Display panel and manufacturing method thereof
Technical Field
The invention relates to the technical field of display, in particular to a display panel and a manufacturing method thereof.
Background
In recent years, the OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) technology has been developed rapidly, and has become a promising technology for replacing the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) most probably.
The OLED display panel generally uses a common mask plate when evaporating a common pattern layer (such as a hole injection layer, an electron blocking layer, an electron transport layer, a cathode electrode, an encapsulation layer, etc.), and some common pattern layers are evaporated after the Spacer process, such process will result in some common pattern layer materials being deposited on the Spacer (Photo Spacer) surface. When the display panel is impacted by the outside, the spacers will be damaged, and the common layer material deposited on the spacers will be damaged. Moisture is liable to enter through the damaged surface material of the gap, causing pixel retraction (i.e. some pixels are deep points (Dark points)), on the other hand, since the spacer and the cover plate are not adhered, the impact stress storage of the spacer is poor, and the buffer property to the impact cannot be generated.
Disclosure of Invention
In order to overcome the defects of the prior art, the invention provides a display panel and a manufacturing method thereof, which can improve the reliability of the display panel.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a display panel having a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area, the method comprising:
providing a substrate;
forming a plurality of spacers on the substrate; and
and forming at least one common pattern layer on the substrate, so that the at least one common pattern layer is not overlapped with the vertical projections of the plurality of spacers on the substrate.
Optionally, a common mask plate and a first mask plate are used for vapor deposition on the substrate to form the common pattern layer, the first mask plate includes a first opening area and a first light shielding area, and the first light shielding area defines the patterns of the plurality of spacers; the common mask plate comprises a common opening area and a common shading area, the common opening area defines the pattern of the common pattern layer, and the formation of at least one common pattern layer on the substrate by using the common mask plate and the first mask plate comprises the following steps: and overlapping the first mask plate and the public mask plate, wherein the vertical projection of the first shading area on the substrate is positioned in the vertical projection of the public opening area on the substrate.
Optionally, the plurality of spacers are formed using the first mask plate.
Optionally, the plurality of spacers are formed by using the second mask plate, the second mask plate includes a second opening area and a second light shielding area, the second opening area corresponds to the first light shielding area, the second light shielding area corresponds to the first opening area, and the second opening area defines a pattern of the spacers.
Optionally, the forming a plurality of spacers on the substrate includes: a plurality of first spacers are formed in the display area, and a second spacer surrounding the display area is formed in the non-display area.
Optionally, the height of the second spacer is 1 to 2 micrometers, and the width of the second spacer is 100 to 200 micrometers.
Optionally, the method further comprises: providing a cover plate; forming a protective layer and a glass frit surrounding the protective layer on one side of the cover plate opposite to the substrate; and pressing the cover plate and the substrate, wherein the side of the cover plate, on which the protective layer and the glass frit are formed, is opposite to the side of the substrate, on which the spacer is formed, the vertical projection of the protective layer on the substrate corresponds to the display area, the spacer is in contact with the protective layer, and the vertical projection of the glass frit on the substrate is positioned in the non-display area and surrounds the display area.
Optionally, the pressing of the cover plate and the substrate further includes: curing the frit using a laser; and thermally curing the protective layer.
Optionally, the adhesion force of the spacer is in the range of 10-50N/mm.
Optionally, the forming a plurality of spacers on the substrate includes: and forming a plurality of first spacers in the display area, and forming a second spacer surrounding the display area in the non-display area, wherein the second spacer is positioned between the display area and the frit.
Optionally, after providing a substrate, forming a plurality of spacers on the substrate further includes: forming a thin film transistor on the substrate; forming a planarization layer on the thin film transistor; forming a pixel defining layer on the planarization layer, the pixel defining layer having the common pattern; wherein the spacer is formed on the pixel defining layer.
Optionally, the common pattern layer is: an organic functional layer; and a cathode electrode.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a display panel having a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area, the display panel including: a substrate; a plurality of spacers located at one side of the substrate; and at least one layer of common pattern layer, which is positioned at one side of the substrate where the plurality of spacers are formed, wherein the at least one layer of common pattern layer is not overlapped with the vertical projection of the plurality of spacers on the substrate.
Optionally, the plurality of spacers comprises: a plurality of first spacers located within the display area; and a second spacer positioned in the non-display region and surrounding the display region.
Optionally, the height of the second spacer is 1 to 2 micrometers, and the width of the second spacer is 100 to 200 micrometers.
Optionally, the method further comprises: a cover plate opposite to one side of the substrate on which the plurality of spacers are formed; the protective layer is positioned on one side, facing the substrate, of the cover plate, the vertical projection of the protective layer on the substrate corresponds to the display area, and the spacers are in contact with the protective layer; and the glass frit is positioned on one side of the cover plate facing the substrate and surrounds the protective layer, and the vertical projection of the glass frit on the substrate is positioned in the non-display area and surrounds the display area.
Optionally, the adhesion force of the spacer is in the range of 10-50N/mm.
Optionally, the plurality of spacers comprises: a plurality of first spacers located within the display area; and a second spacer positioned in the non-display region and surrounding the display region, the second spacer being positioned between the display region and the frit.
Optionally, the method further comprises: a thin film transistor positioned between the substrate and the spacer; a planarization layer between the thin film transistor and the spacer; a pixel defining layer between the planarization layer and the spacer, the pixel defining layer having the common pattern.
Optionally, the common pattern layer is: an organic functional layer; and a cathode electrode.
Compared with the prior art, the invention has the following advantages:
1) when the first mask plate is used for evaporating the common pattern layer, the gap sub-patterns are covered, so that the vertical projections of the common pattern layer and the plurality of gaps on the substrate are not overlapped, the common pattern layer is prevented from being formed on the gaps, and water is prevented from invading between the damaged gaps and the common pattern layer deposited on the gap sub-patterns;
2) according to the invention, the intrusion of water and oxygen is further prevented by forming the second spacers surrounding the display area, so that the packaging effect is improved;
3) the invention has the function of storing impact stress by matching the protective layer on the cover plate with the spacers, and obviously improves the shock resistance of the display panel.
Drawings
The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings.
Fig. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a common mask blank according to an embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 4 shows a schematic view of a first mask blank according to an embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of fabricating a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 6 shows a schematic view of a second mask blank according to another embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a display panel according to a further embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 8 illustrates a schematic view of a cover plate of a display panel according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display panel according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display panel according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
Detailed Description
Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example embodiments may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments 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. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and thus their repetitive description will be omitted.
The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In some instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring the invention.
The drawings of the present invention are for illustrating relative positional relationships, and the sizes of elements in the drawings do not represent proportional relationships of actual sizes.
In order to solve the problem of low light transmittance in the prior art, the invention provides a display panel and a manufacturing method thereof.
First, a method for manufacturing a display panel and a corresponding display panel according to an embodiment of the invention are described with reference to fig. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a common mask blank according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 4 shows a schematic view of a first mask blank according to an embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 1 is provided to show 3 steps.
Step S110: a substrate 110 is provided.
Step S120: a plurality of spacers 120 are formed on the substrate 110 using the first mask blank 300.
Step S130: at least one common pattern layer 130 is formed on the substrate 110 by using the common mask blank 200 and the first mask blank 300, so that the at least one common pattern layer 130 and the plurality of spacers 120 do not overlap in vertical projection on the substrate 110. The common mask plate 200 defines a pattern of at least one common pattern layer 130, and the first mask plate 300 defines a pattern of the spacers 120.
Specifically, the first mask plate 300 includes a first opening area 301 and a first light shielding area 302. The first light-shielding region 302 defines a pattern of the plurality of spacers 120. The step of forming the plurality of spacers 120 using the first mask plate 300 may include coating a spacer material layer, coating a negative photoresist, performing exposure and development using the first mask plate 300, and then performing etching, so that the spacer material layer has a pattern of the spacers 120. The common mask plate 200 includes a common open area 201 and a common light-shielding area 202. The common opening area 201 defines a pattern of the common pattern layer 130.
The step S130 includes: the first mask plate 300 and the common mask plate 200 are overlapped, and the vertical projection of the first light shielding region 302 on the substrate 110 is positioned in the vertical projection of the common opening region 201 on the substrate 110, so that the common pattern layer 130 covers the spacer 120 pattern during evaporation, and the common pattern layer 130 is not formed on the spacer 120.
Thus, the display panel shown in fig. 2 can be manufactured through the steps shown in fig. 1. In the display panel shown in fig. 2, the common pattern layer 130 is not formed on the spacers 120, so that when the display panel is damaged by the impact on the spacers 120, water and oxygen do not enter the display panel from between the spacers 120 and the common pattern layer 130.
A method for manufacturing a display panel according to another embodiment of the invention and a corresponding display panel are described below with reference to fig. 2 to 6. Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of fabricating a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 shows a schematic view of a second mask blank according to another embodiment of the invention. In the present embodiment, the structure of the display panel is the same as that shown in fig. 2, and the structures of the first mask plate 300 and the common mask plate 200 are also the same as those shown in fig. 3 and 4.
Fig. 5 is for showing 3 steps.
Step S210: a substrate 110 is provided.
Step S220: a plurality of spacers 120 are formed on the substrate 110 using the second mask blank 400.
Specifically, the second mask plate 400 includes a second opening area 401 and a second light-shielding area 402. The second open area 401 corresponds to the first light shielding area 302, and the second light shielding area 402 corresponds to the first open area 301. The second open area 401 defines a pattern of spacers 120. The step of forming the plurality of spacers 120 using the second mask blank 400 may include coating a spacer material layer, coating a positive photoresist, performing exposure and development using the first mask blank 300, and then performing etching, so that the spacer material layer has a pattern of the spacers 120.
Step S230: at least one common pattern layer 130 is formed on the substrate 110 by using the common mask blank 200 and the first mask blank 300, so that the at least one common pattern layer 130 and the plurality of spacers 120 do not overlap in vertical projection on the substrate 110. The common mask plate 200 defines a pattern of at least one common pattern layer 130, and the first mask plate 300 defines a pattern of the spacers 120.
Specifically, the common mask plate 200 includes a common opening area 201 and a common light shielding area 202. The common opening area 201 defines a pattern of the common pattern layer 130. The first mask plate 300 and the common mask plate 200 are overlapped, and the vertical projection of the first light shielding region 302 on the substrate 110 is positioned in the vertical projection of the common opening region 201 on the substrate 110, so that the common pattern layer 130 covers the spacer 120 pattern during evaporation, and the common pattern layer 130 is not formed on the spacer 120.
Similar to the previous embodiment, the display panel shown in fig. 2 can also be manufactured by the steps shown in fig. 5, so that the common pattern layer 130 is not formed on the spacers 120, and thus when the display panel is damaged by the impact on the spacers 120, water and oxygen do not enter the display panel between the spacers 120 and the common pattern layer 130.
Fig. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a display panel according to a further embodiment of the invention. The display panel shown in fig. 7 includes a display area 101 and a non-display area 102 surrounding the display area. The display area 101 is used to display images and video, and the non-display area 102 is optionally used for wiring arrangement. There are a plurality of pixels 140 in the display area 101. The display panel shown in fig. 7 can also be manufactured by the manufacturing method shown in fig. 1 or fig. 5, and the step S120/step S220 further includes: a plurality of first spacers 121 are formed in the display region 101, and a second spacer 122 surrounding the display region 101 is formed in the non-display region 102. In this way, the spacers 120 on the substrate 110 include a plurality of first spacers 121 in the display area 101 and a second spacer 122 surrounding the display area 101. The height H (fig. 9) of the second spacer 122 is 1 to 2 micrometers, and the width W of the second spacer 122 is 100 to 200 micrometers. Under the condition that the manufacturing process of the display panel allows, the width of the second gap is increased, and the barrier effect on water and oxygen is better. Thus, in the embodiment shown in fig. 7, the second spacer 122 can further prevent the intrusion of water and oxygen in the subsequent packaging process, thereby improving the packaging effect.
A display panel according to still another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 7 to 9. Fig. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a display panel according to a further embodiment of the invention. Fig. 8 illustrates a schematic view of a cover plate of a display panel according to still another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display panel according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
In this embodiment, the process steps of the display panel, in addition to the manufacturing method shown in fig. 1 or fig. 5 (combined with fig. 7), include the following steps, in which the display panel includes a substrate 110, a plurality of spacers (including a plurality of first spacers 121 in the display area 101 and a second spacer 122 surrounding the display area 101) on one side of the substrate, and at least one common pattern layer 130 on one side of the substrate 110 where the plurality of spacers are formed, and the at least one common pattern layer 130 and the vertical projections of the plurality of spacers on the substrate 110 do not overlap with each other:
step 1: a cover plate 150 is provided.
Step 2: a protection layer 152 and a frit 151 surrounding the protection layer 152 are formed on a side of the cover plate 150 opposite to the substrate 110.
And step 3: the side of the cover plate 150 where the protective layer 152 and the frit 151 are formed is opposite to the side of the substrate 110 where the spacer is formed, and the cover plate 150 and the substrate 110 are pressed. The vertical projection of the protection layer 151 on the substrate 110 corresponds to the display region 101, and the spacers (which may include the first spacer 121 and the second spacer 122) are in contact with the protection layer 151. Optionally, the adhesion force of the spacer is in the range of 10-50N/mm. The vertical projection of the frit 152 on the substrate 110 is located in the non-display region 102 and surrounds the display region 101. Optionally, the second spacer 122 is located between the frit 152 and the display region 101.
The protective layer 152 may be made of epoxy resin. The epoxy resin has the advantages of strong adhesive force, high mechanical strength, wide curing temperature, small shrinkage rate and high light transmittance. The protective layer 152 may be formed on one side of the cap plate 150 by screen printing or the like.
And 4, step 4: the frit 152 is cured using a laser.
And 5: the protective layer 151 is thermally cured.
The steps 4 and 5 may not be performed sequentially, for example, the step 5 may be performed first and then the step 4 may be performed. The manufacturing method shown in fig. 1 or 5 may be performed before step 1, or may be performed between step 2 and step 3. Optionally, if a plurality of display panels are manufactured at the same time, after the above steps, a step of cutting the display panels may be further included.
The display panel manufactured through the steps has impact resistance. The protective layer 151 is connected to the spacers (the first spacer 121, and optionally the second spacer 122) of the substrate 110 by thermal curing. This combination provides superior impact stress storage relative to previous spacers that function to maintain uniform spacing between the substrate 110 and the cover plate 150 and to support the cover plate 150. When the display panel is impacted, the spacers can store a large part of impact stress, so that the damage of the impact on the display element and the glass frit 152 is reduced, and the impact resistance of the display panel is obviously improved. In addition, because the common pattern layer is not deposited on the spacers, when the spacers are damaged by pressure, the display panel can avoid the water vapor from invading between the spacers and the common pattern layer to cause the pixel invagination.
Furthermore, since the second spacer 122 is additionally arranged around the display region 101 of the substrate 110, after the second spacer is bonded to the protection layer 150 of the cover plate 150, it is equivalent to additionally arranging a moisture barrier layer on the inner layer of the glass frit 152 package, thereby further preventing the intrusion of water and oxygen and improving the packaging effect.
A further embodiment of the present invention is described below in conjunction with fig. 10. Fig. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display panel according to still another embodiment of the present invention.
First, a substrate 510 is provided. A thin film transistor is formed on the substrate 510. The thin film transistor includes a gate electrode 520, a gate insulating layer 530, an active layer 540, and source and drain electrodes 550 and 560 sequentially formed on a substrate 510. The structure of the thin film transistor is not limited thereto, and the invention can also realize thin film transistors with other structures, which are not described herein again. After that, a planarization layer 570 is formed on the thin film transistor. A pixel defining layer 590 is formed on the planarization layer 570. An anode 381 of the OLED element 380 is formed between the pixel defining layer 590 and the planarizing layer 570. Specifically, the planarization layer 370 includes an opening for connecting with the drain 360. The spacer 501 is formed on the pixel defining layer 590.
Optionally, the OLED element 380 is made as follows: an anode electrode 381 is first formed on the planarization layer 370, and the anode electrode 381 contacts the drain electrode 360 through the opening. The anode 381 may be a total reflection anode, which is a metal or alloy thin film electrode with high reflectivity, and may be, for example, an Ag electrode, an Ag alloy electrode, an Al alloy electrode, a Cu alloy electrode, a Pt electrode, or a Pt alloy electrode. Then, an organic functional layer is formed on the first electrode 381. The organic functional layer at least comprises a hole injection layer, a light-emitting layer and an electron injection layer. The luminescent layer can emit light of different colors. For example, the light emitting layer may emit red, blue, and green light. Optionally, the organic functional layer further comprises a hole transport layer formed between the hole injection layer and the light emitting layer. In some embodiments, the hole transport layer may be omitted. In other embodiments, multiple hole transport layers are included. The number of hole transport layers is not limited in the present invention. Optionally, the organic functional layer further comprises an electron injection layer formed on the electron transport layer. Thereafter, a cathode is formed on the organic functional layer. The cathode may be a transparent electrode made of a transparent or semitransparent material, for example, ITO, IZO, AZO, ZTO, Al and alloy films thereof, Mg and alloy films thereof, Ag and alloy films thereof, and the like. Alternatively, the common pattern layer may be an organic functional layer and a cathode electrode. For example, the common pattern layer may be a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an electron blocking layer, a light emitting layer, a hole blocking layer, an electron transport layer, a cathode electrode, an encapsulating material, or the like.
Compared with the prior art, the invention has the following advantages:
1) when the first mask plate is used for evaporating the common pattern layer, the gap sub-patterns are covered, so that the vertical projections of the common pattern layer and the plurality of gaps on the substrate are not overlapped, the common pattern layer is prevented from being formed on the gaps, and water is prevented from invading between the damaged gaps and the common pattern layer deposited on the gap sub-patterns;
2) according to the invention, the intrusion of water and oxygen is further prevented by forming the second spacers surrounding the display area, so that the packaging effect is improved;
3) the invention has the function of storing impact stress by matching the protective layer on the cover plate with the spacers, and obviously improves the shock resistance of the display panel.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are specifically illustrated and described above. It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims.