Display module and display device

Abstract

The display module comprises a display panel and a flexible connection structure, a first binding area of the display panel is provided with a binding bonding pad, one end, close to the binding bonding pad, of the flexible connection structure is provided with a binding pin, at least part of the binding pin exceeds the edge of the display panel, and the part, exceeding the edge of the display panel, of the binding pin is a first pin part. One end of the conductive lead is connected with the binding pad, the other end of the conductive lead is connected with the first pin part, the width of the lower frame of the display module is equal to the sum of the width of the binding pin and the width of the first pin part, and the width of the first connecting part is much smaller than the radius of the bending area, so that the lower frame of the display module can be greatly reduced. The utility model further provides a display device comprising the display module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of display technology, and more specifically, to a display module and a display device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, with the continuous development of display technology, the screen ratio of screens is getting higher and higher, and the bezels of display panels and display modules are being continuously compressed.

[0003] Generally, after the bonding is completed, the bonding part or flexible connection structure is folded back to the back of the display panel. However, the sum of the width of the wiring area and the width of the bending radius is large, which makes it impossible to reduce the bottom bezel of the display module.

[0004] It should be noted that the information in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this utility model, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the problem that the bezel of the display module cannot be narrowed due to the large sum of the width of the wiring area and the radius of the bending area, and to provide a display module and display device.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a display module is provided, the display module including a display panel, a flexible connection structure, and conductive leads. The display panel includes a display layer and a back film. Bonding pads are disposed on the display side of the display layer, and the back film is disposed on the side of the display layer away from the bonding pads. The display side of the display layer has a first bonding area, and the first bonding area has bonding pads. The flexible connection structure is disposed on the non-display side of the display panel. One end of the flexible connection structure near the bonding pads has bonding pins. The bonding pins extend at least partially beyond the edge of the display panel, and the portion of the bonding pins extending beyond the edge of the display panel is a first pin portion. One end of the conductive lead is connected to the bonding pads, the conductive lead extends along the edge of the display panel, and the other end is connected to the first pin portion.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, a flexible connection structure is disposed on the side of the back film away from the display layer. The flexible connection structure includes a thin film substrate, which is disposed on the non-display side of the display panel. A bonding pin is disposed on the side of the thin film substrate close to the display panel. A first pin portion is exposed at the edge of the back film, and a conductive lead extends along the edge of the display layer and the edge of the display layer to the first pin portion.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the flexible connection structure further includes a thin film substrate, which is disposed on the non-display side of the display panel. The bonding pins are disposed on the side of the thin film substrate away from the display panel. The first pin portion is exposed at the edge of the thin film substrate, and the conductive leads extend along the edge of the display layer, the edge of the display layer and the edge of the thin film substrate to the first pin portion.

[0009] In one embodiment of this utility model, the display layer includes a substrate, a first gate layer, a source / drain conductive layer, and a pixel electrode layer. The first gate layer is disposed on one side of the substrate; the source / drain conductive layer is disposed on the side of the first gate layer away from the substrate; the pixel electrode layer is disposed on the side of the source / drain conductive layer away from the substrate; the bonding pads include at least two pad layers, the pad layer farthest from the substrate is disposed in the same layer and with the same material as the pixel electrode layer, and the remaining pad layers are disposed in the same layer and with the same material as one or more of the first gate layer and the source / drain conductive layer.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the display layer further includes a light-shielding layer and an active layer. The active layer is disposed on the side of the first gate layer that is close to or far from the substrate, and the light-shielding layer is disposed on the side of the active layer that is close to the substrate. The remaining pad layers are disposed in the same layer and made of the same material as one or more of the light-shielding layer, the first gate layer and the source / drain conductive layers.

[0011] In one embodiment of this utility model, for any two adjacent pad layers, the pad layer farther from the substrate is recessed relative to the pad layer closer to the substrate, forming exposed areas on the other pad layers except for the pad layer farthest from the substrate, and conductive leads cover the edges of each pad layer and each exposed area.

[0012] In one embodiment of this utility model, the pad layer furthest from the display panel is the first pad layer. The first pad layer includes at least two indium tin oxide layers and a metal layer. A metal layer is sandwiched between every two indium tin oxide layers. The layer of the first pad layer furthest from the substrate is the indium tin oxide layer, and the conductive leads are connected to the indium tin oxide layer.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the display panel further includes an optical film and a cover plate. The optical film is disposed on the side of the bonding pads away from the display layer, and the cover plate is disposed on the side of the optical film away from the display layer. The optical film and the cover plate are recessed relative to the edge of the display layer, exposing at least a portion of the bonding pads, and conductive leads overlap the exposed portion of the bonding pads.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the display module further includes a cover layer that covers the edge of the cover plate, the edge of the optical film, and the conductive leads.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the conductive lead is recessed inward toward the display panel relative to the edge of the first pin portion, exposing a portion of the first pin portion, and the cover layer covers the end of the conductive lead and the exposed portion of the first pin portion.

[0016] In one embodiment of this utility model, there are multiple bonding pads, which are spaced apart. There are also multiple bonding pins, which are spaced apart. Multiple bonding pins and multiple bonding pads form multiple pairs. The orthographic projections of each bonding pad and each bonding pin on the display panel at least partially overlap. Each bonding pad and each bonding pin are connected by a conductive lead.

[0017] In one embodiment of this invention, the width of the conductive lead is less than or equal to the width of the bonding pad and the width of the bonding pin.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the conductive lead includes a first lead segment, which covers the surface of the bonding pad and the display layer. The first lead segment includes multiple first sub-lead segments, the width of the first sub-lead segments located on different exposed areas is equal, and the distance between adjacent first sub-lead segments on different exposed areas is equal in a first direction.

[0019] In one embodiment of this utility model, the flexible connection structure is a flip-chip film. The flexible connection structure also includes a driver chip. The bonding pin is located at one end of the film substrate near the bonding pad, and the driver chip is bonded to one end of the film substrate away from the bonding pad. The driver chip is bonded to the side of the film substrate near the display panel, or the driver chip is bonded to the side of the film substrate away from the display panel.

[0020] In one embodiment of this utility model, the bonding pad has a dimension of 5-20um along the first direction, the spacing between two adjacent bonding pads along the first direction is 20-50um, the exposed portion of the bonding pad has a length of 30-100um along the second direction, and the first pin portion has a length of 10-100um along the second direction.

[0021] According to another aspect of this application, a display device is provided, comprising the display module provided in any one aspect of this utility model.

[0022] The display module of this utility model includes a display panel and a flexible connection structure. The first bonding area of ​​the display panel is provided with bonding pads. The flexible connection structure is provided with bonding pins at one end near the bonding pads. The bonding pins extend at least partially beyond the edge of the display panel. The part of the bonding pins extending beyond the edge of the display panel is the first pin portion. One end of the conductive lead is connected to the bonding pads, and the other end is connected to the first pin portion. The width of the bottom bezel of the display module is equal to the sum of the width of the bonding pins and the width of the first pin portion. The width of the first connection portion is much smaller than the radius of the bending area, thus greatly reducing the bottom bezel of the display module.

[0023] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments conforming to the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0025] Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display module involved in this utility model embodiment is shown, in which a second bonding area is provided in the area of ​​the lower bezel of the display panel, and the driver chip is usually located on the chip pad of the second bonding area.

[0026] Figure 2 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display module involved in this embodiment of the present invention, wherein the driver chip is integrated on a flip-chip film and the driver chip is bent to the back of the display panel.

[0027] Figure 3 A planar schematic diagram of the display module involved in this utility model embodiment, wherein a first wiring area, a bending area, a second wiring area, an anti-static unit setting area, and a third wiring area are sequentially arranged in a direction away from the display area for the area of ​​the lower border.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display module involved in this embodiment of the present invention when the lower edge of the display panel is bent to the non-display side in the bending area.

[0029] Figure 5 A planar schematic diagram of the lower bezel of the display panel involved in this embodiment of the present invention, when the data lines, touch lines, power signal lines and common signal lines of the display layer are bound to different binding pins.

[0030] Figure 6In order to attach one end of the conductive lead to the first pad, the conductive lead extends along the edge of the display layer and the edge of the back film to the first pin portion, and the other end is connected to the first pin portion. This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display module involved in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 7 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display module involved in this embodiment of the present invention, wherein a first groove is provided on the side of the back film away from the display layer.

[0032] Figure 8 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display module involved in this embodiment of the present invention, showing the process of removing the back film and the first adhesive layer at the location of the bonding pins to form an accommodating space.

[0033] Figure 9 This is a partial planar schematic diagram of the display module involved in this embodiment of the invention, where the orthographic projections of each bonding pad and each bonding pin on the display panel at least partially overlap, and when each bonding pad and each bonding pin are connected.

[0034] Figure 10 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display module involved in this embodiment of the present invention, wherein the bonding pins are located on the side of the thin film substrate away from the display panel, and the conductive leads extend along the edge of the display layer, the edge of the back film, and the edge of the thin film substrate to the first pin portion.

[0035] Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display layer involved in an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0036] Figure 12 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the bonding pads involved in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0037] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the distribution of conductive leads on bonding pads in an embodiment of the present invention, where the width of the lead segments is equal in different exposed areas and the distance between adjacent lead segments in different exposed areas is equal.

[0038] Figure 14 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display module according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the cover layer covers the side of the thin film substrate along the end of the bonding pin.

[0039] Figure 15 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display module involved in this embodiment of the present invention, wherein the conductive lead is recessed inward toward the display panel relative to the edge of the first pin portion, and the cover layer covers the end of the conductive lead and the exposed portion of the first pin portion.

[0040] Figure 16A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display module involved in this embodiment of the present invention, wherein the fourth adhesive layer between the flip-chip film and the display panel serves as a buffer and the fourth adhesive layer encapsulates the driver chip.

[0041] Figure 17 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the display module involved in this embodiment of the present invention, wherein the driving chip is disposed on the chip pad on the substrate, one end of the conductive lead is connected to the first pad portion, and the other end is connected to the first pin portion.

[0042] In the diagram: 1. Display panel; 110. Display layer; 11. Driver backplane; 111. Substrate; 112. Driver circuit layer; 1121. Active layer; 1122. Gate insulating layer; 1123. First gate layer; 1124. Dielectric layer; 1125. First source / drain conductive layer; 1126. Passivation layer; 1127. First planarization layer; 1128. Second source / drain conductive layer; 1129. Second planarization layer; 113. Light-shielding layer; 12. 121. Light-emitting layer; 1212. Light-emitting device; 1213. First electrode; 1214. Light-emitting material layer; 1215. Second electrode; 1216. Pixel electrode layer; 13. Pixel definition layer; 131. Pixel opening; 14. Bonding pad; 141. Pad layer; 1411. First pad layer; 1412. Second pad layer; 1413. Third pad layer; 1414. Fourth pad layer; 142. Exposed area; 1401. First pad portion; 1 5. Data cable; 16. Touch cable; 17. Power signal cable; 18. Common signal cable; 101. Display area; 102. Non-display area; 1021. First wiring area; 1022. Bending area; 1023. Second wiring area; 1024. Anti-static unit setting area; 1025. Third wiring area; 1026. Second bonding area; 1027. First bonding area; 120. Back film; 1201. First groove; 130. Optical film; 14. 0. Cover plate; 150. First adhesive layer; 160. Second adhesive layer; 170. Third adhesive layer; 2. Driver chip; 21. Chip pad; 3. Flexible connection structure; 31. Thin film substrate; 32. Bonding pin; 321. First pin portion; 33. Fourth adhesive layer; 4. Conductive lead; 41. First lead segment; 411. First sub-lead segment; 42. Second lead segment; 43. Third lead segment; 5. Cover layer; 6. First alignment mark. Detailed Implementation

[0043] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present invention will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore their detailed description will be omitted. Furthermore, the drawings are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0044] Although relative terms such as "upper" and "lower" are used in this specification to describe the relative relationship of one component of an icon to another, these terms are used only for convenience, such as according to the orientation of the examples in the accompanying drawings. It is understood that if the device of the icon is flipped so that it is upside down, the component described as "upper" will become the component described as "lower." When a structure is "upper" of another structure, it may mean that the structure is integrally formed on the other structure, or that the structure is "directly" mounted on the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly" mounted on the other structure through another structure.

[0045] The terms “a,” “one,” “the,” and “at least one” are used to indicate the existence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms “including” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and to mean that there may be other elements / components / etc. in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.; the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc., are used only as markers and are not a limitation on the number of objects.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, a display module typically includes a display panel 1. A first bonding area 1027 is provided in the area of ​​the lower bezel of the display panel 1, and bonding pads are provided in the first bonding area 1027. A second bonding area 1026 is provided between the first bonding area 1027 and the display area 101, and chip pads are provided in the second bonding area 1026. For a display panel 1 that cannot be bent, the driver chip 2 is usually disposed on the chip pads on a rigid substrate 111 (COG, Chip On Glass). The flexible connection structure 3 uses a flexible circuit board. It is bonded to the bonding pads 14 through the flexible connection structure 3. The flexible connection structure 3 is bent to the non-display side of the display panel 1 and connected to the control circuit board on the non-display side of the display panel 1. This type of display panel 1 has a lower manufacturing cost, but results in a larger bezel of the display module.

[0047] Extremely narrow bezels are a major trend in display panels today, allowing the display area to occupy the largest possible proportion of the entire panel. With the relentless pursuit of the highest screen-to-body ratio, the bezels of the display module are further compressed, with the left, right, and top bezels having reduced wiring space and packaging distance, achieving bezels of less than 1mm. For example... Figure 2 As shown, in order to narrow the bottom bezel of the display module, the flexible connection structure 3 uses a chip-on-film (COF) film with a flexible plastic substrate, and integrates the driver chip 2 on the COF film. As the COF film is bent, the driver chip 2 is bent to the back of the display panel 1. However, the process of this display module is more complex and the yield rate is lower.

[0048] With the advent of flexible display panels, in order to simplify the process and improve the yield rate, such as... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the display panel 1 includes a display area 101 and a non-display area 102 located around the display area 101. In the area of ​​the non-display area 102 located on the lower edge, there can be a first wiring area 1021, a bending area 1022, a second wiring area 1023, an anti-static unit setting area 1024 and a third wiring area 1025 arranged sequentially in the direction away from the display area 101. A chip pad 21 can be provided on the outside of the third wiring area 1025. The driver chip 2 can be bonded to the chip pad 21. A bonding pad 14 is provided on the side of the chip pad 21 away from the third wiring area 1025, and the flexible connection structure 3 is connected to the bonding pad 14.

[0049] The driver chip 2 is directly fixed to the chip pads (COP) on the flexible substrate. A bending process is used to bend the bottom bezel of the display panel 1 to the non-display side at the bending area 1022, thereby further reducing the width of the bottom bezel and forming a narrow bezel. However, the sum of the width of the wiring area and the radius of the bending area 1022 is relatively large, making it difficult to reduce the bottom bezel of the display module to the same width as the left, right, and top bezels.

[0050] Based on this, the present invention provides a display module. For example... Figures 5 to 17As shown, the display module includes a display panel 1, a flexible connection structure 3, and conductive leads 4. The display side of the display panel 1 has a first bonding area 1027, and the first bonding area 1027 is provided with bonding pads 14. The flexible connection structure 3 is located on the non-display side of the display panel 1. One end of the flexible connection structure 3 near the bonding pads 14 is provided with bonding pins 32. The bonding pins 32 extend at least partially beyond the edge of the display panel 1, and the portion of the bonding pins 32 extending beyond the edge of the display panel 1 is the first pin portion 321. One end of the conductive lead 4 is connected to the bonding pads 14, and the conductive lead 4 extends along the edge of the display panel 1. The other end is connected to the first pin portion 321.

[0051] The display module includes a display panel 1 and a flexible connection structure 3. The first bonding area 1027 of the display panel 1 is provided with bonding pads 14. The flexible connection structure 3 is provided with bonding pins 32 at one end near the bonding pads 14. The bonding pins 32 extend at least partially beyond the edge of the display panel 1. The portion of the bonding pins 32 that extends beyond the edge of the display panel 1 is the first pin portion 321. One end of the conductive lead 4 is connected to the bonding pads 14, and the other end is connected to the first pin portion 321. The width of the bottom bezel of the display module is equal to the sum of the width of the first bonding area 1027 and the width of the first pin portion 321. The width of the first connection portion is much smaller than the radius of the bending area 1022, thus greatly reducing the size of the bottom bezel of the display module.

[0052] The display module involved in the embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to specific examples.

[0053] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the display module may include a display panel 1, which includes a display layer 110. The display side of the display layer 110 has a display area 101 and a non-display area 102 located around the display area 101. The non-display area 102 has a first bonding area 1027 located on the lower edge. The first bonding area 1027 has a plurality of bonding pads 14 spaced apart along a first direction. The data lines 15, touch lines 16, power signal lines 17, and common signal lines 18 of the display layer 110 are bonded to different bonding pins 32. The width d1 of the bonding pads 14 along the first direction is 5-20 μm, preferably 8-15 μm. The spacing between two adjacent bonding pads 14 along the first direction is approximately 20-50 μm, preferably 20-30 μm, which can correspond to the resolution of most small and medium-sized display modules.

[0054] like Figure 6As shown, the display panel 1 further includes a first adhesive layer 150, a back film 120, a second adhesive layer 160, an optical film 130, a third adhesive layer 170, and a cover plate 140. The first adhesive layer 150 is disposed on the side of the display layer 110 away from the bonding pads 14. The back film 120 is bonded to the side of the first adhesive layer 150 away from the display layer 110. The second adhesive layer 160 is disposed on the side of the bonding pads 14 away from the display layer 110. The optical film 130 is bonded to the side of the second adhesive layer 160 away from the display layer 110. The third adhesive layer 170 is disposed on the side of the optical film 130 away from the display layer 110. The cover plate 140 is bonded to the side of the third adhesive layer 170 away from the display layer 110. The optical film 130 and the cover plate 140 are recessed relative to the edge of the display layer 110, exposing at least a portion of the bonding pads 14. The exposed portion of the bonding pad 14 is the first pad portion 1401, and the length L1 of the first pad portion 1401 is 30-100um, preferably 10-50um.

[0055] The display module may further include a fourth adhesive layer 33 and a flexible connection structure 3. The fourth adhesive layer 33 is located on the side of the back film 120 away from the display layer 110. The flexible connection structure 3 includes a thin film substrate 31 and bonding pins 32. The fourth adhesive layer 33 is located on the side of the thin film substrate 31 away from the display layer 110, and the bonding pins 32 are located on the side of the thin film substrate 31 closer to the display panel 1. The back film 120 is a full-surface structure, and the bonding area with the bonding pins 32 does not require a cutout design, providing better support and ensuring a high bonding yield for the bonding pins 32. The fourth adhesive layer 33 can be a non-conductive adhesive film or a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0056] like Figure 7 As shown, a first groove can be provided on the side of the back film 120 away from the display layer 110, and the bonding pins 32 are disposed in the first groove 1201, which can reduce or eliminate the gap between the back film 120 and the thin film substrate 31. The sum of the depth of the first groove 1201 and the thickness of the fourth adhesive layer 33 is equal to the thickness of the bonding pins 32, which allows the back film 120 to be tightly attached to the thin film substrate 31, reducing the possibility of separation between the back film 120 and the thin film substrate 31 under stress. Figure 8 As shown, when the thickness of the bonding pin 32 is greater than the thickness of the back film 120, the back film 120 and the first adhesive layer 150 at the location of the bonding pin 32 can be removed to form a receiving space 1202. The bonding pin 32 is directly disposed in the receiving space 1202, which also allows the back film 120 to be tightly attached to the thin film substrate 31.

[0057] When the flexible connection structure 3 is attached to the back film 120, the bonding pin 32 is located at the end of the flexible connection structure 3 near the bonding pad 14. Specifically, the bonding pin 32 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first bonding area 1027 of the display panel 1 on the substrate 111. Typically, an insulating protective layer covers the bonding pin 32, and the insulating protective layer can be made of the same material as the thin film substrate 31. When the flexible connection structure 3 is attached to the back film 120, the bonding pin 32 extends at least partially beyond the edge of the display panel 1. The portion of the bonding pin 32 extending beyond the edge of the display panel 1 is the first pin portion 321. The first pin portion 321 can be exposed by offset bonding or by laser half-cutting. The length L2 of the first pin portion 321 is 10-100 μm, preferably 10-50 μm.

[0058] The display module also includes a conductive lead 4, one end of which is attached to the first pad portion 1401. The conductive lead 4 extends along the edge of the display layer 110 and the edge of the back film 120 to the first pin portion 321, and the other end is connected to the first pin portion 321. Specifically, the conductive lead 4 may include a first lead segment 41, a second lead segment 42, and a third lead segment 43. The first lead segment 41 covers the bonding pad 14 and the surface of the display layer 110. The second lead segment 42 covers the side of the display layer 110, the side of the first adhesive layer 150, the side of the back film 120, and the side of the fourth adhesive layer 33. The third lead segment 43 covers the surface of the first pin portion 321. The conductive lead 4 is formed by high-precision 3D printing. The width of the conductive lead 4 is less than or equal to the width of the bonding pad 14 and the width of the bonding pin 32. Specifically, the width of the conductive lead 4 is greater than or equal to half the width of the bonding pad 14 and greater than half the width of the bonding pin 32 to avoid the situation where the resistance value of the conductive lead 4 is too large.

[0059] 3D printing is generally a contact printing method. The print head can use the edges of the cover plate 140 and the optical film 130 as the starting position for printing, achieving front-to-back positioning of the print head relative to the bonding pad 14. This ensures that the 3D printing material of the conductive lead 4 completely covers the first bonding pad 1401, increasing the contact area between the conductive lead 4 and the bonding pad 14 and reducing the contact resistance between the conductive lead 4 and the bonding pad 14. Figure 9As shown, multiple first alignment marks 6 can be set on the flexible connection structure 3. By aligning the second alignment mark of the print head with the first alignment mark 6, the left and right positioning of the print head with respect to the bonding pad 14 can be achieved. The first alignment mark 6 is set on the part of the thin film substrate 31 that extends beyond the edge of the display panel. One first alignment mark 6 can be arranged on each side of the bonding pin along the first direction. Alternatively, one first alignment mark 6 can be set on each side of the flexible connection structure 3 along the first direction on the display panel 1. It should be noted that, whether set on the thin film substrate 31 or the display panel 1, the first alignment mark 6 is set close to the display side of the display panel 1.

[0060] like Figure 9 As shown, there are multiple bonding pads 14, which are spaced apart. There are also multiple bonding pins 32, which are spaced apart. The bonding pins 32 and bonding pads 14 form multiple pairs. The orthographic projections of each bonding pad 14 and each bonding pin 32 on the display panel 1 at least partially overlap. Each bonding pad 14 is connected to each bonding pin 32. The number of bonding pads 14 varies depending on the size of the display area of ​​the display panel 1. The display module may include two or more flexible connection structures 3, each of which is bonded to a bonding pad 14.

[0061] like Figure 10 As shown, the bonding pins 32 can also be located on the side of the thin film substrate 31 away from the display panel 1, with the first pin portion 321 exposed at the edge of the thin film substrate 31. The conductive leads 4 overlap the portion of the bonding pad 14 exposed outside the optical film 130 and the cover plate 140. The conductive leads 4 extend along the edges of the display layer 110, the back film 120, and the thin film substrate 31 to the first pin portion 321. The thin film substrate 31 is tightly bonded to the back film 120, which can reduce the risk of peeling between the flexible connection structure 3 and the back film 120.

[0062] like Figure 11 As shown, the display layer 110 includes a substrate 111 and a driving circuit layer 112 disposed on one side of the substrate 111. The driving circuit layer 112 includes an active layer 1121, a gate insulating layer 1122, a first gate layer 1123, a dielectric layer 1124, a first source / drain conductive layer 1125, a passivation layer 1126, a first planarization layer 1127, a second source / drain conductive layer 1128, and a second planarization layer 1129, which are sequentially disposed along a direction away from the substrate 111. The materials of the first planarization layer 1127 and the second planarization layer 1129 can be transparent resin or other organic materials, and the surface of the planarization layer facing away from the driving backplate 11 is planar so that a light-emitting layer 12 can be disposed thereon. The light-emitting layer 12 includes a plurality of light-emitting devices 121.

[0063] like Figure 11 As shown, a pixel definition layer 13 is provided on the side of the driving circuit layer 112 away from the substrate 111. The pixel definition layer 13 has pixel openings 131. Light-emitting devices 121 can be arrayed within the pixel openings 131. Each light-emitting device 121 can be an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), comprising a first electrode 1211, a light-emitting material layer 1212, and a second electrode 1213 stacked along a direction away from the substrate 111. The first electrode 1211 is located on the side of the second planarization layer 1129 away from the substrate 111, and at least partially exposed in the pixel openings 131. The light-emitting material layer 1212 is at least partially located within the pixel openings 131, and the second electrode 1213 can cover the light-emitting material layer 1212. The first electrode 1211 is located in the pixel electrode layer 122, which includes the first electrodes 1211 of different light-emitting devices 121.

[0064] The driving circuit layer 112 is typically provided with a pixel driving circuit for driving the light-emitting device 121 to emit light. The pixel driving circuit typically includes multiple transistors. The active layer 1121 typically provides the channel region, source region, and drain region of the transistor. A first source and drain can be provided in the first source-drain conductive layer 1125, connecting the first source to the source region of the transistor and the drain to the drain region of the transistor. A second source is provided in the second source-drain conductive layer 1128, connecting the second source to the first source through a first via. Then, the first electrode 1211 is connected to the second source through a second via, thereby completing the connection between the light-emitting device 121 and the transistor.

[0065] To prevent interference with the stable electrical characteristics of the transistor, a light-shielding layer 113 may be provided. The light-shielding layer 113 may overlap with at least a portion of the channel region of the transistor to block light illuminating the transistor. The light-shielding layer 113 is disposed between the active layer 1121 and the substrate 111, and a buffer layer may be disposed between the light-shielding layer 113 and the active layer 1121.

[0066] It is understood that the first gate layer 1123 is disposed on one side of the substrate 111, the first source / drain conductive layer 1125 is disposed on the side of the first gate layer 1123 away from the substrate 111, the second source / drain conductive layer 1128 is disposed on the side of the first source / drain conductive layer 1125 away from the substrate 111, the pixel electrode layer 122 is disposed on the side of the source / drain conductive layer away from the substrate 111, and the light-shielding layer 113 is disposed on the side of the first gate layer 1123 close to the substrate 111. The first source / drain conductive layer 1125 and the second source / drain conductive layer 1128 constitute the source / drain conductive layer.

[0067] The bonding pads 14 include at least two pad layers 141. The pad layer 141 furthest from the substrate 111 is disposed on the same layer and with the same material as the pixel electrode layer 122. The remaining pad layers 141 are disposed on the same layer and with the same material as one or more of the first gate layer 1123, the first source / drain conductive layer 1125, the second source / drain conductive layer 1128, and the light-shielding layer 113. Figure 12 As shown, the bonding pad 14 may include four pad layers 141, namely a first pad layer 1411, a second pad layer 1412, a third pad layer 1413, and a fourth pad layer 1414. The first pad layer 1411 may be disposed in the same layer and with the same material as the pixel electrode layer 122, the second pad layer 1412 may be disposed in the same layer and with the same material as the second source drain conductive layer 1128, the third pad layer 1413 may be disposed in the same layer and with the same material as the first source drain conductive layer 1125, and the fourth pad layer 1414 may be disposed in the same layer and with the same material as the first gate layer 1123.

[0068] Alternatively, the driving circuit layer 112 may include a first gate layer 1123 and a second gate layer sequentially disposed along a direction away from the substrate 111. Figure 11 (Not shown in the image) First source / drain conductive layer 1125 and second source / drain conductive layer 1128. The pad layer 141 farthest from the substrate 111 is disposed in the same layer and with the same material as the second source / drain conductive layer 1128. The remaining pad layers 141 are disposed in the same layer and with the same material as one or more of the first gate layer 1123, the second gate layer, the first source / drain conductive layer 1125 and the light-shielding layer 113.

[0069] To further improve the adhesion between the printing material of the conductive lead 4 and the bonding pad 14, the multiple pad layers 141 can be made in a stepped shape. That is, for any two adjacent pad layers 141, the pad layer 141 farther from the substrate 111 is recessed relative to the pad layer 141 closer to the substrate 111. Exposed areas 142 are formed on the pad layers 141 other than the pad layer 141 farthest from the display panel 1. The conductive lead 4 covers the edges of each pad layer 141, each exposed area 142, and the area of ​​the surface of the pad layer 141 farthest from the substrate 111 that is not covered by the second adhesive layer 160. This increases the tightness of the connection between the conductive lead 4 and the bonding pad 14. Figure 13 As shown, the first lead segment 41 includes multiple first sub-lead segments 411. The width of the first sub-lead segments 411 on different exposed areas 142 of the conductive lead 4 is equal, and the distance between adjacent first sub-lead segments 411 on different exposed areas 142 is equal.

[0070] The pad layer 141 furthest from the display panel 1 is the first pad layer 1411. The first pad layer 1411 is made of the same material as the pixel electrode layer 122. The first pad layer 1411 includes at least two indium tin oxide layers and a metal layer. A metal layer is sandwiched between every two indium tin oxide layers. The layer of the first pad layer 1411 furthest from the substrate 111 is the indium tin oxide layer. The conductive lead 4 is attached to the indium tin oxide layer.

[0071] The 3D printing material for the conductive lead 4 is a nano-conductive material, which includes conductive particles, solvents, binders, and other additives (e.g., leveling agents). The solid content of the conductive particles is greater than 50%, preferably greater than 80%. In this embodiment, the solid content of the conductive particles can be 85%.

[0072] The material of conductive lead 4 is the same as that of the metal layer. The metal layer can be a silver layer, that is, the first pad layer 1411 can be made of anolyte metal ITO / Ag / ITO, and the conductive particles can be conductive silver paste. On the one hand, because the surface energy of the indium tin oxide layer is high, the conductive silver paste has good adhesion to its surface. On the other hand, the indium tin oxide layer is relatively thin, and during the subsequent curing process of the conductive silver paste, it can form interatomic bonds with the silver layer below the indium tin oxide layer, further improving its adhesion. Of course, the top indium tin oxide layer of the first pad layer 1411 can also be removed, and the nano-conductive material can be directly printed onto the metal layer.

[0073] The display module may also include a cover layer 5, which covers the edges of the cover plate 140, the edges of the optical film 130, and the conductive leads 4. This protects the bonding pads 14 and bonding pins 32, preventing damage upon impact and ensuring the signal transmission of the display module is not affected. Figure 14 As shown, the end of the bonding pin 32 is flush with the edge of the thin film substrate 31, and the cover layer 5 covers the side of the thin film substrate 31 along the end of the bonding pin 32.

[0074] like Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, to avoid exposing the side of the third lead segment 43 or the cover layer 5 extending beyond the edge of the thin film substrate 31, thus increasing the bezel width of the display module, the conductive lead 4 is recessed inward relative to the edge of the first pin portion 321 towards the display panel 1, exposing a portion of the first pin portion 321. The cover layer 5 covers the end of the conductive lead 4 and the exposed portion of the first pin portion 321. The cover layer 5 can be formed by coating or printing a protective adhesive, and the cover layer 5 can be an epoxy or acrylic resin-based organic material.

[0075] like Figure 14 and Figure 15As shown, the flexible connection structure 3 can be a flip-chip film, and the display module can also include a driver chip 2, which is located on the side of the thin-film substrate 31 away from the display panel 1. Figure 16 As shown, the driver chip 2 can also be disposed on the side of the thin film substrate 31 close to the display panel 1. The fourth adhesive layer 33 between the flip-chip film and the display panel 1 serves as a buffer, and the fourth adhesive layer 33 wraps around the driver chip 2. The length of the first pin portion 321 is much smaller than the radius of the bending area 1022. In addition, this display module has no second bonding area 1026, which makes the bottom bezel of the display module smaller, allowing the bottom bezel to be as narrow as the left bezel, right bezel, and top bezel, or even a borderless design.

[0076] like Figure 17 As shown, the flexible connection structure 3 can be a flexible circuit board, and the driver chip 2 cannot be directly mounted on the flexible circuit board. The driver chip 2 is usually mounted on the chip pads on the substrate 111. One end of the conductive lead 4 is connected to the first pad portion 1401, and the conductive lead 4 extends along the edge of the display layer 110 and the edge of the back film 120 to the first pin portion 321, with the other end connected to the first pin portion 321. For this display module structure, the width of the first pin portion 321 is much smaller than the bending radius of the flexible circuit board, thus greatly reducing the bottom bezel of the display module. Achieving a narrow bezel in some low-cost display modules has good application prospects.

[0077] It should be noted that the first direction is Figure 5 and Figure 7 The x-direction shown is the arrangement direction of the bonding pins 32 and bonding pads 14. The second direction is... Figure 5 and Figure 7 The y-direction shown is the extension direction of the bonding pin 32 and the bonding pad 14.

[0078] This utility model embodiment also provides a method for manufacturing a display module, the method including:

[0079] Step S10: Provide display panel 1, and form bonding pad 14 in the first bonding area 1027 on the display side of display panel 1;

[0080] Step S20: A flexible connection structure 3 is formed on the non-display side of the display panel 1. The flexible connection structure 3 is provided with a bonding pin 32 at one end near the bonding pad 14.

[0081] Step S30: Cut the display panel 1, and the edge of the display panel 1 is recessed to expose at least part of the bonding pin 32. The part of the bonding pin 32 that extends beyond the edge of the display panel 1 is the first pin portion 321.

[0082] In step S40, a conductive lead 4 is formed by 3D printing. One end of the conductive lead 4 is connected to the bonding pad 14, and the other end is connected to the first pin portion 321.

[0083] Because the bonding process is usually performed after the display motherboard is cut into multiple small display panels 1, and there is no corresponding mask for etching the conductive leads 4 after the small display panels 1 are cut, using high-precision 3D printing equipment, the bonding pins 32 of each small display panel 1 can be connected to the bonding pads 14 one by one, which is simple and has a high yield.

[0084] The optical film 130 and the cover plate 140 are recessed relative to the edge of the display layer 110, exposing at least part of the bonding pad 14. The exposed part of the bonding pad 14 is the first pad portion 1401. The conductive lead 4 overlaps on the first pad portion 1401. Therefore, the starting position of the 3D printing of the conductive lead is the edge of the cover plate 140 and the optical film 130.

[0085] The printed nano-conductive material is then thermosetting or laser-cured. The nano-conductive material comprises conductive particles and an organic binder. After thermosetting or laser curing, the organic binder evaporates, reducing the distance between the conductive particles and allowing them to contact each other, thus achieving better conductivity. Infrared, ultraviolet, or intense pulsed light (IPL) laser sintering can be used for curing. After curing, the resistivity of the nano-conductive material is approximately 1-500 μΩ·cm, preferably 3-30 μΩ·cm. Alternatively, the printed nano-conductive material can be thermoset at a temperature below 200°C. Finally, a cover layer 5 is applied, covering the end of the conductive lead 4 and the exposed portion of the first pin 321.

[0086] This invention also provides a display device, which may include the display module described in any of the above embodiments of this invention. The specific structure and beneficial effects of the display module have already been described in detail above, and therefore will not be repeated here.

[0087] It should be noted that, in addition to the display module, the display device also includes other necessary components and parts, such as the casing, circuit board, power cord, etc. Those skilled in the art can make corresponding additions according to the specific usage requirements of the display device, which will not be elaborated here.

[0088] Display devices can also be emerging wearable devices, such as virtual reality and augmented reality devices, or traditional electronic devices, such as mobile phones, computers, televisions, and video recorders. These will not be listed exhaustively here.

[0089] Other embodiments of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present invention that follow the general principles of the present invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present invention are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A display module, characterized in that, include: A display panel includes a display layer and a back film. The display side of the display layer has a first bonding area, and the first bonding area is provided with bonding pads. The bonding pads are located on the display side of the display layer, and the back film is located on the side of the display layer away from the bonding pads. A flexible connection structure is provided on the non-display side of the display panel. The end of the flexible connection structure near the bonding pad is provided with a bonding pin. The bonding pin extends at least partially beyond the edge of the display panel. The portion of the bonding pin extending beyond the edge of the display panel is a first pin portion. A conductive lead is connected at one end to the bonding pad and extends along the edge of the display panel, while the other end is connected to the first pin portion.

2. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible connection structure is located on the side of the back film away from the display layer. The flexible connection structure includes a thin film substrate located on the non-display side of the display panel. The bonding pin is located on the side of the thin film substrate close to the display panel. The first pin portion is exposed at the edge of the back film. The conductive lead extends along the edge of the display layer and the edge of the display layer to the first pin portion.

3. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible connection structure further includes a thin film substrate disposed on the non-display side of the display panel, the bonding pins disposed on the side of the thin film substrate away from the display panel, the first pin portion exposed at the edge of the thin film substrate, and the conductive leads extending along the edge of the display layer, the edge of the display layer and the edge of the thin film substrate to the first pin portion.

4. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The display layer includes: Substrate; A first gate layer is disposed on one side of the substrate. A source / drain conductive layer is disposed on the side of the first gate layer away from the substrate. A pixel electrode layer is disposed on the side of the source / drain conductive layer away from the substrate. The bonding pads include at least two pad layers. The pad layer furthest from the substrate is disposed in the same layer and with the same material as the pixel electrode layer. The remaining pad layers are disposed in the same layer and with the same material as one or more of the first gate layer and the source / drain conductive layers.

5. The display module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The display layer further includes a light-shielding layer and an active layer. The active layer is disposed on the side of the first gate layer that is close to or far from the substrate. The light-shielding layer is disposed on the side of the active layer that is close to the substrate. The remaining pad layers are disposed on the same layer and made of the same material as one or more of the light-shielding layer, the first gate layer and the source / drain conductive layers.

6. The display module according to claim 4, characterized in that, For any two adjacent pad layers, the pad layer farther from the substrate is recessed relative to the pad layer closer to the substrate, forming exposed areas on the other pad layers except for the pad layer farthest from the substrate, and the conductive leads cover the edges of each pad layer and each exposed area.

7. The display module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The pad layer furthest from the display panel is the first pad layer. The first pad layer includes at least two indium tin oxide (ITO) layers and a metal layer. A metal layer is sandwiched between every two ITO layers. The layer of the first pad layer furthest from the substrate is the ITO layer. The conductive lead is connected to the ITO layer.

8. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The display panel further includes an optical film and a cover plate. The optical film is disposed on the side of the bonding pad away from the display layer, and the cover plate is disposed on the side of the optical film away from the display layer. The optical film and the cover plate are recessed relative to the edge of the display layer, exposing at least a portion of the bonding pad. The conductive leads overlap the exposed portion of the bonding pad.

9. The display module according to claim 8, characterized in that, The display module further includes a cover layer that covers the edge of the cover plate, the edge of the optical film, and the conductive leads.

10. The display module according to claim 9, characterized in that, The conductive lead is recessed inward toward the display panel relative to the edge of the first pin portion, exposing a portion of the first pin portion. The cover layer covers the end of the conductive lead and the exposed portion of the first pin portion.

11. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of bonding pads is multiple, and the multiple bonding pads are spaced apart. The number of bonding pins is multiple, and the multiple bonding pins are spaced apart. The multiple bonding pins and the multiple bonding pads form multiple pairs. The orthographic projections of each bonding pad and each bonding pin on the display panel at least partially overlap. Each bonding pad and each bonding pin are connected by a conductive lead.

12. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the conductive lead is less than or equal to the width of the bonding pad and the width of the bonding pin.

13. The display module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The conductive lead includes a first lead segment that covers the bonding pad and the surface of the display layer. The first lead segment includes multiple first sub-lead segments. The width of the first sub-lead segments located on different exposed areas is equal, and the distance between adjacent first sub-lead segments on different exposed areas is equal in a first direction.

14. The display module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The flexible connection structure is a flip-chip film. The flexible connection structure also includes a driver chip. The bonding pin is located at one end of the film substrate near the bonding pad. The driver chip is bonded to one end of the film substrate away from the bonding pad. The driver chip is bonded to the side of the film substrate near the display panel, or the driver chip is bonded to the side of the film substrate away from the display panel.

15. The display module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bonding pad has a dimension of 5-20µm along the first direction, the spacing between two adjacent bonding pads along the first direction is 20-50µm, the exposed portion of the bonding pad has a length of 30-100µm along the second direction, and the first pin portion has a length of 10-100µm along the second direction.

16. A display device, characterized in that, Includes the display module as described in any one of claims 1 to 15.

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