an unfolded state in the bending area, provided by another embodiment of the present invention. The protective layer 14 includes a first sub-protective layer 141 and a second sub-protective layer 142. Along the direction h1 perpendicular to the plane where the substrate 11 is located, the first sub-protective layer 141 overlaps with the non-opening portion 1311 of the first inorganic insulating layer 131. The orthographic projection of the second sub-protective layer 142 on the plane where the substrate 11 is located is located within the first opening 1310. The thickness of the second sub-protective layer 142 is less than the thickness of the first sub-protective layer 141.

[0037] By making the thickness of the second sub-protective layer 142 less than the thickness of the first sub-protective layer 141, the ductility of the second sub-protective layer 142 can be improved, thereby improving the bendability of the bending area BA of the display panel.

[0038] For example, the first sub-protective layer 141 at least partially surrounds the second sub-protective layer 142.

[0039] For example, such as Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment of the invention, the width of the second sub-protective layer 142 can be smaller than the width of the first opening 1310.

[0040] In another alternative implementation, such as Figure 8 As shown, Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display panel in an unfolded state in the bending area, according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the width of the second sub-protective layer 142 can be equal to the width of the first opening 1310, that is, the second sub-protective layer 142 covers the first opening 1310. This arrangement increases the width of the second sub-protective layer 142, preventing impurity ions from penetrating from above the second sub-protective layer 142 into the film layer below it. For example, it can prevent the diffusion of impurity ions to the connecting line 170 located in the bending area BA, thereby improving the signal stability of the film layer below the second sub-protective layer 142, such as the connecting line 170. The connecting line 170 can include at least one of a touch connecting line and a display connecting line. The touch connecting line is used to electrically connect the touch electrode located in the display area AA and the touch pad located in the bonding area PA. The display connecting line is used to electrically connect the data signal line in the display area AA and the display pad in the bonding area PA.

[0041] For example, when preparing the protective layer 14, an etchant is needed to etch the protective material film. During the etching process, embodiments of the present invention may employ a method of controlling the concentration of the etchant or the etching time in sections or in time periods, so that the thickness of the prepared second sub-protective layer 142 is less than the thickness of the first sub-protective layer 141.

[0042] Optionally, the protective layer 14 comprises a metal or a metal oxide. Both the metal and the metal oxide serving as the protective layer 14 are capable of chemically reacting with corrosive solutions, such as acids or alkalis. For example, the metal includes aluminum or molybdenum. The metal oxide includes indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), or indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO).

[0043] Optionally, the protective layer 14 may be unconnected to a potential, i.e., in a signal floating state.

[0044] In another optional embodiment, the protective layer 14 includes a conductive material, and in this embodiment, the protective layer 14 can also receive a fixed potential. Using this configuration, the protective layer 14 can act as a signal shield, reducing signal interference from other signals to the connection lines 170 in the display panel. The connection lines 170 can include at least one of touch connection lines and display connection lines. The touch connection lines are used to electrically connect touch electrodes located in the display area and touch pads located in the bonding area. The display connection lines are used to electrically connect data signal lines in the display area and display pads in the bonding area.

[0045] For example, the protective layer 14 can be grounded, or it can receive a power signal.

[0046] Optional, such as Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the protective layer 14 at least partially surrounds the first opening 1310. This arrangement increases the area of ​​the protective layer 14 surrounding the first opening 1310, and when etching the film layer above the protective layer 14, it increases the barrier area of ​​the protective layer 14 against the etching residue of the film layer above it, which is beneficial to improving the reliability of the display panel.

[0047] Optional, such as Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the non-opening portion 1311 of the first inorganic insulating layer 131 includes a body portion 13111 and a protrusion portion 13112. At least a portion of the orthographic projection of the protrusion portion 13112 onto the plane where the substrate 11 is located is located in the first region A1. The body portion 13111 is located on the side of the protrusion portion 13112 away from the first opening 1310. The thickness of the protrusion portion 13112 is less than the thickness of the body portion 13111.

[0048] In this embodiment of the invention, a body portion 13111 and a protrusion portion 13112 are provided in the non-opening portion 1311 of the first inorganic insulating layer 131. The space below the protrusion portion 13112 can serve as a space for accommodating a protective material film. The protective material film can be used to block the film layer above it and the film layer below it, preventing etching residues from crossing the protective material film and affecting the film layer below when etching the upper film layer, thereby improving the yield of the display panel.

[0049] Optional, such as Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the main body 13111 is in contact with the first organic insulating layer 121, while the protrusion 13112 is not in contact with the first organic insulating layer 121. The space between the protrusion 13112 and the first organic insulating layer 121 can serve as a space for accommodating a protective material film. The protective material film can be used to block the film layer above it and the film layer below it, preventing etching residues from crossing the protective material film and affecting the film layer below when etching the upper film layer, thereby improving the yield of the display panel.

[0050] For example, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the display panel 100 also includes a display area AA. Combined with... Figure 9 As shown, Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display panel in an unfolded state in the bending area, according to another embodiment of the present invention. The display area AA includes a touch conductive layer 151, which is located on the side of the first inorganic insulating layer 131 away from the first organic insulating layer 121. For example, the touch conductive layer 151 may include touch electrodes.

[0051] Optional, combined Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7and Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment of the invention, the bending area BA may not include the touch conductive layer 151.

[0052] For example, when preparing the touch conductive layer 151, before etching the protective material film, a film can be formed on the surface of the first inorganic insulating layer 131 using the material that forms the touch conductive layer 151. This film is hereinafter defined as the touch conductive material film. Then, the touch conductive material film is patterned. For example, patterning includes exposure, development, and etching to remove portions located in the bending region BA and at least a portion located in the display region AA, thereby forming a touch electrode of the desired shape in the display region AA. Afterward, the etching operation of the protective material film is performed.

[0053] As can be seen, by setting the above-mentioned protective material film, the present invention can prevent etching residues from affecting the structure located below the protective material film when patterning the touch conductive material film, which is beneficial to improving the reliability of the display panel.

[0054] Optionally, the display panel may include one or at least two touch conductive layers 151. Figure 9 Using the two touch conductive layers 151 in the display panel as an example, for distinction, in Figure 9 The two touch conductive layers 151 are labeled as the first touch conductive layer 1511 and the second touch conductive layer 1512, respectively. The first touch conductive layer 1511 is located on the side of the second touch conductive layer 1512 closer to the substrate 11. Figure 9 As shown, the first touch conductive layer 1511 and the second touch conductive layer 1512 are separated by a touch insulating layer 152. The touch insulating layer 152 includes a via 1520, through which a portion of the structure in the first touch conductive layer 1511 can be electrically connected to a portion of the structure in the second touch conductive layer 1512. A touch buffer layer 150 is disposed on the side of the first touch conductive layer 1511 near the substrate 11.

[0055] For example, both the touch insulating layer 152 and the touch buffer layer 150 comprise inorganic materials.

[0056] Optionally, in embodiments of the present invention, the first inorganic insulating layer 131 may include either the touch insulating layer 152 or the touch buffer layer 150.

[0057] For example, such as Figure 9As shown, the display panel also includes an array film layer 17 and a pixel definition layer (PDL) 18. The pixel definition layer 18 is located between the array film layer 17 and the touch conductive layer 151, and includes a pixel opening 180 located in the display area AA. The display area AA includes light-emitting units 19, at least a portion of which is located within the pixel opening 180. Figure 9 As shown, the light-emitting unit 19 includes a first electrode, a light-emitting layer 190, and a second electrode 192, with at least a portion of the light-emitting layer 190 located within the pixel opening 180.

[0058] For example, the first organic insulating layer 121 described above includes a pixel definition layer 18.

[0059] Optional, such as Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the display area AA also includes an optical adhesive layer 16. (As indicated...) Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the bending area BA does not include the optical adhesive layer 16.

[0060] The present invention improves the bendability of the bending region BA by removing the optical adhesive layer in the bending region BA.

[0061] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of the present invention also provide a display device, such as... Figure 10 As shown, Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a display device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The display device includes the aforementioned display panel 100. The specific structure of the display panel 100 has been described in detail in the above embodiments and will not be repeated here. Figure 10 The display device shown is for illustrative purposes only. The display device can be any electronic device with display function, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, e-reader, in-vehicle display screen or television.

[0062] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of the present invention also provide a method for manufacturing a display panel, combined with Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 11 As shown, Figure 11 This is a schematic flowchart of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method for manufacturing a display panel includes: Step S1: Provide a substrate 11, the substrate 11 including a bending region BA; Step S2: Form a first organic insulating layer 121 on one side of the substrate 11; Step S3: Form a protective material film 140 on the side of the first organic insulating layer 121 away from the substrate 11; for example, such as Figure 11 As shown, at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the protective material film 140 onto the plane of the substrate 11 lies within the bending region BA. Exemplarily, the protective material film 140 can be prepared using physical vapor deposition or chemical vapor deposition; Step S4: A first inorganic insulating layer 131 is formed on the side of the protective material film 140 away from the substrate 11. The first inorganic insulating layer 131 includes a first opening 1310 located in the bending region BA; the non-opening portion 1311 of the first inorganic insulating layer 131 overlaps with the edge E2 of the protective material film 140. The area of ​​the first inorganic insulating layer 131 can be larger than the area of ​​the protective material film 140, and the first inorganic insulating layer 131 can partially enclose the protective material film 140 therein.

[0063] Step S5: Pattern the protective material film 140 and remove at least a portion of the protective material film 140 located within the first opening 1310, so that in the first region A1, there is a distance d between the first inorganic insulating layer 131 and the first organic insulating layer 121, where d > 0; wherein the first region A1 is adjacent to the first opening 1310 and located on the side of the edge of the first opening 1310 near the non-opening portion 1311 of the first inorganic insulating layer 131.

[0064] In the fabrication of the display panel, this embodiment of the invention first prepares a protective material film 140. The protective material film 140 can be used to block the film layer above it and the film layer below it, preventing etching residues from crossing the protective material film 140 and affecting the film layer below when etching the upper film layer. The upper film layer refers to the film layer located on the side of the protective material film 140 away from the substrate 11, and the lower film layer refers to the film layer located on the side of the protective material film 140 closer to the substrate 11, which can improve the yield of the display panel.

[0065] Furthermore, after obtaining the first inorganic insulating layer 131, this embodiment of the invention patterns the protective material film and removes at least a portion of the protective material film 140 located within the first opening 1310, so that in the first region A1, there is a distance d between the first inorganic insulating layer 131 and the first organic insulating layer 121, where d > 0; this ensures that the bending area BA of the display panel has good bending characteristics.

[0066] It should be noted that, Figure 11The diagram illustrates the bending region BA in a flattened state. After the preparation of each film layer, this embodiment of the invention can perform a bending operation on the bending region BA to obtain a shape with the following characteristics. Figure 2 The display panel with the structure shown.

[0067] For example, in combination Figure 9 As shown, after forming the first inorganic insulating layer 131 in step S4 and before patterning the protective material film 140 in step S5, the method for preparing the display panel further includes: Step S41: Form a touch-conductive material film on the side of the first inorganic insulating layer 131 away from the substrate 11; Step S42: Pattern the touch conductive material film to obtain the touch electrode located in the display area AA, and remove the portion of the touch conductive material film located in the bending area BA.

[0068] For example, in combination Figure 11 As shown, before forming the first organic insulating layer 121 in step S2 above, the method for preparing the display panel further includes: A connection line 170 is formed on one side of the substrate 11, with at least a portion of the connection line 170 located in the bending region BA. The connection line 170 may include at least one of a touch connection line and a display connection line. The touch connection line is used to electrically connect a touch electrode located in the display region AA and a touch pad located in the bonding region PA. The display connection line is used to electrically connect a data signal line in the display region AA and a display pad in the bonding region PA.

[0069] In related technologies, titanium residue may occur when patterning the touch conductive material film. The residual titanium will react with the pixel definition layer 18. The reaction products cannot be removed, and stress concentration will occur at the location of the reaction products, resulting in cracks. The cracks will penetrate the insulating layer, affecting the connection line 170 and thus affecting the normal transmission of signals.

[0070] In this embodiment of the invention, by setting a protective material film 140, when the touch conductive material film is patterned, the protective material film 140 is located below the touch conductive material film. Therefore, any abnormalities such as etching material residue that occur during the etching process of the touch conductive material film will be blocked by the protective material film 140 and will not affect the connecting line 170 located below the protective material film 140.

[0071] For example, such as Figure 11 As shown, the display panel also includes an array film layer 17, and the connecting line 170 can be located in the array film layer 17.

[0072] For example, the array film layer 17 includes a semiconductor layer, a metal layer, and an insulating layer. The metal layers and insulating layers are alternately disposed. The insulating layer is used to insulate adjacent metal layers. One metal layer in the array film layer 17 includes a connecting line 170. Optionally, the connecting line 170 may be disposed on the same layer as the source or drain of the thin-film transistor.

[0073] For example, such as Figure 9 As shown, the array film layer 17 includes a first metal layer M1, a second metal layer MC, a third metal layer M2, and a fourth metal layer M3. The connecting line 170 can be located in either the third metal layer M2 or the fourth metal layer M3.

[0074] Optional, such as Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the insulating layer includes an inorganic insulating layer 172 and an organic insulating layer 171. Optionally, the aforementioned bending area BA may not include the inorganic insulating layer 172 to reduce the possibility of defects such as cracks in the inorganic insulating layer 172 under bending stress, thereby ensuring that the bending area of ​​the display panel has good bending characteristics.

[0075] For example, the bending region BA may include an organic insulating layer 171. Compared with the inorganic insulating layer 172, the organic insulating layer 171 has better ductility. In embodiments of the present invention, the organic insulating layer 171 can be extended from the display region AA to the bending region BA, thereby reducing the complexity of the fabrication process of the organic insulating layer 171. For example, the organic insulating layer 171 may include a planarization layer. The display panel may include one or at least two planarization layers.

[0076] Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The diagram illustrates two organic insulating layers 171 in a display panel. A connecting line 170 may be located between the two organic insulating layers 171.

[0077] Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The two inorganic insulating layers 172 in the display panel are used as an example.

[0078] Optionally, the display panel may include one or at least two touch conductive layers 151. Figure 9 Using two layers of touch conductive layer 151 as an example, for distinction, in Figure 9The two touch conductive layers 151 are labeled as the first touch conductive layer 1511 and the second touch conductive layer 1512, respectively. The first touch conductive layer 1511 is located on the side of the second touch conductive layer 1512 closer to the substrate 11. Figure 9 As shown, the first touch conductive layer 1511 and the second touch conductive layer 1512 are separated by a touch insulating layer 152. The touch insulating layer 152 includes a via 1520, through which a portion of the structure in the first touch conductive layer 1511 can be electrically connected to a portion of the structure in the second touch conductive layer 1512. A touch buffer layer 150 is disposed on the side of the first touch conductive layer 1511 near the substrate 11.

[0079] For example, both the touch insulating layer 152 and the touch buffer layer 150 comprise inorganic materials. For example, the first inorganic insulating layer 131 described above comprises either the touch insulating layer 152 or the touch buffer layer 150.

[0080] When the first inorganic insulating layer 131 includes the touch insulating layer 152, the first opening 1310 and the via 1520 can be formed in the same patterning process.

[0081] Optional, combined Figure 9 As shown, the display panel includes a pixel definition layer (PDL) 18, which is located between the array film layer 17 and the touch layer. The pixel definition layer 18 includes a pixel opening 180 located in the display area AA. The display area includes light-emitting units, at least a portion of which is located within the pixel opening.

[0082] For example, the first organic insulating layer 121 includes a pixel definition layer 18.

[0083] For example, the method for preparing the first inorganic insulating layer 131 in step S4 above includes: Step S401: Form a first inorganic insulating material film on the side of the protective material film 140 away from the substrate 11; Step S402: Pattern the first inorganic insulating material film by removing at least the portion of the first inorganic insulating material film located in the bending region BA. The removed portion corresponds to the formation of the first opening 1310, thereby obtaining the first inorganic insulating layer 131. For example, patterning includes steps such as exposure, development, and etching.

[0084] In this embodiment of the invention, by providing a first opening 1310 in the first inorganic insulating layer 131, the inorganic material used to prepare the first inorganic insulating layer 131 can be avoided from being placed in the bending region BA. The inorganic material experiences greater stress after bending, thus preventing bending cracks from affecting reliability.

[0085] For example, such as Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the patterning of the protective material film 140 in step S5 above includes: At least a portion of the protective material film 140 that overlaps with the first opening 1310 is removed, and at least a portion of the protective material film 140 that does not overlap with the first opening 1310 is retained, to obtain a protective layer 14, wherein at least a portion of the orthographic projection of the protective layer 14 onto the plane of the substrate 11 is located in the first region A1, and along a direction h1 perpendicular to the plane of the substrate 11, the protective layer 14 is located between the first organic insulating layer 121 and the first inorganic insulating layer 131.

[0086] The portion of the protective material film 140 that overlaps with the first opening 1310 includes at least the portion that is removed. Figure 7 and Figure 8 The portion of the protective film 140 that overlaps with the first opening 1310, as shown, also includes... Figure 6 The portion of the protective material film 140 that overlaps with the first opening 1310 is shown to be completely removed.

[0087] By adopting this configuration, the thickness of the portion of the protective material film 140 that overlaps with the first opening 1310 can be reduced, or the portion of the protective material film 140 that overlaps with the first opening 1310 can be avoided. This can reduce the thickness of the film layer in the bending area BA, or reduce the number of film layers in the bending area BA, which is beneficial to improving the bending characteristics and reliability of the bending area in the display panel.

[0088] Optional, such as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the patterning of the protective material film 140 in step S6 above includes: Remove the portion of the protective material film 140 that overlaps with the first opening 1310, and remove the portion of the protective material film 140 that does not overlap with the first opening 1310, to form the body portion 13111 and the protrusion 13112 in the first inorganic insulating layer 131, and combine. Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the orthographic projection of the protrusion 13112 onto the plane of the substrate 11 is located in the first region A1, and the body portion 13111 is located on the side of the protrusion 13112 away from the first opening 1310; wherein, the thickness of the protrusion 13112 is less than the thickness of the body portion 13111.

[0089] This setup is equivalent to removing the entire protective film 140. While ensuring bending reliability, it can reduce the precision control requirements when removing the protective film 140, which helps to reduce the manufacturing difficulty of the display panel.

[0090] For example, the protective material film 140 is patterned using wet etching. For instance, an etchant, such as an acid or alkali solution, can be used to etch the protective material film 140. This allows the protective material film 140 to be fully reacted and removed, avoiding unwanted residues. It also avoids damage to other structures besides the protective material film 140.

[0091] Optionally, the substrate 11 also includes a display area AA; Combination Figure 9 As shown, after patterning the touch-conductive material film in step S41 and before patterning the protective material film 140 in step S5, the preparation method further includes: A light-transmitting material layer is formed on the side of the touch-conductive material film away from the substrate 11; The light-transmitting material layer is patterned, and the portion located in the bending area BA of the light-transmitting material layer is removed to obtain the optical adhesive layer 16 located in the display area AA.

[0092] The optical adhesive layer 16 can protect the film structure in the display panel. In this embodiment of the invention, by removing the portion of the light-transmitting material layer 160 located in the bending region BA, the bending characteristics of the display panel are further improved.

[0093] Optionally, when patterning the protective material film 140, the optical adhesive layer 16 is used as a mask layer. In this embodiment of the invention, the optical adhesive layer 16 does not react with the etching solution. By adopting this arrangement, the stable property of the optical adhesive layer 16 not reacting with the etching solution can be utilized to prevent the etching solution from contacting and reacting with the structure outside the target area, and the increased process complexity caused by setting an additional mask layer is avoided.

[0094] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0095] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that, Including the bend area; The display panel also includes: Substrate; A first organic insulating layer located on one side of the substrate, at least a portion of the first organic insulating layer being located in the bending region; A first inorganic insulating layer is located on the side of the first organic insulating layer away from the substrate; the first inorganic insulating layer includes a first opening, at least a portion of which is located in the bending region; The display panel further includes a first region adjacent to the first opening, the first region being located on the side of the edge of the first opening near the non-opening portion of the first inorganic insulating layer. In the first region, along a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, there is a distance d between the first inorganic insulating layer and the first organic insulating layer, where d > 0.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a protective layer, at least a portion of which is located in the first region by the orthogonal projection of the protective layer onto the plane of the substrate, and is located in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the protective layer being situated between the first organic insulating layer and the first inorganic insulating layer.

3. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that, Along a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the edges of the protective layer and the first opening at least partially overlap.

4. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that, Along a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the non-opening portions of the protective layer and the first inorganic insulating layer at least partially overlap.

5. The display panel according to claim 4, characterized in that, The overlap width between the protective layer and the first inorganic insulating layer is D1, where D1 ≤ 1µm.

6. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that, The edge of the protective layer is flush with the edge of the first opening.

7. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protective layer includes a first sub-protective layer and a second sub-protective layer. Along a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the first sub-protective layer overlaps with the non-opening portion of the first inorganic insulating layer, and the orthographic projection of the second sub-protective layer onto the plane of the substrate lies within the first opening. The thickness of the second sub-protective layer is less than the thickness of the first sub-protective layer.

8. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protective layer comprises a metal or a metal oxide.

9. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protective layer comprises a conductive material and receives a fixed potential.

10. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protective layer at least partially surrounds the first opening.

11. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first inorganic insulating layer includes a body portion and a protrusion portion, wherein at least a portion of the protrusion portion is located in the first region in the orthographic projection of the plane on which the substrate is located, and the body portion is located on the side of the protrusion portion away from the first opening; wherein the thickness of the protrusion portion is less than the thickness of the body portion.

12. The display panel according to claim 11, characterized in that, The main body portion is in contact with the first organic insulating layer, while the protrusion portion is not in contact with the first organic insulating layer.

13. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The display panel further includes a display area and a wiring area. The display area includes a touch layer located on the side of the first inorganic insulating layer away from the first organic insulating layer. The bending area does not include the touch layer.

14. The display panel according to claim 13, characterized in that, The display area also includes an optical adhesive layer, while the bending area does not include the optical adhesive layer.

15. A display device, characterized in that, Includes the display panel as described in any one of claims 1-14.

16. A method for manufacturing a display panel, characterized in that, include: A substrate is provided, the substrate including a bending region; A first organic insulating layer is formed on one side of the substrate; A protective material film is formed on the side of the first organic insulating layer away from the substrate; A first inorganic insulating material layer is formed on the side of the protective material film away from the substrate. The first inorganic insulating material layer is patterned, and the portion of the first inorganic insulating material layer located in the bending region is removed to obtain a first inorganic insulating layer. The first inorganic insulating layer includes a first opening located in the bending region. The protective material film is patterned, and at least a portion of the protective material film located within the first opening is removed, so that in a first region, there is a distance d, where d > 0, between the first inorganic insulating layer and the first organic insulating layer; wherein the first region is adjacent to the first opening and located on the side of the edge of the first opening near the non-opening portion of the first inorganic insulating layer.

17. The preparation method according to claim 16, characterized in that, Patterning the protective material film includes: At least a portion of the protective material film overlapping with the first opening is removed, and at least a portion of the protective material film not overlapping with the first opening is retained to obtain a protective layer, wherein at least a portion of the orthogonal projection of the protective layer onto the plane of the substrate is located in the first region, and along a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the protective layer is located between the first organic insulating layer and the first inorganic insulating layer.

18. The preparation method according to claim 16, characterized in that, Patterning the protective material film includes: The portion of the protective material film that overlaps with the first opening is removed, and the portion of the protective material film that does not overlap with the first opening is removed, to form a body portion and a protrusion portion in the first inorganic insulating layer, wherein at least a portion of the protrusion portion is located in the first region in the orthographic projection of the plane on which the substrate is located, and the body portion is located on the side of the protrusion portion away from the first opening; wherein the thickness of the protrusion portion is less than the thickness of the body portion.

19. The preparation method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The protective material film is patterned using wet etching.

20. The preparation method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The substrate also includes a display area; After forming the first inorganic insulating layer and before patterning the protective material film, the method for manufacturing the display panel further includes: A touch-conductive material film is formed on the side of the first inorganic insulating layer away from the substrate; The touch conductive material film is patterned to obtain touch electrodes located in the display area, and the portion of the touch conductive material film located in the bending area is removed.

21. The preparation method according to claim 20, characterized in that, After patterning the touch-conductive material film and before patterning the protective material film, the preparation method further includes: A light-transmitting material layer is formed on the side of the touch-conductive material film away from the substrate; The light-transmitting material layer is patterned, and the portion of the light-transmitting material layer located in the bending area is removed to obtain the optical adhesive layer located in the display area.

22. The preparation method according to claim 21, characterized in that, When patterning the protective material film, the optical adhesive layer is used as a mask layer.

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