Dimming substrate and preparation method therefor, dimming panel, and display apparatus

Abstract

A dimming substrate (01) and a preparation method therefor, a dimming panel (02), and a display apparatus, relating to the technical field of photoelectricity. The dimming substrate (01) comprises a dimming region (A1) and a non-dimming region (A2). The dimming substrate (01) comprises: a base substrate (21); a first conductive layer (22) provided on one side of the base substrate (21) and comprising a plurality of first electrodes (221) located in the dimming region (A1) and spaced apart from one another; a first insulating layer (23) provided on the side of the first conductive layer (22) facing away from the base substrate (21) and comprising a first insulating pattern (231) and a second insulating pattern (232); and a second conductive layer (24) provided on the side of the first insulating layer (23) facing away from the base substrate (21) and comprising a plurality of second electrodes (241) located in the dimming region (A1) and spaced apart from one another. Among the orthographic projections on the base substrate (21), the first electrodes (221) and the second electrodes (241) are alternately arranged in sequence in a first direction (f1), and each first electrode (221) and each second electrode (241) have an overlapping region (OL) in the first direction (f1); the first insulating pattern (231) does not overlap with the second conductive layer (24); and the second insulating pattern (232) overlaps with the second conductive layer (24). The thickness of the first insulating pattern (231) is less than the thickness of the second insulating pattern (232).

Description

Dimming substrate and preparation method thereof, dimming panel, and display device Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of optoelectronic technology, and in particular to a dimming substrate and a preparation method thereof, a dimming panel, and a display device. Background Art

[0002] Liquid crystal molecules are anisotropic. Under the action of an electric field, they can change their arrangement direction, thereby achieving different refractive indices and thus changing the direction of light propagation.

[0003] Overview

[0004] The present disclosure provides a dimming substrate, including a dimming area and a non-dimming area, wherein the dimming substrate includes:

[0005] substrate;

[0006] A first conductive layer is provided on one side of the base substrate and includes a plurality of first electrodes located in the dimming area and separated from each other;

[0007] a first insulating layer, disposed on a side of the first conductive layer facing away from the base substrate, comprising a first insulating pattern and a second insulating pattern; and

[0008] A second conductive layer is provided on a side of the first insulating layer away from the base substrate, and includes a plurality of second electrodes located in the dimming area and separated from each other;

[0009] In the orthographic projection on the base substrate, the first electrode and the second electrode are alternately arranged in sequence along a first direction, and the first electrode and the second electrode have an overlapping area in the first direction, the first insulating pattern does not overlap with the second conductive layer, the second insulating pattern overlaps with the second conductive layer, and the thickness of the first insulating pattern is less than the thickness of the second insulating pattern.

[0010] In some embodiments, a ratio of a thickness of the first insulating pattern to a thickness of the second insulating pattern is less than or equal to 0.5.

[0011] In some embodiments, in a direction from the base substrate to the first conductive layer, the first insulating pattern is an opening that completely penetrates the insulating layer.

[0012] In some embodiments, the second insulating pattern covers an edge region of the first electrode close to the second electrode.

[0013] In some embodiments, both the first electrode and the second electrode are strip electrodes extending along a second direction, and the second direction intersects with the first direction.

[0014] In some embodiments, the widths of the first electrode and the second electrode in the first direction are substantially equal; and

[0015] The gap width between two adjacent first electrodes is substantially equal to the gap width between two adjacent second electrodes.

[0016] In some embodiments, the dimming substrate further includes:

[0017] a first metal layer, disposed between the base substrate and the first conductive layer, comprising a first binding terminal and a first fan-out line located in the non-dimming area, wherein one end of the first fan-out line is connected to the first binding terminal, and the other end is connected to the first electrode or the second electrode;

[0018] The second conductive layer further includes: a first conductive pattern located in the non-dimming area, the first conductive pattern and the orthographic projection of the first binding terminal on the base substrate overlap, and the first conductive pattern and the first binding terminal are connected through a via.

[0019] In some embodiments, both the first electrode and the second electrode are annular electrodes, and the first direction is a radial direction of the annular electrodes.

[0020] In some embodiments, the plurality of annular electrodes include a first annular electrode, a second annular electrode, and a third annular electrode, wherein orthographic projections of the first annular electrode, the second annular electrode, and the third annular electrode on the substrate are arranged adjacent to each other in sequence along the first direction, and the first annular electrode is disposed near the center of the dimming zone;

[0021] The width of the first annular electrode is greater than or equal to the width of the second annular electrode, and the width of the second annular electrode is greater than or equal to the width of the third annular electrode.

[0022] In some embodiments, the difference between the widths of the first annular electrode and the second annular electrode is greater than or equal to the difference between the widths of the second annular electrode and the third annular electrode.

[0023] In some embodiments, the plurality of annular electrodes further include a fourth annular electrode, wherein in an orthographic projection on the substrate, the fourth annular electrode is located on a side of the third annular electrode away from the center of the dimming zone and is disposed adjacent to the third annular electrode;

[0024] The width of the gap between the first annular electrode and the third annular electrode is greater than or equal to the width of the gap between the second annular electrode and the fourth annular electrode.

[0025] In some embodiments, the plurality of annular electrodes include a fifth annular electrode, the fifth annular electrode includes an overlapping portion and a non-overlapping portion, and the dimming substrate further includes:

[0026] a second insulating layer, disposed between the base substrate and the first conductive layer;

[0027] The third conductive layer is arranged between the base substrate and the second insulating layer, and includes a transfer line, one end of the transfer line is connected to the overlapping part through a via, and the other end extends to the non-dimming area, and the width of the overlapping part in the first direction is greater than the width of the non-overlapping part in the first direction.

[0028] In some embodiments, the plurality of annular electrodes further include a sixth annular electrode, wherein the sixth annular electrode includes a first bent portion and a first non-bent portion;

[0029] In the orthographic projection on the base substrate, the first bending portion is arranged adjacent to the overlapping portion, the first non-bending portion is arranged adjacent to the non-overlapping portion, the first bending portion is bent toward a side away from the overlapping portion, and the width of the first bending portion in the first direction is less than or equal to the width of the first non-bending portion in the first direction.

[0030] In some embodiments, the plurality of annular electrodes further include a seventh annular electrode, wherein the seventh annular electrode includes a second bent portion and a second non-bent portion;

[0031] In the orthographic projection on the base substrate, the seventh annular electrode is located on the side of the sixth annular electrode away from the fifth annular electrode, the second bent portion is adjacent to the first bent portion, the second non-bent portion is adjacent to the first non-bent portion, the edge of the second bent portion close to the first bent portion is bent toward the side away from the overlapping portion, and the width of the second bent portion in the first direction is smaller than the width of the second non-bent portion in the first direction.

[0032] In some embodiments, the width of the gap between the overlapping portion and the second bending portion is less than or equal to the width of the gap between the non-overlapping portion and the second non-bending portion.

[0033] In some embodiments, the plurality of adapter wires include a first adapter wire and a second adapter wire that are adjacently arranged, and the first adapter wire and the second adapter wire are respectively connected to different fifth annular electrodes;

[0034] At least one annular electrode is provided between the fifth annular electrode connected to the first adapter wire and the fifth annular electrode connected to the second adapter wire.

[0035] In some embodiments, the dimming substrate further includes:

[0036] The second metal layer is located between the third conductive layer and the base substrate, and includes a second binding terminal and a second fan-out line located in the non-dimming area, one end of the second fan-out line is connected to the second binding terminal, and the other end is connected to the adapter line.

[0037] In some embodiments, the second metal layer includes a first sub-metal layer and a second sub-metal layer that are insulated from each other and stacked, and two adjacent second fan-out lines are located in the first sub-metal layer and the second sub-metal layer, respectively;

[0038] The non-dimming area further includes: a third fan-out line connected between the second fan-out line and the transfer line, and two adjacent third fan-out lines are respectively located in the third conductive layer and the first conductive layer.

[0039] In some embodiments, the width of the overlapping region in the first direction is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 3 micrometers.

[0040] In some embodiments, the thickness of the first insulating pattern is less than or equal to 500 angstroms.

[0041] The present disclosure provides a dimming panel, comprising: a cell-matching substrate, a liquid crystal layer, and the dimming substrate as described in any embodiment, wherein the liquid crystal layer is located between the cell-matching substrate and the dimming substrate, and the base substrate is arranged away from the liquid crystal layer.

[0042] In some embodiments, the dimming panel is a liquid crystal grating or a liquid crystal lens.

[0043] The present disclosure provides a display device, comprising: a display panel, and a dimming panel as described in any embodiment, wherein the dimming panel is arranged close to the light emitting side of the display panel and / or away from the light emitting side of the display panel.

[0044] The present disclosure provides a method for preparing a dimming substrate, wherein the dimming substrate includes a dimming area and a non-dimming area, and the preparation method includes:

[0045] providing a substrate;

[0046] forming a first conductive layer on one side of the base substrate, wherein the first conductive layer includes a plurality of first electrodes located in the dimming area and separated from each other;

[0047] forming a first insulating film on a side of the first conductive layer facing away from the base substrate;

[0048] forming a second conductive film on a side of the first insulating film facing away from the base substrate;

[0049] forming a patterned photoresist layer on a side of the second conductive film facing away from the base substrate;

[0050] Under the protection of the photoresist layer, the exposed second conductive film is etched to form a second conductive layer, wherein the second conductive layer includes a plurality of second electrodes located in the dimming region and separated from each other, wherein in an orthographic projection on the substrate, the first electrodes and the second electrodes are alternately arranged in sequence along a first direction, and the first electrodes and the second electrodes have an overlapping area in the first direction;

[0051] Under the protection of the photoresist layer, etching the exposed first insulating film to form a first insulating layer, wherein the first insulating layer includes a first insulating pattern and a second insulating pattern, the first insulating pattern does not overlap with the second conductive layer, the second insulating pattern overlaps with the second conductive layer, and the thickness of the first insulating pattern is less than the thickness of the second insulating pattern;

[0052] The photoresist layer is removed to obtain the dimming substrate.

[0053] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present disclosure. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present disclosure, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present disclosure are listed below.

[0054] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure or related technologies, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or related technologies. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without inventive efforts. It should be noted that the scales in the drawings are for illustration only and do not represent the actual scale.

[0056] FIG1 exemplarily shows a schematic planar structural diagram of a dimming substrate;

[0057] FIG2 exemplarily shows a cross-sectional structural diagram of a dimming substrate in the related art;

[0058] FIG3 exemplarily shows a cross-sectional structural diagram of a dimming substrate provided by the present disclosure;

[0059] FIG4 exemplarily shows a cross-sectional structural diagram of another dimming substrate provided by the present disclosure;

[0060] FIG5 exemplarily shows a schematic diagram of a first layout structure of the first electrode and the second electrode;

[0061] FIG6 exemplarily shows a schematic planar structural diagram of a first dimming substrate;

[0062] FIG7 exemplarily shows a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the first dimming substrate at different positions;

[0063] FIG8 exemplarily shows a schematic planar structural diagram of a second dimming substrate;

[0064] FIG9 exemplarily shows a schematic diagram of the light modulation effect of the second dimming substrate;

[0065] FIG10 exemplarily shows a schematic diagram of phase modulation of light by different structures of the second dimming substrate;

[0066] FIG11 exemplarily shows a schematic diagram of a second layout structure of the first electrode and the second electrode;

[0067] FIG12 exemplarily shows a schematic structural diagram of the connection position between the annular electrode and the adapter wire;

[0068] FIG13 exemplarily shows a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a second dimming substrate at different positions;

[0069] FIG14 exemplarily shows a schematic planar structure diagram of a dimming area and a non-dimming area of ​​a second dimming substrate;

[0070] FIG15 exemplarily shows a schematic structural diagram of a power-on unit in a second dimming substrate;

[0071] FIG16 exemplarily shows a cross-sectional structural diagram of a dimming panel provided by the present disclosure;

[0072] FIG17 exemplarily shows a cross-sectional structural diagram of a dimming device provided by the present disclosure;

[0073] FIG18 exemplarily shows a schematic diagram of a preparation process of a dimming substrate;

[0074] FIG19 exemplarily shows a schematic diagram of the preparation process of another dimming substrate.

[0075] Detailed description

[0076] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present disclosure without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0077] Liquid crystal molecules are anisotropic, and they can change their alignment under the influence of an electric field. As shown in Figure 16, the dimming panel 02 generally consists of a dimming substrate 01, a cell substrate 161, and a liquid crystal layer 162 interposed between the dimming substrate 01 and the cell substrate 161. By applying voltage to the electrodes on the dimming substrate 01 and the cell substrate 161, the electric field between the dimming substrate 01 and the cell substrate 161 drives the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 162 to deflect, thereby adjusting the refractive index and, in turn, changing the direction of light propagation.

[0078] As shown in Figure 1 , the dimming substrate 01 includes a dimming area A1 and a non-dimming area A2, and the non-dimming area A2 is located on at least one side of the dimming area A1. In Figure 1 , the non-dimming area A2 is located outside the dimming area A1.

[0079] FIG2 is an illustrative cross-sectional view of a dimming region of a dimming substrate 01 in the related art. FIG3 is an illustrative cross-sectional view of a dimming region of a dimming substrate 01 provided in the present disclosure. FIG4 is an illustrative cross-sectional view of another dimming region of a dimming substrate 01 provided in the present disclosure.

[0080] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the dimming substrate 01 includes: a base substrate 21; a first conductive layer 22, arranged on one side of the base substrate 21, including a plurality of first electrodes 221 located in the dimming area A1 and separated from each other; a first insulating layer 23, arranged on the side of the first conductive layer 22 away from the base substrate 21, including a first insulating pattern 231 and a second insulating pattern 232; and a second conductive layer 24, arranged on the side of the first insulating layer 23 away from the base substrate 21, including a plurality of second electrodes 241 located in the dimming area A1 and separated from each other.

[0081] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, in the orthographic projection on the base substrate 21, the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 are alternately arranged in sequence along the first direction f1, and the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 have an overlapping area OL in the first direction f1, the first insulating pattern 231 and the second conductive layer 24 do not overlap, and the second insulating pattern 232 and the second conductive layer 24 overlap.

[0082] 2 to 4 , the first insulating pattern 231 is the portion of the first insulating layer 23 that is not covered by the second conductive layer 24, and the second insulating pattern 232 is the portion of the first insulating layer 23 that is covered by the second conductive layer 24. The first insulating layer 23 is used to prevent a short circuit between the first conductive layer 22 and the second conductive layer 24.

[0083] In Figure 2 , the thickness of the first insulating pattern 231 is equal to the thickness of the second insulating pattern 232 . The inventors discovered that the display device using the dimming substrate 01 shown in Figure 2 exhibits a bright-dark alternation phenomenon. Further analysis revealed that, as shown in Figure 2 , the distances between the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 and the liquid crystal layer 162 (not shown in the figure, located on the side of the second conductive layer 24 facing away from the first conductive layer 22) differ significantly. This distance difference is equal to the thickness of the first insulating pattern 231 . This large distance difference results in a large difference in the voltage divider between the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 and the liquid crystal layer 162, ultimately leading to the bright-dark alternation phenomenon.

[0084] In order to solve the problem of alternating light and dark, the present disclosure provides a dimming substrate 01 , as shown in FIG. 3 or 4 , in which the thickness of the first insulating pattern 231 is smaller than the thickness of the second insulating pattern 232 .

[0085] As shown in Figure 3 or Figure 4, since the difference in distance between the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 and the liquid crystal layer 162 is the thickness of the first insulating pattern 231, by thinning (as shown in Figure 4) or removing (as shown in Figure 3) the first insulating pattern 231 located above the first electrode 221, the difference in distance between the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 and the liquid crystal layer 162 can be reduced, thereby reducing the voltage difference between the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 and the liquid crystal layer 162, improving or eliminating the bright and dark alternation phenomenon, and improving display uniformity.

[0086] In the present disclosure, by arranging the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 in different conductive layers (i.e., the first conductive layer 22 and the second conductive layer 24), the distance between the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 in the first direction f1 can be reduced, thereby enabling more precise adjustment of the brightness of the grating.

[0087] As shown in FIG3 or FIG4 , in their orthographic projections onto the base substrate 21, the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 partially overlap in the first direction f1. Therefore, there is no gap between the orthographic projections of the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 onto the base substrate 21. This allows the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 162 to be controlled by an effective electric field and deflected under the control of the first electrode 221 or the second electrode 241, further improving display uniformity.

[0088] 5 , the width of the overlapping region OL in the first direction f1 is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 3 micrometers. In a specific implementation, the width of the overlapping region OL in the first direction f1 can be designed to be 1.5 micrometers, for example.

[0089] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4 , the thickness of the first insulating pattern 231 is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 500 angstroms.

[0090] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4 , the thickness of the first insulating pattern 231 is greater than 0, and the ratio of the thickness of the first insulating pattern 231 to the thickness of the second insulating pattern 232 is less than or equal to 0.5. Furthermore, the ratio of the thickness of the first insulating pattern 231 to the thickness of the second insulating pattern 232 is less than or equal to 0.3, 0.2, or 0.1.

[0091] In this embodiment, the thickness of the first insulating pattern 231 is only thinned instead of being completely removed, so that a thin layer of the first insulating pattern 231 remains above the first electrode 221. In this way, the remaining first insulating pattern 231 can protect the first electrode 221 and prevent damage to the first electrode 221 during the process of completely etching the first insulating pattern 231.

[0092] For example, the thickness of the second insulating pattern 232 is greater than or equal to 1000 angstroms and less than or equal to 3000 angstroms. The thickness of the first insulating pattern 231 is greater than or equal to 100 angstroms and less than or equal to 500 angstroms.

[0093] In some embodiments, the thickness of the first insulating pattern 231 is zero. That is, in the direction from the base substrate 21 to the first conductive layer 22, the first insulating pattern 231 is an opening that completely penetrates the insulating layer. By completely removing the insulating material on the first electrode 221, the distance difference between the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 and the liquid crystal layer 162 can be minimized, eliminating the alternating light and dark phenomenon and further improving display uniformity.

[0094] The thickness of the first insulating pattern 231 refers to the thickness of the first insulating pattern 231 in the direction from the base substrate 21 to the first conductive layer 22. The thickness of the second insulating pattern 232 refers to the thickness of the second insulating pattern 232 in the direction from the base substrate 21 to the first conductive layer 22.

[0095] 3 or 4 , the second insulating pattern 232 covers the edge region of the first electrode 221 close to the second electrode 241. This can prevent the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 from short-circuiting in the overlapping region OL.

[0096] 5 to 7 , the specific structure of the dimming substrate 01 applied to the liquid crystal grating is exemplarily introduced below.

[0097] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6 , the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 are both strip electrodes extending along the second direction f2 , and the second direction f2 intersects the first direction f1 .

[0098] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG6 , the second direction f2 and the first direction f1 are perpendicular to each other.

[0099] By independently energizing each strip electrode, the liquid crystal molecules are deflected under the action of the electric field formed by the strip electrodes and the cell substrate 161, thereby making the liquid crystal layer 162 at the corresponding position transparent or light-shielding, thereby achieving a grating effect.

[0100] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5 , the widths of the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 in the first direction f1 are substantially equal.

[0101] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5 , the gap width g1 between two adjacent first electrodes 221 is substantially equal to the gap width g2 between two adjacent second electrodes 241 .

[0102] For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , in the orthographic projection on the base substrate 21 , the arrangement period P1 of the strip electrodes along the first direction f1 may be, for example, 200 micrometers.

[0103] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7 , the dimming substrate 01 further includes a first metal layer 71 disposed between the base substrate 21 and the first conductive layer 22 . As shown in FIG6 , the first metal layer 71 includes a first binding terminal PIN1 and a first fan-out line FAN1 located in the non-dimming area A2 . One end of the first fan-out line FAN1 is connected to the first binding terminal PIN1 , and the other end is connected to the first electrode 221 or the second electrode 241 .

[0104] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG6 , the strip electrodes are connected to the first binding terminal PIN1 through the first fan-out line FAN1 , so that each strip electrode can be powered independently.

[0105] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 7 a , the first electrode 221 is directly connected to the first fan-out line FAN1 .

[0106] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 7 b , the second electrode 241 is connected to the first fan-out line FAN1 through a via hole provided on the first insulating layer 23 .

[0107] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure c in Figure 7, the second conductive layer 24 also includes: a first conductive pattern 242 located in the non-dimming area A2, the first conductive pattern 242 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first binding terminal PIN1 on the base substrate 21, and the first conductive pattern 242 and the first binding terminal PIN1 are connected through a via provided on the first insulating layer 23.

[0108] The first conductive pattern 242 and the second electrode 241 are disposed in the same layer and separated from each other. The first conductive pattern 242 protects the first binding terminal PIN1, and different first conductive patterns 242 are connected to different first binding terminals PIN1.

[0109] 6 , the first binding terminal PIN1 and the first fan-out line FAN1 are located on the same side of the dimming area A1. In the left figure of FIG6 , the first binding terminal PIN1 and the first fan-out line FAN1 are both located on the left side of the dimming area A1.

[0110] For example, as shown in the right figure of FIG6 , the first binding terminal PIN1 is located on the first side (such as the lower side) of the dimming zone A1, and the first fan-out line FAN1 is located on the first side (such as the lower side), the second side (such as the left side), and the third side (such as the right side) of the dimming zone A1, and the second side (such as the left side) and the third side (such as the right side) are arranged on both sides of the dimming zone A1. For example, one end of the first fan-out line FAN1 located on the second side (such as the left side) of the dimming zone A1 is connected to the first electrode 221, and the other end extends to the first side (such as the lower side) of the dimming zone A1 and is connected to the first binding terminal PIN1. One end of the first fan-out line FAN1 located on the third side (such as the right side) of the dimming zone A1 is connected to the second electrode 241, and the other end extends to the first side (such as the lower side) of the dimming zone A1 and is connected to the first binding terminal PIN1.

[0111] For example, as shown in Figure 6, the first binding terminal PIN1 is used to bind the first driver chip IC1. The first driver chip IC1 can be disposed on a flexible printed circuit board, for example, and the flexible printed circuit board is used to connect the first driver chip IC1 to the first binding terminal PIN1. The first driver chip IC1 is used to provide a driving signal, which is sequentially transmitted through the first binding terminal PIN1 and the first fan-out line FAN1 to the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 located in the dimming area A1.

[0112] The specific structure of the dimming substrate 01 applied to the liquid crystal lens is exemplarily introduced below with reference to FIG. 8 to FIG. 15 .

[0113] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG8 , the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 are both annular electrodes, and the first direction f1 is the radial direction of the annular electrodes.

[0114] For example, as shown in FIG8 , the plurality of annular electrodes may be concentrically arranged, that is, the centers (ie, geometric centers) of the plurality of annular electrodes overlap, and the center may be, for example, the center of the dimming area A1 .

[0115] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG8 , the inner diameter of the annular electrode disposed at the center of the dimming area A1 is 0.

[0116] Illustratively, the annular electrode may be a circular annular electrode (as shown in FIG8 ), or may be an elliptical electrode, a rectangular electrode, etc., which is not limited in the present disclosure.

[0117] As shown in FIG8 , each annular electrode can be independently powered, and a different voltage can be applied to each annular electrode. Since the liquid crystal molecules LC are deflected by the electric field formed by the annular electrodes and the counter-cell substrate 161, the deflection angle of the liquid crystal molecules LC can be adjusted by adjusting the voltage of the annular electrodes (as shown in FIG9 ), thereby generating a gradient refractive index distribution and realizing the function of a lens. As shown in the left figure of FIG9 , the liquid crystal molecules LC can converge the incident light L1, thereby realizing the function of a convex lens. As shown in the right figure of FIG9 , the liquid crystal molecules LC can diverge the incident light L1, thereby realizing the function of a concave lens.

[0118] As shown in Figure 10, by varying the voltage applied to the annular electrode, its width, and its radius, among other parameters, the phase difference of the incident light can be altered, thereby changing the radius of curvature of the liquid crystal lens and adjusting the focal length. In Figure 10, the abscissa represents the position coordinate y of the annular electrode along the first direction f1, with the origin of the position coordinate y being the center of the annular electrode. The ordinate represents the phase difference φ of the incident light.

[0119] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG11 , the plurality of annular electrodes include a first annular electrode 11, a second annular electrode 12, and a third annular electrode 13. The orthographic projections of the first annular electrode 11, the second annular electrode 12, and the third annular electrode 13 on the substrate 21 are arranged adjacent to each other in sequence along a first direction f1, with the first annular electrode 11 positioned near the center of the dimming area A1. The width of the first annular electrode 11 is greater than or equal to the width of the second annular electrode 12, and the width of the second annular electrode 12 is greater than or equal to the width of the third annular electrode 13.

[0120] The first annular electrode 11 and the third annular electrode 13 are arranged in the same layer, and are arranged in a different layer from the second annular electrode 12 .

[0121] It should be noted that, in order to better show the width variation of the annular electrodes, the multiple annular electrodes shown in FIG11 are dispersedly arranged and no overlap between them is shown. This is specially explained.

[0122] In the present disclosure, the width of the annular electrode refers to the width of the annular electrode in the first direction f1.

[0123] Furthermore, as shown in FIG11 , in the direction from the center of dimming area A1 to the edge of dimming area A1 (the f1 direction shown in FIG11 ), the width of the annular electrode tends to gradually decrease, and the curvature radius of the annular electrode gradually increases, thereby achieving a lens effect.

[0124] The trend of the annular electrode width gradually decreasing includes: the width of the annular electrode monotonically decreasing in the direction from the center of the dimming area A1 to the edge of the dimming area A1 (the direction f1 as shown in FIG11 ), or the width of the annular electrode decreasing in a step-like manner in the direction from the center of the dimming area A1 to the edge of the dimming area A1 (the direction f1 as shown in FIG11 ). In the former case, no two adjacent annular electrodes have the same width. In the latter case, two adjacent annular electrodes have the same width, for example, the first annular electrode 11 and the second annular electrode 12 have the same width, or the second annular electrode 12 and the third annular electrode 13 have the same width.

[0125] For example, as shown in FIG11 , the annular electrodes are generally sorted from the center of the dimming area A1 along the first direction f1 outward in sequence, with the annular electrodes with odd total numbers being the first electrodes 221 and the annular electrodes with even total numbers being the second electrodes 241, or the annular electrodes with odd total numbers being the second electrodes 241 and the annular electrodes with even total numbers being the first electrodes 221. This disclosure does not limit this.

[0126] In a specific implementation, for each annular electrode, the outer ring radius r of the annular electrode is n It can be calculated using the following formula: n 2 =2*λ*f*n / f s , where λ is the wavelength of the incident light, f is the focal length of the liquid crystal lens, n is the refractive index at the corresponding position of the annular electrode, and f s is the sampling rate. According to the outer ring radius r of the annular electrode n The width of the ring electrode can be calculated based on the ring electrode gap that can be achieved by the process. The number of ring electrodes N can be calculated using the following formula: N = L OPD *f s / λ,L OPD (r)≈-r 2 / 2f,L OPD (r) is the optical path difference at the lens radius r, and f is the focal length.

[0127] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11 , the difference in width between the first annular electrode 11 and the second annular electrode 12 is greater than or equal to the difference in width between the second annular electrode 12 and the third annular electrode 13 .

[0128] Furthermore, as shown in FIG11 , in the direction from the center of the dimming zone A1 to the edge of the dimming zone A1 (the f1 direction shown in FIG11 ), the width change of the annular electrode (i.e., the amplitude of the width reduction) tends to gradually decrease, that is, the absolute value of the width difference between two adjacent annular electrodes tends to gradually decrease.

[0129] The trend of the annular electrode width changing gradually decreases includes: the annular electrode width changing monotonically decreases in the direction from the center of the dimming area A1 to the edge of the dimming area A1 (direction f1 as shown in FIG11 ), or the annular electrode width changing stepwise decreases in the direction from the center of the dimming area A1 to the edge of the dimming area A1 (direction f1 as shown in FIG11 ). In the former case, no two adjacent widths change in the same way; in the latter case, two adjacent widths change in the same way, for example, the difference in width between the first annular electrode 11 and the second annular electrode 12 is equal to the difference in width between the second annular electrode 12 and the third annular electrode 13.

[0130] For example, as shown in FIG11 , from the center of the dimming area A1 along the first direction f1 outward, the width of the annular electrode is 475 microns, 100 microns, 75 microns, 65 microns, 55 microns, ..., 7.5 microns. Among them, 475 microns is the width of the annular electrode located at the center of the dimming area A1, and 7.5 microns is the width of the annular electrode in the outermost circle. In this example, from the center of the dimming area A1 along the first direction f1 outward (the f1 direction as shown in FIG11 ), the absolute value of the difference in width between two adjacent annular electrodes is 375 microns, 25 microns, 10 microns, 10 microns, ..., that is, the width of the annular electrode changes in a step-like manner.

[0131] Exemplarily, the distance between the center of the outermost ring electrode and the center of the second outermost ring electrode is, for example, 11.5 microns.

[0132] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG11 , the plurality of annular electrodes further include a fourth annular electrode 14. In an orthographic projection on the substrate 21, the fourth annular electrode 14 is located on a side of the third annular electrode 13 that is away from the center of the dimming area A1 and is disposed adjacent to the third annular electrode 13. The gap width g3 between the first annular electrode 11 and the third annular electrode 13 is greater than or equal to the gap width g4 between the second annular electrode 12 and the fourth annular electrode 14.

[0133] The first annular electrode 11 and the third annular electrode 13 are disposed in the same layer, and the second annular electrode 12 and the fourth annular electrode 14 are disposed in the same layer. For example, if the first annular electrode 11 and the third annular electrode 13 are the first electrodes 221 disposed in the first conductive layer 22, then the second annular electrode 12 and the fourth annular electrode 14 are the second electrodes 241 disposed in the second conductive layer 24 (as shown in FIG. 11 ); or if the first annular electrode 11 and the third annular electrode 13 are the second electrodes 241 disposed in the second conductive layer 24, then the second annular electrode 12 and the fourth annular electrode 14 are the first electrodes 221 disposed in the first conductive layer 22.

[0134] Furthermore, as shown in FIG11 , in a direction from the center of the dimming area A1 to the edge of the dimming area A1 (direction f1 shown in FIG11 ), the gap width between two adjacent annular electrodes disposed in the same layer tends to gradually decrease.

[0135] The trend of the gap width between two adjacent annular electrodes disposed in the same layer gradually decreasing includes: the gap width between two adjacent annular electrodes disposed in the same layer monotonically decreasing in the direction from the center of dimming area A1 to the edge of dimming area A1 (direction f1 as shown in FIG11 ), or the gap width between two adjacent annular electrodes disposed in the same layer decreasing in a step-like manner in the direction from the center of dimming area A1 to the edge of dimming area A1 (direction f1 as shown in FIG11 ). In the former case, the gap widths between two adjacent annular electrodes disposed in the same layer do not exist. In the latter case, the gap widths between two adjacent annular electrodes disposed in the same layer do exist. For example, the gap width g3 between the first annular electrode 11 and the third annular electrode 13 is equal to the gap width g4 between the second annular electrode 12 and the fourth annular electrode 14.

[0136] As shown in Figure 12 a, the plurality of annular electrodes include a fifth annular electrode 15, which includes an overlapping portion LP and a non-overlapping portion NLP. The fifth annular electrode 15 is any one of the plurality of annular electrodes.

[0137] It should be noted that the width of the annular electrode refers to the width of the non-overlapping portion NLP in the first direction f1, and the gap width between the two annular electrodes refers to the gap width between the non-overlapping portions NLP of the two annular electrodes.

[0138] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 13 , the dimming substrate 01 further includes: a second insulating layer 131 disposed between the base substrate 21 and the first conductive layer 22 ; and a third conductive layer 132 disposed between the base substrate 21 and the second insulating layer 131 .

[0139] As shown in Figures 8, 12, and 13, the third conductive layer 132 includes a transition line 81. One end of the transition line 81 extends to the dimming area A1 and is connected to the overlapping portion LP through a via H1. The other end of the transition line 81 extends to the non-dimming area A2. As shown in Figure 12 (a), the width of the overlapping portion LP in the first direction f1 is greater than the width of the non-overlapping portion NLP in the first direction f1.

[0140] By widening the overlapping portion LP, the contact area between the overlapping portion LP and the transfer line 81 can be increased, thereby reducing the contact resistance.

[0141] As shown in FIG. 12 b or FIG. 13 a, when the fifth annular electrode 15 or the lap portion LP is located in the first conductive layer 22, the via H1 between the lap portion LP and the patch cord 81 is provided through the second insulating layer 131. As shown in FIG. 12 b or FIG. 13 b, when the fifth annular electrode 15 or the lap portion LP is located in the second conductive layer 24, the via H1 between the lap portion LP and the patch cord 81 is provided through the first insulating layer 23 and the second insulating layer 131.

[0142] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 12 a, the plurality of annular electrodes further include a sixth annular electrode 16, which includes a first bent portion BD1 and a first non-bent portion NBD1. In an orthographic projection on the base substrate 21, the first bent portion BD1 is disposed adjacent to the overlapping portion LP, and the first non-bent portion NBD1 is disposed adjacent to the non-overlapping portion NLP. The first bent portion BD1 bends toward a side away from the overlapping portion LP, and the width of the first bent portion BD1 in the first direction f1 is less than or equal to the width of the first non-bent portion NBD1 in the first direction f1.

[0143] The fifth annular electrode 15 and the sixth annular electrode 16 are disposed in different layers. For example, the fifth annular electrode 15 is the first electrode 221 disposed in the first conductive layer 22, and the sixth annular electrode 16 is the second electrode 241 disposed in the second conductive layer 24 (as shown in FIG12 ). Alternatively, the fifth annular electrode 15 is the second electrode 241 disposed in the second conductive layer 24, and the sixth annular electrode 16 is the first electrode 221 disposed in the first conductive layer 22. In an orthographic projection on the base substrate 21, the first bent portion BD1 and the overlapping portion LP have an overlapping area OL in the first direction f1, and the first non-bent portion NBD1 and the non-overlapping portion NLP have an overlapping area OL in the first direction f1.

[0144] When the first bending portion BD1 is located in the first conductive layer 22 and the overlapping portion LP is located in the second conductive layer 24, since the via H1 connecting the overlapping portion LP and the adapter line 81 needs to pass through the first conductive layer 22, by setting the first bending portion BD1 to bend toward the side away from the overlapping portion LP, the distance between the first bending portion BD1 and the via H1 can be increased, thereby avoiding a short circuit between the via and the first bending portion BD1. In addition, the overlapping portion LP can be prevented from shielding the electric field of the first bending portion BD1.

[0145] When the first bending portion BD1 is located in the second conductive layer 24 and the lap portion LP is located in the first conductive layer 22 , the first bending portion BD1 is bent away from the lap portion LP to prevent the first bending portion BD1 from shielding the electric field of the lap portion LP.

[0146] As shown in Figure 12(a), the plurality of annular electrodes further include a seventh annular electrode 17, which includes a second bent portion BD2 and a second non-bent portion NBD2. In an orthographic projection onto the substrate 21, the seventh annular electrode 17 is located on the side of the sixth annular electrode 16 away from the fifth annular electrode 15. The second bent portion BD2 is disposed adjacent to the first bent portion BD1, and the second non-bent portion NBD2 is disposed adjacent to the first non-bent portion NBD1. The edge of the second bent portion BD2 adjacent to the first bent portion BD1 bends toward a side away from the overlapping portion LP. The width of the second bent portion BD2 in the first direction f1 is smaller than the width of the second non-bent portion NBD2 in the first direction f1.

[0147] As shown in Figure 12, the seventh annular electrode 17 is disposed on a different layer from the sixth annular electrode 16, and is disposed on the same layer as the fifth annular electrode 15. In an orthographic projection on the base substrate 21, the second bent portion BD2 and the first bent portion BD1 have an overlapping area OL in the first direction f1, and the second non-bending portion NBD2 and the first non-bending portion NBD1 have an overlapping area OL in the first direction f1.

[0148] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure a of Figure 12, the gap width g5 between the overlapping portion LP and the second bending portion BD2 is less than or equal to the gap width g6 between the non-overlapping portion NLP and the second non-bending portion NBD2.

[0149] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 12, multiple adapter wires 81 include a first adapter wire 811 and a second adapter wire 812 arranged adjacent to each other, and the first adapter wire 811 and the second adapter wire 812 are respectively connected to different fifth annular electrodes 15, and at least one annular electrode is arranged between the fifth annular electrode 15 connected to the first adapter wire 811 and the fifth annular electrode 15 connected to the second adapter wire 812.

[0150] In FIG. 12 , two annular electrodes, namely a sixth annular electrode 16 and a seventh annular electrode 17 , are provided between the fifth annular electrode 15 connected to the first adapter line 811 and the fifth annular electrode 15 connected to the second adapter line 812 .

[0151] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG13 , the dimming substrate 01 further includes a second metal layer 133 located between the third conductive layer 132 and the base substrate 21. As shown in FIG8 , the second metal layer 133 includes a second binding terminal PIN2 and a second fan-out line FAN2 located in the non-dimming area A2. One end of the second fan-out line FAN2 is connected to the second binding terminal PIN2, and the other end is connected to the adapter line 81.

[0152] For example, as shown in Figure 8, different annular electrodes are connected to different second binding terminals PIN2 via different second fan-out lines FAN2, enabling independent powering of each annular electrode. The second binding terminal PIN2 is used to bind the second driver chip IC2, which provides a drive signal. The drive signal is transmitted sequentially through the second binding terminal PIN2, the second fan-out line FAN2, and the adapter line 81 to the first electrode 221 or the second electrode 241 located in the dimming area A1.

[0153] For example, as shown in FIG. 13 c , the adapter line 81 and the second fan-out line FAN2 may be directly connected.

[0154] Exemplarily, as shown in d in Figure 13, the second conductive layer 24 also includes a second conductive pattern 243, the second conductive pattern 243 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the second binding terminal PIN2 on the base substrate 21, and the second conductive pattern 243 and the second binding terminal PIN2 are connected through vias arranged on the first insulating layer 23 and the second insulating layer 131.

[0155] The second conductive pattern 243 is provided in the same layer and separated from the second electrode 241. The second conductive pattern 243 protects the second binding terminal PIN2, and different second conductive patterns 243 are connected to different second binding terminals PIN2.

[0156] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG14 , the adapter wires 81 are located on opposite sides of the dimming area A1 . In FIG14 , a portion of the adapter wires 81 is located on the left side of the dimming area A1 , and another portion of the adapter wires 81 is located on the right side of the dimming area A1 .

[0157] To reduce the bezel, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure e of FIG13 , the second metal layer 133 includes a first sub-metal layer 134 and a second sub-metal layer 135 that are insulated and stacked. Two adjacent second fan-out lines FAN2 are located in the first sub-metal layer 134 and the second sub-metal layer 135, respectively. As shown in FIG14 and Figure e of FIG13 , the non-dimming area A2 also includes a third fan-out line FAN3 connected between the second fan-out line FAN2 and the adapter line 81. Two adjacent third fan-out lines FAN3 are located in the third conductive layer 132 and the first conductive layer 22, respectively.

[0158] For example, as shown in Figure e in Figure 13, the first sub-metal layer 134 is located on the side of the second sub-metal layer 135 close to the base substrate 21, the second fan-out line FAN2 located in the first sub-metal layer 134 is connected to the third fan-out line FAN3 located in the third conductive layer 132 through a via, and the second fan-out line FAN2 located in the second sub-metal layer 135 is connected to the third fan-out line FAN3 located in the first conductive layer 22 through a via.

[0159] 14 , the second fan-out line FAN2 located in the first sub-metal layer 134 is connected to the second binding terminal PIN21 located in the first sub-metal layer 134 , and the second fan-out line FAN2 located in the second sub-metal layer 135 is connected to the second binding terminal PIN22 located in the second sub-metal layer 135 .

[0160] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG15 , a plurality of annular electrodes can be divided into a plurality of powered units. In the direction from the center of the dimming zone A1 to the edge of the dimming zone A1, the plurality of powered units are sequentially R0, R1…, and the powered unit R1 is located outside the powered unit R0. Each powered unit is equivalent to a side lobe of a Fresnel prism.

[0161] As shown in Figure 15, different power-on units include the same number of annular electrodes. In Figure 15, each power-on unit includes five annular electrodes. The annular electrodes in the same power-on unit are sub-sequenced in a direction from the edge of dimming zone A1 toward the center of dimming zone A1. The same or different voltages are applied to the annular electrodes with the same sub-sequence number.

[0162] As shown in FIG15 , for each power-on unit, voltage V1 is applied to the annular electrode with sub-number 1, voltage V2 is applied to the annular electrode with sub-number 2, voltage V3 is applied to the annular electrode with sub-number 3, voltage V4 is applied to the annular electrode with sub-number 4, and voltage V5 is applied to the annular electrode with sub-number 5. For example, V1 = 7-10V, V5 = 0V, and V1>V2>V3>V4>V5.

[0163] For example, in the same power-on unit, the annular electrodes with odd sub-numbers are located in the same layer, and the annular electrodes with even sub-numbers are located in the same layer.

[0164] For example, to improve the light transmittance of the dimming substrate 01, the first conductive layer 22, the second conductive layer 24, and the third conductive layer 132 are all made of transparent conductive materials, such as metal oxides such as ITO, IZO, IGZO, IGO, and ZTO. Transparent conductive materials have a higher transmittance to visible light than metal materials.

[0165] The present disclosure provides a dimming panel 02, as shown in Figure 16, including: a box substrate 161, a liquid crystal layer 162 and a dimming substrate 01 provided in any embodiment, the liquid crystal layer 162 is located between the box substrate 161 and the dimming substrate 01, and the base substrate 21 is arranged away from the liquid crystal layer 162.

[0166] Those skilled in the art can understand that the dimming panel 02 provided in the present disclosure has the advantages of the dimming substrate 01 described above.

[0167] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 16 , the cell substrate 161 includes a common electrode COM disposed near the liquid crystal layer 162 . The first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 respectively form an electric field with the common electrode COM to drive the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 162 to deflect.

[0168] For example, the dimming panel 02 is a liquid crystal grating or a liquid crystal lens. Liquid crystal gratings are widely used in image display and optical imaging fields due to their advantages of high brightness, high contrast and high resolution.

[0169] The present disclosure provides a dimming device, as shown in Figure 17, including: a display panel 171, and a dimming panel 02 provided in any embodiment, and the dimming panel 02 is arranged close to the light-emitting side of the display panel 171 and / or away from the light-emitting side of the display panel 171.

[0170] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the dimming device provided by the present disclosure has the advantages of the dimming panel 02 described above.

[0171] Exemplarily, the dimming device may further include a driving circuit (not shown in the figure), which is respectively connected to the first electrode 221, the second electrode 241 and the common electrode COM, for providing a common voltage to the common electrode COM, and providing a driving voltage to the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 that can drive the liquid crystal molecules to deflect.

[0172] The dimming device provided in the present disclosure may be, for example, a virtual reality device, an augmented reality device, a 3D display device, a light field display device, a mobile terminal, and myopia glasses.

[0173] The present disclosure provides a method for preparing a dimming substrate 01. As shown in FIG1 , the dimming substrate 01 includes a dimming area A1 and a non-dimming area A2. As shown in FIG18 or FIG19 , the preparation method includes:

[0174] Step S01: providing a base substrate 21 .

[0175] Step S02 : forming a first conductive layer 22 on one side of the base substrate 21 , the first conductive layer 22 including a plurality of first electrodes 221 located in the dimming area A1 and separated from each other, as shown in FIG. 18 or FIG. 19 a .

[0176] Step S03 : forming a first insulating film 181 on the side of the first conductive layer 22 facing away from the base substrate 21 , as shown in FIG. 18 or FIG. 19 b .

[0177] Step S04 : forming a second conductive film 182 on the side of the first insulating film 181 facing away from the base substrate 21 , as shown in FIG. 18 or FIG. 19 c .

[0178] Step S05 : forming a patterned photoresist layer 183 on the side of the second conductive film 182 facing away from the base substrate 21 , as shown in FIG. 18 or FIG. 19 c .

[0179] Step S06: Under the protection of the photoresist layer 183, the exposed second conductive film 182 is etched to form a second conductive layer 24, as shown in Figure 18 or Figure 19 (d). The second conductive layer 24 includes a plurality of second electrodes 241 located in the dimming area A1 and separated from each other. In an orthographic projection on the base substrate 21, the first electrodes 221 and the second electrodes 241 are alternately arranged along the first direction f1, and the first electrodes 221 and the second electrodes 241 have an overlapping area OL in the first direction f1.

[0180] Step S07: Under the protection of the photoresist layer 183, the exposed first insulating film 181 is etched to form a first insulating layer 23, as shown in Figure 18 or Figure 19 (e). The first insulating layer 23 includes a first insulating pattern 231 and a second insulating pattern 232. The first insulating pattern 231 does not overlap with the second conductive layer 24, while the second insulating pattern 232 overlaps with the second conductive layer 24. The thickness of the first insulating pattern 231 is less than that of the second insulating pattern 232.

[0181] For example, the exposed first insulating film 181 may be dry-etched.

[0182] The exposed first insulating film 181 refers to the first insulating film 181 not covered by the photoresist layer 183 or the second conductive layer 24. After the etching process is completed, the pattern corresponding to the exposed first insulating film 181 is the first insulating pattern 231, and the pattern corresponding to the first insulating film 181 covered by the photoresist layer 183 or the second conductive layer 24 is the second insulating pattern 232.

[0183] Step S08: removing the photoresist layer 183 to obtain the dimming substrate 01, as shown in FIG. 18 or FIG. 19 f.

[0184] The dimming substrate 01 provided in any of the above-mentioned embodiments can be prepared by using the preparation method provided in the present disclosure.

[0185] For example, in step S07, the exposed first insulating film 181 can be partially etched so that the thickness of the first insulating pattern 231 is greater than 0 and less than the thickness of the second insulating pattern 232. In this way, a thin layer of the first insulating pattern 231 still remains above the first electrode 221 (as shown in FIG. 19 ), thereby protecting the first electrode 221.

[0186] For example, in step S07, the exposed first insulating film 181 can be completely etched so that the insulating material on the first electrode 221 is completely removed (as shown in FIG18 ), thereby minimizing the distance difference between the first electrode 221 and the second electrode 241 and the liquid crystal layer 162, respectively, eliminating the bright and dark alternation phenomenon, and further improving display uniformity.

[0187] The above preparation method is exemplified below.

[0188] In the first example, after step S01 and before step S02, the following steps may also be included:

[0189] Step S11: A first metal layer 71 is formed on one side of the base substrate 21. As shown in FIG6 , the first metal layer 71 includes a first binding terminal PIN1 and a first fan-out line FAN1 located in the non-dimming area A2. One end of the first fan-out line FAN1 is connected to the first binding terminal PIN1, and the other end is connected to the first electrode 221 or the second electrode 241.

[0190] Accordingly, as shown in Figure 7, step S02 may specifically include: forming a first conductive layer 22 on the side of the first metal layer 71 away from the base substrate 21, the first electrode 221 in the first conductive layer 22 is directly overlapped with the first fan-out line FAN1, the second electrode 241 is connected to the first fan-out line FAN1 through a via provided in the first insulating layer 23, and the second conductive layer 24 formed in step S06 also includes a first conductive pattern 242, and the first conductive pattern 242 is connected to the first binding terminal PIN1 through a via provided in the first insulating layer 23.

[0191] The first example can be used to prepare the dimming substrate 01 as shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 7 .

[0192] In the second example, after step S01 and before step S02, the following steps may also be included:

[0193] Step S21: A second metal layer 133 is formed on one side of the base substrate 21. As shown in Figure 8, the second metal layer 133 includes a second binding terminal PIN2 and a second fan-out line FAN2 located in the non-dimming area A2. One end of the second fan-out line FAN2 is connected to the second binding terminal PIN2, and the other end is connected to the adapter line 81.

[0194] Accordingly, as shown in FIG13 , step S02 may specifically include: sequentially forming a third conductive layer 132 and a second insulating layer 131 on a side of the second metal layer 133 facing away from the base substrate 21, with the third conductive layer 132 disposed adjacent to the second metal layer 133, and the first conductive layer 22 disposed on a side of the second insulating layer 131 facing away from the base substrate 21. The third conductive layer 132 includes a patch cord 81, one end of which is connected to the first electrode 221 or the second electrode 241 via a via, and the other end of which extends to the non-dimming area A2 and directly connects to the second fan-out line FAN2.

[0195] As shown in FIG. 13 , the second conductive layer 24 formed in step S06 further includes a second conductive pattern 243 . The second conductive pattern 243 is connected to the second binding terminal PIN2 through vias provided on the first insulating layer 23 and the second insulating layer 131 .

[0196] The second example can be used to prepare the dimming substrate 01 shown in FIG. 8 to FIG. 15 .

[0197] In the present disclosure, “a plurality of” means two or more, and “at least one” means one or more, unless otherwise clearly defined.

[0198] In the present disclosure, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "upper" and "lower" is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure.

[0199] In this disclosure, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, commodity, or apparatus that includes a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, commodity, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0200] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "exemplary embodiments," "one or more embodiments," "an example," "an example," "some examples," and the like are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic associated with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the disclosure. Schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be included in any one or more embodiments or examples in any suitable manner.

[0201] In this disclosure, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, but do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations.

[0202] When describing some embodiments, the expressions "coupled" and "connected" may be used. For example, when describing some embodiments, the term "connected" may be used to indicate that two or more components are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. For another example, when describing some embodiments, the term "coupled" may be used to indicate that two or more components are in direct physical or electrical contact. However, the term "coupled" or "communicatively coupled" may also refer to two or more components that are not in direct contact with each other, but still cooperate or interact with each other. The embodiments disclosed herein are not necessarily limited to the contents of this disclosure.

[0203] “At least one of A, B and C” has the same meaning as “at least one of A, B or C” and both include the following combinations of A, B and C: A only, B only, C only, the combination of A and B, the combination of A and C, the combination of B and C, and the combination of A, B and C.

[0204] “A and / or B” includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0205] As used in this disclosure, the term "if" is optionally interpreted to mean "when" or "upon" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting," depending on the context. Similarly, the phrases "if it is determined that" or "if [stated condition or event] is detected" are optionally interpreted to mean "upon determining" or "in response to determining" or "upon detecting [stated condition or event]" or "in response to detecting [stated condition or event]," depending on the context.

[0206] The use of "for" or "configured to" in this disclosure is intended to be open and inclusive language that does not exclude devices adapted or configured to perform additional tasks or steps.

[0207] The use of "based on" or "according to" in this disclosure is intended to be open and inclusive. A process, step, calculation, or other action based on one or more stated conditions or values ​​may, in practice, be based on other conditions or values ​​beyond the stated values. A process, step, calculation, or other action based on one or more stated conditions or values ​​may, in practice, be based on other conditions or values ​​beyond the stated values.

[0208] As used in this disclosure, "about," "substantially," or "approximately" includes the stated value and an average value that is within an acceptable range of deviation from the particular value as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art taking into account the measurements in question and the errors associated with the measurement of the particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system).

[0209] As used in this disclosure, "parallel", "perpendicular", "equal", and "flush" include the situations described and situations similar to the situations described, and the range of the similar situations is within an acceptable deviation range, wherein the acceptable deviation range is as determined by a person of ordinary skill in the art taking into account the measurement in question and the errors associated with the measurement of the specific quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "parallel" includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate parallelism can be, for example, a deviation within 5°; "perpendicular" includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate perpendicularity can also be, for example, a deviation within 5°. "Equal" includes absolute equality and approximate equality, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate equality can be, for example, the difference between the two being equal is less than or equal to 5% of either one. "Flush" includes absolute flushness and approximate flushness, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate flushness can be, for example, the distance between the two being flush is less than or equal to 5% of either one's size.

[0210] It will be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being on another layer or substrate, it can be directly on the other layer or substrate, or intervening layers may be present therebetween.

[0211] The present disclosure describes exemplary embodiments with reference to cross-sectional and / or plan views that are idealized exemplary drawings. In the drawings, the thicknesses of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity. Therefore, variations in shape relative to the drawings due to, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances are contemplated. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limited to the shapes of the regions shown in this disclosure, but rather include deviations in shape due to, for example, manufacturing. For example, an etched region shown as a rectangle will typically have curved features. Therefore, the regions shown in the drawings are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shape of regions of the device and are not intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0212] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, rather than to limit them. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A dimming substrate, comprising a dimming area and a non-dimming area, the dimming substrate comprising: substrate; A first conductive layer is provided on one side of the base substrate and includes a plurality of first electrodes located in the dimming area and separated from each other; A first insulating layer is provided on a side of the first conductive layer facing away from the base substrate, and includes a first insulating pattern and a second insulating pattern; as well as A second conductive layer is provided on a side of the first insulating layer away from the base substrate, and includes a plurality of second electrodes located in the dimming area and separated from each other; In the orthographic projection on the base substrate, the first electrode and the second electrode are alternately arranged in sequence along a first direction, and the first electrode and the second electrode have an overlapping area in the first direction, the first insulating pattern does not overlap with the second conductive layer, the second insulating pattern overlaps with the second conductive layer, and the thickness of the first insulating pattern is less than the thickness of the second insulating pattern.

2. The dimming substrate according to claim 1, wherein A ratio of a thickness of the first insulating pattern to a thickness of the second insulating pattern is less than or equal to 0.

5.

3. The dimming substrate according to claim 1, wherein, In a direction from the base substrate to the first conductive layer, the first insulating pattern is an opening that completely penetrates the insulating layer.

4. The dimming substrate according to claim 1, wherein The second insulating pattern covers an edge region of the first electrode close to the second electrode.

5. The dimming substrate according to claim 1, wherein, The first electrode and the second electrode are both strip electrodes extending along a second direction, and the second direction intersects with the first direction.

6. The dimming substrate according to claim 5, wherein, The widths of the first electrode and the second electrode in the first direction are substantially equal; and The gap width between two adjacent first electrodes is substantially equal to the gap width between two adjacent second electrodes.

7. The dimming substrate according to claim 5, wherein, The dimming substrate further includes: a first metal layer, disposed between the base substrate and the first conductive layer, comprising a first binding terminal and a first fan-out line located in the non-dimming area, wherein one end of the first fan-out line is connected to the first binding terminal, and the other end is connected to the first electrode or the second electrode; The second conductive layer further includes: a first conductive pattern located in the non-dimming area, the first conductive pattern and the orthographic projection of the first binding terminal on the base substrate overlap, and the first conductive pattern and the first binding terminal are connected through a via.

8. The dimming substrate according to claim 1, wherein, The first electrode and the second electrode are both annular electrodes, and the first direction is the radial direction of the annular electrodes.

9. The dimming substrate according to claim 8, wherein, The plurality of annular electrodes include a first annular electrode, a second annular electrode, and a third annular electrode, wherein the orthographic projections of the first annular electrode, the second annular electrode, and the third annular electrode on the substrate are arranged adjacent to each other in sequence along the first direction, and the first annular electrode is disposed near the center of the dimming zone; The width of the first annular electrode is greater than or equal to the width of the second annular electrode, and the width of the second annular electrode is greater than or equal to the width of the third annular electrode.

10. The dimming substrate according to claim 9, wherein, A difference in width between the first annular electrode and the second annular electrode is greater than or equal to a difference in width between the second annular electrode and the third annular electrode.

11. The dimming substrate according to claim 9, wherein, The plurality of the annular electrodes further includes a fourth annular electrode. In a front projection on the substrate, the fourth annular electrode is located on a side of the third annular electrode away from the center of the dimming area and is adjacent to the third annular electrode; The gap width between the first annular electrode and the third annular electrode is greater than or equal to the gap width between the second annular electrode and the fourth annular electrode.

12. The dimming substrate according to claim 8, wherein, The plurality of the annular electrodes includes a fifth annular electrode. The fifth annular electrode includes a lapping portion and a non-lapping portion. The dimming substrate further includes: A second insulating layer disposed between the substrate and the first conductive layer; A third conductive layer disposed between the substrate and the second insulating layer and including a jumper wire. One end of the jumper wire is connected to the lapping portion through a via, and the other end extends to the non-dimming area. The width of the lapping portion in the first direction is greater than the width of the non-lapping portion in the first direction.

13. The dimming substrate according to claim 12, wherein, The plurality of the annular electrodes further includes a sixth annular electrode. The sixth annular electrode includes a first bent portion and a first non-bent portion; In a front projection on the substrate, the first bent portion is adjacent to the lapping portion, the first non-bent portion is adjacent to the non-lapping portion, the first bent portion bends away from the lapping portion, and the width of the first bent portion in the first direction is less than or equal to the width of the first non-bent portion in the first direction.

14. The dimming substrate according to claim 13, wherein, The plurality of the annular electrodes further includes a seventh annular electrode. The seventh annular electrode includes a second bent portion and a second non-bent portion; In a front projection on the substrate, the seventh annular electrode is located on a side of the sixth annular electrode away from the fifth annular electrode. The second bent portion is adjacent to the first bent portion, the second non-bent portion is adjacent to the first non-bent portion, an edge of the second bent portion close to the first bent portion bends away from the lapping portion, and the width of the second bent portion in the first direction is less than the width of the second non-bent portion in the first direction.

15. The dimming substrate according to claim 14, wherein, The gap width between the lapping portion and the second bent portion is less than or equal to the gap width between the non-lapping portion and the second non-bent portion.

16. The dimming substrate according to claim 12, wherein, The plurality of the jumper wires includes a first jumper wire and a second jumper wire that are adjacent to each other. The first jumper wire and the second jumper wire are respectively connected to different fifth annular electrodes; At least one annular electrode is disposed between the fifth annular electrode connected to the first jumper wire and the fifth annular electrode connected to the second jumper wire.

17. The dimming substrate according to claim 12, wherein, The dimming substrate further includes: A second metal layer located between the third conductive layer and the substrate and including a second bonding terminal and a second fan-out line located in the non-dimming area. One end of the second fan-out line is connected to the second bonding terminal, and the other end is connected to the jumper wire.

18. The dimming substrate according to claim 17, wherein, The second metal layer includes a first sub-metal layer and a second sub-metal layer that are insulated from each other and stacked. Two adjacent second fan-out lines are respectively located in the first sub-metal layer and the second sub-metal layer; The non-dimming region further includes: a third fan-out line connected between the second fan-out line and the transfer line, and two adjacent third fan-out lines are respectively located on the third conductive layer and the first conductive layer.

19. The dimming substrate according to claim 1, wherein, The width of the overlapping region in the first direction is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 3 microns.

20. The dimming substrate according to claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the first insulating pattern is less than or equal to 500 angstroms.

21. A dimming panel, comprising: For the counter substrate, the liquid crystal layer, and the dimming substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 20, the liquid crystal layer is located between the counter substrate and the dimming substrate, and the substrate is disposed away from the liquid crystal layer.

22. The dimming panel according to claim 21, wherein, The dimming panel is a liquid crystal grating or a liquid crystal lens.

23. A display device, comprising: A display panel, and the dimming panel according to claims 21 to 22, the dimming panel is disposed close to the light-emitting side of the display panel and / or the light-emitting side facing away from the display panel.

24. A method for manufacturing a dimming substrate, the dimming substrate including a dimming region and a non-dimming region, the manufacturing method including: Providing a substrate. Forming a first conductive layer on one side of the substrate, the first conductive layer including a plurality of first electrodes located in the dimming region and separated from each other. Forming a first insulating film on a side of the first conductive layer facing away from the substrate. Forming a second conductive film on a side of the first insulating film facing away from the substrate. Forming a patterned photoresist layer on a side of the second conductive film facing away from the substrate. Under the protection of the photoresist layer, etching the exposed second conductive film to form a second conductive layer, the second conductive layer including a plurality of second electrodes located in the dimming region and separated from each other. In a front projection on the substrate, the first electrode and the second electrode are alternately arranged in sequence along a first direction, and the first electrode and the second electrode have an overlapping region in the first direction. Under the protection of the photoresist layer, etching the exposed first insulating film to form a first insulating layer, the first insulating layer including a first insulating pattern and a second insulating pattern, the first insulating pattern... ... does not overlap with the second conductive layer, the second insulating pattern overlaps with the second conductive layer, and the thickness of the first insulating pattern is less than the thickness of the second insulating pattern. Removing the photoresist layer to obtain the dimming substrate.

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