Display module, display device and electronic equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of terminal equipment, and discloses a display module, a display device and electronic equipment, the display module comprises a display area and a non-display area arranged on one side of the display area, and the display module comprises a polaroid at least arranged in the display area; the flexible substrate is arranged on one side of the polaroid, the flexible substrate comprises a protective layer, an insulating layer and a circuit layer which are arranged in a stacked mode, the insulating layer is located between the protective layer and the circuit layer, the protective layer makes contact with the polaroid, the protective layer is at least arranged in the display area, the insulating layer is arranged in the display area and the non-display area, and the circuit layer is located between the protective layer and the circuit layer. The circuit layer is arranged in the display area and the non-display area; in the non-display area, the length of the insulating layer in the first direction is smaller than that of the circuit layer in the first direction, the length of the protective layer in the first direction is smaller than or equal to that of the insulating layer in the first direction, and the first direction refers to the direction from the display area to the non-display area. The display module has an excellent display effect and long service life.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of terminal equipment, and in particular to a display module, a display device and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of display technology, OLED (Organic Light Emitting Device) display products have attracted widespread attention due to their characteristics of self-luminescence, low power consumption and fast response. In order to bring users a better user experience, full screen, narrow frame, high resolution and folding will definitely become important development directions of future OLED display products.

[0003] In the prior art, the circuits in OLED display products are made of conductive materials, which are easily corroded, resulting in a significant reduction in service life.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an OLED display product that can prevent circuit corrosion in order to improve the product performance of the OLED display product. Utility Model Content

[0005] The present application proposes a display module, a display device and an electronic device, which can achieve a narrow frame while preventing the circuits in the display module from being corroded, thereby improving the corrosion resistance of the display module and thus improving the display performance and service life of the display module.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a display module, the display module comprising a display area and a non-display area arranged on one side of the display area, the display module comprising:

[0007] A polarizer, wherein the polarizer is at least arranged in the display area;

[0008] A flexible substrate, wherein the flexible substrate is arranged on one side of the polarizer, the flexible substrate comprises a protective layer, an insulating layer and a circuit layer which are stacked, the insulating layer is located between the protective layer and the circuit layer, the protective layer is in contact with the polarizer, the protective layer is arranged at least in the display area, the insulating layer is arranged in the display area and the non-display area, and the circuit layer is arranged in the display area and the non-display area;

[0009] In the non-display area, the length of the insulating layer along the first direction is less than the length of the circuit layer along the first direction, and the length of the protective layer along the first direction is less than or equal to the length of the insulating layer along the first direction. The first direction refers to the direction from the display area to the non-display area.

[0010] The display module provided by the embodiment of the present application, in the non-display area, the length of the insulating layer along the first direction is less than the length of the circuit layer along the first direction, so that there is no insulating layer in some areas of the flexible substrate, and the mechanical strength of the area where the insulating layer is not provided in the flexible substrate is relatively small, and the part of the flexible substrate where the insulating layer is not provided can be folded in the direction close to the flexible substrate, reducing the proportion of the non-display area in the display module, and realizing the narrow frame design of the display module. The polarizer, protective layer, insulating layer and circuit layer of the present application are stacked in sequence, and the corrosive substances such as potassium ions and iodine ions in the polarizer will diffuse into the protective layer during the environmental test process. The above-mentioned corrosive substances diffuse in the protective layer along the direction (first direction) from the display area to the non-display area and diffuse along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate. When diffusing along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate, the insulating layer is arranged between the protective layer and the circuit layer. The presence of the insulating layer can prevent the corrosive substances from diffusing into the circuit layer, thereby preventing the corrosive substances from entering the circuit layer and corroding the circuits in the circuit layer. When diffusing along the first direction, in the non-display area, the length of the protective layer along the first direction is less than or equal to the length of the insulating layer along the first direction. In this way, the protective layer is not set in the area where the insulating layer is not set in the non-display area, that is, the protective layer is not in direct contact with the circuit layer, and the corrosive substances of the polarizer cannot diffuse into the circuit layer through the protective layer, thereby preventing the corrosive substances from entering the circuit layer and corroding the circuits in the circuit layer. The display module of the present application can achieve a narrow frame while preventing the circuits in the circuit layer from being corroded by the corrosive substances in the polarizer, and can improve the display effect and service life of the display module.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the flexible substrate further includes an extended protective layer, which is disposed on the same layer as the protective layer, and a first gap is provided between the extended protective layer and the protective layer along the first direction.

[0012] The extended protective layer and the protective layer are arranged on the same layer, and a first gap is provided between the extended protective layer and the protective layer, so that when the corrosive substances in the protective layer diffuse along a direction parallel to the first direction, they cannot diffuse to the extended protective layer through the first gap, so that the corrosive substances are only distributed in the protective layer, and the corrosive substances cannot diffuse into the circuit layer, thereby improving the corrosion resistance of the display module and further improving the service life of the display module.

[0013] In some embodiments, the extended protection layer has a filling portion, and the filling portion is in contact with the circuit layer.

[0014] The extended protective layer has a filling portion, which contacts the circuit layer, that is, the filling portion of the extended protective layer is arranged on the same layer as the insulating layer, which fills the flexible substrate and improves the structural stability of the display module.

[0015] In some embodiments, the display module also includes a first adhesive layer, which is arranged between the polarizer and the protective layer, and a portion of the first adhesive layer is located in the non-display area. In the non-display area, the length of the first adhesive layer along the first direction is less than or equal to the length of the insulating layer along the first direction.

[0016] In the non-display area, the length of the first adhesive layer along the first direction is less than or equal to the length of the insulating layer along the first direction, so that the first adhesive layer does not directly contact the circuit layer, thereby preventing the corrosion products in the polarizer from diffusing into the circuit layer through the first adhesive layer, improving the corrosion resistance of the display module, and thus improving the service life of the display module. It can be understood that the first adhesive layer can be a glue-formed layer structure, and the glue can be, for example, OCA (Optically Clear Adhesive), PSA (Pressure Sensitive Adhesive), etc.

[0017] In some embodiments, in the non-display area, a portion of the first adhesive layer is disposed on the same layer as the protective layer.

[0018] The present application stipulates that the first adhesive layer and the protective layer are arranged on the same layer, that is, the first adhesive layer is partially arranged on the insulating layer, which is beneficial to improving the structural stability of the display module.

[0019] In some embodiments, the display module further includes a second adhesive layer, which is disposed between the polarizer and the protective layer, and a portion of the second adhesive layer is disposed in the first gap, and a second gap is provided between the second adhesive layer and the extended protective layer along the first direction.

[0020] The second adhesive layer is a structure formed by curing glue, part of the second adhesive layer is located in the first gap to fill the first gap, and the second adhesive layer does not completely fill the first gap. There is a second gap between the second adhesive layer and the extended protective layer. The existence of the second gap prevents the corrosive substances in the second adhesive layer from diffusing into the extended protective layer and then diffusing into the circuit layer, thereby improving the corrosion resistance of the display module and thereby improving the service life of the display module.

[0021] In some embodiments, the length of the polarizer along the first direction is less than or equal to the length of the protective layer along the first direction.

[0022] The length of the protective layer along the first direction of the present application is greater than or equal to the length of the polarizer along the first direction, that is, the protective layer fully covers the polarizer to provide packaging and protection for the polarizer.

[0023] In some embodiments, the circuit layer includes a stacked planar layer and a dielectric layer, the dielectric layer is located between the planar layer and the insulating layer, a first trace is disposed in the planar layer, and a second trace and a metal wire layer are disposed in the dielectric layer.

[0024] The circuit layer is provided with a first wiring, a second wiring and a metal wire layer. The present application limits the length of the protective layer along the first direction in the non-display area to be less than the length of the insulating layer along the first direction, so that the protective layer is not provided in the area where the insulating layer is not provided in the non-display area, that is, the protective layer is not in direct contact with the circuit layer, so that the corrosive products of the polarizer cannot diffuse through the protective layer into the circuit layer to corrode the first wiring, the second wiring and the metal wire layer, thereby improving the corrosion resistance of the display module and further improving the service life of the display module.

[0025] In some embodiments, the non-display area includes a pad area and a test area set on one side of the pad area, the pad area is set between the display area and the test area, the insulating layer corresponds to the display area and the pad area, and the circuit layer corresponds to the display area, the pad area and the test area.

[0026] The Pad area is also provided with a plurality of signal lines (such as GOA lines) electrically connected to the gate lines and data lines in the display area, and a plurality of connection pads are provided on the front of the Pad area, each of which is connected to a different signal line; the test area is provided with test lines, which are electrically connected to the signal lines in the Pad area and can be used to perform a lighting test on the display module during the test phase. After the test of the display module is completed, the test area can be removed by a laser cutting process, and the Pad area can be bent to the back side of the flexible substrate to reduce the width of the display frame.

[0027] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a display device, wherein the display device comprises the display module described in the first aspect.

[0028] The display device of the embodiment of the present application includes the display module described in the first aspect. The display module can achieve a narrow frame design while improving the corrosion resistance of the display module, thereby improving the display performance and service life of the display device.

[0029] In a third aspect, the present application provides an electronic device, comprising a housing and a display device disposed in the housing, wherein the display device comprises the display device described in the second aspect.

[0030] In the electronic device provided in the present application, the display device can achieve a narrow frame design and can also avoid corrosion of internal wiring by the polarizer in the display device, thereby improving the display performance of the electronic device and increasing the service life of the electronic device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a display module of related technology 1 provided in this application;

[0032] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the display module of the related technology 2 provided in this application;

[0033] Figure 3 The electronic device provided in the embodiment of the present application is a schematic diagram of a mobile phone;

[0034] Figure 4 for Figure 3 AA section view;

[0035] Figure 5 for Figure 4 BB section partial structure diagram;

[0036] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of the polarizer provided in Example 1 of the present application;

[0037] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the length dimensions of the components in the display module provided in Example 1 of the present application along the first direction in the non-display area;

[0038] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a display module in which the polarizer provided in Example 1 of the present application is only arranged in the display area, and the protective layer is only arranged in the display area;

[0039] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of a display module in which the polarizer provided in Example 1 of the present application is arranged in a first region between a display region and a non-display region, and a protective layer is arranged in a first region between the display region and the non-display region;

[0040] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the structure of another display module provided in Example 1 of the present application;

[0041] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of preparing the insulating layer provided in Example 1 of the present application;

[0042] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of preparing the protective layer provided in Example 1 of the present application;

[0043] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of the structure of a display module provided in Example 2 of the present application;

[0044] Fig.14 A schematic structural diagram of a display module having an extended protective layer of an "I"-shaped structure provided in Example 2 of the present application;

[0045] Fig.15A schematic diagram of the structure of another display module provided in Example 2 of the present application;

[0046] Fig.16 This is a schematic structural diagram of a display module including a second adhesive layer provided in Example 2 of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] In the description of the embodiments of the present utility model, it should be understood that the terms "length", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present utility model and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present utility model. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of the embodiments of the present utility model, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0048] In the description of the embodiments of the present utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the term "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or mutual communication; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present utility model can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0049] Some embodiments of the present invention are further described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings of this specification.

[0050] With the development of flexible display screens, display devices such as mobile phones and tablet computers are gradually developing towards full screens and narrow bezels. At present, Pad Bending technology has become the mainstream development trend of flexible display screens because it can significantly shorten the bezel width of the display panel. Pad Bending technology requires special-shaped cutting of the non-display area of ​​the display module, removing the test area of ​​the display module, and bending the Pad area to the back of the display module to achieve the purpose of reducing the bezel width. In order to improve the good bending performance of the display module in the non-display area, the film layer with high mechanical strength in the non-display test area (such as the touch insulation layer (TLD)) is usually removed to reduce the cracking caused by the bending of the display module in the non-display area. However, in the non-display area, the barrier effect of the above-mentioned film layer with high mechanical strength is lacking, and corrosive substances such as potassium ions and iodine ions in the polarizer will diffuse into the interior of the display module during the environmental test process, causing corrosion of the circuit inside the display module, thereby causing the product performance of the display product to decline.

[0051] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of the first display module 200 provided by the related technology 1 is shown. The first display module 200 includes a display area AA' and a non-display area BB' arranged on one side of the display area AA'. The first display module 200 includes a first polarizer 201 and a first flexible substrate 202 which are stacked. The first polarizer 201 is at least arranged in the display area AA', and the first flexible substrate 202 is arranged in the display area AA' and the non-display area BB'. The first flexible substrate 202 includes a first protective layer 2021, a first insulating layer 2022, a first flat layer 2023 and a first dielectric layer 2024 which are arranged in sequence from top to bottom along the thickness direction of the first flexible substrate 202, wherein a first SD1 wiring 2025 is arranged in the first flat layer 2023, and a first SD2 wiring 2026 and a first metal wire layer 2027 are arranged in the first dielectric layer 2024. In order to achieve a narrow frame design, the first insulating layer 2022 located in the non-display area BB' is truncated in the area where the first display module 20 is bent, that is, the length of the first protective layer 2021 along the first direction is less than the length of the first flexible substrate 202 along the first direction, and the first direction is from the display area AA' to the non-display area BB', then the first protective layer 2021 is directly in contact with the first flat layer 2023. The diffusion path of the corrosive substances in the first polarizer 201 in the first flexible substrate 202 is as follows: Figure 1As shown in the M1 diffusion path, the corrosive substances in the first polarizer 201 first diffuse downward to the first protective layer 2021, and diffuse from the display area AA' to the non-display area BB' in the first protective layer 2021, and then diffuse downward along the thickness direction of the first flexible substrate 202 to the first flat layer 2023 and the first dielectric layer 2024. The corrosive substances diffuse in the first flat layer 2023 and the first dielectric layer 2024 and corrode the first SD1 wiring 2025, the second SD2 wiring and the first metal wire layer 2027, resulting in a reduction in the service life of the first display module 200.

[0052] Further, in order to solve the above technical problems, Figure 2 The structure schematic diagram of the second display module 300 provided by the related technology 2 is shown, the second display module 300 includes a display area AA" and a non-display area BB" arranged on one side of the display area AA". The second display module 300 includes a second polarizer 301 and a second flexible substrate 302 arranged in a stacked manner, the second flexible substrate 302 includes a second protective layer 3021, a second insulating layer 3022, a second flat layer 3023 and a second dielectric layer 3024 arranged in sequence from top to bottom along the thickness direction of the second flexible substrate 302, wherein the second flat layer 3023 is provided with a second SD1 wiring 3025, the second dielectric layer 3024 is provided with a second SD2 wiring 3026 and a second metal wire layer 3027, and the diffusion path of the corrosive substances in the second polarizer 301 in the second flexible substrate 302 is as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown in the M2 diffusion path, compared with the first insulating layer 2022 of the related technology 1, the length of the second insulating layer 3022 is shortened, so that the corrosive substances in the second polarizer 301 can diffuse downward through the second protective layer 3021 and the second flat layer 3023 earlier. As the diffusion continues downward, the diffusion rate slows down. Therefore, for a period of time, there is no obvious corrosion in the second SD1 wiring 3025, the second SD2 wiring 3026 and the second metal wire layer 3027. However, as time goes by, the corrosive substances in the second polarizer 301 will still diffuse to the vicinity of the second SD1 wiring 3025, the second SD2 wiring 3026 and the second metal wire layer 3027 to cause corrosion. Therefore, the related technology 2 cannot completely solve the corrosion problem of the display module circuit under the narrow frame design.

[0053] Therefore, in order to achieve a narrow bezel design while avoiding the circuit corrosion problem of the display module, the present application provides an electronic device 1000. It should be noted that the electronic device 1000 of the present application includes but is not limited to: laptops, tablet computers, mobile phones, smart watches, bracelets, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, portable camcorders, viewfinders, navigators and other devices.

[0054] In the embodiment of the present application, a mobile phone is used as the electronic device 1000 as an example for description. Figure 3 , which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device 100 being a mobile phone, the electronic device 100 comprises a display device 100 and a housing 200 , and the display device 100 is mounted on the housing 200 . Figure 4 for Figure 3 The AA cross-sectional view of the electronic device 1000 in FIG. 1 only shows the cross-sectional structure of the display device 100 and the housing 200. Figure 4 The structure of the housing and the display device shown in the figure only shows the parts related to the embodiment of the present application, and the structure shown is only a schematic example and does not constitute a limitation on the scope of the embodiment of the present application.

[0055] like Figure 4 As shown, the housing 200 forms a mounting groove, and the display device 100 is mounted in the mounting groove. The display device 100 can be a flexible screen with a folding function, or a rigid screen that cannot be folded. The display device 100 includes a display module 10 and a cover plate 20. The display module 10 includes a polarizer 1, a flexible substrate 2, and a display layer 3. The polarizer 1, the flexible substrate 2, and the display layer 3 are stacked in sequence, and the cover plate 20 is arranged on the side of the polarizer 1 away from the flexible substrate 2, that is, the cover plate 20, the polarizer 1, the flexible substrate 2, and the display layer 3 are stacked in sequence and arranged in the mounting groove, and the cover plate 20 is sealed at the opening of the mounting groove.

[0056] Please continue reading Figure 4 The cover plate 20 can be attached to the surface of the polarizer 1 through the connecting layer 30 to protect the polarizer 1. In the present application, the cover plate 20 can be a glass cover plate or a flexible cover plate, for example, the cover plate 20 is a polyimide (PI) cover plate.

[0057] The connection layer 30 is disposed between the cover plate 20 and the polarizer 1, and the polarizer 1 can be wrapped by the connection layer 30, thereby isolating the polarizer 1 from the external environment and improving the sealing protection performance of the display device 100. The connection layer 30 can be OCA (Opticall Clear Adhesive, optical adhesive), PSA (Pressure Sensitive Adhesive, pressure sensitive adhesive), etc. The connection layer 30 has the function of blocking external water, oxygen and impurities.

[0058] The display layer 3 of the present application is arranged on the side of the flexible substrate 2 away from the polarizer 1, and the display layer 3 can provide a light source for the flexible substrate 2 to facilitate display. The display layer 3 can be formed by stacking multiple film layers, which may include an organic light emitting diode device layer. Preferably, the display layer 3 includes an AMOLED (Active Matrix / Organic Light Emitting Diode) panel.

[0059] Example 1

[0060] Figure 5 Shows Figure 4 The partial BB cross-sectional view of the display module 10 is shown in FIG. 1 . It can be understood that the complete BB cross-sectional view of the display module 10 is a symmetrical structure. Figure 5 Only a part of the symmetrical structure of the display module 10 is shown. The display module 10 includes a display area AA and a non-display area BB arranged on one side of the display area AA. In some embodiments, the non-display area BB is arranged around the display area AA. The display area AA is the area where the display module 10 performs light-emitting display, and the non-display area BB is a part for setting peripheral circuits.

[0061] Please continue reading Figure 5 In order to realize the narrow frame design of the display module 10, the non-display area BB includes a first area BB1 and a second area BB2 arranged on one side of the first area BB1, wherein the first area BB1 corresponds to the Pad area, the second area BB2 corresponds to the test area, and the second area BB2 is farther away from the display area AA than the first area BB1. The display area AA is provided with OLED display devices, thin film transistors, gate lines, data lines and other structures. The Pad area is also provided with a plurality of signal lines (such as GOA routing) electrically connected to the gate lines and data lines in the display area, and a plurality of connecting pads are provided on the front of the Pad area, and each connecting pad is respectively connected to a different signal line; the test area is provided with test lines, which are electrically connected to the signal lines in the Pad area and can be used to perform a lighting test on the display module during the test phase.

[0062] After completing the test of the display module, the second area BB2 (test area) can be removed by a laser cutting process, and the first area bb1 (Pad area) can be bent to the back side of the flexible substrate 2 to reduce the display frame width. It can be understood that the back side of the flexible substrate 2 refers to the side surface of the flexible substrate 2 facing away from the polarizer 1.

[0063] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present invention, when the first area BB1 (Pad area) is bent, it means that the flexible substrate 2 having structures such as signal lines is bent, that is, each structure located in the Pad area of ​​the flexible substrate 2 will also be bent to the back side of the flexible substrate 2.

[0064] Please continue reading Figure 5, the flexible substrate 2 includes a front side and a back side that are arranged oppositely, wherein the front side refers to the light-emitting surface of the display substrate, and the back side refers to the non-light-emitting surface of the flexible substrate. The polarizer 1 and the flexible substrate 2 are stacked, and the polarizer 1 is arranged in the light-emitting direction of the flexible substrate 2. The polarizer 1 is at least arranged in the display area AA. It can be understood that the polarizer 1 is a material made of a dichroic substance that has different absorption rate characteristics for light due to the different vibration directions of light waves. Exemplarily, the material of the polarizer 1 can be materials such as PE (polyethylene), PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), TAC (triacetyl cellulose), etc. Preferably, PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) is used as the material of the polarizer. PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) has the characteristics of high transparency, high ductility, good iodine adsorption, good film-forming properties, etc. The polarizer 1 is arranged in the display module 10 to play a developing role. Therefore, the polarizer 1 can fully cover the display area AA, and can also fully cover the display area AA while being partially arranged in the non-display area BB. It can be understood that the part of the polarizer 1 arranged in the display area AA is called the functional area.

[0065] Figure 6 The schematic diagram of the structure of the polarizer 1 is shown. The polarizer 1 includes a stacked compensation layer 11 and a linear polarization layer 12, wherein the compensation layer 11 reduces the light reflected after natural light enters the flexible substrate by setting a preset refractive index, thereby improving the display effect of the display module 10; the linear polarization layer 12 is used to emit linear polarized light to improve the display effect of the display module 10. There are corrosive substances in the linear polarization layer 2 that can corrode the conductive circuit in the flexible substrate 2, and the corrosive substances can easily evaporate from the linear polarization layer 12. The water vapor in the environment carries the corrosive substances volatilized from the linear polarization layer 12 of the polarizer 1 and penetrates into the conductive circuit of the flexible substrate 2. The corrosive substances can react chemically with the conductive circuit, thereby causing the circuit of the flexible substrate 2 to corrode.

[0066] Exemplarily, taking PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) as the material of the polarizer 1, the preparation method of the linear polarization layer 12 is as follows: the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film layer is immersed in iodine dye for dyeing, and the polyvinyl alcohol film layer containing the iodine dye is slightly heated and then stretched to obtain the linear polarization layer 12. The linear polarization layer 12 includes iodine molecules with a fixed orientation. The iodine molecules will chemically react with the conductive circuit in a water vapor environment to cause corrosion of the conductive circuit. Therefore, the iodine molecules can be called corrosives. Due to changes in the preparation process conditions and raw materials of the linear polarization layer 12, the corrosives in the linear polarization layer 12 can also be potassium, chlorine, sulfur, etc.

[0067] Please continue reading Figure 5, the flexible substrate 2 is arranged in the display area AA and the non-display area BB. Specifically, the flexible substrate 2 includes a protective layer 21, an insulating layer 22 and a circuit layer 23 which are stacked. The protective layer 21 can be, for example, a packaging protective layer (Transparent conductive Oxide, TOC), and the insulating layer 22 can be, for example, a regrown touch insulating layer (Touchnsulator, TLD). The regrown touch insulating layer is a layer structure formed by inorganic materials. In order to achieve the narrow frame design requirements of the display module 10, the insulating layer 22 is only arranged in the first area BB1 (Pad area) of the display area AA and the non-display area BB. The circuit layer 23 is arranged in the display area AA and the non-display area BB, that is, the length of the insulating layer 22 along the first direction is less than the length of the circuit layer 23 along the first direction. The first direction refers to the direction from the display area AA to the non-display area BB. It can be understood that when describing the first direction, the display module 10 is described in the state before being bent, that is, the display module 10 is a flat structure. For example, please continue to refer to Figure 3 The display device 100 has three dimensions: length, width and height. The length of the display device 100 is greater than or equal to the width of the display device 100. Figure 3 The length of the display device 100 shown is greater than the width of the display device 100. The display device 100 includes a display module 10. The length, width and height of the display device 100 correspond to the length, width and height of the display module 10. Before the display device 100 is bent, Figure 3 For the area A shown in FIG. 1 , the first direction refers to the length direction of the display device 100. Figure 3 For the region B shown, the first direction refers to the width direction of the display device 100 . Figure 7 FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the length of the insulating layer 22 and the circuit layer 23 in the first direction in the non-display area BB. For example, the first direction is Figure 7 In the X-axis direction, the length of the insulating layer 22 in the non-display area BB along the X-axis direction is L2, and the length of the circuit layer 23 in the non-display area BB along the X-axis direction is L1, L2<L1. With this arrangement, the bending stress of the area without the insulating layer 22 in the non-display area BB is small, and the area without the insulating layer 22 can be bent to the back side of the flexible substrate 2 to reduce the frame of the display module 10, thereby realizing a narrow frame design of the display module 10.

[0068] Please continue reading Figure 5The circuit layer 23 includes a stacked planarization layer 231 and a dielectric layer 233, the planarization layer 231 is located between the dielectric layer 233 and the insulating layer 22, the planarization layer 231 and the dielectric layer 233 are arranged in the display area AA and the non-display area BB, the planarization layer 231 is provided with a first wiring 232, the dielectric layer 233 is provided with a second wiring 234 and a metal wire layer 235, the first wiring 232, the second wiring 234 and the metal wire layer 234 are conductive circuits, and the first wiring 232, the second wiring 234 and the metal wire layer 234 are connected to provide signal transmission. In the present application, the planarization layer 231 can be, for example, a planarization layer (Planarization layer, PLN), and the dielectric layer 233 can be, for example, an interlayer dielectric layer (Interlayer Dielectric, ILD).

[0069] Please continue reading Figure 5 Since the polarizer 1 is in direct contact with the protective layer 21, the corrosive substances in the polarizer 1 can directly diffuse into the protective layer 21 and continue to diffuse in the protective layer 21. The diffusion direction of the corrosive substances in the protective layer is from the display area AA to the non-display area BB and along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate 2. For example, the direction from the display area AA to the non-display area BB is Figure 5 The X-axis direction in the flexible substrate 2 is the direction along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate 2. Figure 5 Taking the Z-axis direction in the figure as an example, the corrosive substances diffuse in the protective layer 21 along the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. In the process of diffusion along the Z-axis direction, since the protective layer 21 and the insulating layer 22 are stacked, the insulating layer 22 prevents the corrosive substances from continuing to diffuse downward along the Z-axis direction, thereby preventing the corrosive substances from diffusing into the circuit layer 23. In the process of diffusion along the X-axis, the corrosive substances diffuse from the display area AA to the non-display area BB. In the non-display area BB, the length of the protective layer 21 along the X-axis direction is less than or equal to the length of the insulating layer 22 along the X-axis direction. Figure 7It is shown that the length of the protective layer 21 and the insulating layer 22 in the non-display area BB along the X-axis direction is L1, the length of the protective layer 21 in the non-display area BB along the X-axis direction is L3, and the length of the insulating layer 22 in the non-display area BB along the X-axis direction is L2, L3≤L2. In this way, the protective layer 21 is not provided in the area of ​​the non-display area BB where the insulating layer 22 is not provided, that is, the protective layer 21 is not in direct contact with the circuit layer 23. After the corrosive substances diffuse in the protective layer 21 along the X-axis direction to the end 21A of the protective layer 21, they cannot continue to diffuse along the X-axis direction. Therefore, the corrosive substances can only turn to diffuse along the Z-axis direction at the end 21A of the protective layer 21 until they diffuse to the contact area between the protective layer 21 and the insulating layer 22. The presence of the insulating layer 22 prevents the corrosive substances from continuing to diffuse along the Z-axis direction of the protective layer 21, and the corrosive substances cannot enter the circuit layer 23, thereby avoiding the first wiring 232, the second wiring 234 and the metal wire layer 235 in the circuit layer 23 from being corroded, thereby improving the service life of the flexible substrate 2.

[0070] The present application does not limit whether the polarizer 1 and the protective layer 21 are disposed in the non-display area BB, as long as the length of the protective layer 21 along the first direction is less than or equal to the length of the insulating layer 22 along the first direction, and the corrosive substances in the protective layer 21 cannot enter the circuit layer 23. In one embodiment, refer to Figure 8 , the polarizer 1 is only disposed in the display area AA, the protective layer 21 is only disposed in the display area AA, and the length of the polarizer 1 along the X-axis direction can be equal to the length of the protective layer 21 along the X-axis direction, so as to provide good packaging and protection for the polarizer 1. In another embodiment, please continue to refer to Figure 5 , the polarizer 1 is only disposed in the display area AA, the protective layer 21 is disposed in the first area BB1 of the display area AA and the non-display area BB, and the length of the polarizer 1 along the X-axis direction is less than the length of the protective layer 21 along the X-axis direction. In another embodiment, see Fig. 9 The polarizer 1 is arranged in the first area BB1 of the display area AA and the non-display area BB, the protective layer 21 is arranged in the first area BB1 of the display area AA and the non-display area BB, and the length of the polarizer 1 along the X-axis direction is less than or equal to the length of the protective layer 21 along the X-axis direction.

[0071] Furthermore, Fig.10 Another structural schematic diagram of the display module 10 is shown. A first adhesive layer 4 is provided between the polarizer 1 and the protective layer 21 to achieve connection between the polarizer 1 and the protective layer 21 and improve the structural stability of the display module 10. The first adhesive layer 4 can be prepared from organic materials such as OCA (Optically Clear Adhesive) and PSA (Pressure Sensitive Adhesive).

[0072] The first adhesive layer 4 is arranged in the display area AA and the non-display area BB. In the non-display area BB, part of the first adhesive layer 4 is arranged on the side walls of the polarizer 1 and the protective layer 21, so that part of the first adhesive layer 4 is arranged on the same layer as the protective layer 21. It can be understood that the first adhesive layer 4 is only arranged in the first area BB1 of the non-display area BB, that is, in the non-display area BB, the length of the first adhesive layer 4 along the first direction is less than or equal to the length of the insulating layer 22 along the first direction. Please continue to refer to Figure 7 Taking the first direction as the X-axis direction as an example, the length of the insulating layer 22 in the non-display area BB along the X-axis direction is L2, and the length of the first adhesive layer 4 in the non-display area BB along the X-axis direction is L4, L4≤L2. In this way, the first adhesive layer 4 does not contact the circuit layer 23, and the corrosive substances in the polarizer 1 cannot diffuse into the first adhesive layer 4 through the first adhesive layer 4 into the circuit layer 23, thereby preventing the first wiring 232, the second wiring 234 and the metal wire layer 235 in the circuit layer 23 from being corroded, thereby improving the corrosion resistance of the flexible substrate 2, thereby improving the service life of the flexible substrate 2.

[0073] Fig.11 FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of preparing the insulating layer 22. The insulating layer 22 can be prepared by the following process: first, an insulating layer precursor layer 22A is prepared, the insulating layer precursor layer 22A corresponds to the display area AA and the non-display area BB, and then the insulating layer precursor layer 22A is partially cut off ( Fig.11 The area indicated by the middle arrow is a local truncation processing area), and an insulating layer 22 is obtained, and the insulating layer 22 corresponds to the display area AA and the first area BB1 of the non-display area BB. It can be understood that the insulating layer 22 can also be directly prepared by a mask plate patterning process (Photo Mask).

[0074] Fig.12 FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of preparing the protective layer 21. The protective layer 21 can be prepared by the following process: first, a protective layer precursor layer 21B is prepared, the protective layer precursor layer 21B corresponds to the display area AA and the non-display area BB, and then the protective layer precursor layer 21B is partially cut off ( Fig.12 The area indicated by the middle arrow is a local truncation processing area), and a protective layer 21 is obtained, the protective layer 21 at least corresponds to the display area AA, and the length of the protective layer 21 along the display area AA pointing to the non-display area BB is less than or equal to the length of the insulating layer 22 along the display area AA pointing to the non-display area BB. It can be understood that the protective layer 21 can also be directly prepared by a mask template through a patterning process (Photo Mask).

[0075] Example 2

[0076] Different from the first embodiment, the display module 10 further includes an extended protective layer 24. Fig.13The structure schematic diagram of the display module 10 provided in Example 2 is shown, the extended protective layer 24 is arranged on the side surface of the insulating layer 22 away from the flat layer 231, the extended protective layer 24 and the protective layer 21 are arranged in the same layer, along the display area AA pointing to the non-display area BB direction, there is a first gap 24A between the extended protective layer 24 and the protective layer 21, and illustratively, the display area AA points to the non-display area BB direction. Fig.13 In the X-axis direction of the polarizer 1, when the corrosive substances in the protective layer 21 diffuse in the X-axis direction, in the non-display area BB, there is a first gap 24A between the protective layer 21 and the extended protective layer 24, that is, there is discontinuity between the protective layer 21 and the extended protective layer 24 along the X-axis direction. The existence of the first gap 24A hinders the diffusion of the corrosive substances into the extended protective layer 24. After the corrosive substances diffuse in the protective layer 21 along the X-axis direction to the end 21A of the protective layer 21, they cannot continue to diffuse along the X-axis direction. Therefore, the corrosive substances can only turn to diffuse along the Z-axis direction at the end 21A of the protective layer 21 until they diffuse to the contact area between the protective layer 21 and the insulating layer 22. The existence of the insulating layer 22 prevents the corrosive substances from continuing to diffuse, and the corrosive substances cannot enter the circuit layer 23, thereby preventing the first wiring 232, the second wiring 234 and the metal wire layer 235 in the circuit layer 23 from being corroded, thereby improving the corrosion resistance of the flexible substrate 2, thereby improving the service life of the flexible substrate 2.

[0077] The present application does not limit the location of the extended protective layer 24 in the non-display area BB. The extended protective layer 24 may be disposed only in the first area BB1 in the non-display area BB. The extended protective layer 24 may also be disposed in the first area BB1 and the second area BB2 in the non-display area BB. Fig.14 The schematic diagram shows the structure that the extended protective layer 24 is only arranged in the first area BB1, and the extended protective layer 2 is an "I" type structure. Fig.13 The extended protective layer 24 is arranged in the first area BB1 and the second area BB2 of the non-display area BB. The extended protective layer 24 is an "L"-shaped structure. The extended protective layer 24 has a filling portion 241. The filling portion 241 is a protruding structure of the extended protective layer 24 along the thickness direction of the flexible substrate 2. The filling portion 241 fills the vacancy of the insulating layer 22 in the second area BB2 of the non-display area, that is, the filling portion 241 is in contact with the circuit layer 23. Since there is a first gap 24A between the extended protective layer 24 and the protective layer 21, the corrosive substances in the protective layer 21 cannot enter the extended protective layer 24, and thus cannot enter the circuit layer 23.

[0078] Fig.15Another structural schematic diagram of the display module 10 is shown, where a second adhesive layer 5 is provided between the polarizer 1 and the protective layer 21 to achieve connection between the polarizer 1 and the protective layer 21 and improve the structural stability of the display module 10. The second adhesive layer 5 can be prepared from organic materials such as OCA (Optically Clear Adhesive) and PSA (Pressure Sensitive Adhesive).

[0079] The second adhesive layer 5 is disposed in the display area AA and the non-display area BB. In the non-display area BB, part of the second adhesive layer 5 is disposed on the side walls of the polarizer 1 and the protective layer 21, so that part of the second adhesive layer 5 is disposed on the same layer as the protective layer 21, and part of the second adhesive layer 5 is disposed in the first gap 24A, along the first direction ( Fig.15 In the X-axis direction, there is a second gap 24B between the second adhesive layer 5 and the extended protective layer 24. The second adhesive layer 5 is made of organic material. The pollutants in the polarizer 1 diffuse into the second adhesive layer 5. Due to the existence of the second gap 24B, the second adhesive layer 5 does not contact the extended protective layer 24, and the corrosive substances cannot diffuse into the circuit layer 23 through the second adhesive layer 5, so that the first wiring 232, the second wiring 234 and the metal wire layer 235 in the circuit layer 23 are prevented from being corroded, thereby improving the corrosion resistance of the flexible substrate 2, thereby improving the service life of the flexible substrate 2.

[0080] Fig.16 The protective layer 21 and the extended protective layer 24 are prepared by the following process: first, a protective layer precursor layer 21C is prepared, the protective layer precursor layer 21C corresponds to the display area AA and the non-display area BB, and then the protective layer precursor layer 21C is partially cut off ( Fig.16 The area indicated by the middle arrow is a local truncation processing area), and a protective layer 21 and an extended protective layer 24 are obtained, along the first direction ( Fig.16 In the X-axis direction), there is a first gap 24A between the protective layer 21 and the extended protective layer 24. It can be understood that the protective layer 21 can also be directly prepared by patterning (PhotoMask) using a mask.

[0081] Although the present application is disclosed as above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the claims. Any technical personnel in this field may make several possible changes and modifications without departing from the concept of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be based on the scope defined by the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A display module, comprising a display area and a non-display area arranged on one side of the display area, characterized in that: The display module comprises: A polarizer, wherein the polarizer is at least arranged in the display area; A flexible substrate, wherein the flexible substrate is arranged on one side of the polarizer, the flexible substrate comprises a protective layer, an insulating layer and a circuit layer which are stacked, the insulating layer is located between the protective layer and the circuit layer, the protective layer is in contact with the polarizer, the protective layer is arranged at least in the display area, the insulating layer is arranged in the display area and the non-display area, and the circuit layer is arranged in the display area and the non-display area; In the non-display area, the length of the insulating layer along the first direction is less than the length of the circuit layer along the first direction, the length of the protective layer along the first direction is less than or equal to the length of the insulating layer along the first direction, and the first direction refers to the direction from the display area to the non-display area.

2. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible substrate further includes an extended protective layer, which is disposed on the same layer as the protective layer. Along the first direction, a first gap is provided between the extended protective layer and the protective layer.

3. The display module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The extended protection layer has a filling portion, and the filling portion is in contact with the circuit layer.

4. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display module also includes a first adhesive layer, which is arranged between the polarizer and the protective layer. Part of the first adhesive layer is located in the non-display area. In the non-display area, the length of the first adhesive layer along the first direction is less than or equal to the length of the insulating layer along the first direction.

5. The display module according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the non-display area, part of the first adhesive layer is disposed on the same layer as the protective layer.

6. The display module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The display module also includes a second adhesive layer, which is arranged between the polarizer and the protective layer. Part of the second adhesive layer is arranged in the first gap. Along the first direction, a second gap is formed between the second adhesive layer and the extended protective layer.

7. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length of the polarizer along the first direction is less than or equal to the length of the protective layer along the first direction.

8. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The circuit layer includes a stacked flat layer and a dielectric layer, the dielectric layer is located between the flat layer and the insulating layer, a first routing line is arranged in the flat layer, and a second routing line and a metal wire layer are arranged in the dielectric layer.

9. The display module according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The non-display area includes a Pad area and a test area arranged on one side of the Pad area, the Pad area is arranged between the display area and the test area, the insulating layer corresponds to the display area and the Pad area, and the circuit layer corresponds to the display area, the Pad area and the test area.

10. A display device, characterized in that: The display device comprises the display module according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. An electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device includes a housing and a display device disposed in the housing, and the display device includes the display device according to claim 10.

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