Display device and method for manufacturing same

Abstract

A rear surface (b) of a display panel (DP) having a bending part (B) provided so as to extend in one direction (Y) in a terminal-side frame region (Ft) between a terminal part (T) and a display region (D) is provided with: a film (40) provided so as to cover the rear surface (b); and a rear-surface-side slit (U) which is provided in a band shape in the film (40) so as to overlap at least a part of the bending part (B) in a plan view, and which extends to both ends of the terminal-side frame region (Ft) in the direction (Y), in which the bending part (B) extends. In both ends, a pair of concave notches (Na) are formed by forming indentations in the display panel (DP).

Description

Display device and manufacturing method thereof

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device and a manufacturing method thereof.

[0002] In recent years, self-luminous organic electroluminescence (EL) display devices using organic electroluminescence (hereinafter also referred to as "EL") elements have been attracting attention as a display device that can replace liquid crystal display devices. Flexible organic EL display devices have been proposed, in which organic EL elements and the like are formed on a flexible resin substrate. Here, organic EL display devices have, for example, a frame region provided around a display region where images are displayed, and there is a demand for a narrower frame to reduce the area occupied by the frame region in a planar view. Therefore, for flexible organic EL display devices, it has been proposed to narrow the frame by, for example, bending the frame region on the terminal portion side where multiple terminals are arranged.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a flexible wiring board used for driving input of a flat panel display device, which comprises a flexible base film and a conductor pattern formed thereon, and has thick portions for bending, and the thick portions for bending are bent as the flexible wiring board is bent at the thick portions for bending. In this flexible wiring board, the formation of a convex shape is achieved by applying a resin to the thick portions for bending.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 proposes a display device that includes a curved display panel and a flexible printed circuit board connected to one surface of the display panel, with a protective member provided on a portion of the substrate body that constitutes the flexible printed circuit board. In this display device, the protective member is provided on the bent portion to prevent breakage of the wiring.

[0005] JP 2002-141620 A JP 2021-192433 A

[0006] Incidentally, in a flexible organic EL display device having a foldable bending portion in the frame region, a structure has been proposed in which a film is attached to the surface that will be on the inside when folded (the back surface of the display panel that constitutes the device), and the portion of the film that corresponds to the bending portion (the base of the terminal portion) is removed in the form of a slit by laser slit processing or the like.

[0007] Methods for manufacturing a flexible organic EL display device having the above structure include, for example, laser slitting the above portion of the film, laser cutting (shape processing) to form the outer shape of the display panel into a desired shape, and bending around the bending portion as an axis. Here, in conventional structures, the cut surface of the bending portion (slit-processed portion) was straight (flat), but as the frame of the display panel (display) has become narrower, the cut surface has become rounded and the bending portion (slit-processed portion) has become closer to the display area, which has forced the adoption of a structure in which the rounded portion at the base of the terminal portion and the slit-processed portion overlap.

[0008] This structure weakens the area around the rounded portion at the base of the terminal, making it easier for forces to be transmitted to the area around the rounded portion during various processing and bending operations. As a result, tension stress is applied to the curved portion of the rounded portion in the thickness direction of the display panel, which can cause cracks to form in the resin substrate (near the rounded portion) that makes up the display panel, potentially inducing wiring breakage, and there is room for improvement.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to suppress breakage of wiring in terminal portions in the frame region due to narrowing of the frame region.

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the display device of the present invention comprises a display panel having a display area, a frame area arranged around the display area, a terminal portion arranged at one end of the frame area, and a folding portion arranged to extend in one direction in the terminal side frame area between the terminal portion and the display area, and is a display device comprising a film arranged to cover the back surface of the display panel, and a back side slit arranged in a band shape on the film so as to overlap at least a portion of the folding portion in a planar view, and extending to both ends of the terminal side frame area in the direction in which the folding portion extends, and is characterized in that a pair of notches are formed at both ends that cut out the display panel and recess inward.

[0011] A manufacturing method of a display device according to the present invention includes a display panel having a display area, a frame area provided around the display area, a terminal portion provided at one end of the frame area, and a folding portion provided so as to extend in one direction in a terminal-side frame area between the terminal portion and the display area, and further includes a film provided so as to cover a rear surface of the display panel, and a rear-side slit provided in the film in a strip shape so as to overlap at least a part of the folding portion in a plan view, the rear-side slit extending to both ends of the terminal-side frame area in the extending direction of the folding portion, The method includes a film pasting step of pasting the film onto the back surface of an original panel whose outline has not been processed; a back surface slit forming step of irradiating the film with laser light multiple times parallel to the direction in which the bent portion extends to form the back surface slit; and a panel outline processing step of irradiating the original panel with the back surface slit formed with laser light to perform laser cutting processing to form the outline-cut display panel, wherein in the panel outline processing step, laser light is irradiated onto both ends to cut out the display panel and form a pair of notches recessed inward.

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent breakage of wiring at the terminal portion of the frame region due to narrowing of the frame region.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the front side of a display panel of an organic EL display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a detailed configuration of a display region of the organic EL display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the rear side (the surface that becomes the inner side when folded) of the display panel in the frame region of the organic EL display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and an enlarged plan view of the periphery of a notch. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the folded state of the organic EL display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, taken along line V-V in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the frame region of the organic EL display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, taken along line V-V in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view showing a first modified notch, which corresponds to FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view showing a second modified notch, which corresponds to FIG. 3. FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view showing a third modified notch, which corresponds to FIG. 3. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the display region of the organic EL display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an equivalent circuit diagram showing a pixel circuit of the organic EL display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an organic EL layer constituting the organic EL display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a back-side slit forming step in the manufacturing method of an organic EL display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a panel contour processing step in the manufacturing method of an organic EL display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing a cutting process for the contour of an original panel whose contour is not yet processed. Fig. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a panel contour processing step in the manufacturing method of an organic EL display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing a cutting process for the original panel whose contour is not yet processed. Fig. 15 is a plan view of the back side (the surface that becomes the inner side when folded) of the display panel in the frame region of an organic EL display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and an enlarged plan view of the periphery of the notch, which corresponds to Fig. 3 .

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0015] First Embodiment FIGS. 1 to 14 illustrate a first embodiment of a display device according to the present invention. In the following embodiments, an organic EL display device including organic EL elements will be exemplified as a display device including light-emitting elements. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the front surface f side of a display panel DP of an organic EL display device 50a according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a detailed configuration of a display region D of the organic EL display device 50a. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the back surface b (the surface that becomes the inner side when folded) side of the display panel DP in the frame region F of the organic EL display device 50a, and an enlarged plan view of the periphery of a notch Na. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the organic EL display device 50a in a folded state taken along line V-V in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the frame region F of the organic EL display device 50a taken along line V-V in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view showing a first modified example of the notch Na, corresponding to FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view showing a second modified example of the notch Na, corresponding to FIG. 3. FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view showing a third modified example of the notch Na, and corresponds to FIG. 3 . FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the display region D of the organic EL display device 50a. FIG. 10 is an equivalent circuit diagram showing the pixel circuit C of the organic EL display device 50a. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the organic EL layer 23 constituting the organic EL display device 50a. FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a rear surface slit formation step in the manufacturing method of the organic EL display device 50a. FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a panel contour processing step in the manufacturing method of the organic EL display device 50a, showing the cutting process of the unprocessed original panel rDP. FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating the panel contour processing step in the manufacturing method of the organic EL display device 50a, showing the formation of the notch Na.

[0016] 1, the organic EL display device 50a includes a display panel DP having a display region D, a frame region F, a terminal portion T, and a folding portion B. The organic EL display device 50a is defined by a direction X (horizontal direction in FIG. 1) parallel to the surface of a substrate constituting the display panel DP, a direction Y (vertical direction in FIG. 1) perpendicular to direction X and parallel to the surface of the substrate, and a thickness direction Z of the surface of the substrate perpendicular to direction X and direction Y (see FIG. 5, etc.).

[0017] In this specification, the display panel DP refers to a panel after the panel contour processing step described below. Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the display panel DP refers to a display panel in which at least a portion of the contour (the base of a terminal portion T described below in Figures 1 and 3) of an original panel rDP (see Figure 12) whose contour has not been processed (cut) is processed. Hereinafter, in the display panel DP, the surface on which the display area D is located is referred to as the front surface f (see Figure 1), and the opposite surface is referred to as the back surface b (see Figure 3).

[0018] The display region D is an area where images are displayed and constitutes a screen. As shown in FIG. 1 , the display region D is, for example, rectangular. In this embodiment, a rectangular display region D is illustrated, but this rectangular shape also includes, for example, a substantially rectangular shape with arc-shaped sides, arc-shaped corners, or a shape with a notch on one side. As shown in FIG. 2 , a plurality of sub-pixels P are arranged in a matrix in the display region D. Also, as shown in FIG. 2 , the display region D includes, for example, a sub-pixel P having a red light-emitting region Lr for displaying red, a sub-pixel P having a green light-emitting region Lg for displaying green, and a sub-pixel P having a blue light-emitting region Lb for displaying blue, arranged adjacent to each other. Note that, in the display region D, one pixel is formed by, for example, three adjacent sub-pixels P each having a red light-emitting region Lr, a green light-emitting region Lg, and a blue light-emitting region Lb. Note that the arrangement of the sub-pixels P is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a pentatile arrangement and a stripe arrangement.

[0019] The frame region F is a region that constitutes a non-display area other than the screen. As shown in Fig. 1, the frame region F is provided around the display region D in the shape of, for example, a rectangular frame.

[0020] The terminal portion T is a portion for connecting to an external circuit. As shown in FIG. 1 , the terminal portion T is provided at one end of the frame region F in the X direction (the right end in FIG. 1 ) so as to extend parallel to the Y direction. The terminal portion T has a plurality of terminals (not shown) arranged along the Y direction. A flexible substrate 45 (e.g., an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit)) having flexibility, such as a COF (chip on film) or a FOF (film on film), is mounted on the terminal portion T via, for example, an anisotropic conductive film (ACF), and is electrically connected to the terminal portion T (its plurality of terminals).

[0021] In this specification, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the frame region F on the terminal portion T side is referred to as the "terminal-side frame region Ft." The terminal-side frame region Ft is the frame region F between the display region D and the terminal portion T. Both ends of the terminal-side frame region Ft in the direction Y (at the base of the terminal portion T) are formed with rounded portions that are concave inward in plan view (the end surfaces of the display panel DP are rounded). Therefore, the dimension between both ends of the terminal-side frame region Ft in the direction Y of the display panel DP is smaller than the dimension between both ends of the frame region F other than the terminal-side frame region Ft in the direction Y by the amount of the outer shape of the original panel rDP that is cut. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 , both ends of the terminal-side frame region Ft in the direction Y are provided with no wiring or electrodes (such as connection wiring 18h, first gate conductive layer 14d, and second gate conductive layer 14e, which will be described later in FIG. 3 ) arranged therein, extending in a strip-like shape along both ends in plan view. The width (dimension in the Y direction) Wtn of the non-wired region Ftn is not particularly limited, but is, for example, about 1 mm.

[0022] The bending portion B is a bending axis that allows the display panel DP to be bent 180 degrees (into a U-shape) as shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, the bending portion B is provided in the terminal-side frame region Ft so as to extend parallel to one direction (direction Y).

[0023] 3 to 5, the organic EL display device 50a includes a film 40 and a back surface b-side slit U (hereinafter also simply referred to as "slit U") as a configuration of the back surface b-side of the display panel DP. As shown in Fig. 4, the back surface b of the display panel DP refers to the surface (the surface that faces inward when the display panel DP is folded) opposite to the surface on which the sub-pixels P that form the display region D are provided (the surface that faces outward when the display panel DP is folded) of a resin substrate 10 (described below) that is the base substrate (base film) that forms the display panel DP.

[0024] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the film 40 is provided so as to cover the entire back surface b of the display panel DP (the entire display area D and frame area F). As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the film 40 is attached to the back surface b (the inner surface in Figure 4, and the top surface in Figure 5) of the display panel DP (the resin substrate 10 that constitutes it) via an adhesive layer such as an OCA (optical clear adhesive) 41. The film 40 is made of a plastic film such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin.

[0025] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the slit U refers to a slit formed in the film 40 on the panel back surface b side. As shown in Figure 3, the slit U is provided so as to extend parallel to the direction Y in which the folding portion B extends, to both ends of the frame region F (terminal-side frame region Ft) in the direction Y. The slit U is also provided in a strip shape so as to overlap the folding portion B in a plan view. The maximum width Wu of the slit U (maximum dimension in the direction X) may be determined depending on the type of film 40, the irradiation pitch of the laser light L described below, and the like, and is, for example, about 2 mm.

[0026] 4 and 5, the slit U is formed, for example, by penetrating the film 40 in the thickness direction Z. Specifically, the slit U is formed so as to penetrate the film 40 and expose the surface of the OCA 41. In other words, the film 40 is removed at the slit U. As shown in FIG. 5, the depth Hu of the slit U (the length from the opening edge of the slit U in the direction Z to the bottom (the processing tip)) is uniform throughout the slit U.

[0027] 1 and 3 , in the organic EL display device 50a, a pair of notches Na are formed in one direction in the terminal-side frame region Ft, specifically, at both ends in the direction Y in which the folding portion B (slit U) extends. The notches Na are portions cut out of the display panel DP (the entire organic EL display device 50a including the film 40), and are recessed inward from both ends in the direction Y. In other words, the display panel DP and the film 40 are removed at the notches Na. The notches Na are formed by laser cutting using laser light L, which will be described later.

[0028] 1 and 3, the pair of notches Na do not overlap with the slit U (bending portion B) in a plan view. Specifically, the pair of notches Na are formed in the region between the slit U (bending portion B) and the terminal portion T in the terminal side frame region Ft. In other words, the pair of notches Na are formed in the terminal side frame region Ft on the terminal portion T side of the slit U (bending portion B). Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the pair of notches Na are formed in the no-wiring region Ftn.

[0029] The notch Na may be formed in various shapes depending on its position, the size of the terminal-side frame region Ft, the size of the non-wiring region Ftn, etc. The planar shape of the notch Na is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a line shape (notch Na1 shown in FIG. 6 as a first modified example), a rectangular shape (strip shape, notch Na2 shown in FIG. 7 as a second modified example), a triangular shape (notch Na3 shown in FIG. 8 as a third modified example), or a combination thereof, in addition to the circular shape (semicircular shape) shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 . The rectangular shape also includes, for example, a substantially rectangular shape, such as a shape with arc-shaped sides, a shape with arc-shaped corners, or a shape with a notch in one side. Among the planar shapes of the notch Na, a circular shape (semicircular shape) is preferable from the viewpoint of dispersing stress, which tends to concentrate in the rounded portion (see R in FIG. 13 ), where the end face of the base of the terminal T is a rounded surface, to the notch Na. In the following, matters common to notch Na, notch Na1, notch Na2, and notch Na3 will be collectively referred to as "notch Na."

[0030] The width Wn (dimension in the direction X) of the notch Na is not particularly limited, but may be adjusted to be equal to or smaller than the maximum width Wu of the slit U, for example. The width Wn of the semicircular notch Na refers to the diameter. The width Wn of the triangular notch Na3 refers to the length of one side. The width Wn of the semicircular notch Na, the rectangular notch Na2, the triangular notch Na3, and notches with a shape combining these are, for example, approximately 0.5 mm to 2 mm. The width Wn of the linear notch Na1 is approximately the irradiation pitch of the laser light L described below. When the width Wn of each of the linear notches Na1 and rectangular notches Na2 is sufficiently smaller than the maximum width Wu of the slit U (for example, approximately 0.1 mm to 1 mm), multiple linear notches Na1 and rectangular notches Na2 may be formed along both ends of the terminal-side frame region Ft in the direction Y.

[0031] The length Ln (dimension in the Y direction) of the notch Na is not particularly limited, but may be adjusted to be equal to or smaller than the width Wtn of the non-wiring region Ftn, for example. The length Ln of the semicircular notch Na refers to the radius. The length Ln of the triangular notch Na refers to the height when the above-mentioned side is the base. The length Ln of the notch Na is, for example, about 0.3 mm to 1 mm.

[0032] As described above, in the display panel DP after the outer shape processing, as the frame is narrowed, the R portion at the base of the terminal portion T may overlap with the slit (both ends in the Y direction). In this case, due to processing variations in each process and variations in the bending position in the bending process, tensile stress may be applied to the curve of the R portion (see R in FIG. 13 ) in the thickness direction Z of the display panel DP. This is presumably the cause of cracks in the resin substrate 10 and breaks in the wiring near the R portion.

[0033] In contrast, in the organic EL display device 50a, a pair of notches Na are formed in the display panel DP (and the film 40) near the curved portions at the bases of the terminal portions T, extending inward from both ends of the terminal-side frame region Ft in the Y direction, thereby dispersing the stress that tends to concentrate in the curved portions to the notches Na. As a result, the stress acting on the display panel DP at the curved portions of the curved portions is alleviated.

[0034] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the organic EL display device 50a has a configuration on the front surface f side of the display panel DP in the terminal side frame region Ft (near the folding portion B of the frame region F) that includes a resin substrate 10 provided as a base substrate, an inorganic laminate film 30, a front surface f side slit V (hereinafter also simply referred to as "slit V"), a first planarization film 8 covering the slit V, connection wiring 18h, and a second planarization film 19.

[0035] The resin substrate 10 is made of, for example, polyimide resin.

[0036] The inorganic laminated film 30 is at least one inorganic insulating film. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 (also see FIG. 9 ), the inorganic laminated film 30 is composed of four inorganic insulating films including a base coat film 11 (first inorganic insulating film) as a moisture-proof film, a gate insulating film 13 (second inorganic insulating film), a first interlayer insulating film 15 (third inorganic insulating film), and a second interlayer insulating film 17 (fourth inorganic insulating film), which are laminated in this order on the resin substrate 10. The base coat film 11, the gate insulating film 13, the first interlayer insulating film 15, and the second interlayer insulating film 17 may be made of, for example, silicon nitride (SiNx (x is a positive number)), silicon oxide (SiO ２ ), silicon oxynitride (SiON), or other inorganic insulating films, may be used as a single layer or multilayer film.

[0037] The slit V refers to a slit formed on the inorganic laminate film 30 disposed on the surface f of the display panel DP on the panel surface f side. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the slit V is provided at the folding portion B of the frame region F (terminal-side frame region Ft) so as to penetrate the inorganic laminate film 30 and expose the surface (the outer surface in FIG. 4 , the underside in FIG. 5 ) of the resin substrate 10. The slit V is provided in the shape of a groove penetrating parallel to the direction Y in which the folding portion B extends. The slit V also extends to both ends of the frame region F in the direction Y and is provided in a strip shape in a plan view. The slit V in the inorganic laminate film 30 reduces stress applied to the inorganic laminate film 30 when the frame region F is folded at the folding portion B. As a result, damage to the inorganic laminate film 30 and disconnection of the connection wiring 18h provided on the inorganic laminate film 30 due to folding of the frame region F are suppressed.

[0038] Furthermore, the front-side slits V overlap with the back-side slits U in plan view. This reduces the stress applied to the film 40 at the folding portion B when the frame region F (terminal-side frame region Ft) is folded at the folding portion B, thereby further suppressing damage to the inorganic laminate film 30 and disconnection of the connection wiring 18 h caused by folding the frame region F.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the slits V are formed by penetrating the inorganic laminated film 30 in the thickness direction Z thereof, for example.

[0040] 4 and 5, the first planarization film 8 is provided in a strip shape in a plan view so as to fill the slit V. The first planarization film 8 is formed of, for example, an organic resin material such as polyimide resin or acrylic resin, or a polysiloxane-based SOG (spin on glass) material.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 (also see FIG. 3 ), a plurality of connection wirings 18h are provided on both edges of the second interlayer insulating film 17, in which the slits V are formed, and on the first planarization film 8. The connection wirings 18h extend parallel to each other in the direction X so as to intersect with the slits V. The ends of the connection wirings 18h on the display region D side are electrically connected to the first gate conductive layer 14d through contact holes formed in the stacked film of the first interlayer insulating film 15 and the second interlayer insulating film 17. The first gate conductive layer 14d is provided between the gate insulating film 13 and the first interlayer insulating film 15 and is electrically connected to signal wiring (such as gate lines 14, source lines 18f, and power supply lines 18g) of the TFT layer 20 (described later) that constitutes the display region D. Meanwhile, the ends of the connection wirings 18h on the terminal portion T side are electrically connected to the second gate conductive layer 14e through contact holes formed in the stacked film of the first interlayer insulating film 15 and the second interlayer insulating film 17. The second gate conductive layer 14e is provided between the gate insulating film 13 and the first interlayer insulating film 15, extends to the terminal portion T, and is electrically connected to each terminal of the terminal portion T. In this way, each signal wiring of the TFT layer 20 in the display region D is electrically connected to each terminal of the terminal portion T via the connection wiring 18h. The connection wiring 18h is formed in the same layer and from the same material as a third wiring layer described later.

[0042] 4 and 5, the second planarization film 19 is provided so as to cover the connection wirings 18h, the second interlayer insulating film 17, and the first planarization film 8. The second planarization film 19 is made of, for example, the same material as the first planarization film 8.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 9 , the organic EL display device 50 a includes, in a display region D, a resin substrate 10, a thin film transistor (hereinafter also referred to as “TFT”) layer 20 having an inorganic laminate film 30, an organic EL element layer 31 provided as a light-emitting element layer constituting the display region D, and a sealing film 35 provided on the organic EL element layer 31, as a configuration on the surface f side of the display panel DP.

[0044] As shown in Figure 9, the TFT layer 20 includes a base coat film 11 provided on a resin substrate 10, a plurality of first TFTs 9a, a plurality of second TFTs 9b, and a plurality of capacitors 9c provided on the base coat film 11 for each sub-pixel P, and a second planarization film 19 provided on each of the first TFTs 9a, each of the second TFTs 9b, and each of the capacitors 9c. In the TFT layer 20, a base coat film 11, semiconductor layers 12a and 12b, a gate insulating film 13, a first wiring layer including gate lines 14 (see FIG. 2), gate electrodes 14a and 14b, and a lower conductive layer 14c, a first interlayer insulating film 15, a second wiring layer including upper conductive layer 16, a second interlayer insulating film 17, a third wiring layer including source lines 18f (see FIG. 2), source electrodes 18a and 18c, drain electrodes 18b and 18d, and a power line 18g, and a second planarization film 19 are sequentially stacked on the resin substrate 10. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 10 , the TFT layer 20 is provided with a plurality of gate lines 14 extending parallel to one another in the horizontal direction in the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 10 , the TFT layer 20 is provided with a plurality of source lines 18f extending parallel to one another in a direction intersecting (orthogonal to) the plurality of gate lines 14, i.e., in the vertical direction in the drawings. 2 and 10, a plurality of power supply lines 18g are provided in the TFT layer 20 so as to extend parallel to one another in the vertical direction in the drawings. Each power supply line 18g is provided adjacent to a corresponding source line 18f. As shown in Fig. 10, in the TFT layer 20, a first TFT 9a, a second TFT 9b, and a capacitor 9c are provided as a pixel circuit C in each sub-pixel P. The pixel circuits C are arranged in a matrix corresponding to each sub-pixel P.

[0045] The semiconductor layers 12a and 12b are composed of, for example, a low-temperature polysilicon film or an In—Ga—Zn—O-based oxide semiconductor film. The first wiring layer, the second wiring layer, and the third wiring layer are composed of, for example, a metal single layer film of molybdenum (Mo), titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), tungsten (W), or the like, or a metal stacked film such as Mo (upper layer) / Al (middle layer) / Mo (lower layer), Ti / Al / Ti, Al (upper layer) / Ti (lower layer), Cu / Mo, or Cu / Ti. The third wiring layer is preferably formed of a metal stacked film such as Ti / Al / Ti.

[0046] The first TFT 9a and the second TFT 9b are p-type TFTs in which semiconductor layers 12a and 12b (described later) are doped with impurities such as boron.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 10 , the first TFT 9a is electrically connected to the corresponding gate line 14 and source line 18f in each subpixel P. As shown in FIG. 9 , the first TFT 9a includes a semiconductor layer 12a, a gate insulating film 13, a gate electrode 14a, a first interlayer insulating film 15, a second interlayer insulating film 17, a source electrode 18a, and a drain electrode 18b, which are sequentially disposed on a base coat film 11. The semiconductor layer 12a is disposed on the base coat film 11 in an island shape and has, for example, a channel region, a source region, and a drain region. The gate insulating film 13 is disposed so as to cover the semiconductor layer 12a. The gate electrode 14a is disposed on the gate insulating film 13 so as to overlap the channel region of the semiconductor layer 12a. The first interlayer insulating film 15 and the second interlayer insulating film 17 are disposed so as to cover the gate electrode 14a. The source electrode 18a and the drain electrode 18b are disposed on the second interlayer insulating film 17 so as to be spaced apart from each other. In addition, the source electrode 18a and the drain electrode 18b are electrically connected to the source region and the drain region of the semiconductor layer 12a, respectively, through contact holes formed in the stacked film of the gate insulating film 13, the first interlayer insulating film 15, and the second interlayer insulating film 17.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 10 , the second TFT 9b is electrically connected to the corresponding first TFT 9a and power line 18g in each subpixel P. As shown in FIG. 9 , the second TFT 9b includes a semiconductor layer 12b, a gate insulating film 13, a gate electrode 14b, a first interlayer insulating film 15, a second interlayer insulating film 17, a source electrode 18c, and a drain electrode 18d, which are sequentially disposed on a base coat film 11. The semiconductor layer 12b is disposed on the base coat film 11 in an island shape and has, for example, a channel region, a source region, and a drain region. The gate insulating film 13 is disposed so as to cover the semiconductor layer 12b. The gate electrode 14b is disposed on the gate insulating film 13 so as to overlap the channel region of the semiconductor layer 12b. The first interlayer insulating film 15 and the second interlayer insulating film 17 are disposed so as to cover the gate electrode 14b. The source electrode 18c and the drain electrode 18d are disposed on the second interlayer insulating film 17 so as to be spaced apart from each other. In addition, the source electrode 18c and the drain electrode 18d are electrically connected to the source region and the drain region of the semiconductor layer 12b, respectively, through contact holes formed in the stacked film of the gate insulating film 13, the first interlayer insulating film 15, and the second interlayer insulating film 17.

[0049] In this embodiment, the first TFT 9a and the second TFT 9b are top-gate type TFTs, but the first TFT 9a and the second TFT 9b may be bottom-gate type TFTs.

[0050] 10, the capacitor 9c is electrically connected to the corresponding first TFT 9a and power supply line 18g in each subpixel P. Also, as shown in Fig. 9, the capacitor 9c includes a lower conductive layer 14c formed in the same layer and made of the same material as the gate electrodes 14a and 14b, a first interlayer insulating film 15 provided to cover the lower conductive layer 14c, and an upper conductive layer 16 provided on the first interlayer insulating film 15 to overlap the lower conductive layer 14c. The upper conductive layer 16 is electrically connected to the power supply line 18g via a contact hole formed in a second interlayer insulating film 17.

[0051] The second planarization film 19 forms a flat surface in the display region D, as shown in FIG.

[0052] 9 , the organic EL element layer 31 is provided on the second planarization film 19 that constitutes the TFT layer 20. The organic EL element layer 31 includes a plurality of organic EL elements 25 as a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in a matrix corresponding to a plurality of sub-pixels P.

[0053] 9 , the organic EL element 25 includes a plurality of first electrodes 21 provided in order on the second planarization film 19, a plurality of organic EL layers 23 provided on the first electrodes 21 for each sub-pixel P, and a second electrode 24 provided on the organic EL layer 23 in common to the plurality of sub-pixels P. The organic EL element 25 is also covered with a sealing film 35.

[0054] 9 , the first electrodes 21 are provided in a matrix on the second planarization film 19 so as to correspond to the plurality of sub-pixels P. Each first electrode 21 is electrically connected to the drain electrode 18d (or source electrode 18c) of each second TFT 9b via a contact hole formed in the second planarization film 19. The first electrodes 21 have the function of injecting holes into the organic EL layer 23. In order to improve the efficiency of hole injection into the organic EL layer 23, it is more preferable that the first electrodes 21 be made of a material with a large work function. Here, examples of materials constituting the first electrode 21 include metal materials such as silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), vanadium (V), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), tungsten (W), gold (Au), titanium (Ti), ruthenium (Ru), manganese (Mn), indium (In), ytterbium (Yb), lithium fluoride (LiF), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), molybdenum (Mo), iridium (Ir), and tin (Sn). Examples of materials constituting the first electrode 21 include astatine (At) / astatine oxide (AtO ２) or an alloy thereof. Furthermore, the material constituting the first electrode 21 may be, for example, a conductive oxide such as tin oxide (SnO), zinc oxide (ZnO), indium tin oxide (ITO), or indium zinc oxide (IZO). The first electrode 21 may also be formed by stacking multiple layers made of the above materials. Examples of compound materials with a large work function include indium tin oxide (ITO) and indium zinc oxide (IZO).

[0055] 9, the peripheral edge of the first electrode 21 is covered with an edge cover 22 provided in a lattice pattern and shared by multiple sub-pixels P. Examples of materials that form the edge cover 22 include positive photosensitive resin materials such as polyimide resin, acrylic resin, polysiloxane resin, and novolac resin, as well as polysiloxane-based SOG materials. Parts of the surface of the edge cover 22 protrude upward in the figure and serve as pixel photospacers provided in an island shape.

[0056] 9, the organic EL layer 23 is disposed on each first electrode 21, and is provided in a matrix so as to correspond to a plurality of sub-pixels P. As shown in Fig. 11, each organic EL layer 23 includes a hole injection layer 1, a hole transport layer 2, a light-emitting layer 3, an electron transport layer 4, and an electron injection layer 5, which are provided in this order on the first electrode 21.

[0057] The hole injection layer 1 is also called an anode buffer layer, and has the function of bringing the energy levels of the first electrode 21 and the organic EL layer 23 closer to each other, thereby improving the efficiency of hole injection from the first electrode 21 to the organic EL layer 23. Examples of materials constituting the hole injection layer 1 include triazole derivatives, oxadiazole derivatives, imidazole derivatives, polyarylalkane derivatives, pyrazoline derivatives, phenylenediamine derivatives, oxazole derivatives, styrylanthracene derivatives, fluorenone derivatives, hydrazone derivatives, and stilbene derivatives.

[0058] The hole transport layer 2 has a function of improving the efficiency of transporting holes from the first electrode 21 to the organic EL layer 23. Examples of materials constituting the hole transport layer 2 include porphyrin derivatives, aromatic tertiary amine compounds, styrylamine derivatives, polyvinylcarbazole, poly-p-phenylenevinylene, polysilane, triazole derivatives, oxadiazole derivatives, imidazole derivatives, polyarylalkane derivatives, pyrazoline derivatives, pyrazolone derivatives, phenylenediamine derivatives, arylamine derivatives, amine-substituted chalcone derivatives, oxazole derivatives, styrylanthracene derivatives, fluorenone derivatives, hydrazone derivatives, stilbene derivatives, hydrogenated amorphous silicon, hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide, zinc sulfide, and zinc selenide.

[0059] The light-emitting layer 3 is a region into which holes and electrons are injected from the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 24, respectively, and where the holes and electrons recombine when a voltage is applied between the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 24. The light-emitting layer 3 is made of a material with high luminous efficiency. Examples of materials that can be used for the light-emitting layer 3 include metal oxinoid compounds (8-hydroxyquinoline metal complexes), naphthalene derivatives, anthracene derivatives, diphenylethylene derivatives, vinylacetone derivatives, triphenylamine derivatives, butadiene derivatives, coumarin derivatives, benzoxazole derivatives, oxadiazole derivatives, oxazole derivatives, benzimidazole derivatives, thiadiazole derivatives, benzthiazole derivatives, styryl derivatives, styrylamine derivatives, bisstyrylbenzene derivatives, trisstyrylbenzene derivatives, perylene derivatives, perinone derivatives, aminopyrene derivatives, pyridine derivatives, rhodamine derivatives, aquidin derivatives, phenoxazone, quinacridone derivatives, rubrene, poly-p-phenylenevinylene, and polysilane.

[0060] The electron transport layer 4 has a function of efficiently transferring electrons to the light-emitting layer 3. Examples of materials constituting the electron transport layer 4 include organic compounds such as oxadiazole derivatives, triazole derivatives, benzoquinone derivatives, naphthoquinone derivatives, anthraquinone derivatives, tetracyanoanthraquinodimethane derivatives, diphenoquinone derivatives, fluorenone derivatives, silole derivatives, and metal oxinoid compounds.

[0061] The electron injection layer 5 has a function of bringing the energy levels of the second electrode 24 and the organic EL layer 23 closer to each other and improving the efficiency of electron injection from the second electrode 24 to the organic EL layer 23, and this function can reduce the driving voltage of the organic EL element 25. The electron injection layer 5 is also called a cathode buffer layer. Here, examples of materials constituting the electron injection layer 5 include lithium fluoride (LiF), magnesium fluoride (MgF ２ ), calcium fluoride (CaF ２ ), strontium fluoride (SrF ２ ), barium fluoride (BaF ２ inorganic alkali compounds such as aluminum oxide (Al ２ O ３ ), strontium oxide (SrO), etc.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 9 , the second electrode 24 is provided to cover each organic EL layer 23 and the edge cover 22. The second electrode 24 has a function of injecting electrons into the organic EL layer 23. The second electrode 24 is preferably made of a material with a small work function to improve the efficiency of electron injection into the organic EL layer 23. Examples of materials that can be used for the second electrode 24 include silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), vanadium (V), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), tungsten (W), gold (Au), calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), yttrium (Y), sodium (Na), ruthenium (Ru), manganese (Mn), indium (In), magnesium (Mg), lithium (Li), ytterbium (Yb), and lithium fluoride (LiF). The second electrode 24 may be made of, for example, magnesium (Mg) / copper (Cu), magnesium (Mg) / silver (Ag), sodium (Na) / potassium (K), or astatine (At) / astatine oxide (AtO ２ The second electrode 24 may be formed of an alloy such as lithium (Li) / aluminum (Al), lithium (Li) / calcium (Ca) / aluminum (Al), or lithium fluoride (LiF) / calcium (Ca) / aluminum (Al). The second electrode 24 may be formed of a conductive oxide such as tin oxide (SnO), zinc oxide (ZnO), indium tin oxide (ITO), or indium zinc oxide (IZO). The second electrode 24 may be formed by stacking multiple layers made of the above materials. Examples of materials with a low work function include magnesium (Mg), lithium (Li), lithium fluoride (LiF), magnesium (Mg) / copper (Cu), magnesium (Mg) / silver (Ag), sodium (Na) / potassium (K), lithium (Li) / aluminum (Al), lithium (Li) / calcium (Ca) / aluminum (Al), and lithium fluoride (LiF) / calcium (Ca) / aluminum (Al).

[0063] 9, the sealing film 35 includes a first sealing inorganic insulating film 32 provided to cover the second electrode 24, a sealing organic film 33 provided on the first sealing inorganic insulating film 32, and a second sealing inorganic insulating film 34 provided to cover the sealing organic film 33, and has a function of protecting the organic EL layer 23 from moisture, oxygen, etc. The first sealing inorganic insulating film 32 and the second sealing inorganic insulating film 34 are made of, for example, silicon oxide (SiO ２ ) and aluminum oxide (Al ２ O ３ ), trisilicon tetranitride (Si ３ N ４ The sealing organic film 33 is made of an inorganic material such as silicon nitride (SiNx (x is a positive number)) or silicon carbonitride (SiCN). The sealing organic film 33 is made of an organic material such as acrylic resin, polyurea resin, parylene resin, polyimide resin, or polyamide resin.

[0064] The organic EL display device 50a described above is configured such that, in each subpixel P, a gate signal is input to the first TFT 9a via the gate line 14 to turn the first TFT 9a on, a data signal is written to the gate electrode 14b and capacitor 9c of the second TFT 9b via the source line 18f, and a current from the power supply line 18g corresponding to the gate voltage of the second TFT 9b is supplied to the organic EL layer 23, causing the light-emitting layer 3 of the organic EL layer 23 to emit light, thereby displaying an image. In the organic EL display device 50a, even if the first TFT 9a is turned off, the gate voltage of the second TFT 9b is held by the capacitor 9c, so that light emission by the light-emitting layer 3 is maintained until a gate signal for the next frame is input.

[0065] Next, a manufacturing method of the organic EL display device 50a of this embodiment will be described. The manufacturing method of the organic EL display device 50a includes, as steps for forming the front surface f of the display panel DP, a resin substrate forming step, a TFT layer forming step, an organic EL element layer forming step, and a sealing film forming step. The manufacturing method of the organic EL display device 50a also includes, as steps for forming the back surface b of the display panel DP, a film attaching step, a back surface slit forming step, and a panel contour processing step.

[0066] <<Process for forming the surface f side of the display panel DP>> <Resin substrate forming process> For example, a non-photosensitive polyimide resin is applied to a support substrate (not shown) such as a glass substrate, and then the applied film is pre-baked and post-baked to form the resin substrate 10.

[0067] <TFT Layer Formation Process> Using a known method, for example, a base coat film 11, a first TFT 9a, a second TFT 9b, a capacitor 9c, a second planarization film 19, and the like are formed on the resin substrate 10 formed in the resin substrate formation process to form a TFT layer 20. When forming the first TFT 9a and the second TFT 9b, a slit V is first formed on the panel surface f side of the inorganic laminate film 30 at the bent portion B of the frame region F by dry etching before forming the source electrode 18a, etc. Next, a first planarization film 8 is formed to fill the slit V, and then a connection wiring 18h is formed simultaneously with the source electrode 18a, etc. Finally, a second planarization film 19 is formed from the same material as the first planarization film 8 to cover the connection wiring 18h.

[0068] <Organic EL element layer forming process> On the second planarization film 19 (specifically, the second planarization film 19 in the display region D) of the TFT layer 20 formed in the TFT layer forming process, a first electrode 21, an edge cover 22, an organic EL layer 23 (hole injection layer 1, hole transport layer 2, light-emitting layer 3, electron transport layer 4, electron injection layer 5), and a second electrode 24 are formed using a well-known method to form an organic EL element 25, and an organic EL element layer 31 is formed.

[0069] <Sealing Film Forming Process> First, an inorganic insulating film such as a silicon nitride film, a silicon oxide film, or a silicon oxynitride film is deposited by plasma CVD using a CMM as a deposition mask on the substrate surface on which the organic EL element layer 31 formed in the organic EL element layer forming process is formed, covering each organic EL element 25, to form a first sealing inorganic insulating film 32. Subsequently, an organic resin material such as an acrylic resin is deposited on the first sealing inorganic insulating film 32 by, for example, an inkjet method, to form a sealing organic film 33. Thereafter, an inorganic insulating film such as a silicon nitride film, a silicon oxide film, or a silicon oxynitride film is deposited by plasma CVD using a CMM as a deposition mask, covering the sealing organic film 33, to form a second sealing inorganic insulating film 34, thereby forming a sealing film 35. Through the above processes, a sealing film 35 can be formed in the display region D, in which the first sealing inorganic insulating film 32, the sealing organic film 33, and the second sealing inorganic insulating film 34 are stacked in this order.

[0070] <<Step of forming the back surface b side of the display panel DP>> <Film attachment step> The original panel rDP (the resin substrate 10 constituting it) whose outer shape has not been processed, formed by the above steps, is irradiated with laser light from the support substrate side, thereby peeling off the support substrate from the surface (back surface) opposite to the surface on which the TFT layer 20 of the resin substrate 10 is provided (the surface on which the sub-pixels P constituting the display area D are provided). Next, a film 40 is attached, via an OCA 41, to the back surface b of the resin substrate 10 from which the support substrate has been peeled off.

[0071] <Back-side slit forming step> As shown in FIG. 12, a slit is formed in a portion of the film 40 covering the back side b of the original panel rDP (the resin substrate 10 constituting the original panel rDP) whose outer shape is not yet processed, the portion overlapping the folded portion B in a plan view. ２A slit U is formed on the rear surface b of the panel by irradiating the film 40 with laser light L multiple times parallel to the direction Y along which the bent portion B extends. Specifically, the laser light L of a predetermined irradiation intensity is irradiated onto the above-mentioned portion of the film 40 so as to extend in the direction Y, thereby forming a linear slit in a planar view. Subsequently, similar laser slitting is performed multiple times along the direction X at a predetermined pitch to remove almost all of the film 40 at the bent portion B, thereby forming a strip-shaped slit U in a planar view. The pitch at which the laser light L is irradiated is not particularly limited, but is, for example, approximately 0.1 mm. The irradiation intensity of the laser light L when forming the slit U is such that the film 40 is removed, exposing the surface of the OCA 41, but not penetrating the OCA 41. As shown in FIG. 5 , the side (processed end) portion of the slit U formed as described above is tapered in a cross-sectional view due to the thermal effect of the laser light L. The bottom of the slit U (the portion where the surface of the OCA 41 is exposed) is a flat surface with minute irregularities in cross section, where the tips of multiple processing lines overlap.

[0072] <Panel Outer Shape Processing Process> At least a portion of the panel outer shape (the base of the terminal portion T in FIG. 13 ) is laser cut into a predetermined shape (an R-shape in FIG. 13 , with the cut surface being an R-plane) by irradiating a laser beam L onto an original panel rDP with slits U formed therein along cutting lines C1 shown in Fig. 13. This results in a display panel DP that has been cut into an outer shape such that the base of the terminal portion T (terminal-side frame region Ft) is shorter in direction Y than the frame region F other than the terminal-side frame region Ft, as shown in Fig. 13 .

[0073] In the manufacturing method of the organic EL display device 50a, as shown in FIG. 14 , in the panel contour processing step, a pair of notches Na is formed by irradiating laser light L along cutting line C2 multiple times as needed on both ends of the terminal-side frame region Ft of the display panel DP in the direction Y (near the curved portions at the bases of the terminal portions T). At this time, the laser cutting process is performed so as to penetrate the display panel DP and the film 40 in the thickness direction Z. Specifically, in the region between the slit U (bending portion B) and the terminal portions T in the terminal-side frame region Ft (the region that does not overlap with the slit U in a planar view), laser cutting is performed from both ends of the direction Y toward the inside (opposite side) to form linear notches in a planar view (linear notches Na1, see FIG. 6 ). Subsequently, as needed, a similar laser cutting process is performed multiple times at a predetermined pitch along the direction X to form a pair of notches Na having a predetermined planar shape, such as a semicircular shape (see FIGS. 1 and 3 ). The pitch at which the laser light L is irradiated is not particularly limited, but is, for example, about 0.1 mm. The irradiation intensity of the laser light L is not particularly limited as long as it is sufficient to penetrate the entire display panel DP and the film 40. In this way, a pair of notches Na can be formed in the conventional panel contour processing process.

[0074] <Other Steps> The manufacturing method of the organic EL display device 50a may include a flexible substrate connection step, which is performed after the rear surface slit formation step and before the panel outer shape processing step, of mounting and electrically connecting the flexible substrate 45 to the terminal portion T via, for example, an ACF. Furthermore, the manufacturing method of the organic EL display device 50a may include a bending step, which is performed after the panel outer shape processing step, of bending the display panel DP 180° (in a U-shape) around the bending portion B as an axis, as shown in FIG. 4. The organic EL display device 50a can be manufactured in this manner.

[0075] <Effects> As described above, the organic EL display device 50a of this embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0076] (1) In the organic EL display device 50a, the film 40 on the back surface b of the display panel DP has a strip-shaped slit U that overlaps, in plan view, with the bent portion B in the frame region F (terminal-side frame region Ft) between the display region D and the terminal portion T. A pair of notches Na are formed at both ends of the terminal-side frame region Ft in the Y direction, cutting out the display panel DP and recessing it inward. With this structure, even if the slit U overlaps the curved portions (rounded portions at the bases of the terminal portions T) at both ends of the terminal-side frame region Ft in the Y direction due to the narrowing of the frame, stress that tends to concentrate in the rounded portions during each process can be dispersed to the notches Na. As a result, stress applied to the narrowed portions of the rounded portions (see R in FIG. 13 ) is alleviated, thereby suppressing cracks in the resin substrate 10 near the rounded portions and preventing breaks in wiring (e.g., connection wiring 18h).

[0077] (2) The organic EL display device 50a having the pair of notches Na does not need to have a separate member for dispersing the stress acting on the R portion, and therefore the display device can be easily configured.

[0078] (3) In the method for manufacturing the organic EL display device 50a, the pair of notches Na are formed in the panel contour processing step in which the original panel rDP is laser-cut to form the contour-cut display panel DP. In other words, there is no need to add a step or change the order of steps to form the pair of notches Na, so the organic EL display device 50a including the pair of notches Na can be easily manufactured.

[0079] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 15 . FIG. 15 is a plan view of the rear surface b (the surface that faces inward when folded) of the display panel in the frame region F of an organic EL display device 50b of this embodiment, and an enlarged plan view of the periphery of the notch Nb, which corresponds to FIG. 3 . Note that the overall configuration of the organic EL display device 50b, including the display region D and frame region F other than the notch Nb, is the same as in the first embodiment described above, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. Furthermore, components similar to those in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0080] In the organic EL display device 50b, the positions at which the pair of notches Nb are formed in the direction X differ from the positions of the pair of notches Na in the organic EL display device 50a. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15 , the pair of notches Nb overlap with the slit U (bending portion B) in a plan view. Specifically, the pair of notches Nb are formed within the slit U (bending portion B). The pair of notches Nb are formed at positions closer to the base of the terminal portion T than the pair of notches Na. Note that all of the matters described for the notches Na also apply to the notches Nb.

[0081] The organic EL display device 50b can be manufactured by changing the irradiation position of the laser light L when forming the notches Nb in the panel outer shape processing step of the organic EL display device 50a described above. Specifically, the organic EL display device 50b can be manufactured in the same manner as the organic EL display device 50a, except that laser cutting is performed in the region of the terminal-side frame region Ft that overlaps with the slit U (bending portion B) in a planar view. In this way, a pair of notches Nb (see FIG. 15) having a predetermined planar shape, for example, a semicircular shape, can be formed within the slit U (bending portion B).

[0082] <Effects> According to the organic EL display device 50b described above, the same effects as those described above can be obtained.

[0083] Other Embodiments In each of the above embodiments, the inorganic laminate film is composed of four layers, namely, a gate insulating film, a first interlayer insulating film, and a second interlayer insulating film, laminated in this order on a base coat film. However, the inorganic laminate film may be composed of a single layer of the base coat film, or may be composed of two layers, namely, a base coat film and a gate insulating film.

[0084] In each of the above embodiments, an organic EL layer having a five-layer stacked structure of a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light-emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer has been exemplified. However, the organic EL layer may have a three-layer stacked structure of, for example, a hole injection layer / hole transport layer, a light-emitting layer, and an electron transport layer / electron injection layer.

[0085] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, an organic EL display device in which the first electrode is an anode and the second electrode is a cathode is exemplified. However, the present invention can also be applied to an organic EL display device in which the stacked structure of the organic EL layer is reversed, and the first electrode is a cathode and the second electrode is an anode.

[0086] In each of the above embodiments, an organic EL display device has been exemplified in which the electrode of the TFT connected to the first electrode is the drain electrode, but the present invention can also be applied to an organic EL display device in which the electrode of the TFT connected to the first electrode is called the source electrode.In each of the above embodiments, an organic EL display device has been used as the display device, but the present invention can also be applied to display devices such as active matrix drive liquid crystal display devices.

[0087] In the above embodiments, an organic EL display device has been described as an example of a display device, but the present invention is not limited to organic EL display devices and can be applied to any flexible display device. For example, the present invention can be applied to a flexible display device including a quantum-dot light emitting diode (QLED), which is a light emitting element using a quantum dot-containing layer.

[0088] As described above, the present invention is useful for flexible display devices.

[0089] B Bending portion P Subpixel T Terminal portion D Display area DP Display panel f Front surface of display panel b Back surface of display panel rDP Original panel with unprocessed outline F Frame area Ft Terminal-side frame area Ftn No-wiring area Wtn Width of no-wiring area (dimension in direction Y) L Laser light Na, Na1, Na2, Na3, Nb Notch Wn Width of notch (dimension in direction X) Ln Length of notch (dimension in direction Y) U Slit (rear-surface-side slit) Wu Maximum width of slit (rear-surface-side slit) (maximum dimension in direction X) V Slit (front-surface-side slit) Y Direction (one direction) X, Z Directions 10 Resin substrate (base substrate) 11 Base coat film (at least one layer of inorganic insulating film) 13 Gate insulating film (at least one layer of inorganic insulating film) 15 First interlayer insulating film (at least one layer of inorganic insulating film) 17 Second interlayer insulating film (at least one inorganic insulating film layer) 18h Connection wiring 20 TFT layer (thin film transistor layer) 25 Organic EL element (light emitting element) 30 Inorganic laminated film (at least one inorganic insulating film layer) 31 Organic EL element layer (organic electroluminescence element layer, light emitting element layer) 35 Sealing film 40 Film 45 Flexible substrate 50a, 50b Organic EL display device

Claims

1. A display area; a frame area provided around the display area; a terminal portion provided at one end of the frame region; a display panel having a folding portion provided so as to extend in one direction in a terminal-side frame region between the terminal portion and the display region, a film provided to cover the rear surface of the display panel; a back-surface-side slit provided in the film in a strip shape so as to overlap at least a part of the folding portion in a plan view, the back-surface-side slit extending to both ends of the terminal-side frame region in an extending direction of the folding portion, A display device characterized in that a pair of inwardly recessed notches are formed at both ends of the display panel.

2. 2. The display device according to claim 1, The display device is characterized in that the pair of notches do not overlap the rear surface slits in a plan view.

3. 2. The display device according to claim 1, The display device is characterized in that the pair of notches are formed closer to the terminal portion than the rear surface slit.

4. 2. The display device according to claim 1, The display device is characterized in that the pair of notches overlap the rear surface slits in a plan view.

5. 2. The display device according to claim 1, The display device is characterized in that the pair of notches are formed in the rear surface side slit.

6. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The display panel is provided with non-wired areas extending in a strip shape along both end portions thereof, The display device is characterized in that the pair of notches are formed in the non-wiring area.

7. 7. The display device according to claim 6, The display device is characterized in that the dimensions of the pair of notches in the direction in which the bent portion extends are equal to or smaller than the dimensions of the non-wiring area.

8. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A display device characterized in that the dimensions of the pair of notches in the width direction of the rear surface side slit are equal to or less than the width of the rear surface side slit.

9. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The display device is characterized in that the pair of notches are formed in a circular shape, a linear shape, a rectangular shape, a triangular shape, or a shape that is a combination of these shapes in a plan view.

10. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The display device is characterized in that the dimension between both ends of the terminal-side frame region in the direction in which the bent portion extends is smaller than the dimension between both ends of the frame region other than the terminal-side frame region.

11. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, R-sections are formed at both ends of the display panel, where the end surfaces of the display panel are rounded. The display device is characterized in that the R portion overlaps at least a part of the rear surface side slit.

12. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The display panel is A base substrate; At least one inorganic insulating film layer provided on the base substrate; The display device further comprises a front-side slit provided in the inorganic insulating film in a strip shape so as to overlap the bent portion in a plan view.

13. 13. The display device according to claim 12, The display device is characterized in that the front surface side slit overlaps with the rear surface side slit in a plan view.

14. 13. The display device according to claim 12, a thin film transistor layer having the inorganic insulating film; a light-emitting element layer that is provided on the thin film transistor layer and that constitutes the display area; a sealing film provided so as to cover the light-emitting element layer.

15. 15. The display device according to claim 14, The display device is characterized in that the light emitting element layer is an organic electroluminescence element layer.

16. A display area; a frame area provided around the display area; a terminal portion provided at one end of the frame region; a display panel having a folding portion provided so as to extend in one direction in a terminal-side frame region between the terminal portion and the display region, a film provided to cover the rear surface of the display panel; a back-side slit provided in the film in a strip shape so as to overlap at least a part of the folding portion in a plan view, the back-side slit extending to both ends of the terminal-side frame region in an extending direction of the folding portion, a film attaching step of attaching the film to the rear surface of an original panel whose outer shape has not been processed and which constitutes the display panel; a back-side slit forming step of irradiating the film with laser light multiple times in a direction parallel to the extension direction of the folded portion to form the back-side slit; a panel outline processing step of irradiating the original panel, on which the rear surface slits have been formed, with laser light to perform laser cutting processing, thereby forming the outline-cut display panel, A manufacturing method of a display device, wherein the panel outer shape processing step irradiates the both end portions with laser light to cut out the display panel and form a pair of inwardly recessed notches.

17. 17. The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 16, In the panel outer shape processing process, A method for manufacturing a display device, characterized in that an R portion is formed at both ends so that the dimension between both ends of the terminal side frame region in the direction in which the bending portion extends is smaller than the dimension between both ends of the frame region other than the terminal side frame region, making the end surfaces of the display panel R-shaped.

18. 18. The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 16 or 17, The step of forming the display panel includes a thin film transistor layer forming step of forming a thin film transistor layer having at least one inorganic insulating film on a base substrate, a thin film transistor layer forming step of forming a strip-shaped front surface slit in the inorganic insulating film so as to overlap the bent portion in a plan view;

19. 19. The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 18, a light emitting element layer forming step of forming a light emitting element layer constituting the display area on the thin film transistor layer; and forming a sealing film so as to cover the light-emitting element layer.