Liquid crystal antenna panel and fabrication method therefor

Abstract

Provided are a liquid crystal antenna panel and a fabrication method therefor, belonging to the technical field of antennas. The liquid crystal antenna panel comprises a plurality of main structure regions (PA) and epitaxial tiling regions (PB) located between every two adjacent main structure regions. The liquid crystal antenna panel comprises sub-panels (SPNLs) corresponding to the main structure regions (PA) on an one-to-one basis. Any one of the sub-panels (SPNLs) comprises, successively stacked, a drive substrate (BPA), a liquid crystal layer and an opposing substrate (BPB). The sub-panels (SPNL) each comprise a main structure part (SA) located in a main structure region (PA) and epitaxial boards (SB) located in epitaxial tiling regions (PB), wherein each of the epitaxial boards (SB) is a first epitaxial board located on the drive substrate (BPA) or a second epitaxial board located on the opposing substrate. In the same epitaxial tiling region (PB), the liquid crystal antenna panel has the first epitaxial board of one of the sub-panels (SPNL) and the second epitaxial board of another one of the sub-panels, the first epitaxial board and the second epitaxial board being connected by means of a frame sealant (S2). The cost of the liquid crystal antenna panel can be reduced.

Description

Liquid crystal antenna panel and preparation method thereof

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] The present disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410832562.6, filed on June 25, 2024, entitled “Liquid crystal antenna panel and preparation method thereof”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of antennas, and in particular, to a liquid crystal antenna panel and a preparation method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0004] With the development of wireless communication technology, the requirements for antennas are also becoming higher and higher. Traditional metal antennas have problems such as complex structure, heavy weight, high manufacturing difficulty, etc. As a new type of antenna technology, liquid crystal antennas have the advantages of simple structure, small size, light weight, low manufacturing cost, etc.

[0005] It is necessary to further reduce the cost of the liquid crystal antenna panel to support its flexible application.

[0006] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background section is only used to strengthen the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore can include information that does not constitute prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. SUMMARY

[0007] The purpose of the present disclosure is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, and to provide a liquid crystal antenna panel and a preparation method thereof, which reduces the cost of the liquid crystal antenna panel.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid crystal antenna panel is provided, comprising a plurality of main body structure regions and an extension splicing region located between any two adjacent main body structure regions;

[0009] The liquid crystal antenna panel comprises a sub-panel corresponding to each main body structure region, and any sub-panel comprises a driving substrate, a liquid crystal layer and a counter substrate which are sequentially stacked; the sub-panel comprises a main body structure part located in the main body structure region and an extension plate located in the extension splicing region;

[0010] The extension plate is a first extension plate located in the driving substrate or a second extension plate located in the counter substrate; in the same extension splicing region, the liquid crystal antenna panel has a first extension plate of one sub-panel and a second extension plate of another sub-panel, and the first extension plate and the second extension plate are connected.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-panel comprises at least two epitaxial plates, one of which is a first epitaxial plate and the other is a second epitaxial plate.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the main body structure region has an antenna unit region and a sealant region surrounding the antenna unit region; the main body structure part has a sealant between the driving substrate and the counter substrate in the sealant region; the main body structure region further comprises a binding region adjacent to the sealant region, and the sub-panel has a pad part in the binding region, the pad part having a pad for electrical connection with the driving assembly; the pad part is located on the driving substrate or on the counter substrate.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-panel has a plurality of exposure regions and a spliced exposure region between two adjacent exposure regions.

[0014] The sub-panel has a driving trace, which extends through the spliced exposure region and into the two adjacent exposure regions.

[0015] The driving trace has an enlarged part in the spliced exposure region, and the width of the enlarged part is greater than the width of the driving trace in the exposure region.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the extension direction of the driving trace in the spliced exposure region is perpendicular to the extension direction of the spliced exposure region.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-panel is provided with at least one alignment mark group in the spliced exposure region, and the alignment mark group comprises alignment marks arranged in different film layers respectively; the alignment marks of the alignment mark group are arranged in sequence along the extension direction of the spliced exposure region.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-panel is provided with a plurality of alignment mark groups in at least one spliced exposure region, and the alignment mark groups are arranged in sequence along the extension direction of the spliced exposure region.

[0019] The distance between two adjacent alignment mark groups is between 5 and 60 microns.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-panel is provided with a support column in the spliced exposure region, and the support column is used to support the cell gap between the driving substrate and the counter substrate.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the width of the spliced exposure region is not less than the size of the orthographic projection of the support column on the width direction of the spliced exposure region in the plane of the sub-panel.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal antenna panel is provided, comprising:

[0023] obtaining a plurality of sub-panels of the liquid crystal antenna panel, the sub-panels comprising a main body structure part and an extension plate connected to the main body structure part; the sub-panels comprising a driving substrate, a liquid crystal layer and a counter substrate which are sequentially stacked; wherein the extension plate is a first extension plate located at the driving substrate or a second extension plate located at the counter substrate;

[0024] causing the plurality of sub-panels to be spliced to form the liquid crystal antenna panel; when causing any two adjacent sub-panels to be spliced to each other, causing the extension plate of one sub-panel to overlap and be connected to the extension plate of the other sub-panel, and wherein the extension plate of one sub-panel is the first extension plate and the extension plate of the other sub-panel is the second extension plate.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, obtaining a plurality of sub-panels of the liquid crystal antenna panel comprises:

[0026] obtaining a liquid crystal antenna mother board, the liquid crystal antenna mother board comprising a plurality of sub-panels;

[0027] cutting the liquid crystal antenna mother board along the overall contour of each sub-panel to obtain a to-be-cut unit corresponding to each sub-panel;

[0028] cutting the driving substrate or the counter substrate of the to-be-cut unit to form a main body structure part and an extension plate connected to the main body structure part.

[0029] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-panels are rectangular;

[0030] obtaining a liquid crystal antenna mother board comprises:

[0031] obtaining a liquid crystal antenna mother board, the liquid crystal antenna mother board comprising a plurality of sub-panels arranged in an array.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-panels are polygons having at least five edges;

[0033] obtaining a liquid crystal antenna mother board comprises:

[0034] obtaining a liquid crystal antenna mother board, the liquid crystal antenna mother board comprising a plurality of sub-panels; wherein the setting angles of adjacent two sub-panels on the liquid crystal antenna mother board are different; the setting angle of the sub-panels refers to the included angle between a characteristic edge of the sub-panels and a characteristic edge of the liquid crystal antenna mother board.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the liquid crystal antenna mother board is provided with a plurality of sub-panel rows, each of which comprises a plurality of sub-panels arranged in sequence along a row direction.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-panel has a reference point, a first edge and a second edge connected to the reference point; an angle between the first edge and the second edge is 90°.

[0037] In the adjacent two sub-panels in the same sub-panel row, an extension direction of the first edge of one sub-panel is parallel to an extension direction of the second edge of the other sub-panel.

[0038] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-panel has a plurality of exposure areas and a splicing exposure area between adjacent two exposure areas.

[0039] The sub-panel is obtained by:

[0040] In the preparation of at least one film layer of the sub-panel, a corresponding overall mask for the film layer is obtained, the overall mask has a plurality of exposure areas; wherein the exposure area and the splicing exposure area adjacent to the exposure area are exposed by the same exposure area.

[0041] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0042] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor on the basis of these drawings.

[0043] FIG. 1 is a process schematic diagram of a preparation method of a liquid crystal antenna panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a sub-panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a sub-panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a sub-panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] FIG. 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a sub-panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] FIG. 6 is a structural schematic diagram of a liquid crystal antenna mother board according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a cutting unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a sub-panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a liquid crystal antenna panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a liquid crystal antenna motherboard according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of a structure of cutting a liquid crystal antenna panel directly from a liquid crystal antenna motherboard according to the related art.

[0054] Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of a distribution of exposure areas on a liquid crystal antenna panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0055] Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram of a distribution of pattern areas on an overall mask plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram of a final structure of driving wires in a spliced exposure area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Fig. 15 is an exposure pattern for first exposure of driving wires in a spliced exposure area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] Fig. 16 is an exposure pattern for second exposure of driving wires in a spliced exposure area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram of a final structure of alignment marks in a spliced exposure area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] Fig. 18 is an exposure pattern for first exposure of alignment marks in a spliced exposure area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] Fig. 19 is an exposure pattern for second exposure of alignment marks in a spliced exposure area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example embodiments, however, can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the implementation set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of example embodiments to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification. Additionally, the drawings are merely schematic and are not intended to portray the relative actual size or proportions of the elements embodied therein.

[0063] Although relative terms are used in this specification, such as "upper", "lower", to describe one component's relative position to another component of the icon, these terms are used in this specification for convenience only, for example, according to the orientation of the examples shown in the drawings. It will be understood that if the device of the icon is turned upside down, the component described as being "upper" will become the component that is "lower". When a structure is "on" another structure, it can mean that the structure is formed integrally with the other structure, or that the structure is "directly" on the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly" on the other structure via another structure.

[0064] The terms "one", "a", "an", "the", and "at least one" are used to indicate the existence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms "including" and "having" are used to indicate the inclusion of one or more elements / components / etc. in the described steps, elements and / or components, and that not all elements / components / etc. listed are required in some embodiments; the terms "first", "second", and "third" and the like are merely used to identify one of a number of elements / components / etc., and are not intended to limit the number of elements / components / etc. to that so identified.

[0065] With the development of wireless communication technology, the requirements for antennas are also increasing. Traditional metal antennas have problems such as complex structure, heavy weight, high manufacturing difficulty, etc. As a new type of antenna technology, liquid crystal antennas have the advantages of simple structure, small size, light weight, low manufacturing cost, etc.

[0066] The present disclosure provides a liquid crystal antenna panel PNL and a preparation method thereof. Referring to FIG. 1, the preparation method of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL comprises:

[0067] A plurality of sub-panels SPNL of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL are obtained, the sub-panels SPNL have a main body structure part SA and an epitaxial plate SB connected with the main body structure part SA; the sub-panels SPNL comprise a driving substrate BPA, a liquid crystal layer LC and a counter substrate BPB which are sequentially stacked; wherein the epitaxial plate SB is a first epitaxial plate BPA1 located at the driving substrate BPA or a second epitaxial plate BPB1 located at the counter substrate BPB;

[0068] The plurality of sub-panels SPNL are spliced to form the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL; when any two adjacent sub-panels SPNL are spliced with each other, the epitaxial plate SB of one sub-panel SPNL overlaps with the epitaxial plate SB of another sub-panel SPNL and is connected through S2, and the epitaxial plate SB of one sub-panel SPNL is the first epitaxial plate BPA1 and the epitaxial plate SB of another sub-panel SPNL is the second epitaxial plate BPB1.

[0069] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the larger size liquid crystal antenna panel PNL is formed by the technology of splicing multiple sub-panels SPNL, which can effectively reduce the manufacturing cost of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL. For the convenience of description, the area where the extension plate SB is located is referred to as the extension splicing area PB, and the area where the main structure part SA is located is referred to as the main structure area PA. In this way, the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL spliced by the sub-panels SPNL includes multiple main structure areas PA and extension splicing areas PB between adjacent two main structure areas PA; the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL includes one-to-one corresponding sub-panels SPNL, and any one of the sub-panels SPNL includes a driving substrate BPA, a liquid crystal layer LC and a counter substrate BPB which are sequentially stacked; the sub-panels SPNL include the main structure part SA in the main structure area PA and the extension plate SB in the extension splicing area PB; wherein the extension plate SB is a first extension plate BPA1 located in the driving substrate BPA or a second extension plate BPB1 located in the counter substrate BPB; in the same extension splicing area PB, the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL has the first extension plate BPA1 of one of the sub-panels SPNL and the second extension plate BPB1 of another of the sub-panels SPNL, and the first extension plate BPA1 and the second extension plate BPB1 are connected by S2.

[0070] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the splicing between the adjacent two sub-panels SPNL is not achieved by the way of abutting against each other with flush edges, but the extension plate SB is arranged in the splicing area, and the extension plates SB of the two sub-panels SPNL overlap each other in the splicing area and are connected by S2. In this way, on the one hand, the connection strength between the sub-panels SPNL can be improved, and the surface of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL spliced by multiple sub-panels SPNL is ensured to be flat, thereby ensuring the antenna performance of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL. On the other hand, the antenna units of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL have a larger spacing, and the sub-panels SPNL do not arrange the antenna units in the splicing area, which will not affect the antenna performance of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL.

[0071] As follows, the preparation method of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL and the prepared liquid crystal antenna panel PNL are further explained and described.

[0072] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the sub-panels SPNL of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL can be provided, and then the sub-panels SPNL are spliced to form a larger size liquid crystal antenna panel PNL.

[0073] In this embodiment, referring to FIGS. 2-4, along the stacking direction, the sub-panel SPNL can include the driving substrate BPA, the liquid crystal layer LC, and the counter substrate BPB which are sequentially stacked. Referring to FIG. 5, in the planar direction, the sub-panel SPNL includes at least the antenna unit area AA and the encapsulation area PA2 surrounding the antenna unit area AA. The sub-panel SPNL is provided with the sealant S1 in the encapsulation area PA2, and the sealant S1 is sandwiched between the driving substrate BPA and the counter substrate BPB, thereby forming a liquid crystal cell together with the driving substrate BPA and the counter substrate BPB for accommodating the liquid crystal.

[0074] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the planar direction, the antenna unit area AA and the encapsulation area PA2 of the sub-panel SPNL are located in the main structure area PA, and the extension plate SB can be disposed adjacent to the encapsulation area PA2.

[0075] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the planar direction, the sub-panel SPNL can also have a binding area PA3 located in the main structure area PA, the binding area PA3 is disposed on the side of the encapsulation area PA2 away from the antenna unit area AA and has an exposed pad, which can be used for electrical connection with the driving assembly to drive the antenna units located in the antenna unit area AA.

[0076] Optionally, the driving assembly can be a driving chip directly bound to the sub-panel SPNL, can be a chip on film bound to the sub-panel SPNL, or can be a flexible circuit board electrically connected to the driving chip or circuit board and bound to the sub-panel SPNL. Of course, the driving assembly on the sub-panel SPNL can also adopt other forms as long as it can drive the antenna units in the antenna unit area AA.

[0077] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-panel SPNL can be provided with a plurality of antenna units in the antenna unit area AA, and the antenna units can be arranged regularly or irregularly. For example, the antenna units in the antenna unit area AA can be arranged in a plurality of arcs, or the antenna units in the antenna unit area AA can be arranged in a rectangular array.

[0078] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the antenna unit can include a phase shifter formed by the conductive structure on the driving substrate BPA, the conductive structure on the counter substrate BPB, and the liquid crystal. In another embodiment, the antenna unit can include an antenna electrode on the driving substrate BPA and a common electrode on the counter substrate BPB, the common electrode has a slit corresponding to the antenna electrode; in the planar direction, the length direction of the antenna electrode is perpendicular to the length direction of the slit, and the antenna electrode crosses the slit along the middle part of the slit; the width of the antenna electrode is smaller than the length of the slit.

[0079] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-panel SPNL can drive each antenna unit in an active driving manner. For example, the sub-panel SPNL is provided with a driving circuit corresponding to each antenna unit, and the antenna unit is electrically connected to the output end of the driving circuit. Each wire for driving the antenna unit can extend to the binding area PA3. In an example, the driving circuit for driving the antenna unit can be a switching transistor, for example, a thin film transistor. The second electrode of the switching transistor is electrically connected to the antenna electrode of the antenna unit, the first electrode of the switching transistor is electrically connected to the data line, and the gate electrode of the switching transistor is electrically connected to the scanning line. In this example, the intersection of the data line and the scanning line defines the address of the antenna unit. It can be understood that the driving circuit can load the transmitting signal to the antenna unit through the driving circuit, so that the antenna unit serves as a radio frequency transmitting unit; the driving circuit can also load the receiving signal received by the antenna unit to the driving assembly through the driving circuit, so that the antenna unit serves as a radio frequency receiving unit.

[0080] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-panel SPNL can drive each antenna unit in a passive driving manner. For example, the sub-panel SPNL is provided with a driving wire electrically connected to the antenna electrode of each antenna unit, and each driving wire extends to the binding area PA3.

[0081] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the specific film layer structure of the driving substrate BPA and the counter substrate BPB can be determined as needed. For example, in an example, the driving substrate BPA includes a first substrate, a gate layer, a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, a source-drain metal layer, an interlayer dielectric layer, an electrode metal layer, a passivation layer, a support column PS, and a first alignment layer, which are sequentially stacked; and the counter substrate BPB includes a second substrate, a common electrode layer, and a second alignment layer, which are sequentially stacked. The first alignment layer and the second alignment layer are arranged close to the liquid crystal layer. In this example, the gate layer can form the gate of the switching transistor and the scanning line, the semiconductor layer can form the active layer of the switching transistor, which includes a first electrode, a channel region, and a second electrode connected in sequence; the source-drain metal layer can form the data line, which is electrically connected to the first electrode of the switching transistor; the source-drain metal layer can also form a switching wire, the electrode metal layer can form the antenna electrode, which is electrically connected to the switching wire. The counter substrate BPB can form the common electrode of each antenna unit, and the common electrodes of each antenna unit in the same antenna unit area AA can be connected to each other as a whole.

[0082] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 6, the liquid crystal antenna mother panel MC of large size can be cut to form a plurality of sub-panels SPNL, and then the plurality of sub-panels SPNL can be spliced to obtain the required liquid crystal antenna panel PNL. In this embodiment, on the one hand, the production cost of the sub-panels SPNL can be reduced by means of the production equipment of larger size, and on the other hand, the utilization rate of the liquid crystal antenna mother panel MC can be improved, further compressing the production cost of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL. For example, if one liquid crystal antenna mother panel MC can be cut into six sub-panels SPNL, and four sub-panels SPNL can be spliced to obtain one liquid crystal antenna panel PNL; then, two liquid crystal antenna mother panels MC can be used to prepare three liquid crystal antenna panels PNL. However, if the liquid crystal antenna mother panel MC is directly cut into a liquid crystal antenna panel PNL of corresponding size, only one third of the area will be wasted.

[0083] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, obtaining the plurality of sub-panels SPNL of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL comprises:

[0084] In step S210, referring to FIG. 6, a liquid crystal antenna mother panel MC is obtained, wherein the liquid crystal antenna mother panel MC comprises a plurality of sub-panels SPNL.

[0085] In step S220, referring to FIG. 7, the liquid crystal antenna mother panel MC is cut along the overall contour of each sub-panel SPNL to obtain a to-be-cut unit DPNL corresponding to each sub-panel SPNL.

[0086] In step S230, referring to FIGS. 2-4, the driving substrate BPA or the opposed substrate BPB of the to-be-cut unit DPNL is cut to form a main structure SA and an extension plate SB connected to the main structure SA.

[0087] In this embodiment, the overall contour of the sub-panel SPNL refers to the maximum contour formed by the contour of the driving substrate BPA and the contour of the opposed substrate BPB of the sub-panel SPNL. In other words, the outer edge of the orthographic projection of the driving substrate BPA and the opposed substrate BPB of the sub-panel SPNL on the plane of the liquid crystal antenna mother panel MC is the overall contour of the sub-panel SPNL.

[0088] As an example, the liquid crystal antenna mother panel MC comprises a plurality of cutting regions corresponding to a plurality of sub-panels SPNL, and the contour of any cutting region is the overall contour of the sub-panel SPNL. The cutting region comprises an antenna unit region AA, a sealing region PA2, an extension splicing region PB and a binding region PA3 of the sub-panel SPNL. The obtained to-be-cut unit DPNL is an independent unit with flush sidewalls and in a cell-closed state.

[0089] It can be understood that when the liquid crystal antenna mother board MC is cut according to the overall contour of the sub-panel SPNL, the to-be-cut unit DPNL formed after cutting includes the sub-panel SPNL and a to-be-cut part which is at least partially located in the epitaxial splicing area PB and overlaps with the epitaxial plate SB. For example, when the epitaxial plate SB of the sub-panel SPNL is the first epitaxial plate BPA1, the part of the opposite substrate BPB of the to-be-cut unit DPNL in the epitaxial plate SB is the to-be-cut part. For another example, when the epitaxial plate SB of the sub-panel SPNL is the second epitaxial plate BPB1, the part of the driving substrate BPA of the to-be-cut unit DPNL in the epitaxial plate SB is the to-be-cut part.

[0090] Optionally, mechanical cutting or laser cutting can be used when the liquid crystal antenna mother board MC is cut to form the to-be-cut unit DPNL. The driving substrate mother board and the opposite substrate mother board of the liquid crystal antenna mother board MC are cut at the same time, which can improve the cutting efficiency.

[0091] It can be understood that the to-be-cut unit DPNL can also be provided with a to-be-cut part in other parts in addition to the epitaxial splicing area PB.

[0092] For example, in an example, the part of the sub-panel SPNL located in the binding area PA3 is the spacer SC which is located in the driving substrate BPA; the part of the opposite substrate BPB of the to-be-cut unit DPNL located in the binding area PA3 is the to-be-cut part. Conversely, if the spacer SC is located in the opposite substrate BPB, the part of the driving substrate BPA of the to-be-cut unit DPNL located in the binding area PA3 is the to-be-cut area. By cutting the substrate opposite to the spacer SC in the binding area PA3, the spacer can be exposed to facilitate the connection with the driving assembly.

[0093] Optionally, the to-be-cut unit DPNL can be re-cut by mechanical cutting or laser cutting to obtain the required sub-panel SPNL.

[0094] In an example, the driving substrate mother board and the opposite substrate mother board required by the liquid crystal antenna mother board MC can be prepared, the driving substrate mother board has the driving substrate BPA of each sub-panel SPNL, and the opposite substrate mother board has the opposite substrate BPB of each sub-panel SPNL. In other words, the driving substrate BPA of the sub-panel SPNL can be formed by one or more times of cutting of the driving substrate mother board, and the opposite substrate BPB of the sub-panel SPNL can be formed by one or more times of cutting of the opposite substrate mother board.

[0095] In an example, the driving substrate mother board and the counter substrate mother board are further provided with a cell alignment mark MK1 outside the area where the sub-panel SPNL is located. The sealant S1 is coated on each sealant area PA2 on the driving substrate BPA or the counter substrate BPB and the liquid crystal is dropped in the antenna unit area AA, so as to control the cell thickness by the amount of liquid crystal and the height of the support column PS; then the driving substrate mother board and the counter substrate mother board are aligned, the cell alignment mark on the driving substrate mother board and the counter substrate mother board is used to ensure the alignment accuracy, and then the sealant S1 is cured.

[0096] Optionally, the sealant S1 can be cured by light curing or heat curing, so as to connect the driving substrate BPA and the counter substrate BPB and avoid the overflow of the liquid crystal.

[0097] Optionally, the material of the sealant S1 can be polyethylene (PE), polyether (PES), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), epoxy, etc.

[0098] Optionally, the support column PS can be a resin material, which has the function of maintaining the cell thickness of the liquid crystal.

[0099] In an example, at least one of the driving substrate mother board and the counter substrate mother board is provided with a mark layer, in particular, both the driving substrate mother board and the counter substrate mother board are provided with a mark layer. The mark on the mark layer of the driving substrate mother board and the counter substrate mother board can include but is not limited to a cell alignment mark, a cutting mark, etc. Of course, the driving substrate mother board and the counter substrate mother board can also not be provided with a special mark layer, but the required mark can be formed by using each film layer realizing the antenna function.

[0100] In an example, after the driving substrate mother board and the counter substrate mother board are aligned to form the liquid crystal antenna mother board MC, the substrate of the liquid crystal antenna mother board MC can be thinned, for example, by physical thinning or chemical thinning.

[0101] Optionally, the substrate of the driving substrate mother board and the counter substrate mother board is a glass substrate. When the substrate of the driving substrate mother board and the counter substrate mother board is thinned, the glass can be etched by using an acidic liquid (for example, an etching liquid containing HF) and assisted by mechanical grinding, so as to reduce the thickness of the glass.

[0102] In an example, the sub-panel SPNL includes two epitaxial splicing areas PB, respectively located in the first epitaxial splicing area and the second epitaxial splicing area; in the first epitaxial splicing area, the epitaxial plate SB of the sub-panel SPNL is the first epitaxial plate BPA1; in the second epitaxial splicing area, the epitaxial plate SB of the sub-panel SPNL is the second epitaxial plate BPB1. After the liquid crystal antenna mother panel MC is cut to obtain the to-be-cut unit DPNL, the driving substrate BPA and the counter substrate BPB of the to-be-cut unit DPNL can be cut again to cut off the part of the driving substrate BPA located in the second epitaxial splicing area and the part of the counter substrate BPB located in the first epitaxial splicing area and the part of the counter substrate BPB located in the binding area PA3.

[0103] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, after each sub-panel SPNL is obtained, the adjacent two sub-panels SPNL can be connected in the form of gluing. For example, the epitaxial plate SB (the surface facing the liquid crystal layer LC) of one sub-panel SPNL is coated S2, and then the epitaxial plate SB (the surface facing the liquid crystal layer LC) of another sub-panel SPNL is connected to the epitaxial plate SB of the sub-panel SPNL through S2.

[0104] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the sub-panel SPNL is rectangular; in this example, the sub-panels SPNL on the liquid crystal antenna mother panel MC can be distributed in an array.

[0105] As follows, taking the sub-panel SPNL as a rectangular example, the preparation method of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL is exemplarily introduced. The liquid crystal antenna panel PNL of this example can be prepared by the following example method:

[0106] A driving substrate mother board and an opposite substrate mother board are provided, both of which have four functional areas arranged in 2x2, and the edges of each functional area are flush with the overall contour of the sub-panel SPNL. In the functional areas of the driving substrate mother board, the driving substrate BPA of the sub-panel SPNL is arranged; in the functional areas of the opposite substrate mother board, the opposite substrate BPB of the sub-panel SPNL is arranged. Each functional area includes an antenna unit area AA, a potting area PA2 surrounding the antenna unit area AA, a binding area PA3 on one side of the antenna unit area AA, and an extension splicing area PB on both sides of the antenna unit area AA. Each antenna unit area AA in the driving substrate mother board corresponds to each antenna unit area AA in the opposite substrate mother board, and the positions overlap after the driving substrate mother board and the opposite substrate mother board are matched. Similarly, each potting area PA2 in the driving substrate mother board corresponds to each potting area PA2 in the opposite substrate mother board, and the positions overlap after the driving substrate mother board and the opposite substrate mother board are matched; each binding area PA3 in the driving substrate mother board corresponds to each binding area PA3 in the opposite substrate mother board, and the positions overlap after the driving substrate mother board and the opposite substrate mother board are matched; each extension splicing area PB in the driving substrate mother board corresponds to each extension splicing area PB in the opposite substrate mother board, and the positions overlap after the driving substrate mother board and the opposite substrate mother board are matched. In the example of FIG. 6, the binding area PA3 is arranged in a rectangular shape, and the length direction is parallel to the long edge of the driving substrate mother board or the opposite substrate mother board.

[0107] Then, liquid crystal is dropped into the antenna unit area AA, and the sealant S1 is coated in the potting area PA2, so that the sealant S1 is cured after the driving substrate mother board and the opposite substrate mother board are matched.

[0108] Then, cutting is performed along the edges of the functional areas, and the driving substrate mother board and the opposite substrate mother board are cut at the same time, to obtain the to-be-cut unit DPNL with flush side walls.

[0109] Secondary cutting is performed on the to-be-cut unit DPNL, so that the sub-panel SPNL only retains the extension plate SB in the extension splicing area PB, and only retains the pad SC in the binding area PA3. In the extension splicing area PB of the to-be-cut unit DPNL, if the extension plate SB is arranged on the driving substrate BPA, the part of the opposite substrate BPB located in the extension splicing area PB is cut off; in the extension splicing area PB of the to-be-cut unit DPNL, if the extension plate SB is arranged on the opposite substrate BPB, the part of the driving substrate BPA located in the extension splicing area PB is cut off; in the binding area PA3 of the to-be-cut unit DPNL, if the pad SC is arranged on the driving substrate BPA, the part of the opposite substrate BPB located in the binding area PA3 is cut off; in the binding area PA3 of the to-be-cut unit DPNL, if the pad SC is arranged on the opposite substrate BPB, the part of the driving substrate BPA located in the binding area PA3 is cut off.

[0110] Then, the plurality of sub-panels SPNL are spliced to form the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL. When the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL has three or more sub-panels SPNL, the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL can be prepared by using a smaller size of the liquid crystal antenna master plate MC, avoiding the use of a larger size of the liquid crystal antenna master plate MC for preparation, reducing the waste of substrates, and improving the utilization rate of substrates.

[0111] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 8, the sub-panel SPNL is a polygon having at least five edges. In this embodiment, the sub-panel SPNL can be spliced to form a non-rectangular liquid crystal antenna panel PNL, such as a regular hexagonal liquid crystal antenna panel PNL, a regular octagonal liquid crystal antenna panel PNL (as shown in FIG. 9), a regular dodecagonal liquid crystal antenna panel PNL, or a liquid crystal antenna panel PNL of other shapes. When a liquid crystal antenna master plate MC is directly cut to form a non-rectangular liquid crystal antenna panel PNL, at least the corner area of the substrate is wasted. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the sub-panel SPNL has a small size and a flexible shape, and can be spliced to form a larger size and non-rectangular liquid crystal antenna panel PNL while improving the area utilization rate of the liquid crystal antenna master plate MC.

[0112] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 10, when the liquid crystal antenna master plate MC is obtained, the liquid crystal antenna master plate MC includes a plurality of sub-panels SPNL; wherein the setting angles of two adjacent sub-panels SPNL on the liquid crystal antenna master plate MC are different. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the setting angle of the sub-panel SPNL on the liquid crystal antenna master plate MC refers to the orientation of the characteristic vertex angle of the sub-panel SPNL on the liquid crystal antenna master plate MC. For example, in the sub-panel SPNL shown in FIG. 8, the sub-panel SPNL has a first edge EDA and a second edge EDB, and the extensions of the first edge EDA and the second edge EDB intersect at a reference point CP; the orientation of the vertex angle formed by the first edge EDA, the reference point CP, and the second edge EDB can be taken as the setting angle of the sub-panel SPNL. In this embodiment, the plurality of sub-panels SPNL can be flexibly adjusted in the setting angle on the liquid crystal antenna master plate MC, so that the liquid crystal antenna master plate MC can accommodate more sub-panels SPNL, and more sub-panels SPNL can be cut, which is beneficial to improve the area utilization rate of the substrate to reduce the cost.

[0113] In an example, the liquid crystal antenna mother board MC is provided with a plurality of sub-panel rows HSPNL, each of which comprises a plurality of sub-panels SPNL arranged in a row direction. For example, in the example of FIG. 10, the liquid crystal antenna mother board MC comprises three sub-panel rows HSPNL, each of which comprises six sub-panels SPNL arranged in a straight line; the arrangement angle of adjacent two sub-panels SPNL is different.

[0114] Of course, according to needs, the sub-panels SPNL on the liquid crystal antenna mother board MC can be arranged in other rules, so as to make the liquid crystal antenna mother board MC be able to cut out more sub-panels SPNL.

[0115] In an example, the sub-panel SPNL has a first edge EDA and a second edge EDB, the first edge EDA and the second edge EDB intersect at a reference point CP, or the extension line of the first edge EDA intersects the extension line of the second edge EDB at the reference point CP. Wherein, one of the extension splicing areas PB of the sub-panel SPNL extends along the first edge EDA, and the other of the extension splicing areas PB of the sub-panel SPNL extends along the second edge EDB.

[0116] In an example, the angle between the first edge EDA and the second edge EDB is 90°; in adjacent two sub-panels SPNL in the same sub-panel row HSPNL, the extension direction of the first edge EDA of one of the sub-panels SPNL is parallel to the extension direction of the second edge EDB of the other of the sub-panels SPNL. In this way, the sub-panels SPNL in the same sub-panel row HSPNL can be closely arranged, and the area utilization rate is improved.

[0117] As follows, taking a liquid crystal antenna panel PNL in the shape of a regular octagon as an example, the preparation method of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL is exemplarily described. In this example, referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL comprises four sub-panels SPNL, each of which is in the shape of a pentagon.

[0118] Referring to FIG. 8, the sub-panel SPNL has a first edge EDA and a second edge EDB, which intersect at a reference point CP, or the extension of the first edge EDA intersects with the extension of the second edge EDB at the reference point CP. The sub-panel SPNL also has a third edge EDC, a fourth edge EDD and a fifth edge EDE disposed between the first edge EDA and the second edge EDB. Among them, the lengths of the third edge EDC and the fifth edge EDE are substantially equal, and the length of the fourth edge EDD is substantially twice that of the third edge EDC. The sub-panel SPNL has two outer extension splicing areas PB, which are respectively arranged along the first edge EDA and the second edge EDB. The binding area PA3 of the sub-panel SPNL is arranged along the third edge EDC, the fourth edge EDD and the fifth edge EDE. In the example of FIG. 8, three pad areas are arranged in the binding area PA3, and a plurality of pads are arranged in each pad area. The three pad areas are respectively arranged along the third edge EDC, the fourth edge EDD and the fifth edge EDE. When four sub-panels SPNL are spliced in turn, an octagonal liquid crystal antenna panel PNL can be formed. Among them, the fourth edge EDD of the sub-panel SPNL can be used as an edge of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL independently, and the third edge EDC and the fifth edge EDE of the adjacent two sub-panels SPNL together form an edge of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL. In this embodiment, the included angle between the first edge EDA and the second edge EDB is 90°.

[0119] In the example of FIG. 10, the liquid crystal antenna mother board MC can be formed with three sub-panel rows HSPNL, each of which includes 6 sub-panels SPNL arranged along the row direction, wherein the arrangement angles of adjacent two sub-panels SPNL are different. Among them, in the adjacent two sub-panels SPNL, the first edge EDA of one sub-panel SPNL is adjacent and parallel to the second edge EDB of the other sub-panel SPNL. In this example, the liquid crystal antenna mother board MC can cut out 18 sub-panels SPNL, and two liquid crystal antenna mother boards MC can splice out 9 liquid crystal antenna panels PNL. However, referring to FIG. 11, if the liquid crystal antenna mother board MC is not provided with sub-panels SPNL but directly prepared with liquid crystal antenna panels PNL, the liquid crystal antenna mother board MC can cut out four liquid crystal antenna panels PNL, and two liquid crystal antenna mother boards MC can only cut out 8 liquid crystal antenna panels PNL.

[0120] It can be understood that in the above embodiments, the preparation method of the sub-panel SPNL is exemplarily introduced by taking the example of cutting a plurality of sub-panels SPNL from one liquid crystal antenna mother panel MC. It can be understood that in some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the sub-panel SPNL can be directly prepared, that is, each liquid crystal antenna mother panel MC only includes one sub-panel SPNL or a driving substrate mother panel and an opposite substrate mother panel are directly formed into one to-be-cut unit DPNL after being laminated.

[0121] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the size of the mask plate and the size of the exposure machine can also be reduced by means of splicing exposure, thereby greatly reducing the preparation cost of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL. Optionally, the sub-panel SPNL has a plurality of different exposure areas, and the patterns of the film layers in each exposure area can be different or the same. In the preparation process of the sub-panel SPNL, the overall mask plate of the sub-panel SPNL can be obtained, and each film layer that needs to be patterned can have a corresponding overall mask plate. On the overall mask plate, there is a pattern area corresponding to the exposure area; when exposure is needed for a certain exposure area to define the pattern of the film layer, the pattern area corresponding to the exposure area in the overall mask plate corresponding to the film layer is aligned with the pattern area, and then the exposure process is performed.

[0122] In an example, the sub-panel SPNL has a plurality of pattern-same exposure areas, which can correspond to the same pattern area. After exposure of one exposure area is completed through a selected pattern area, the overall mask plate or the substrate can be moved so that the selected pattern area can be used for exposure of other pattern areas.

[0123] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, two adjacent exposure areas overlap, and the overlapping area is a repeated exposure area. In the layout design process of the sub-panel SPNL, the key structure is made to avoid the repeated exposure area.

[0124] FIG. 12 provides a distribution diagram of exposure areas on a liquid crystal antenna panel PNL. FIG. 13 provides a distribution diagram of pattern areas of an overall mask plate of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL.

[0125] In the example of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL shown in FIG. 12, the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL has seven different exposure areas. Among them, the first type of exposure area U101, the second type of exposure area U102, and the third type of exposure area U103 are the same type of exposure area, and the three are arranged in the upper part of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL and have the same pattern. When the film layers in the first type of exposure area U101, the second type of exposure area U102, and the third type of exposure area U103 are pattern-limited, the fifth type of pattern area BG5 in FIG. 13 can be used for exposure in turn.

[0126] The fourth type of exposure area U104 is an antenna unit area AA of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL, and the overall mask plate is provided with a fourth type of pattern area BG4 corresponding to the fourth type of exposure area U104. The fourth type of pattern area BG4 can be used to expose the antenna unit area AA, avoiding splicing exposure in the antenna unit area AA. In this way, the poor splicing exposure can be avoided to cause poor antenna units in the antenna unit area AA.

[0127] The fifth type of exposure area U105 is located on the left half of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL, and the number is four. When limiting the pattern in any one of the fifth type of exposure area U105, the third type of pattern area BG3 can be used. For example, the third type of pattern area BG3 can be used to expose the four fifth type of exposure areas U105 respectively, and each exposure includes aligning the third type of pattern area BG3 with the fifth type of exposure area U105 and exposing.

[0128] The sixth type of exposure area U106 is located on the left half of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL, and the number is four. When limiting the pattern in any one of the sixth type of exposure area U106, the seventh type of pattern area BG7 can be used. For example, the seventh type of pattern area BG7 can be used to expose the four sixth type of exposure areas U106 respectively, and each exposure includes aligning the seventh type of pattern area BG7 with the sixth type of exposure area U106 and exposing.

[0129] The eighth type of exposure area U108 is located on the lower periphery of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL, and the inside is provided with a trace connected to the gasket. The eighth type of exposure area U108 can correspond to the sixth type of pattern area BG6, and the coverage is realized in one exposure, avoiding poor splicing of the trace caused by splicing exposure.

[0130] The seventh type of exposure area U107 is located on the lower left corner of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL, and the number is four. When limiting the pattern in any one of the seventh type of exposure area U107, the first type of pattern area BG1 can be used. For example, the first type of pattern area BG1 can be used to expose the four seventh type of exposure areas U107 respectively, and each exposure includes aligning the first type of pattern area BG1 with the seventh type of exposure area U107 and exposing.

[0131] The ninth type of exposure area U109 is located on the lower right corner of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL, and the number is four. When limiting the pattern in any one of the ninth type of exposure area U109, the second type of pattern area BG2 can be used. For example, the second type of pattern area BG2 can be used to expose the four ninth type of exposure areas U109 respectively, and each exposure includes aligning the second type of pattern area BG2 with the ninth type of exposure area U109 and exposing.

[0132] It can be understood that the size area division of each exposure area is designed according to the mask plate. The optimal scheme, i.e., the least number of exposure times, must be selected during the design, so as to realize the reasonable division of the exposure field.

[0133] In an example, the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL is a liquid crystal antenna panel with a small size, for example, a liquid crystal antenna panel with a size of 6.9 inches. When the display panel is prepared, a whole mask plate with a small size can be selected. For example, a whole mask plate with a size of 1900 mm x 2700 mm is selected.

[0134] It can be understood that, on the whole mask plate, in addition to the setting of the conventional pattern area, some auxiliary pattern areas can also be set, which are used to form auxiliary patterns or alignment marks and the like on the film layer of the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL.

[0135] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 14, the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL has a plurality of exposure areas PC and a splicing exposure area PD located between two adjacent exposure areas PC;

[0136] The sub-panel SPNL is obtained by:

[0137] When at least one film layer of the sub-panel SPNL is prepared, a whole mask plate corresponding to the film layer is obtained, and the whole mask plate has a plurality of pattern areas; wherein the exposure area PC and the splicing exposure area PD adjacent to the exposure area PC are exposed by the same pattern area. It can be understood that different whole mask plates are required when different film layers are prepared; the patterns of different pattern areas of the whole mask plate can be set according to the pattern requirements of the film layer.

[0138] In an example, when the exposure area PC is adjacent to the splicing exposure area PD, the pattern area of the whole mask plate corresponding to the exposure area PC can be obtained by exposing the adjacent exposure area PC and the splicing exposure area PD, so that the pattern in the exposure area PC can be kept continuous with the patterns of other areas through the pattern in the splicing exposure area PD.

[0139] Optionally, when the patterns of the film layers in two exposure areas PC adjacent through the splicing exposure area PD are the same, the two exposure areas PC can be exposed by the same pattern area in sequence. In the first exposure, the first exposure area PC and the adjacent splicing exposure area PD are exposed by the pattern area; then the substrate is translated between the whole mask plate, so that the pattern area exposes the splicing exposure area PD and the second exposure area PC.

[0140] For example, the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL includes, in a straight line direction, a first splicing exposure area, a first exposure area, a second splicing exposure area, a second exposure area, and a third splicing exposure area arranged in sequence; wherein the pattern of the sub-panel SPNL is the same in the first exposure area and the second exposure area; the overall mask has a first pattern area corresponding to the first exposure area and the second exposure area; when preparing at least one film layer of the sub-panel SPNL, the first splicing exposure area, the first exposure area, and the second splicing exposure area are simultaneously subjected to first exposure by using the first pattern area; then the overall mask or the substrate is translated, and the second splicing exposure area, the second exposure area, and the third splicing exposure area are simultaneously subjected to second exposure by using the first pattern area.

[0141] In this way, on the one hand, the number of pattern areas can be reduced, and the size and cost of the overall mask can be reduced; on the other hand, the size of the pattern area can be prevented from being too large to increase the specification of the exposure machine, thereby avoiding the increase in cost caused by using a larger specification exposure machine.

[0142] Optionally, when the patterns of the film layers are different in two areas, the two different areas can be exposed by using two different pattern areas. It can be understood that the repeated exposure area between the two areas is exposed in the two exposures.

[0143] For example, the liquid crystal antenna panel PNL includes, in a straight line direction, a third exposure area, a fourth splicing exposure area, and a fourth exposure area arranged in sequence; wherein the pattern of the sub-panel SPNL is different in the third exposure area and the fourth exposure area; the overall mask has a second pattern area corresponding to the third exposure area and a third pattern area corresponding to the fourth exposure area; when preparing at least one film layer of the sub-panel SPNL, the third exposure area and the fourth splicing exposure area are simultaneously subjected to first exposure by using the second pattern area, and the fourth splicing exposure area and the fifth exposure area are simultaneously subjected to second exposure by using the third pattern area.

[0144] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the number of pattern areas on the overall mask is not more than the number of exposure areas of the sub-panel SPNL.

[0145] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the pattern in the splicing exposure area PD is prepared by the splicing exposure process, the pattern in the splicing exposure area PD can be compensated in size. In particular, when a conductive structure such as a wiring is arranged in the splicing exposure area PD, the conductive structure can be compensated in size to ensure the integrity of the conductive structure in the splicing exposure area PD and avoid the electrical disconnection of the exposure areas PC on both sides of the splicing exposure area PD.

[0146] For example, the sub-panel SPNL has a plurality of exposure areas PC and a joint exposure area PD between two adjacent exposure areas PC; the sub-panel SPNL has a driving trace SL, which penetrates the joint exposure area PD and extends into the exposure areas PC on both sides; the driving trace has an enlarged portion SLA in the joint exposure area PD, and the width of the enlarged portion SLA is greater than the width of the driving trace in the exposure areas PC. In this embodiment, the width of the driving trace is increased in the joint exposure area PD to ensure the electrical continuity of the driving trace in the joint exposure area PD.

[0147] For example, FIG. 15 is a pattern of the driving trace SLA1 when the joint exposure area PD and the exposure area PC adjacent to the joint exposure area PD are exposed, and FIG. 16 is a pattern of the driving trace SLA2 when the joint exposure area PD and another exposure area PC adjacent to the joint exposure area PD are exposed. The joint exposure area PD is exposed twice, and the final pattern of the driving trace SL is shown in FIG. 14. In order to avoid the pattern of the driving trace exposed in the first time and the pattern of the driving trace exposed in the second time from being unable to align in the joint exposure area PD, the pattern of the driving trace exposed in the first time is widened to form the enlarged portion SLA in the joint exposure area PD in this example.

[0148] In one example, the width of the driving trace in the exposure area PC is not greater than 9 microns; in the joint exposure area PD, the width of the enlarged portion of the driving trace is between 9.5 microns and 10.5 microns, for example, 10 microns. Further, the gap between the driving traces is compressed in the joint exposure area PD; when no other deviation is generated, this compression can also be acceptable. For example, the spacing of the driving traces outside the joint exposure area PD is 5 microns; in the joint exposure area PD, the driving trace is widened by 1 micron, and thus the set spacing is compressed to 4 microns.

[0149] In one example, the width of the driving trace in the exposure area PC is greater than 9 microns, and in the joint exposure area PD, the driving trace can not need to be provided with the enlarged portion.

[0150] In one example, the extension direction of the driving trace in the joint exposure area PD is perpendicular to the joint exposure area PD. In other words, the driving trace penetrates the joint exposure area PD in a direction perpendicular to the joint exposure area PD, and the two ends extend into the exposure areas PC on both sides of the joint exposure area PD.

[0151] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 17, the sub-panel SPNL is provided with at least one alignment mark group in the splicing exposure area PD, and the alignment mark group comprises alignment marks MK respectively provided in different film layers; and the alignment marks of the alignment mark group are arranged in sequence along the extension direction of the splicing exposure area PD. By providing alignment marks in each film layer, the patterns of each film layer can be kept aligned in the splicing exposure area PD.

[0152] In one example, the contrast marks in the splicing exposure area PD need to be formed by two patterns in two exposures. In the two patterns, one pattern is a hollow pattern, and the other pattern is a solid pattern. After the final exposure is formed, the pattern is a solid pattern. For example, FIG. 18 is an exposure pattern when the first exposure is performed on the alignment mark MKA in the splicing exposure area PD, and the exposure pattern of the alignment mark is substantially located in the solid pattern; and FIG. 19 is an exposure pattern when the second exposure is performed on the alignment mark MKB in the splicing exposure area PD, and the exposure pattern of the alignment mark is substantially located in the hollow pattern. FIG. 17 is the alignment mark after the two exposures. It can be understood that, in the example of FIG. 17, at least part of the alignment marks MK are located in different film layers.

[0153] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the length of the splicing exposure area PD is relatively long, a plurality of alignment mark groups can be provided in the splicing exposure area PD. The plurality of alignment mark groups are arranged in sequence along the extension direction of the splicing exposure area PD; and the distance between two adjacent alignment mark groups is between 5-60 microns. In this way, it can be ensured that each region of the splicing exposure area PD has an alignment mark, so as to improve the pattern alignment during exposure and improve the accuracy of pattern splicing.

[0154] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 17, the sub-panel SPNL is provided with a support column PS in the splicing exposure area PD, and the support column PS is used to support the thickness of the liquid crystal cell between the driving substrate BPA and the opposing substrate BPB. Further, the width of the splicing exposure area PD is not less than the size of the orthographic projection of the support column PS on the width direction of the splicing exposure area PD in the plane of the sub-panel SPNL.

[0155] In this embodiment, due to the low resolution of the antenna unit and the existence of many gaps between the antenna units, a splicing exposure area PD with a larger width can be arranged in sequence. When the support column PS is arranged in the splicing exposure area PD, on the one hand, the support strength can be improved to facilitate the maintenance of the thickness uniformity of the liquid crystal cell, and on the other hand, the performance of the antenna of the sub-panel SPNL will not be affected.

[0156] Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the features disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal antenna panel, characterized in that, It includes multiple main structural areas and an extended splicing area located between two adjacent main structural areas; The liquid crystal antenna panel includes sub-panels that correspond one-to-one with each main structural area. Each sub-panel includes a driving substrate, a liquid crystal layer and an opposing substrate stacked in sequence. The sub-panel includes a main structural part located in the main structural area and an epitaxial plate located in the epitaxial splicing area. The epitaxial plate is either a first epitaxial plate located on the driving substrate or a second epitaxial plate located on the opposing substrate; in the same epitaxial splicing area, the liquid crystal antenna panel has a first epitaxial plate of one sub-panel and a second epitaxial plate of another sub-panel, and the first epitaxial plate and the second epitaxial plate are connected to each other.

2. The liquid crystal antenna panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sub-panel includes at least two epitaxial plates, one of which is a first epitaxial plate and the other is a second epitaxial plate.

3. The liquid crystal antenna panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main structure region has an antenna element region and a sealing region surrounding the antenna element region; the main structure has a sealing frame adhesive located between the driving substrate and the opposing substrate in the sealing region; the main structure region also includes a bonding region adjacent to the sealing region, the sub-panel has a padding portion in the bonding region, the padding portion has a padding for electrical connection with the driving component; the padding portion is located on the driving substrate or on the opposing substrate.

4. The liquid crystal antenna panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sub-panel has multiple exposure areas and a spliced ​​exposure area located between two adjacent exposure areas; The sub-panel has driving traces that pass through the splicing exposure area and extend to the exposure areas on both sides; The drive trace has an enlarged portion in the splicing exposure area, and the width of the enlarged portion is greater than the width of the drive trace in the exposure area.

5. The liquid crystal antenna panel according to claim 4, characterized in that, The extension direction of the drive trace in the splicing exposure area is perpendicular to the extension direction of the splicing exposure area.

6. The liquid crystal antenna panel according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sub-panel has at least one alignment mark group in the splicing exposure area, the alignment mark group including alignment marks respectively disposed on different film layers; along the extension direction of the splicing exposure area, each of the alignment marks in the alignment mark group is arranged sequentially.

7. The liquid crystal antenna panel according to claim 6, characterized in that, In at least one of the splicing exposure areas, the sub-panel is provided with a plurality of alignment mark groups, and the plurality of alignment mark groups are arranged sequentially along the extension direction of the splicing exposure area; The spacing between two adjacent alignment marker groups is between 5 and 60 micrometers.

8. The liquid crystal antenna panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sub-panel is provided with a support column in the splicing exposure area, and the support column is used to support the liquid crystal cell thickness between the driving substrate and the opposing substrate.

9. The liquid crystal antenna panel according to claim 8, characterized in that, The width of the splicing exposure area is not less than the dimension of the orthographic projection of the support column onto the plane of the sub-panel in the width direction of the splicing exposure area.

10. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal antenna panel, characterized in that, include: A plurality of sub-panels of the liquid crystal antenna panel are obtained. Each sub-panel includes a main structure and an epitaxial plate connected to the main structure. Each sub-panel includes a driving substrate, a liquid crystal layer and an opposing substrate stacked in sequence. The epitaxial plate is either a first epitaxial plate located on the driving substrate or a second epitaxial plate located on the opposing substrate. Multiple sub-panels are spliced ​​together to form the liquid crystal antenna panel; when any two adjacent sub-panels are spliced ​​together, the outer extension plate of one sub-panel overlaps and is connected to the outer extension plate of another sub-panel, and the outer extension plate of one sub-panel is the first outer extension plate and the outer extension plate of the other sub-panel is the second outer extension plate.

11. The method for preparing a liquid crystal antenna panel according to claim 10, characterized in that, Obtaining multiple sub-panels of the liquid crystal antenna panel includes: Obtain a liquid crystal antenna motherboard, wherein the liquid crystal antenna motherboard includes multiple sub-panels; The liquid crystal antenna motherboard is cut along the overall outline of each of the sub-panels to obtain the cut-out units that correspond one-to-one with each of the sub-panels. The driving substrate or the opposing substrate of the unit to be cut is cut to form a main structure and an epitaxial plate connected to the main structure.

12. The method for preparing a liquid crystal antenna panel according to claim 11, characterized in that, The sub-panel is rectangular; Obtaining the LCD antenna motherboard includes: Obtain a liquid crystal antenna motherboard, which includes multiple sub-panels arranged in an array.

13. The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal antenna panel according to claim 11, characterized in that, The sub-panel is a polygon with at least five edges; Obtaining the LCD antenna motherboard includes: A liquid crystal antenna motherboard is obtained, the liquid crystal antenna motherboard including multiple sub-panels; wherein, two adjacent sub-panels are set at different angles on the liquid crystal antenna motherboard; the setting angle of the sub-panel refers to the angle between the feature edge of the sub-panel and the feature edge of the liquid crystal antenna motherboard.

14. The method for preparing a liquid crystal antenna panel according to claim 13, characterized in that, The liquid crystal antenna motherboard is provided with multiple sub-panel rows, and each sub-panel row includes multiple sub-panel rows arranged sequentially along the row direction.

15. The method for preparing a liquid crystal antenna panel according to claim 14, characterized in that, The sub-panel has a reference point and a first edge and a second edge connected to the reference point; the included angle between the first edge and the second edge is 90°. In two adjacent sub-panels in the same row of sub-panels, the extension direction of the first edge of one sub-panel is parallel to the extension direction of the second edge of the other sub-panel.

16. The method for preparing a liquid crystal antenna panel according to claim 10, characterized in that, The sub-panel has multiple exposure areas and a spliced ​​exposure area located between two adjacent exposure areas; Obtaining the sub-panel includes: When preparing at least one film layer of the sub-panel, an overall mask corresponding to the film layer is obtained, the overall mask having multiple exposure areas; wherein the exposure areas and the splicing exposure areas adjacent to the exposure areas are exposed using the same exposure area.

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