Display control panels and methods for manufacturing them

Abstract

A display panel comprising the following features: a thin-film transistor, TFT, array substrate (11); an organic light-emitting diode, OLED, array (12), wherein the OLED array (12) is arranged on the TFT array substrate (11); a housing layer (13) covering the OLED array (12), wherein in a first direction a first projection of the OLED array (12) on the TFT array substrate (11) is located in a second projection of the housing layer (13) on the TFT array substrate (11), and a first gap (e) is present between an edge of the first projection and that of the second projection; an upper protective layer (14) covering the housing layer (13), wherein in a first direction the second projection is located in a third projection of the upper protective layer (14) on the TFT array substrate (11), and a second gap (d) is present between the The edge of the second lead and that of the third lead is present;a lower protective layer (15) which is arranged on one side of the TFT array substrate (11) away from the OLED array, the first direction being perpendicular to the TFT array substrate;wherein the TFT array substrate (11) comprises a substrate (112) and a TFT array (111) arranged on a surface of the substrate (112), wherein the TFT array (111) is arranged on a side of the substrate (112) facing the OLED array (12), wherein, in the first direction, a fourth projection of the TFT array (111) on the lower protective layer (15) is located in a fifth projection of the substrate (112) on the lower protective layer (15), a third gap (b) is present between an edge of the fourth projection and that of the fifth projection, a fourth gap (a) is present between the edge of the fifth projection and that of the lower protective layer (15), and in the first direction, a fifth gap (c) is present between an edge of a sixth projection of the upper protective layer (14) on the substrate (112) and an edge of the TFT array layer (11) is present.;

Description

Field of InterestThe present disclosure relates to the technical field of a display device, and more particularly, to a display panel and a method of manufacturing the same.BackgroundWith the constant development in science and technology, more and more electronic display devices are widely used in daily life and work of people, enabling great conveniences in daily life as well as work of people, and thus display devices have become indispensable and important tools in daily life and work of people nowadays.The main component of the electronic display device is a display panel, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel has become one of market-specifying display panels nowadays due to advantages such as a wide viewing angle, a uniform image quality, a fast response speed, a color display, and a simple process.It is necessary to protect the OLED display panel by packaging in order to avoid aging of a functional layer caused by penetration of vapor. However, the protective case of a prior art display panel has poor sealing performance, and the prior art display panel has short life.US 2015 / 0 048 331 A1 discloses that an organic light emitting display device includes a substrate; a display unit defining an active area on the substrate and including a thin film transistor and an organic light emitting device electrically connected to each other; and an encapsulation layer disposed on an upper surface and a side surface of the display unit, wherein the encapsulation layer includes at least a first inorganic layer, a first organic layer, and a second inorganic layer that are sequentially stacked, and the first organic layer covers the first inorganic layer.JP 2009-295 601 A discloses that an organic EL element is formed of an anode, an EL layer, and a cathode laminated on a transparent substrate in this order. A moisture barrier layer is provided to cover the entire organic EL element, and the moisture barrier layer extends from an outer periphery of the organic EL element and is also formed on the transparent substrate. A resin seal is formed on a periphery of the moisture barrier layer, and the resin seal extends from an outer edge of the moisture barrier layer and is also formed on the transparent substrate. A thin film gas barrier is formed so as to cover the entire resin seal and the moisture barrier layer, and the thin film gas barrier extends from an outer edge of the resin seal and is also formed on the transparent substrate.US 2011 / 0 235 160 A1 discloses that a housing structure of a flexible display device comprises a flexible optoelectronic display panel, a first barrier layer and a second barrier layer. The flexible optoelectronic display panel includes a back panel, a flexible front panel, and a display media layer. The display medium layer is disposed between the flexible faceplate and the backplate, wherein the display medium layer substantially corresponds to a display area of the backplate, and at least one side of the display medium layer is aligned with a corresponding side of the backplate. The first barrier layer is disposed on a first surface of the flexible front plane, wherein the flexible front plane, the display media layer, and the first barrier layer expose a connection region of the back wall. The second barrier layer is disposed on a second surface of the back wall.SummaryTo address the above problem, according to the present disclosure, there are provided a display panel and a method of manufacturing the same that improve the sealing effect of the housing protector of the display panel and extend the life of the display panel.In order to address the above problem, according to the present disclosure, the following technical solutions are provided.A display panel is provided, comprising the following features:a thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate;an organic light emitting diode (OLED) array, wherein the OLED array is disposed on the TFT array substrate;a package layer covering the OLED array, wherein in a first direction, a first protrusion of the OLED array on the TFT array substrate is located in a second protrusion of the package layer on the TFT array substrate, and a first distance is present between an edge of the first protrusion and that of the second protrusion;an upper protective layer covering the case layer, wherein in the first direction, the second protrusion is located in a third protrusion of the upper protective layer on the TFT array substrate, and a second space is present between the edge of the second protrusion and that of the third protrusion; anda lower protective layer disposed on a side of the TFT array substrate away from the OLED array,wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the TFT array substrate.According to the present disclosure, there is further provided a method of manufacturing a display panel, the method comprising the steps of:providing a TFT array substrate;forming an OLED array on a surface of the TFT array substrate;forming a package layer on a surface of the OLED array, the package layer covering the OLED array, a first protrusion of the OLED on the TFT array substrate is located in a second protrusion of the package layer on the TFT array substrate in a first direction, and a first distance is present between an edge of the first protrusion and that of the second protrusion, the first direction being perpendicular to the TFT array substrate; andforming an upper protective layer on a surface of the package layer and forming a lower protective layer on a side of the TFT array substrate away from the OLED array, wherein in the first direction, the second protrusion is located in a third protrusion of the upper protective layer on the TFT array substrate, and a second distance is present between the edge of the second protrusion and that of the third protrusion.In accordance with the above descriptions, the display panel according to the present disclosure includes: a TFT array substrate; an OLED array disposed on the TFT array substrate; a case layer covering the OLED array, wherein in a first direction, a first protrusion of the OLED array on the TFT array substrate is located in a second protrusion of the case layer on the TFT array substrate, and a first distance is present between an edge of the first protrusion and that of the second protrusion; an upper protective layer covering the case layer, wherein in the first direction, the second protrusion is located in a third protrusion of the upper protective layer on the TFT array substrate, and a second distance is present between the edge of the second protrusion and that of the third protrusion; and a lower protective layer disposed on a side of the TFT array substrate away from the OLED array, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the TFT array substrate.In the display panel according to the embodiments of the disclosure, the first distance and the second distance are present. The first distance can effectively prevent vapor from entering through a space between the package layer and the OLED array, and the second distance can effectively prevent vapor from entering through a space between the upper protective layer and the package layer, so that aging of the display panel caused by entering vapor is effectively prevented, and the package protection of the display panel has a good sealing effect that extends the life of the display panel.Brief Description of the DrawingsIn order to illustrate technical solutions according to the embodiments of the disclosure or the related art in more detail, the drawings according to the embodiments of the disclosure will be briefly described below. It is obvious that the drawings are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and that other drawings according to these drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without any user's activity. FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel according to an embodiment of the disclosure; FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel according to another embodiment of the disclosure; FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel according to still another embodiment of the disclosure; FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel according to still another embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe technical solutions according to the embodiments of the disclosure will be clearly and comprehensively described in conjunction with the drawings. It is understood that the described embodiments are only some, and not all, embodiments of the disclosure. All other embodiments obtained without any user's activity by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present disclosure fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.As described in the background, a package of a related art OLED display panel has a poor sealing effect, wherein vapor can easily penetrate, resulting in problems such as moisture aging and oxidation aging of a functional layer of the display panel, causing a short lifetime of the display panel.To address the above problems, according to an embodiment of the invention, a display panel is provided as shown in FIG. 1.Reference is made to FIG. 1, which is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The display panel includes: a TFT array substrate 11; an OLED array 12, the OLED array 12 being disposed on the TFT array substrate 11; a case layer 13, the case layer 13 covering the OLED array 12; an upper protective layer 14, the upper protective layer 14 covering the case layer 13; and a lower protective layer 15, the protective layer 15 being disposed on a side of the TFT array substrate 11 away from the OLED array.In a first direction X, a first protrusion of the OLED array 12 on the TFT array substrate is located in a second protrusion of the package layer 13 on the TFT array substrate 11, with a first distance e between an edge of the first protrusion and that of the second protrusion. In the first direction X, the second protrusion is located in a third protrusion of the upper protective layer 14 on the TFT array substrate 11, and a second distance d is present between the edge of the second protrusion and that of the third protrusion. The first direction X is perpendicular to the TFT array substrate 11.In the display panel according to the embodiment of the disclosure, the first distance and the second distance are present. The first distance can effectively prevent vapor from entering through a space between the package layer and the OLED array, and the second distance can effectively prevent vapor from entering through a space between the upper protective layer and the package layer, so that moisture aging and oxidation aging of the display panel caused by entering vapor are effectively prevented, and the package layer of the display panel has a good sealing effect, which extends the lifetime of the display panel.As shown in FIG. 1, in other embodiments according to the disclosure, the TFT array substrate 11 may include a substrate 112 and a TFT array 111 disposed on a surface of the substrate 112, the TFT array 111 being disposed on a side of the substrate 112 facing the OLED array 12.In the first direction X, a fourth protrusion of the TFT array 111 on the lower protective layer 15 is located in a fifth protrusion of the substrate 112 on the lower protective layer 15, and a third distance b is present between an edge of the fourth protrusion and that of the fifth protrusion. There is a fourth distance a between the edge of the fourth protrusion and that of the lower protective layer 15. The fourth protrusion and the fifth protrusion are both located on the lower protective layer 15.In the first direction X, a fifth distance c is present between an edge of a sixth protrusion of the upper protective layer 14 on the substrate 112 at the edge of the TFT array layer 11. The sixth protrusion is located on the TFT array 11.Note that in the embodiments according to the present disclosure, a distance between edges of two protrusions is the minimum distance between the edges of the two protrusions.The third distance b can effectively prevent vapor from entering through a space between the substrate 112 and the TFT array 111. The fourth distance a can effectively prevent vapor from entering through a space between the substrate 112 and the lower protective layer 15. The fifth distance c can effectively prevent vapor from entering through a space between the upper protective layer 14 and the case layer 13, or between the upper protective layer and the TFT array 111. Thus, aging of the display panel due to entry of steam can be effectively prevented, and the case layer of the display panel has a good sealing effect, which extends the life of the display panel.In the display panel according to the embodiment of the disclosure, an echelon protection structure is arranged so as to effectively prevent entry of vapor through a space between two structural layers and prevent moisture aging and oxidation aging of the display panel, which effectively extends the lifetime of the display panel.Optionally, the first distance e is greater than 0.3 mm; the second distance d is greater than 0.2 mm; the third distance b is greater than 0.1 mm; the fourth distance a is greater than 0.1; and the fifth distance c is greater than 0.1 mm. By configuring the display panel with these spaces, the entry of vapor through a space between two corresponding structural layers can be effectively prevented, and the effect of the seal protection can be improved.In the embodiment according to the present disclosure, the upper protective layer 14 is bonded to the case layer 13 and the TFT array 111 through an upper adhesive layer 16; and the lower protective layer 15 is bonded to the substrate 112 through a lower adhesive layer 17. In the first direction X, an edge of the upper adhesive layer 16 is flush with that of the upper protective layer 14, and an edge of the lower adhesive layer 17 is flush with that of the lower protective layer 15.Reference is made to FIG. 2 which is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel according to another embodiment of the disclosure. Besides the structures of the display panel shown in FIG. 1, the display panel shown in FIG. 2 further includes a first lateral protection layer 21.The first lateral protection layer 21 covers a portion of the TFT array 111 not covered by the upper protection layer, covers a portion of the substrate 112 not covered by the TFT array, and covers at least a portion of the lower protection layer 15 not covered by the substrate 112.In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the entry of vapor through a space between two structural layers can be further prevented by disposing the first lateral protection layer 21, which further improves the sealing protection effect of the display panel, better avoids moisture aging and oxidation aging of the structural layers of the display panel, and further extends the lifetime of the display panel.Reference is made to FIG. 3 which is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel according to another embodiment of the disclosure. Besides the structures of the display panel shown in FIG. 2, the display panel shown in FIG. 3 further includes a second lateral protection layer 31.In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the entry of vapor through a space between two structural layers can be further prevented by the second lateral protection layer 31, which further improves the sealing protection effect of the display panel, better avoids moisture aging and oxidation aging of the structural layers of the display panel, and further extends the lifetime of the display panel.In the embodiment according to the present disclosure, the second lateral protection layer 22 may be an Al 2 O 3- film thicker than 0.03 mm, and the first lateral protection layer 21 may be a sealant.Reference is made to FIG. 4 which is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel according to another embodiment of the disclosure. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, in order to achieve a good enclosure protection effect and to more effectively prevent the entry of vapor, the first lateral protection layer 21 is arranged to cover an interface between the upper adhesive layer 16 and the upper protection layer 14; and the second lateral protection layer 31 is arranged to cover an interface between the lower adhesive layer 17 and the lower protection layer 15, to cover an edge portion of a surface of the lower protection layer 15 away from the lower adhesive layer 17 having a predetermined width L 2, and to cover an edge portion of a surface of the upper protection layer 14 away from the upper adhesive layer 16 having a predetermined width L 1.Optionally, the predetermined width L 1 and the predetermined width L 2 are both greater than 0.1 mm and less than the fourth distance a.In the embodiment according to the present disclosure, the substrate 112 is a flexible substrate. The flexible substrate may be a plastic substrate so that the display panel can be bent, and can be used to fabricate a bendable display panel.According to the above descriptions, the display panel according to the embodiment of the present disclosure has a good housing protection effect, which can effectively prevent entry of vapor, prevent moisture aging and oxidation aging of the structural layers, and effectively extend the lifetime of the display panel.Based on the embodiments of the display panel as shown in FIG. 5, a method of manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the disclosure is provided.Reference is made to FIG. 5, which is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The method comprises steps S 11 to S 14.Step S 11 includes providing a TFT array substrate.The structure of the TFT array substrate may refer to the foregoing embodiments, which includes a substrate and a TFT array disposed on a surface of the substrate. A third distance b may be disposed between the TFT array and an edge of the substrate.Step S 12 includes forming an OLED array on a surface of the TFT array substrate.The OLED array may be formed on the surface of the TFT array substrate by an evaporation process. The TFT array is located between the OLED array and the substrate.Step S 13 includes forming a package layer on a surface of the OLED array.The package layer is formed by a film packaging process, and the package layer may be a multilayer structure including a plurality of organic layers and inorganic layers alternately distributed.The package layer covers the OLED array; in a first direction, a first protrusion of the OLED array on the TFT array substrate is in a second protrusion of the package layer on the TFT array substrate, and a first distance is present between an edge of the first protrusion and that of the second protrusion, the first direction being perpendicular to the TFT array substrate.Step S 14 includes forming an upper protective layer on a surface of the package layer and forming a lower protective layer on a side of the TFT array substrate away from the OLED array.In the first direction, the second protrusion is located in a third protrusion of the upper protective layer on the TFT array substrate, and a second distance is present between the edge of the second protrusion and that of the third protrusion.In order to improve the package protection effect, the method further comprises the step of: forming a first lateral protection layer, wherein the first lateral protection layer covers a portion of the TFT array not covered by the upper protection layer, covers a portion of the substrate not covered by the TFT array, and covers at least a portion of the lower protection layer not covered by the substrate.In order to improve the package protection effect, the method further comprises forming a second lateral protection layer, wherein the second lateral protection layer covers the first lateral protection layer.A diagram of a final structure of the display panel manufactured by the method according to the embodiment of the disclosure may refer to the display panel shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 to 4.Note that the method according to the embodiment of the disclosure is used to fabricate the display panel according to the embodiments, structural diagrams of the display panel may refer to the drawings of the embodiments of the display panel, and one embodiment may refer to other embodiments for the same or similar parts that are not described herein.The method according to the embodiment of the disclosure may be used to manufacture the display panel according to the foregoing embodiments, and the display panel has a good housing protection effect and a long life.

Claims

A display panel, comprising: a thin film transistor, TFT, array substrate (11); an organic light emitting diode, OLED, array (12), the OLED array (12) being disposed on the TFT array substrate (11); a package layer (13) covering the OLED array (12), wherein in a first direction, a first protrusion of the OLED array (12) on the TFT array substrate (11) is in a second protrusion of the package layer (13) on the TFT array substrate (11), and a first distance (e) is present between an edge of the first protrusion and that of the second protrusion; an upper protective layer (14) covering the case layer (13), wherein in the first direction the second protrusion is in a third protrusion of the upper protective layer (14) on the TFT array substrate (11) and a second distance (d) is present between the edge of the second protrusion and that of the third protrusion; a lower protective layer (15) disposed on a side of the TFT array substrate (11) away from the OLED array, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the TFT array substrate; wherein the TFT array substrate (11) comprises a substrate (112) and a TFT array (111) disposed on a surface of the substrate (112), wherein the TFT array (111) is disposed on a side of the substrate (112), which faces the OLED array (12), wherein, in the first direction, a fourth protrusion of the TFT array (111) on the lower protective layer (15) is present in a fifth protrusion of the substrate (112) on the lower protective layer (15), a third distance (b) is present between an edge of the fourth protrusion and that of the fifth protrusion, a fourth distance (a) is present between the edge of the fifth protrusion and that of the lower protective layer (15), and in the first direction, a fifth distance (c) is present between an edge of a sixth protrusion of the upper protective layer (14) on the substrate (112) and an edge of the TFT array layer (11).The display panel of claim 1, wherein the first distance (e) is greater than 0.3 mm, the second distance (d) is greater than 0.2 mm, the third distance (b) is greater than 0.1 mm, the fourth distance (a) is greater than 0.1 mm, and the fifth distance (c) is greater than 0.1 mm.The display panel according to claim 1, further comprising a first lateral protection layer (21), wherein the first lateral protection layer (21) covers a portion of the TFT array (111) not covered by the upper protection layer, covers a portion of the substrate (112) not covered by the TFT array (11), and covers at least a portion of the lower protection layer (15) not covered by the substrate (112).The display panel according to claim 3, further comprising a second lateral protection layer (31), wherein the second lateral protection layer (31) covers the first lateral protection layer (21).The display panel according to claim 4, wherein the second lateral protection layer (22) is an Al 2 O 3- film, and the Al 2 O 3- film is thicker than 0.03 mm.The display panel according to claim 4, wherein the upper protective layer (14) is bonded to the case layer (13) and the TFT array (111) through an upper adhesive layer (16), and the lower protective layer (15) is bonded to the substrate (112) through a lower adhesive layer (17), wherein in the first direction, an edge of the upper adhesive layer (16) is flush with that of the upper protective layer (14), and an edge of the lower adhesive layer (15) is flush with that of the lower protective layer (17).The display panel according to claim 6, wherein the first lateral protection layer (21) covers an interface between the upper adhesive layer (16) and the upper protection layer (14), and the second lateral protection layer (31) covers an interface between the lower adhesive layer (17) and the lower protection layer (15), covers an edge portion of a surface of the lower protection layer (15) away from the lower adhesive layer (17) having a predetermined width (L2), and covers an edge portion of a surface of the upper protection layer (14) away from the upper adhesive layer (16) having a predetermined width (L1).The display panel according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined widths are greater than 0.1 mm and less than the fourth distance (a).The display panel of claim 3, wherein the first lateral protection layer is a sealant.The display panel of claim 1, wherein the substrate (112) is a flexible substrate.A method of manufacturing the display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the steps of: providing a TFT array substrate; forming an OLED array on a surface of the TFT array substrate; forming a package layer on a surface of the OLED array, the package layer covering the OLED array; in a first direction, a first protrusion of the OLED on the TFT array substrate is located in a second protrusion of the package layer on the TFT array substrate; and a first distance is present between an edge of the first protrusion and that of the second protrusion, the first direction being perpendicular to the TFT array substrate; forming an upper protective layer on a surface of the package layer and forming a lower protective layer on a side of the TFT array substrate away from the OLED array, wherein in the first direction, the second protrusion is located in a third protrusion of the upper protective layer on the TFT array substrate, and a second distance is present between the edge of the second protrusion and that of the third protrusion.

Images