Array substrate, manufacturing method for array substrate, and e-paper display panel

Abstract

An array substrate (30), a manufacturing method for the array substrate (30), and an e-paper display panel (10). A bonding area (33) covers an entire display area (31) and the part of a non-display area (32) close to the display area (31); the bonding area (33) is used for bonding of an e-paper film (20); the part of the non-display area (32) not covered by the bonding area (33) is defined as an exposed area (34). A passivation layer (360) covers the display area (31), and the boundary of the passivation layer (360) is located within the bonding area (33), thereby improving the moisture ingress resistance of the e-paper display panel (10), reducing the failure rate of the e-paper display panel (10), and improving the user experience.

Description

Array substrate, preparation method of array substrate and electronic paper display panel

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 2024110898255, filed on August 09, 2024, and entitled "Array substrate, preparation method of array substrate and electronic paper display panel", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of display, in particular to an array substrate, a preparation method of array substrate and an electronic paper display panel. BACKGROUND

[0003] With the development of digital technology, more and more display devices have entered people's lives, such as electronic paper (EP) display panels. Because the electronic paper display panel can maintain display for a long time under power-off conditions, and has the advantages of lightness, thinness, low power consumption, simple process, etc., it is more and more favored by people.

[0004] The current preparation method of the electronic paper display panel is to directly adhere the electronic paper film sheet to the adhesion area of the array substrate, so only one glass substrate is used in the array substrate. For such a single glass substrate electronic paper display panel, display abnormalities may occur in the display area near the edge position after long-term use. SUMMARY

[0005] The purpose of the present application is to provide an array substrate, a preparation method of array substrate and an electronic paper display panel, to improve the water vapor invasion resistance of the electronic paper display panel, reduce the failure rate of the electronic paper display panel, and improve the user experience.

[0006] The present application discloses an array substrate for use in an electronic paper display panel, comprising a substrate, a first metal layer, a first insulating layer, a second metal layer, a second insulating layer, a passivation layer and a pixel electrode layer, the first metal layer, the first insulating layer, the second metal layer, the second insulating layer, the passivation layer and the pixel electrode layer are stacked on the substrate in sequence.

[0007] The array substrate comprises a display area, a non-display area, an adhesion area and an exposed area, the non-display area is arranged around the display area, the adhesion area covers all the display area and part of the non-display area close to the display area, the adhesion area is used for adhering an electronic paper film sheet, and the part of the non-display area not covered by the adhesion area is defined as the exposed area.

[0008] The passivation layer covers the display area, and the boundary of the passivation layer is located within the adhesion area.

[0009] Optionally, the array substrate further comprises a protective layer, the protective layer is disposed on the side of the second insulating layer away from the substrate and is located in the exposed area, and a gap is disposed between the protective layer and the passivation layer.

[0010] Optionally, the protective layer comprises a plurality of protective structures, the plurality of protective structures are arranged in a dot shape, each of the protective structures is disposed in a spaced manner, and each of the protective structures is arranged in a uniform manner on the side of the second insulating layer away from the substrate and is located in the exposed area.

[0011] Optionally, the protective layer comprises a plurality of strip-shaped protective structures, each of the protective structures is disposed in a spaced manner, the protective structures are disposed on the side of the second insulating layer away from the substrate and are located in the exposed area, a first direction is defined as an extending direction of the array substrate from inside to outside, the length direction of the protective structures located on the opposite sides of the exposed area is the same, and the length direction of the protective structures is the same as the first direction.

[0012] Optionally, the protective layer comprises a plurality of ring-shaped protective structures, each of the protective structures is disposed in a spaced manner, the protective structures are disposed on the side of the second insulating layer away from the substrate and are located in the exposed area, and each of the protective structures is disposed around the periphery of the bonding area.

[0013] Optionally, the array substrate further comprises a passivation structure, the material of the passivation structure is the same as the material of the passivation layer, and the passivation structure is disposed on the side of the protective structure away from the substrate.

[0014] Optionally, the protective structure covers the passivation structure in the orthographic projection on the substrate, a first plane is defined as the plane on which the substrate is located, and the cross-sectional area of the protective structure in the first plane direction is greater than the cross-sectional area of the passivation structure in the first plane direction.

[0015] The application further discloses a preparation method of an array substrate, the preparation method of the array substrate is used for preparing an array substrate, and steps comprise:

[0016] forming a first metal layer on the substrate;

[0017] forming a first insulating layer on the first metal layer;

[0018] forming a second metal layer on the first insulating layer;

[0019] forming a second insulating layer on the second metal layer;

[0020] forming the passivation layer on the second insulating layer, the passivation layer covering the display area, and a boundary of the passivation layer being located within the bonding area;

[0021] forming a pixel electrode layer on the passivation layer.

[0022] Optionally, the step of forming the passivation layer on the second insulating layer, the passivation layer covering the display area, and a boundary of the passivation layer being located within the bonding area comprises:

[0023] forming a protection structure on the second insulating layer, the protection structure being located in the exposed area;

[0024] forming a passivation layer and a passivation structure on the second insulating layer synchronously, the passivation layer covering the display area, and a boundary of the passivation layer being located within the bonding area, the passivation structure being arranged on the protection structure and located on a side of the protection structure away from the substrate.

[0025] The application further discloses an electronic paper display panel, which comprises an electronic paper film and an array substrate, the electronic paper film being bonded in the bonding area on the array substrate, and further comprising a sealant, the sealant being bonded on a side of the electronic paper film and the passivation layer.

[0026] Compared with the prior art of directly covering the second insulating layer with the passivation layer, the boundary of the passivation layer is shrunk to a position within the bonding area in the application, so that after the electronic paper film is bonded, the passivation layer covering the display area will not be exposed and will not contact the water vapor in the air, thereby improving the water vapor invasion resistance of the electronic paper display panel, reducing the failure rate of the electronic paper display panel, and improving the user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] The accompanying drawings included are intended to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the application, and constitute a part of the specification, serve to explain the principles of the application, and together with the text description, explain the application. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor. In the drawings:

[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic paper display panel according to an embodiment of the application;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an array substrate according to a first embodiment of the application;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a dot-shaped protection structure according to the first embodiment of the application;

[0031] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a passivation structure according to the first embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a planar array substrate according to the first embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a protection structure according to the first embodiment of the present application;

[0034] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a protection structure on a metal line according to the first embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an array substrate according to the second embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an array substrate according to the third embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing an array substrate according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG. 11 is a process diagram of a method for manufacturing an array substrate according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a first protection structure and a passivation structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIGS. 13a-13c are process diagrams of a method for manufacturing a first protection structure and a passivation structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a second protection structure and a passivation structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIGS. 15a-15b are process diagrams of a method for manufacturing a second protection structure and a passivation structure according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0043] In the drawings: 10, electronic paper display panel; 20, electronic paper film sheet; 30, array substrate; 31, display area; 32, non-display area; 33, bonding area; 34, exposed area; 35, encryption area; 37, data signal transmission line fan-out area; 38, scanning signal transmission line fan-out area; 300, substrate; 310, first metal layer; 311, first metal line; 320, first insulating layer; 330, second metal layer; 331, second metal line; 340, second insulating layer; 350, protection layer; 351, protection structure; 352, connection section; 353, first protection structure; 354, second protection structure; 360, passivation layer; 361, passivation structure; 370, pixel electrode layer; 410, common electrode layer; 421, microcapsule; 430, protection film layer; 440, frame sealant; 450, driving chip. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting, but is intended to be representative of many alternative forms of implementation of the application.

[0045] In the description of the application, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used only to describe the purpose of distinguishing between different features, and are not intended to indicate relative importance of the features. Thus, unless otherwise specified, the features defined with "first", "second", "third", etc. can include one or more of the features, and "multiple" means two or more. The term "include" and its variations are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, units, components, and / or combinations thereof can be added to the described features.

[0046] In addition, the terms "center", "lateral", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", and other terms indicating the orientation or positional relationship of the terms are described based on the orientation or relative position shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of the simplified description of the application, and are not intended to indicate that the indicated device or element must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the application.

[0047] In addition, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "mount", "connect", "connection" should be interpreted broadly, for example, can be fixed connection, can also be detachable connection, or integral connection; can be mechanical connection, can also be electrical connection; can be directly connected, can also be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or the internal communication of two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0048] The application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and optional embodiments.

[0049] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic paper display panel according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the present application discloses an electronic paper display panel 10, which comprises an electronic paper film 20 and an array substrate 30. Since the electronic paper display panel 10 is usually prepared by using a single substrate, i.e., the electronic paper film 20 is directly attached to the prepared array substrate 30, only a bonding area 33 needs to be defined in advance, and then the electronic paper film 20 is attached to the bonding area 33 of the array substrate 30. The electronic paper film 20 is attached to the bonding area 33 of the array substrate 30. The electronic paper display panel 10 further comprises a sealant 440, which is attached to the side of the electronic paper film 20 and the passivation layer 360, so as to avoid water vapor from invading into the electronic paper display panel 10.

[0050] The electronic paper film 20 comprises a protective film layer 430, microcapsules 421, and a common electrode layer 410. The protective film layer 430 is arranged on the side of the common electrode layer 410 away from the array substrate 30. The microcapsules 421 are filled with electrophoretic particles, which comprise black electrophoretic particles, white electrophoretic particles, and colored electrophoretic particles such as red electrophoretic particles, blue electrophoretic particles, and green electrophoretic particles. The common electrode layer 410 is arranged on the side of the microcapsules 421 away from the array substrate 30. An electric field is formed between the common electrode and the pixel electrode on the array substrate 30, which drives the electrophoretic particles to move and realize the display of a picture.

[0051] The present application further discloses an array substrate 30, which can be used in the electronic paper display panel 10 described above. For the array substrate 30, the present application provides the following design, which is specifically introduced through several embodiments.

[0052] Embodiment 1

[0053] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an array substrate according to a first embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, the present application discloses an array substrate 30 for an electronic paper display panel 10, which comprises a substrate 300, a first metal layer 310, a first insulating layer 320, a second metal layer 330, a second insulating layer 340, a passivation layer 360, and a pixel electrode layer 370. The first metal layer 310, the first insulating layer 320, the second metal layer 330, the second insulating layer 340, the passivation layer 360, and the pixel electrode layer 370 are sequentially stacked on the substrate 300.

[0054] The array substrate 30 includes a display area 31, a non-display area 32, a bonding area 33 and an exposed area 34, the non-display area 32 is arranged around the display area 31, the bonding area 33 covers the entire display area 31 and the part of the non-display area 32 close to the display area 31, the bonding area 33 is used to bond the electronic paper film 20, and the part of the non-display area 32 not covered by the bonding area 33 is defined as the exposed area 34; the passivation layer 360 covers the display area 31, and the boundary of the passivation layer 360 is located within the bonding area 33.

[0055] The array substrate 30 and the electronic paper film 20 in the current electronic paper display panel 10 are prepared separately, and after the preparation of the electronic paper film 20 and the array substrate 30 is completed, the electronic paper film 20 is directly bonded to the bonding area 33 of the array substrate 30, so only one glass substrate is used in the array substrate 30. For economic considerations, the electronic paper film 20 is only bonded in the bonding area 33 of the array substrate 30, so the passivation layer 360 on the top layer of the array substrate 30 is directly exposed in the exposed area 34.

[0056] Therefore, after a long period of use, water vapor in the air is absorbed by the passivation layer 360, and the water vapor enters the display area 31 of the array substrate 30 along the passivation layer 360, corrodes the pixel electrode layer 370, and causes display abnormalities. Especially in a high-humidity environment, more water vapor enters the edge position of the display area 31, and the display abnormality problem is more serious.

[0057] Compared with the existing scheme in which the passivation layer 360 directly covers the second insulating layer 340, the present application shrinks the boundary of the passivation layer 360 to a position within the bonding area 33, so that after the electronic paper film 20 is bonded, the passivation layer 360 covering the display area 31 will not be exposed, thereby not contacting the water vapor in the air, improving the water vapor invasion resistance of the electronic paper display panel 10, reducing the failure rate of the electronic paper display panel 10, and improving the user experience.

[0058] Since the boundary of the passivation layer 360 is directly shrunk to a position within the bonding area 33, part of the metal lines in the first metal layer 310 and the second metal layer 330 below the exposed area 34 cannot be protected by the passivation layer 360, and the problem of broken lines is prone to occur when extrusion or collision occurs. To this end, the present application further improves, which is simply adding a protective layer 350, as follows:

[0059] The array substrate 30 further comprises a protective layer 350, which is disposed on the side of the second insulating layer 340 away from the substrate 300 and in the exposed area 34, and a gap is provided between the protective layer 350 and the passivation layer 360. The material of the second insulating layer 340 comprises polyvinyl chloride, the material of the protective layer 350 comprises polyvinyl chloride, and the material of the passivation layer 360 comprises soluble polytetrafluoroethylene. The protective layer 350 can protect the part of the metal lines in the first metal layer 310 and the second metal layer 330 below the exposed area 34 from being broken due to extrusion.

[0060] The protective layer 350 can be entirely covered in the exposed area 34 or partially covered in the exposed area 34. When the protective layer 350 is entirely covered in the exposed area 34, if the electronic paper display panel 10 is hit by a sharp object, the protective layer 350 will be detached in a large area, thereby losing the protection effect. Therefore, the preferred solution adopted in the present application is that the protective layer 350 is partially covered in the exposed area 34.

[0061] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a point-shaped protective structure of the first embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 3, the protective layer 350 comprises a plurality of protective structures 351, which are arranged in a point shape. Each protective structure 351 is spaced apart, and each protective structure 351 is uniformly arranged on the side of the second insulating layer 340 away from the substrate 300 and in the exposed area 34.

[0062] Since the protective structure 351 of the present embodiment is arranged in a point shape, there is a gap between two adjacent protective structures 351. When a sharp object hits, the protective structure 351 hit by the sharp object is easy to be detached from the second insulating layer 340, so that the protective layer 350 will not be detached in a large area, thereby greatly improving the protection effect of the protective layer 350.

[0063] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a passivation structure of the first embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 4, further, considering that after the impact, the protective structure 351 corresponding to the impact position will be detached from the second insulating layer 340, so that the area hit will lose the protection of the protective structure 351, and if the impact occurs again at the position that has been hit once before, the problem of the metal line below being broken will easily occur.

[0064] Therefore, the application sets the passivation structure 361 on the protection structure 351, that is, the array substrate 30 further comprises the passivation structure 361, the material of the passivation structure 361 is the same as that of the passivation layer 360, and the passivation structure 361 is arranged on the side of the protection structure 351 away from the substrate 300.

[0065] The passivation structure 361 can be a passivation structure 361 formed separately after the preparation of the protection structure 351, or the passivation layer 360 can be formed before the protection structure 351 is set, and then the passivation layer 360 and the passivation structure 361 are synchronously formed. By setting the passivation structure 361 on the protection structure 351, a double-layer protection structure 351 is equivalent to being set, so that when a sharp object hits, the passivation structure 361 will be separated from the protection structure 351, thereby completing the force relief, and the protection structure 351 below the hit position is still retained, thereby avoiding the loss of the function of protecting the metal line below the position hit before.

[0066] Moreover, it is important that the hit position is only left with a layer of protection structure 351, and the protection structure 351 above the peripheral area still retains the passivation structure 361, at this time, the hit position forms a sunken area, so that when a secondary impact occurs, the passivation layer 360 on the higher position around the sunken area will be hit first, avoiding the same position from being hit multiple times, and further improving the protection effect.

[0067] Moreover, the area of the passivation structure 361 is set to be smaller than that of the protection structure 351, the orthographic projection of the protection structure 351 on the substrate 300 covers the passivation structure 361, the plane on which the substrate 300 is located is defined as a first plane, and the cross-sectional area of the protection structure 351 in the first plane direction is greater than the cross-sectional area of the passivation structure 361 in the first plane direction. It can also be understood that the orthographic projection area of the protection structure 351 on the substrate 300 is greater than the orthographic projection area of the passivation structure 361 on the substrate 300. Therefore, when hit, the passivation structure 361 is more likely to fall off.

[0068] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a plane of an array substrate of the first embodiment of the application, as shown in FIG. 5, the protection layer 350 further comprises a connecting section 352, both ends of the connecting section 352 are connected to the protection structure 351 respectively, the width of the connecting section 352 is smaller than that of the protection structure 351, the material of the connecting section 352 is the same as that of the protection structure 351, and the connecting section 352 and the protection structure 351 are synchronously processed.

[0069] For example, when the first impact occurs, if the impact is on the passivation structure 361, the passivation structure 361 falls off from the protection structure 351, and the lower layer of the connecting section 352 can stabilize the protection structure 351 from falling off at the first impact, avoiding the problem of the protection structure 351 and the passivation structure 361 falling off together. However, after the first impact, the structural strength of the connecting section 352 is reduced, and if the second impact occurs at the same position, the connecting section 352 will break due to the reduced structural strength and the thin structure of the connecting section 352, thereby not affecting the surrounding protection structure 351 and avoiding the problem of large-area protection structure 351 falling off.

[0070] The array substrate 30 further includes a data signal transmission line fan-out area 37 and a scanning signal transmission line fan-out area 38, both of which are located in the non-display area 32 and partially in the bonding area 33 and partially in the exposed area 34. The position where the data signal transmission line fan-out area 37 overlaps with the exposed area 34 is defined as an encryption area 35, and the position where the scanning signal transmission line fan-out area 38 overlaps with the exposed area 34 is also defined as an encryption area 35. The position where the exposed area 34 does not overlap with the encryption area 35 is defined as a normal area.

[0071] The density of the protection structure 351 in the encryption area 35 is greater than that in the normal area, and the area of the protection structure 351 in the encryption area 35 on the substrate 300 is smaller than that in the normal area. Thus, after the impact of a sharp object, the encryption area 35 can still retain more protection structures 351, thereby achieving better protection effect.

[0072] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a protection structure of the first embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 6, the shapes of the protection structure 351 and the passivation structure 361 include prisms and cylinders. Preferably, the protection structure 351 is an inverted circular cone, i.e., the direction of the substrate 300 towards the first metal layer 310 is defined as the first direction, the protection structure 351 and the passivation structure 361 are both circular cones, the central axis of the protection structure 351 and the central axis of the passivation structure 361 are on the same line, and the cross-sectional diameter of the protection structure 351 along the first direction gradually increases, and the cross-sectional diameter of the passivation structure 361 along the first direction gradually increases.

[0073] Thus, when the impact occurs, the area covered and protected by the passivation structure 361 is larger than the area connected with the protection structure 351, the protection structure 351 is also large at the top and small at the bottom, and the area covered and protected is larger than the area connected with the second insulating layer 340, which is more easily to be detached when the impact occurs, and the area covered and protected is not lost.

[0074] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a protection structure on a metal line according to the first embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 7, the passivation structure 361 can be arranged above all the protection structures 351, or the passivation structure 361 can be arranged above part of the protection structures 351. The present application preferably takes the protection structure 351 with the passivation structure 361 arranged above as an example. That is, the passivation structure 361 is arranged above part of the protection structures 351, and the passivation structure 361 is not arranged above part of the protection structures 351. Specifically, the array substrate 30 includes a driving chip 450, a data line, a scan line, a data signal transmission line, and a scan signal transmission line. The data line and the scan line are located in the display area 31. The data signal transmission line is connected with the driving chip 450 and the data line. The scan signal transmission line is connected with the scan line and the driving chip 450.

[0075] The first metal layer 310 includes the first metal line 311, and the second metal layer 330 includes the second metal line 331. The data signal transmission line can be located in the first metal layer 310, or can be partially located in the second metal layer 330. Of course, the data signal transmission line can be partially located in the first metal layer 310 and partially located in the second metal layer 330. The scan signal transmission line can be located in the first metal layer 310, or can be located in the second metal layer 330. Of course, the scan signal transmission line can be partially located in the first metal layer 310 and partially located in the second metal layer 330. Thus, the first metal line 311 includes the data signal transmission line and / or the scan signal transmission line, and the second metal line 331 includes the data signal transmission line and / or the scan signal transmission line.

[0076] The height of each protection structure 351 is consistent, and the height of each passivation structure 361 is consistent; the protection structure 351 covering the first metal line 311 in the orthographic projection on the substrate 300 is defined as a first protection structure 353, and the protection structure 351 covering the second metal line 331 in the orthographic projection on the substrate 300 is defined as a second protection structure 354, the first protection structure 353 is provided with the passivation structure 361 above, and the second protection structure 354 is not provided with the passivation structure 361 above; in simple terms, the protection structure 351 above the first metal line 311 is provided with the passivation structure 361, and the protection structure 351 above the second metal line 331 is not provided with the passivation structure 361.

[0077] Since the first metal line 311 is located in the first metal layer 310 and is not prone to breaking when being hit and extruded, and since the second metal line 331 is located in the second metal layer 330 and is prone to breaking when being hit and extruded, by providing the passivation structure 361 on the protection structure 351 above the first metal line 311 and not providing the passivation structure 361 on the protection structure 351 above the second metal line 331, when an impact occurs, the passivation structure 361 on the first protection structure 354 will be hit first, so that the first metal line 311 is extruded, and the second metal line 331 prone to breaking is not directly extruded, thereby reducing the risk of shorting.

[0078] Embodiment 2:

[0079] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an array substrate according to a second embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 8, different from the first embodiment, the protection structure 351 of the present embodiment is in a strip shape. Specifically, the protection layer 350 includes a plurality of strip-shaped protection structures 351, each of which is arranged at intervals. The protection structure 351 is arranged on the side of the second insulating layer 340 away from the substrate 300 and is located in the exposed area 34.

[0080] The direction of extension of the array substrate 30 from inside to outside is defined as the first direction, and the length direction of the protection structure 351 on the opposite sides of the exposed area 34 is the same, and the length direction of the protection structure 351 is the same as the first direction. Compared with the shape of the protection structure 351 of the first embodiment, the shape of the protection structure 351 of the present embodiment is in a strip shape, and when a sharp object hits, a groove formed between two adjacent protection structures 351 can convert the kinetic energy of the impact into the kinetic energy of relative sliding, thereby achieving the effect of force dissipation. Further, the protection structure 351 can be arranged to have a gradually decreasing height along the first direction, thereby achieving a better force dissipation effect.

[0081] Embodiment 3

[0082] Figure 9 is a schematic view of an array substrate of a third embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 9, the protective structure 351 is annular in this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment. Specifically, the protective layer 350 comprises a plurality of annular protective structures 351, each of which is arranged at intervals. The protective structure 351 is arranged on the side of the second insulating layer 340 facing away from the substrate 300 and is located in the exposed area 34. Moreover, each protective structure 351 surrounds the periphery of the bonding area 33.

[0083] After the electronic paper film 20 is bonded to the bonding area 33, frame sealant 440 needs to be applied to the side of the electronic paper film 20 and the passivation layer 360. The annular shape of the protective structure 351 in this embodiment can block the flow of frame sealant 440, compared with the shape of the protective structure 351 in the first embodiment. This can prevent the frame sealant 440 from flowing outward and causing a failure in the application of the frame sealant 440.

[0084] Figure 10 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing an array substrate according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 11 is a process diagram of a method for manufacturing an array substrate according to an embodiment of the present application. In combination with Figures 10 and 11, the present application also discloses a method for manufacturing an array substrate 30. The method for manufacturing an array substrate 30 is used to manufacture the array substrate 30 described above. The steps include:

[0085] S1: forming a first metal layer on the substrate;

[0086] S2: forming a first insulating layer on the first metal layer;

[0087] S3: forming a second metal layer on the first insulating layer;

[0088] S4: forming a second insulating layer on the second metal layer;

[0089] S5: forming the passivation layer on the second insulating layer, the passivation layer covering the display area, and the boundary of the passivation layer being located within the bonding area;

[0090] S6: forming a pixel electrode layer on the passivation layer.

[0091] Compared with the prior art of directly covering the second insulating layer 340 with the passivation layer 360, the application reduces the boundary of the passivation layer 360 to a position within the bonding area 33, so that after the electronic paper film 20 is bonded, the passivation layer 360 covering the display area 31 is not exposed and does not contact the water vapor in the air, thereby improving the water vapor invasion resistance of the electronic paper display panel 10, reducing the failure rate of the electronic paper display panel 10, and improving the user experience.

[0092] FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a preparation method of a first protection structure and a passivation structure according to an embodiment of the application, and FIGS. 13a-13c are process diagrams of the preparation method of the first protection structure and the passivation structure according to an embodiment of the application. As shown in FIGS. 12-13c, after the step S5 of forming the passivation layer on the second insulating layer, the boundary of the passivation layer is located within the bonding area, the preparation method further includes the steps of:

[0093] S7: forming a protection structure on the second insulating layer in the exposed area;

[0094] S8: forming a passivation structure on the protection structure in the exposed area;

[0095] In short, the passivation layer 360 is first prepared, then the protection layer 350 is arranged in the exposed area 34, then the protection structure 351 is formed, and finally the passivation structure 361 is formed on the protection structure 351, so as to complete the preparation of the protection structure 351 and the passivation structure 361.

[0096] By arranging the passivation structure 361 on the protection structure 351, a double-layer protection structure 351 is formed. When a sharp object hits, the passivation structure 361 will be separated from the protection structure 351, so as to complete the force relief, and the protection structure 351 below the hit position is still retained, so as to avoid the loss of the function of protecting the metal wire below the previously hit position.

[0097] Moreover, the hit position is only left with a layer of protection structure 351, and the passivation structure 361 is still retained above the protection structure 351 in the peripheral area, so that a sunken area is formed at the hit position. When a secondary impact occurs, the passivation layer 360 above the peripheral area of the sunken area will be hit first, thereby further improving the protection effect.

[0098] Figure 14 is a flow chart of a second preparation method of the protective structure and the passivation structure according to an embodiment of the present application, and Figures 15a-15b are process diagrams of the second preparation method of the protective structure and the passivation structure according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figures 14-15b, in addition to the above-mentioned method, it is of course also possible to first prepare the protective structure 351, and then synchronously prepare the passivation layer 360 and the passivation structure 361 on the protective structure 351. The specific steps are as follows:

[0099] S1: forming a first metal layer on the substrate;

[0100] S2: forming a first insulating layer on the first metal layer;

[0101] S3: forming a second metal layer on the first insulating layer;

[0102] S4: forming a second insulating layer on the second metal layer;

[0103] S51: forming a protective structure on the second insulating layer, the protective structure being located in the exposed area;

[0104] S52: synchronously forming a passivation layer and a passivation structure on the second insulating layer, the passivation layer covering the display area and the boundary of the passivation layer being located within the bonding area, and the passivation structure being arranged on the protective structure and located on the side of the protective structure away from the substrate;

[0105] S6: forming a pixel electrode layer on the passivation layer.

[0106] In other words, the protective structure 351 is first formed in the exposed area 34 before the passivation layer 360 is prepared, and then the passivation structure 361 is formed on the protective structure 351 and the passivation layer 360 is formed on the second insulating layer 340 within the bonding area 33. Compared with the first preparation method of the protective structure 351 and the passivation structure 361, the method of first forming the protective structure 351 in the exposed area 34 before the passivation layer 360 is prepared, and then forming the passivation structure 361 on the protective structure 351 and the passivation layer 360 on the second insulating layer 340 within the bonding area 33 does not need to separately prepare the passivation structure 361, and can save the process. It should be noted that the steps involved in the present embodiment are not limited to the order of execution, and the steps written in the front can be executed first, can be executed later, or can be executed simultaneously, as long as the present embodiment can be implemented, it should be considered to belong to the protection scope of the present application.

[0107] It should be noted that the inventive concept of the present application can form a very large number of embodiments, but the length of the application file is limited, and it is not possible to list them one by one, so under the premise of not conflicting, the above described various embodiments or various technical features can be combined to form new embodiments, and after the combination of each embodiment or technical feature, the original technical effect will be enhanced. The above is a further detailed description of the present application in combination with specific optional embodiments, and cannot be considered as limiting the specific implementation of the present application to these descriptions. For ordinary skilled persons in the art to which the present application belongs, without departing from the concept of the present application, a number of simple deductions or substitutions can be made, which should be considered as belonging to the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An array substrate used in an electronic paper display panel, comprising a substrate, a first metal layer, a first insulating layer, a second metal layer, a second insulating layer, a passivation layer and a pixel electrode layer, the first metal layer, the first insulating layer, the second metal layer, the second insulating layer, the passivation layer and the pixel electrode layer are stacked on the substrate in sequence; the array substrate comprises a display area, a non-display area, a bonding area and an exposed area, the non-display area is arranged around the display area, the bonding area covers the entire display area and a part of the non-display area close to the display area, the bonding area is used for bonding an electronic paper film, and a part of the non-display area not covered by the bonding area is defined as the exposed area; the passivation layer covers the display area, and a boundary of the passivation layer is located within the bonding area. The array substrate further comprises a protection layer, the protection layer is arranged on a side of the second insulating layer away from the substrate and located in the exposed area, and a gap is arranged between the protection layer and the passivation layer.

2. The array substrate according to claim 1, wherein, The protection layer comprises a plurality of protection structures, the plurality of protection structures are arranged in a dot shape, each of the protection structures is arranged in a spaced manner, each of the protection structures is arranged in a uniform manner on the side of the second insulating layer away from the substrate and located in the exposed area.

3. The array substrate according to claim 2, wherein, The protection layer further comprises a connecting segment, two ends of the connecting segment are connected to the protection structures respectively, and a width of the connecting segment is smaller than a width of the protection structures, and a material of the connecting segment is the same as a material of the protection structures.

4. The array substrate according to claim 3, wherein, The array substrate further comprises a data signal transmission line fan-out area and a scanning signal transmission line fan-out area, the data signal transmission line fan-out area and the scanning signal transmission line fan-out area are both located in the non-display area and partially located in the bonding area and partially located in the exposed area.

5. The array substrate according to claim 3, wherein, A position where the data signal transmission line fan-out area overlaps with the exposed area is defined as an encryption area, a position where the scanning signal transmission line fan-out area overlaps with the exposed area is also defined as the encryption area, and a position where the exposed area does not overlap with the encryption area is defined as a normal area. A density of the protection structures in the encryption area is greater than a density of the protection structures in the normal area. A projection area of the protection structures in the encryption area on the substrate is smaller than a projection area of the protection structures in the normal area on the substrate.

6. The array substrate of claim 5, wherein, The protection layer comprises a plurality of strip-shaped protection structures, each of the protection structures is arranged in a spaced manner, the protection structures are arranged on the side of the second insulating layer away from the substrate and located in the exposed area, a first direction is defined as an extending direction of the array substrate from inside to outside, a length direction of the protection structures located on opposite sides of the exposed area is the same, and the length direction of the protection structures is the same as the first direction.

7. The array substrate according to claim 2, wherein, The protection layer comprises a plurality of ring-shaped protection structures, each of the protection structures is arranged in a spaced manner, the protection structures are arranged on the side of the second insulating layer away from the substrate and located in the exposed area, and each of the protection structures surrounds a periphery of the bonding area.

8. The array substrate of claim 2, wherein, ​ 9. The array substrate according to any one of claim 3, wherein, The array substrate further comprises a passivation structure, the material of the passivation structure is the same as the material of the passivation layer, and the passivation structure is arranged on the side of the protection structure away from the substrate.

10. The array substrate of claim 9, wherein, The orthographic projection of the protection structure on the substrate covers the passivation structure, a plane in which the substrate is located is defined as a first plane, and the cross-sectional area of the protection structure in the first plane direction is greater than the cross-sectional area of the passivation structure in the first plane direction.

11. The array substrate of claim 9, wherein, The direction in which the substrate faces the first metal layer is defined as a first direction, the protection structure and the passivation structure are both circular truncated cones, the central axis of the protection structure and the central axis of the passivation structure are located on the same straight line, and the cross-sectional diameter of the protection structure along the first direction gradually increases, and the cross-sectional diameter of the passivation structure along the first direction gradually increases.

12. The array substrate of claim 9, wherein, The first metal layer comprises a first metal line, and the second metal layer comprises a second metal line; the protection structure above the first metal line is provided with a passivation structure, and the protection structure above the second metal line is not provided with a passivation structure.

13. The array substrate of claim 10, wherein, The first metal layer comprises a first metal line, and the second metal layer comprises a second metal line; the protection structure above the first metal line is provided with a passivation structure, and the protection structure above the second metal line is not provided with a passivation structure.

14. The array substrate of claim 2, wherein, The material of the second insulating layer comprises polyvinyl chloride, the material of the protection layer comprises polyvinyl chloride, and the material of the passivation layer comprises soluble polytetrafluoroethylene.

15. The array substrate of claim 2, wherein, The protection layer covers the exposed area in its entirety.

16. A method of manufacturing an array substrate, wherein, The preparation method of the array substrate is used to prepare the array substrate as claimed in any one of claims 1-15, and the steps comprise: forming a first metal layer on the substrate; forming a first insulating layer on the first metal layer; forming a second metal layer on the first insulating layer; forming a second insulating layer on the second metal layer; forming the passivation layer on the second insulating layer, the passivation layer covering the display area, and the boundary of the passivation layer being located within the bonding area; forming a pixel electrode layer on the passivation layer.

17. The method of manufacturing an array substrate according to claim 16, wherein, The step of forming the passivation layer on the second insulating layer, the passivation layer covering the display area, and the boundary of the passivation layer being located within the bonding area comprises: forming a protection structure on the second insulating layer, the protection structure being located in the exposed area; synchronously forming a passivation layer and a passivation structure on the second insulating layer, the passivation layer covering the display area, and the boundary of the passivation layer being located within the bonding area, the passivation structure being arranged on the protection structure and located on the side of the protection structure away from the substrate.

18. An electronic paper display panel, wherein, The electronic paper display panel comprises an electronic paper film piece and the array substrate as claimed in any one of claims 1-15, the electronic paper film piece being bonded in the bonding area on the array substrate, and the electronic paper display panel further comprises a sealant, the sealant being bonded on the side of the electronic paper film piece and the passivation layer.

19. The electronic paper display panel of claim 18, wherein, The electronic paper film piece comprises a protective film layer, microcapsules, and a common electrode layer, the protective film layer is arranged on the side of the common electrode layer away from the array substrate, and the common electrode layer is located on the side of the microcapsules away from the array substrate.

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