TWI470593B - Method of manufacturing flexible display panel - Google Patents

Description

Method for manufacturing flexible display panel

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a flexible display panel.

With the rapid advancement of display technology, displays have evolved from early cathode ray tube (CRT) displays to current flat panel displays (FPDs). Compared with a flat panel display composed of a rigid carrier (such as a glass substrate), since a flexible substrate (such as a plastic substrate) has characteristics such as flexibility and impact resistance, it has been studied in recent years to make an active component flexible. A flexible display on a substrate.

Generally, the flexible display panel is manufactured by first fixing the plastic substrate to the glass substrate. Then, the manufacturing process of the display element is performed on the plastic substrate. After the display element is completed to form the display panel, the flexible display panel is removed from the glass substrate.

In the process of removing the flexible display panel from the glass substrate, since the vacuum between the flexible display panel and the glass substrate is much lower than the ambient pressure, the flexible display panel is not easily self-glazed. Remove from the substrate. If the process of removing the flexible display panel from the glass substrate is not well controlled, it will easily damage the components in the flexible display panel.

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a flexible display panel that can solve the problems of the conventional method of manufacturing a flexible display panel.

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a flexible display panel, the method comprising providing a support substrate, and having a de-bonding layer on the support substrate, wherein the release layer is provided with a flexible display panel, wherein the support The substrate has a cutting line and the cutting line is at a specific distance from the edge of the flexible display panel. The support substrate is flipped onto the carrier such that the flexible display panel is positioned between the carrier and the support substrate. The support substrate is subjected to a cutting process along the cutting line to expose a portion of the flexible display panel. The lower pressure channel is applied to the exposed portion of the flexible display panel to create a thin seam between the flexible display panel and the release layer. The support substrate and the release layer are removed from the flexible display panel.

Based on the above, the present invention first performs a cutting process on the support substrate, and applies a lower pressure channel to the exposed portion of the flexible display panel to create a seam between the flexible display panel and the release layer. The degree of vacuum between the flexible display panel and the support substrate is broken. In this way, the support substrate and the release layer can be easily removed from the flexible display panel.

The above described features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description.

1A-1F are schematic flow charts of a method of manufacturing a flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1A, a support substrate 100 is first provided, and the support substrate 100 has a release layer 102 thereon. The material of the support substrate 100 may be glass, quartz, metal, ceramic, or other applicable materials. The release layer 102 is attached to the surface of the support substrate 100. Detached The material of layer 102 can be a polymer, an organic material, an inorganic material, or a combination thereof. The release layer 102 of the present embodiment is exemplified by a polymer, but is not limited thereto. In addition, a flexible display panel 200 is disposed on the release layer 102.

According to the present embodiment, the flexible display panel 200 on the release layer 102 includes a substrate 202, a display dielectric layer 204, and a barrier layer 206.

The substrate 202 described above has a pixel array layer (not shown). Substrate 202 is a flexible substrate such as an organic polymeric substrate. In addition, the pixel array layer on the substrate 202 includes a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of pixel units, each of the pixel units including at least one active element and at least one picture electrically connected to the active element. Prime electrode.

Display medium layer 204 is located on substrate 202 to cover the pixel array layer. Display medium layer 204 can be an electrophoretic display medium layer, a liquid crystal display medium layer, an electrowetting display medium layer, or other suitable display medium layer.

The barrier layer 206 covers the display dielectric layer 204, which is primarily used to protect the display dielectric layer 204. The barrier layer 206 can be an organic insulating film or an inorganic insulating film. According to the embodiment, the size of the barrier layer 206 is larger than the size of the display dielectric layer 204 and the substrate 202. Therefore, the edge portion of the barrier layer 206 is not covered by the display dielectric layer 204 and the substrate 202, but the present invention does not limit. In other words, in other embodiments, the size of the barrier layer 206 may also be comparable to the dimensions of the display dielectric layer 204 and the substrate 202. In addition, according to other embodiments, an electrode layer (not shown) may be further disposed between the barrier layer 206 and the display dielectric layer 204, but the invention is not limited thereto.

According to the embodiment, the adhesion between the support substrate 100 and the release layer 102 is greater than that of the release layer 102 and the flexible display panel 200 (substrate 202). The adhesion between them.

It is worth mentioning that the above-mentioned support substrate 100 has a cutting line CL, and the cutting line CL is at a distance d from the edge E of the flexible display panel 200. According to the embodiment, the distance d between the cutting line CL and the edge E of the flexible display panel 200 is, for example, about 1 to 2 um. In other words, the cutting line CL of the support substrate 100 and the edge E of the flexible display panel 200 are not aligned with each other.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2, the flexible display panel 200 has a plurality of edge regions, and the cutting line CL of the support substrate 100 is correspondingly disposed on one of the edge regions of the display panel 200. In other words, the cutting line CL of the support substrate 100 of the present embodiment may not need to surround the display panel 200 , and may be disposed only on one edge of the display panel 200 .

Next, referring to FIG. 1B , the support substrate 100 is flipped onto the carrier device 300 such that the flexible display panel 200 is located between the carrier device 300 and the support substrate 100 . According to the present embodiment, after the support substrate 100 is flipped onto the carrier device 300 such that the flexible display panel 200 is simultaneously flipped to the carrier device 300, the barrier layer 206 of the flexible display panel 200 is in contact with the carrier device 300. Here, the carrying device 300 can be a vacuum carrying device, so after the flexible display panel 200 is flipped onto the carrying device 300, the flexible display panel 200 can be vacuum-adsorbed by the vacuum suction force 302 of the carrying device 300. On the carrying device 300.

Thereafter, the support substrate 100 is subjected to a cutting process along the cutting line CL of the support substrate 100 to expose a portion of the flexible display panel 200 Come, as shown in Figure 1C. That is, a small portion of the support substrate 100 other than the cutting line CL is removed to expose a portion of the flexible display panel 200, and a large portion of the support substrate 100 within the cutting line CL is supported. Will still be retained. In the present embodiment, the above cutting process is to simultaneously cut the support substrate 100 and the release layer 102. In addition, the above cutting procedure is, for example, mechanical cutting, optical cutting or other suitable cutting method. Here, when the cutting process is performed on the support substrate 100, the vacuum adsorption force 302 of the carrier device 300 may cause the flexible display panel 200 to be vacuum-adsorbed onto the carrier device 300. Therefore, when the above cutting process is performed, the flexible display panel 200 can be fixed at a specific position without displacement.

It is worth mentioning that since the cutting line CL of the supporting substrate 100 is at a distance d from the edge E of the flexible display panel 200 (for example, about 1 to 2 um), the supporting substrate is aligned on the cutting line CL along the supporting substrate 100. After the cutting process is performed 100 and the edge portion of the cut support substrate 100 is removed, a portion of the flexible display panel 200 is exposed. In more detail, a portion of the substrate 202 of the flexible display panel 200 will be exposed.

Referring to FIG. 1D, a lower pressure channel is applied to the exposed portion of the flexible display panel 200 to create a slit S between the flexible display panel 200 and the release layer 102. In other words, a portion of the substrate 202 of the flexible display panel 200 that is exposed may serve as a force for applying the lower pressure channel to the flexible display panel 200. According to the present embodiment, the step of applying the lower pressure path is, for example, applying a lower pressure path to the exposed portion of the flexible display panel 200 (substrate 202) by the pressing tool 400. Due to flexible The display panel 200 (substrate 202) itself has a certain flexibility, so that when the pressing tool 400 applies a lower pressure path to the exposed portion of the flexible display panel 200 (substrate 202), the flexible type can be made flexible. A slit S is formed between the substrate 202 of the display panel 200 and the release layer 102, so that the degree of vacuum between the substrate 202 of the flexible display panel 200 and the release layer 102 is destroyed. Since the vacuum between the substrate 202 and the release layer 102 of the flexible display panel 200 has been destroyed, the substrate 202 of the flexible display panel 200 and the release layer 102 are no longer closely spaced. Fit together.

In the embodiment, when the lower pressure channel is applied to the exposed portion of the flexible display panel 200, the vacuum adsorption force 302 of the carrying device 300 can cause the flexible display panel 200 to be vacuum-adsorbed to the carrying device 300. on. Therefore, when the above procedure is performed, the flexible display panel 200 can be fixed at a specific position without displacement.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1E, the support substrate 100 and the release layer 102 are removed from the flexible display panel 200. According to the embodiment, the method of removing the support substrate 100 and the release layer 102 from the flexible display panel 200 is, for example, removing the support substrate 100 and the release layer 102 from the flexible display panel 200 by using the vacuum adsorption device 500. . In more detail, the vacuum adsorption device 500 can adsorb the support substrate 100 by the vacuum adsorption force 502, and the adhesion between the support substrate 100 and the release layer 102 is greater than that of the release layer 102 and the flexible display panel. Adhesion between 200 (substrate 202). In addition, the flexible display panel 200 is again attracted by the vacuum suction force 302 of the vacuum carrying device 300. At this time, since the degree of vacuum between the substrate 202 of the flexible display panel 200 and the release layer 102 has been destroyed, it is true. When the empty adsorption device 500 removes the support substrate 100 from the flexible display panel 200, the support substrate 100 and the release layer 102 can be easily removed or peeled off from the flexible display panel 200.

After the support substrate 100 and the release layer 102 are removed or peeled off from the flexible display panel 200, the substrate 202 of the flexible display panel 200 may be exposed. Therefore, in order to prevent the substrate 202 of the flexible display panel 200 from being damaged, the surface of the substrate 202 of the flexible display panel 200 may be further covered with a protective film 600, as shown in FIG. 1F. The protective layer 600 may be a protective film of an organic material or a protective film of an inorganic material.

In summary, in the manufacturing method of the above embodiment, the method is to first perform a cutting process on the supporting substrate to expose a part of the flexible display panel, and then expose the flexible display panel. Part of the lower pressure channel is applied to create a thin seam between the flexible display panel and the release layer, thereby breaking the vacuum between the flexible display panel and the support substrate. The degree of vacuum between the flexible display panel and the support substrate has been destroyed. Therefore, the support substrate and the release layer can be easily removed from the flexible display panel in the subsequent steps. Since the support substrate and the release layer can be easily removed from the flexible display panel, no additional auxiliary process is required during the process of removing the support substrate and the release layer from the flexible display panel. It is removed by strong tearing, so the method of the present invention is not easy to damage the flexible display panel.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention, and any one of ordinary skill in the art can make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. this The scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

100‧‧‧Support substrate

102‧‧‧Fractal layer

200‧‧‧flexible display panel

202‧‧‧Substrate

204‧‧‧Display media layer

206‧‧‧Barrier layer

300‧‧‧ Carrying device

302‧‧‧vacuum adsorption

400‧‧‧Under pressure tool

500‧‧‧Vacuum adsorption device

502‧‧‧vacuum adsorption

600‧‧‧Protective film

S‧‧‧Slit

E‧‧‧ edge

CL‧‧‧ cutting line

D‧‧‧distance

1A-1F are schematic flow charts of a method of manufacturing a flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1A.

100‧‧‧Support substrate

102‧‧‧Fractal layer

200‧‧‧flexible display panel

202‧‧‧Substrate

204‧‧‧Display media layer

206‧‧‧Barrier layer

300‧‧‧ Carrying device

302‧‧‧vacuum adsorption

S‧‧‧Slit

400‧‧‧Under pressure tool

Claims (9)

A method for manufacturing a flexible display panel, comprising: providing a support substrate having a de-bonding layer thereon, and the release layer is provided with a flexible display panel, wherein the support The substrate has a cutting line, and the cutting line is at a distance from an edge of the flexible display panel; the supporting substrate is turned over onto a carrying device such that the flexible display panel is located on the carrying device and the support Between the substrates; performing a cutting process on the support substrate and the release layer along the cutting line to expose a portion of the flexible display panel; the flexible display panel is exposed The pressure channel is partially applied to create a slit between the flexible display panel and the release layer; and the support substrate and the release layer are removed from the flexible display panel. The method for manufacturing a flexible display panel according to claim 1, wherein the cutting line is spaced from the edge of the flexible display panel by 1 to 2 um. The method of manufacturing the flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein the flexible display panel comprises: a substrate on the support substrate, and the substrate has a pixel array layer; a display medium layer overlying the pixel array layer; and a barrier layer covering the display medium layer. The method of manufacturing a flexible display panel according to claim 3, wherein the barrier layer is in contact with the carrier after the flexible display panel is turned over to the carrier. The manufacturing method of the flexible display panel of claim 3, wherein the substrate of the flexible display panel after the support substrate and the release layer are removed from the flexible display panel The method is exposed, and the method further comprises covering a surface of the substrate with a protective film. The method for manufacturing a flexible display panel according to claim 3, wherein the size of the barrier layer is larger than the size of the display medium layer and the substrate, so that one edge portion of the barrier layer is not The dielectric layer is displayed and the substrate is covered. The method of manufacturing the flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein the flexible display panel has a plurality of edge regions, and the cutting line of the support substrate is correspondingly disposed on one of the display panels. Edge area. The manufacturing method of the flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein the adhesion between the support substrate and the release layer is greater than the adhesion between the release layer and the flexible display panel. . The manufacturing method of the flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein the carrying device is a vacuum carrying device, and the flexible display panel is flipped onto the carrying device, the flexible display The panel is vacuum adsorbed onto the carrier.