CN113270560B

CN113270560B - Display panel, preparation method thereof and display device

Info

Publication number: CN113270560B
Application number: CN202110545462.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 周炟; 张陶然; 刘传奇; 李云彬; 金凤阳
Original assignee: BOE Technology Group Co Ltd; Chengdu BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: BOE Technology Group Co Ltd; Chengdu BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-05-19
Filing date: 2021-05-19
Publication date: 2023-06-13
Anticipated expiration: 2041-05-19
Also published as: CN113270560A

Abstract

The application discloses a display panel, a preparation method thereof and a display device, and relates to the technical field of display. The inorganic material layer in the display panel covers the binding area of the flexible substrate, so that when the display panel is prepared, the inorganic material layer can block gas generated by the flexible substrate, avoid gas diffusion between the first protective film and the organic material layer, further avoid bubbles generated by the first protective film, and the yield of the display panel is higher.

Description

Display panel, preparation method thereof and display device

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of display, in particular to a display panel, a preparation method thereof and a display device.

Background

Flexible display panels are widely used because of their flexibility. In the preparation of a flexible display panel, a flexible substrate of the flexible display panel, a film layer in a pixel, and a protective film are required to be formed on a substrate. And then the flexible display panel is peeled off from the substrate.

However, bubbles are generated on the protective film in the flexible display panel prepared by the preparation method, and the yield of the flexible display panel is low.

Disclosure of Invention

The application provides a display panel, a preparation method thereof and a display device, and can solve the problem of low yield of a flexible display panel in the related technology. The technical scheme is as follows:

in one aspect, there is provided a display panel including:

a flexible substrate having a display area and a binding area located on one side of the display area, the binding area having a target boundary extending along a first direction, the display area extending along a second direction adjacent to the boundary of the binding area, the first direction intersecting the second direction;

an inorganic material layer located on one side of the flexible substrate, the inorganic material layer covering the binding region, and a portion of the inorganic material layer near the target boundary having a thickness smaller than a portion distant from the target boundary;

an organic material layer located on a side of the inorganic material layer remote from the flexible substrate;

and a first protective film located at a side of the organic material layer away from the flexible substrate.

Optionally, a thickness of a portion of the inorganic material layer near the target boundary is 1500 angstroms to 8000 angstroms.

Optionally, a portion of the inorganic material layer proximate the target boundary has a thickness of 2000 angstroms.

In another aspect, a method for manufacturing a display panel is provided, the method including:

forming a flexible base on one side of a substrate base plate, wherein the flexible base is provided with a display area and a binding area positioned on one side of the display area, the binding area comprises a cutting area and a non-cutting area, and the cutting area is close to the edge of the flexible base relative to the non-cutting area;

forming an inorganic material layer covering the binding region on one side of the flexible base away from the substrate base plate, wherein the thickness of the part of the inorganic material layer located in the cutting region is smaller than that of the part located in the non-cutting region;

sequentially forming an organic material layer and a first protective film on one side of the inorganic material layer away from the flexible substrate;

peeling the flexible base from the substrate base;

the flexible substrate, the inorganic material layer, the organic material layer and the first protective film are cut along a cutting line in the cutting region, wherein the cutting line extends along a first direction, the display region extends along a second direction near a boundary of the bonding region, and the first direction intersects the second direction.

Optionally, forming an inorganic material layer covering the binding region on a side of the flexible base away from the substrate base plate, including:

forming an inorganic material film covering the binding area on one side of the flexible base away from the substrate base plate;

and etching the part of the inorganic material film, which is positioned in the cutting area, to obtain the inorganic material layer.

Optionally, the flexible substrate further has a bending region between the display region and the binding region; etching the part of the inorganic material film, which is positioned in the cutting area, to obtain the inorganic material layer, wherein the etching comprises the following steps:

and etching the part of the inorganic material film, which is positioned in the bending area, and the part of the cutting area to obtain the inorganic material layer.

Optionally, the etching the portion of the inorganic material film located in the bending region and the portion of the cutting region to obtain the inorganic material layer includes:

etching the inorganic material film by adopting a first etching process and a second etching process in sequence to obtain the inorganic material layer;

and at least one etching process of the first etching process and the second etching process is used for etching the part of the inorganic material film, which is positioned in the cutting area.

Optionally, the etching the inorganic material film sequentially by using a first etching process and a second etching process to obtain the inorganic material layer includes:

exposing the inorganic material film by using a first mask plate, wherein the first mask plate is provided with a first mask region and a second mask region with different light transmittance;

etching the region corresponding to the first mask region in the exposed inorganic material film by adopting a first etching process to obtain an initial inorganic material layer, wherein the etching thickness of the first etching process is a first thickness;

exposing the initial inorganic material layer by adopting a second mask plate, wherein the second mask plate is provided with a third mask region and a fourth mask region with different light transmittance;

etching the region corresponding to the third mask region in the exposed initial inorganic material layer by adopting a second etching process to obtain the inorganic material layer, wherein the etching thickness of the second etching process is a second thickness;

wherein, the orthographic projection of the first mask area on the flexible substrate is not overlapped with the cutting area and is overlapped with the bending area; the orthographic projection of the third mask area on the flexible substrate is overlapped with the cutting area and overlapped with the bending area; the second thickness is less than the thickness of the inorganic material film, and the sum of the first thickness and the second thickness is greater than or equal to the thickness of the inorganic material film.

exposing the inorganic material film by using a third mask plate, wherein the third mask plate is provided with a fifth mask region and a sixth mask region with different light transmittance;

etching the region corresponding to the fifth mask region in the exposed inorganic material film by adopting a first etching process to obtain an initial inorganic material layer, wherein the etching thickness of the first etching process is a first thickness;

exposing the initial inorganic material layer by adopting a fourth mask plate, wherein the second mask plate is provided with a seventh mask region and an eighth mask region which have different light transmittance;

etching the region corresponding to the seventh mask region in the exposed initial inorganic material layer by adopting a second etching process to obtain the inorganic material layer, wherein the etching thickness of the second etching process is a second thickness;

wherein, the orthographic projection of the fifth mask area on the flexible substrate is overlapped with the cutting area and overlapped with the bending area; the orthographic projection of the seventh mask region on the flexible substrate is overlapped with the cutting region and is overlapped with the bending region; the sum of the first thickness and the second thickness is less than the thickness of the inorganic material film.

Optionally, the etching the portion of the inorganic material film located in the target area to obtain the inorganic material layer includes:

exposing the inorganic material film by adopting a fifth mask plate, wherein the fifth mask plate is provided with a ninth mask region and a tenth mask region with different light transmittance;

etching the region corresponding to the ninth mask region in the exposed inorganic material film by adopting a third etching process to obtain the inorganic material layer, wherein the etching thickness of the third etching process is a third thickness;

wherein, the orthographic projection of the ninth mask area on the flexible substrate is overlapped with the cutting area and overlapped with the bending area; the third thickness is less than the thickness of the inorganic material film.

Optionally, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer located in the bending region is less than or equal to the thickness of the portion located in the cutting region.

Optionally, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer located at the cutting region is 1500 angstroms to 8000 angstroms.

Optionally, after the flexible base is peeled from the substrate base, the method further includes:

A second protective film is formed on a side of the flexible substrate remote from the inorganic material layer.

Optionally, the peeling the flexible substrate from the substrate base includes:

and stripping the flexible base from the substrate by adopting a laser stripping process.

In still another aspect, there is provided a display device including: a power supply assembly and a display panel as described in the above aspects;

the power supply assembly is used for supplying power to the display panel.

The beneficial effects that this application provided technical scheme brought include at least:

the application provides a display panel and a preparation method thereof, and a display device, wherein an inorganic material layer in the display panel covers a binding area of a flexible substrate, so that when the display panel is prepared, the inorganic material layer can block gas generated by the flexible substrate, avoid gas diffusion to a position between a first protection film and an organic material layer, and then avoid bubbles generated by the first protection film, and the yield of the display panel is higher.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings that are needed in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and that other drawings may be obtained according to these drawings without inventive effort for a person skilled in the art.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a flexible substrate provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a display panel with a thickness of 0 angstroms of an inorganic material layer near a target boundary according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a display panel with a thickness of 1500 angstroms at a portion of an inorganic material layer near a target boundary according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a display panel with a thickness of 8000 angstroms at a portion of an inorganic material layer near a target boundary according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an inorganic material layer of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure along the BB direction in fig. 2;

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an inorganic material layer of another display panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure along BB in FIG. 2;

fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of another display panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of another display panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 10 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a top view of a flexible substrate prior to cutting provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of the flexible substrate provided in an embodiment of the present application after being peeled from the substrate base;

fig. 13 is a flowchart of another method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a flow chart for forming an inorganic material layer provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 15 is a schematic view of a first mask provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 16 is a schematic view of a second mask provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 17 is a flow chart of another method for forming an inorganic material layer provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 18 is a schematic view of a third mask provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 19 is a schematic view of a fourth mask provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 20 is a flow chart of yet another method for forming an inorganic material layer provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 21 is a schematic view of a fifth mask provided in an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 22 is a schematic structural diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

For the purpose of making the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more apparent, the embodiments of the present application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A laser lift-off (LLO) process is a key process for peeling a flexible display panel from a substrate base plate to obtain a flexible display panel. In the process of peeling the flexible display panel from the substrate by using the laser peeling process, the flexible substrate in the flexible display panel generates gas to form an impact between the flexible substrate and the substrate, thereby promoting separation of the flexible substrate and the substrate.

However, in the area of the flexible display panel where the film layer is weak and the barrier gas has poor effect, the gas generated by the flexible substrate passes through the film layer on the flexible substrate where the film layer is weak and the barrier gas has poor effect, and enters between the protective film on the side of the film layer far away from the flexible substrate and the film layer, so that the protective film forms bubbles, and the yield of the flexible display panel is affected.

In the process of forming the flexible display panel, the boundary of the flexible display panel is formed by cutting after forming other film layers of the flexible display panel on the flexible substrate. Since the inorganic material layer easily causes cracks in the flexible display panel when cutting, referring to fig. 1, the flexible display panel is provided with only the organic material layer at a cutting area where a cutting line (cut line) is located in order to facilitate cutting. The organic material layer has weak film layer and poor barrier gas effect, so that in the cutting area, gas generated by the flexible substrate can pass through the organic material layer and enter between the protective film on one side of the organic material layer far away from the flexible substrate and the organic material layer, and the protective film forms bubbles in the cutting area.

Since the cut area is closely spaced from the bending area of the flexible substrate, bubbles in the cut area may cause bending cracks (cracks) in the bending area of the flexible display panel. The bending crack may cause the metal trace in the bending region to be corroded, thereby causing black spots to be formed at the boundary of the metal trace. The black specks become progressively larger (growing dark spot, GDS) which can cause the flexible display panel to fail, affecting the display effect of the flexible display panel.

The embodiment of the application provides a display panel, which can solve the problem of lower yield of a flexible display panel in the related art. Referring to fig. 1, the display panel 10 may include: a flexible substrate 101, an inorganic material layer 102, an organic material layer 103, and a first protective film 104. The display panel 10 may be a flexible display panel.

Fig. 2 is a top view of a flexible substrate provided in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 2, the flexible substrate 101 may have a display area 101a and a binding area 101b located at one side of the display area 101 a. The binding area 101b has a target boundary 101b1 extending in a first direction X. The border of the display area 101a near the binding area 101b extends along a second direction Y, which first direction X intersects the second direction Y. For example, the first direction X is perpendicular to the second direction Y. Referring to fig. 1 and 2, fig. 1 may be a cross-sectional view of the display panel along the direction AA in fig. 2.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, the inorganic material layer 102 is located on one side of the flexible substrate 101, the organic material layer 103 is located on one side of the inorganic material layer 102 away from the flexible substrate 101, and the first protective film 104 is located on one side of the organic material layer 103 away from the flexible substrate 101. That is, the inorganic material layer 102, the organic material layer 103, and the first protective film 104 are sequentially stacked in a direction away from the flexible substrate 101.

Wherein the inorganic material layer 102 covers the binding region 101b. Also, the organic material layer 103 and the first protective film 104 each cover the binding region 101b. The thickness h1 of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 near the target boundary 101b1 is smaller than the thickness h2 of the portion distant from the target boundary 101b 1.

Since the inorganic material layer 102 has good gas blocking effect with respect to the organic material layer 103, the inorganic material layer 102 covers the binding region 101b, so that the inorganic material layer 102 can block the gas generated by the flexible substrate 101 when the display panel 10 is manufactured, and avoid the gas from diffusing between the first protective film 104 and the organic material layer 103, and further avoid the first protective film 104 from generating bubbles, and the yield of the display panel 10 is high.

In addition, the target boundary 101b1 is formed by cutting, so in order to avoid that the part of the inorganic material layer 102 close to the target boundary 101b1 has a larger influence on the cutting process, the thickness of the part of the inorganic material layer 102 close to the target boundary 101b1 is smaller than that of the part far from the target boundary 101b1, thereby reducing the probability of generating cracks in the display panel 10 and ensuring the display effect of the display panel 10.

In summary, the embodiment of the application provides a display panel, in which an inorganic material layer covers a binding area of a flexible substrate, so that when the display panel is manufactured, the inorganic material layer can block gas generated by the flexible substrate, avoid gas diffusion between a first protection film and an organic material layer, and further avoid bubbles generated by the first protection film, and the yield of the display panel is higher.

As can be seen with reference to fig. 1, the organic material layer 103 in the display panel 10 may include a planarization layer (planarization layer, PLN) 1031 and a pixel defining layer (pixel definition layer, PDL) 1032.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a display panel with a thickness of 0 a near a portion of an inorganic material layer near a target boundary according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a display panel with a thickness of 1500 angstroms at a portion of an inorganic material layer near a target boundary according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a display panel with a thickness of 8000 angstroms at a portion of an inorganic material layer near a target boundary according to an embodiment of the present application.

The display panels shown in fig. 3 to 5 were subjected to experimental verification, and the experimental verification results showed that the display panel shown in fig. 3 had a probability of generating bubbles of 1.4%, the display panel shown in fig. 4 had a probability of generating bubbles of 0.2%, and the display panel shown in fig. 5 had a probability of generating bubbles of 0%.

As can be seen from the above experimental verification results, the probability of bubble generation of the display panel is inversely related to the thickness h1 of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 in the display panel near the target boundary 101b 1. That is, the thicker the thickness h1 of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 in the display panel 10 near the target boundary 101b1, the smaller the probability of generating bubbles in the display panel 10; the thinner the thickness h1 of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 in the display panel 10 near the target boundary 101b1, the greater the probability of bubbles being generated in the display panel 10.

In the embodiment of the present application, in order to reduce the probability of generating bubbles in the display panel 10 while avoiding a larger influence on the dicing process by the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 near the target boundary 101b1, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 near the target boundary 101b1 may be 1500 angstrom (a) to 8000 angstrom. For example, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 near the target boundary 101b1 is 2000 angstroms, 4000 angstroms, 5000 angstroms, 6000 angstroms, or the like.

Here, although bubbles may be generated in the display panel 10 when the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 near the target boundary 101b1 is 1500 angstroms, the probability (0.2%) thereof is already small, and when the manufacturing accuracy of the display panel is not high, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 near the target boundary 101b1 may be 1500 angstroms.

As can also be seen with reference to fig. 2, the flexible substrate 101 may further comprise a bending region 101c between the display region 101a and the binding region 101 b. The display panel may bend the binding region 101b to the back side along the bending region 101c to reduce the width of the bezel of the display panel.

Also, since the inorganic material layer 102 is likely to generate bending cracks at the time of bending, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 of the display panel 10 located in the bending region 101c can be made small. For example, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 of the display panel 10 located in the bending region 101c is 0. Or the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 of the display panel 10 located in the bending region 101c is smaller than the thickness h1 of the portion near the target boundary 101b 1.

Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an inorganic material layer of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application along the BB direction in fig. 2. As can be seen with reference to fig. 6, the flexible substrate 101 of the display panel 10 includes: a first substrate 1011 and a second substrate 1012. The display panel 10 may further include: a first barrier layer 105 positioned between the first substrate 1011 and the second substrate 1012. The inorganic material layer 102 of the display panel 10 may include: a second barrier 1021, a first buffer 1022, a second buffer 1023, a first gate insulator 1024, a second gate insulating 1025, a first interlayer dielectric (inter level dielectric, ILD) 1026, and a second interlayer dielectric 1027, which are sequentially stacked in a direction of the second substrate 1012 away from the first substrate 1011. Wherein the organic material layer 103 and the first protective film 104 are not shown in fig. 6.

Alternatively, the material of the first substrate 1011 and the second substrate 1012 may be Polyimide (PI). The material of the first barrier layer 105 may include at least one of silicon oxide (SiOx) and amorphous silicon (a-Si). The second blocking layer 1021, the second buffer layer 1023, the first gate insulating layer 1024, and the first interlayer dielectric layer 1026 are all made of silicon oxide. The materials of the first buffer layer 1022, the second gate insulating layer 1025, and the second interlayer dielectric layer 1027 are all silicon nitride (SiNx). Of course, the material of the film layer may be other materials, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Alternatively, the first substrate 1011 of the flexible substrate 101 has a thickness of 85000 angstroms and the second substrate 1012 has a thickness of 85000 angstroms. The thickness of the first barrier layer 105 is 6000 angstroms and the thickness of the second barrier layer 1021 is 5500 angstroms. The material of the first buffer layer 1022 is 1000 angstroms, and the thickness of the second buffer layer 1023 is 3000 angstroms. The first gate insulating layer 1024 has a thickness of 1200 a and the second gate insulating layer 1025 has a thickness of 1300 a. The thickness of the first interlayer dielectric layer 1026 is 2000 angstroms and the thickness of the second interlayer dielectric layer 1027 is 3000 angstroms. In this case, the total thickness H of the inorganic material layer 102 may be 5500 angstroms+1000 angstroms+3000 angstroms+1200 angstroms+1300 angstroms+2000 angstroms+3000 angstroms=17000 angstroms. Of course, the thickness of the film layer may be other thicknesses, which are not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Referring to fig. 6, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located at the bending region 101c may be 0. Alternatively, referring to fig. 7, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located at the bending region 101c may be greater than 0.

In the embodiment of the present application, the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located in the bending region 101c may be etched during the manufacturing process. For example, the portion of the bending region 101c in fig. 6 and 7 may be etched using two etching processes. Alternatively, a single etching process may be used to etch the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located in the bending region 101 c. Alternatively, the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located in the bending region 101c may be etched three or more times by using an etching process. The embodiments of the present application are not limited in this regard.

If the etching is performed by two etching processes, the first etching process may be referred to as edge one-step etching plus interlayer dielectric etching (edge bending step A +ild etch, EBI), and the second etching process may be referred to as edge two-step etching (edge bending step B, EBB).

By way of example, assuming that the total thickness of the inorganic material layer 102 is 14000 angstroms, the etching thickness of the first etching process and the etching thickness of the second etching process are 7000 angstroms, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 of the display panel located at the bending region 101c is 0. Of course, the etching thickness of the first etching process and the etching thickness of the second etching process may also be different, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

Wherein, the etching thickness of each etching process can be controlled by adjusting the etching time. The etching thickness is positively correlated with the etching time, i.e., the longer the etching time is, the thicker the etching thickness is, the shorter the etching time is, and the thinner the etching thickness is.

Fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of another display panel according to an embodiment of the present application. As can be seen with reference to fig. 8, the display panel 10 may further include: a second protective film 106 located on a side of the flexible substrate 101 remote from the inorganic material layer 102. The second protective film 106 corresponds to the first protective film 104, and is used for protecting a film layer between the first protective film 104 and the second protective film 106, avoiding damage to the film layer, and ensuring the quality of the flexible display panel 10.

Fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of another display panel according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 9, the display panel 10 may further include: another inorganic material layer 107 between the organic material layer 103 and the first protective film 104, and another organic material layer 108 between the another inorganic material layer 107 and the first protective film 104. The other inorganic material layer 107 may be an inorganic material layer in a touch structure of the display panel 10, and the other organic material layer 108 may be an organic material layer in a touch structure.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application. The method can be used for preparing the display panel provided by the embodiment. As can be seen with reference to fig. 10, the method may include:

Step 201, forming a flexible base on one side of a substrate base plate.

In the embodiment of the present application, in preparing the display panel 10, a substrate may be obtained first, and then the flexible substrate 101 is formed on one side of the substrate. Wherein the material of the substrate base plate may be a rigid material. For example, the substrate may be a glass (glass) substrate. The material of the flexible substrate 101 may be a flexible material, for example PI.

Fig. 11 is a top view of a flexible substrate prior to dicing provided in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 11, the flexible substrate 101 before cutting has a display area 101a and a binding area 101b located at one side of the display area 101 a. The binding region 101b may include a cut region b1 and a non-cut region b2. The cut region b1 is close to the edge of the flexible substrate 101 with respect to the non-cut region b2. In which two cut regions b1 and a non-cut region b2 located between the two cut regions b1 are shown in fig. 11.

Step 202, forming an inorganic material layer covering the binding area on one side of the flexible base away from the substrate base plate.

In the embodiment of the present application, after forming the flexible base 101 at one side of the substrate, the inorganic material layer 102 may be formed at a side of the flexible base 101 remote from the substrate. The inorganic material layer 102 may cover the bonding region 101b, and a thickness h1 of a portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located at the cutting region b1 is smaller than a thickness h2 of a portion located at the non-cutting region b2.

And 203, sequentially forming an organic material layer and a first protective film on one side of the inorganic material layer away from the flexible substrate.

In the embodiment of the present application, after the inorganic material layer 102 is formed on the side of the flexible base 101 away from the substrate base, the organic material layer 103 and the first protective film 104 may be sequentially formed on the side of the inorganic material layer 102 away from the flexible base 101. The first protective film 104 may be used to protect the inorganic material layer 102 and the organic material layer 103 formed on the flexible substrate 101.

Step 204, peeling the flexible base from the substrate base.

Fig. 12 is a schematic view of the flexible substrate provided in an embodiment of the present application after being peeled from the substrate base. Referring to fig. 12, the inorganic material layer 102 may cover the bonding region 101b, and a thickness h1 of a portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located at the cutting region b1 is smaller than a thickness h2 of a portion located at the non-cutting region b 2.

Because the inorganic material layer 102 formed on the flexible substrate 101 has good gas blocking effect with respect to the organic material layer 103, the inorganic material layer 102 covers the binding region 101b, so that when the flexible substrate 101 is peeled off from the substrate, the inorganic material layer 102 can block the gas generated by the flexible substrate 101, avoid the gas from diffusing between the first protective film 104 and the organic material layer 103, and further avoid the first protective film 104 from generating bubbles, and improve the yield of the display panel.

Step 205, cutting the flexible substrate along the cutting line in the cutting area, the inorganic material layer, the organic material layer and the first protective film.

After the flexible base 101 is peeled off from the substrate base, the flexible base 101, and the inorganic material layer 102, the organic material layer 103, and the first protective film 104 formed on one side of the flexible base 101 may be integrated. Thereby, the flexible substrate 101, the inorganic material layer 102, the organic material layer 103, and the first protective film 104 can be cut along the cutting lines b11 in the cutting region b 1.

Alternatively, the cutting line b11 extends in the first direction X, and the display area 101a extends in the second direction Y near the boundary of the binding area 101 b. The first direction X intersects the second direction Y. The first direction X is, for example, perpendicular to the second direction Y.

In the embodiment of the present application, after cutting along the cutting line b11 is completed in conjunction with fig. 2 and 11, a side of the cutting line b11 in the cutting region b1 away from the non-cutting region b2 may be cut off. Since the cutting line b11 is located in the cutting region b1, a portion of the cutting region b1 may be cut off and another portion may be left.

By way of example, in fig. 11, the flexible substrate 101 has two cut regions b1, and the non-cut region b2 is located between the two cut regions b 1. After cutting along the cut line cut b11 of each of the two cut regions b1 is completed, the upper left corner and the upper right corner of the flexible substrate 101 may be cut off.

In this embodiment of the present application, in order to avoid the greater influence of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located in the cutting area b1 on the cutting process, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located in the cutting area b1 may be smaller than the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer located in the non-cutting area b2, so as to reduce the probability of generating cracks in the display panel 10 and ensure the display effect of the display panel 10.

In summary, the embodiment of the application provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, where an inorganic material layer in the display panel manufactured by the method covers a binding area of a flexible substrate, so when the flexible substrate in the display panel is peeled off from a substrate, the inorganic material layer can block gas generated by the flexible substrate, avoid gas diffusion between a first protection film and an organic material layer, and further avoid bubbles generated by the first protection film, and the yield of the display panel is higher.

Fig. 13 is a flowchart of another method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application. The method may be used to prepare the display panel 10 provided in the above-described embodiments. Referring to fig. 13, the method may include:

step 301, forming a flexible base on one side of a substrate base plate.

In the embodiment of the present application, in preparing the display panel 10, a substrate may be obtained first, and then the flexible substrate 101 is formed on one side of the substrate. Wherein the material of the substrate base plate may be a rigid material. For example, the substrate may be a glass substrate. The material of the flexible substrate 101 may be a flexible material, for example PI.

Referring to fig. 11, the flexible substrate before cutting has a display area 101a, a binding area 101b located at one side of the display area 101a, and a bending area 101c located between the display area 101a and the binding area 101 b. The binding region 101b includes a cut region b1 and a non-cut region b2, and the cut region b1 is close to the edge of the flexible substrate 101 with respect to the non-cut region b 2.

Step 302, forming a thin film of inorganic material covering the binding area on the side of the flexible base away from the substrate base plate.

In the embodiment of the present application, after forming the flexible base 101 at one side of the substrate, a thin film of inorganic material may be formed at a side of the flexible base 101 remote from the substrate. The inorganic material film may cover the bonding region 101b, and the inorganic material film may be located at the bending region 101c and the display region 101a.

And 303, etching the part of the inorganic material film located in the bending area and the part of the cutting area to obtain the inorganic material layer.

In the embodiment of the present application, the thickness of the inorganic material layer 102 in the portion of the cut region b1 is smaller than that in the portion of the non-cut region b 2. And, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located at the bending region 101c is smaller than or equal to the thickness of the portion located at the cutting region b 1.

Optionally, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located at the non-cutting region b2 is 12000 angstroms to 17000 angstroms, for example 14000 angstroms. The thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located at the dicing area b1 is 1500 to 8000 a, for example, 2000 a, 4000 a, 5000 a or 6000 a.

In this embodiment of the present application, the first etching process and the second etching process may be sequentially used to etch the inorganic material film, so as to obtain the inorganic material layer 102, and at least one of the first etching process and the second etching process may be used to etch a portion of the inorganic material film located in the cutting region b 1. That is, the inorganic material thin film may be etched using two etching processes to obtain the inorganic material layer 102.

By way of example, as an alternative implementation, referring to fig. 14, the use of two etching processes to obtain the inorganic material layer 102 includes the following steps:

and step 3031a, exposing the inorganic material film by adopting a first mask plate.

In the embodiment of the present application, before the inorganic material film is exposed by using the first mask plate, a photoresist may be coated on a side of the inorganic material film away from the flexible substrate 101. Then, the photoresist on the side of the inorganic material film far away from the flexible substrate 101 is exposed by using the first mask plate.

Referring to fig. 15, the first mask plate 401 has a first mask region 401a and a second mask region 401b having different light transmittance. The orthographic projection of the first mask region 401a on the flexible substrate 101 does not overlap with the cut region b1 and overlaps with the bent region 101 c. The orthographic projection of the second mask region 401b on the flexible substrate 101 overlaps the non-cutting region b2 and overlaps the cutting region b 1. The first mask plate 401 of fig. 15 only shows mask regions corresponding to the binding region 101b and the bending region 101c, and does not show mask regions corresponding to the display region 101 a.

In this embodiment, if the photoresist coated on the side of the inorganic material film far from the flexible substrate 101 is a positive photoresist, the first mask region 401a of the first mask plate 401 may be an opening, and the second mask region 401b may be a region with a solid material. If the photoresist coated on the side of the inorganic material film far from the flexible substrate 101 is a negative photoresist, the first mask region 401a of the first mask plate may be a region having a solid material, and the second mask region 401b may be an opening.

And step 3032a, etching the area corresponding to the first mask area in the exposed inorganic material film by adopting a first etching process to obtain an initial inorganic material layer.

In the embodiment of the present application, after exposing the photoresist on the side of the inorganic material film far from the flexible substrate 101 by using the first mask plate 401, the photoresist may be developed by using a developing solution. And then etching the region corresponding to the first mask region 401a in the exposed inorganic material film by adopting a first etching process to obtain an initial inorganic material layer.

After the photoresist is developed, a portion of the photoresist corresponding to the first mask region 401a is dissolved in a developing solution, and a portion of the photoresist corresponding to the second mask region 401b is not dissolved in the developing solution. Thereby, a portion of the inorganic material thin film corresponding to the first mask region 401a can be etched, and a portion of the region corresponding to the second mask region 401b can be left. The etching thickness of the first etching process is the first thickness.

Since the orthographic projection of the first mask region 401a on the flexible substrate 101 is not overlapped with the cut region b1 and is overlapped with the bent region 101c, a portion of the inorganic material thin film located at the cut region b1 may remain after the etching of the first etching process is completed, and a portion located at the bent region 101c may be etched. That is, after step 3032a is performed, the thickness of the portion of the initial inorganic material layer located at the binding region 101b (the cut region b1 and the non-cut region b 2) is still the thickness of the inorganic material film, and the thickness of the portion of the initial inorganic material layer located at the bending region 101c is the difference of the thickness of the inorganic material film minus the first thickness.

And step 3033a, exposing the initial inorganic material layer by adopting a second mask plate.

In embodiments of the present application, a photoresist may be coated on a side of the initial inorganic material layer remote from the flexible substrate 101 prior to exposing the initial inorganic material layer using the second mask plate 402. Then, the photoresist on the side of the initial inorganic material layer far from the flexible substrate 101 is exposed by using the second mask plate 402.

Referring to fig. 16, the second mask plate 402 has a third mask region 402a and a fourth mask region 402b having different light transmittance. The orthographic projection of the third mask region 402a on the flexible substrate 101 overlaps the cut region b1 and overlaps the bent region 101 c. The orthographic projection of the second mask region 401b on the flexible substrate 101 overlaps the non-cutting region b 2. The second mask plate 402 in fig. 16 shows only mask regions corresponding to the binding region 101b and the bending region 101c, and does not show mask regions corresponding to the display region 101 a.

In this embodiment, if the photoresist coated on the side of the initial inorganic material layer away from the flexible substrate 101 is a positive photoresist, the third mask region 402a of the second mask plate 402 may be an opening, and the fourth mask region 402b may be a region with a solid material. If the photoresist coated on the side of the initial inorganic material layer away from the flexible substrate 101 is a negative photoresist, the third mask region 402a of the second mask plate 402 may be a region having a solid material, and the fourth mask region 402b may be an opening.

And step 3034a, etching the area corresponding to the third mask area in the exposed initial inorganic material layer by adopting a second etching process to obtain the inorganic material layer.

In the embodiment of the present application, after exposing the photoresist on the side of the initial inorganic material layer away from the flexible substrate 101 using the second mask plate 402, the photoresist may be developed using a developing solution. And then, etching the area corresponding to the third mask area 402a in the exposed initial inorganic material layer by adopting a second etching process. Finally, the photoresist is removed to obtain the inorganic material layer 102.

After the photoresist is developed, a portion of the photoresist corresponding to the third mask region 402a is dissolved in the developing solution, and a portion of the photoresist corresponding to the fourth mask region 402b is not dissolved in the developing solution. Thereby, a portion of the initial inorganic material layer corresponding to the third mask region 402a may be etched, and a portion of the region corresponding to the fourth mask region 402b may remain. The etching thickness of the second etching process is the second thickness.

Since the orthographic projection of the third mask region 402a on the flexible substrate 101 overlaps the cut region b1 and overlaps the bent region 101c, both the portion of the initial inorganic material layer located at the cut region b1 and the portion located at the bent region 101c may be etched after the second etching process is completed. That is, after step 3034a is performed, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located at the cutting region b1 is the difference of the thickness of the inorganic material film minus the second thickness, and the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located at the bending region 101c is the difference of the thickness of the inorganic material film minus the first thickness and minus the second thickness.

In this embodiment, since the portion of the inorganic material thin film located in the cut region b1 is etched once and the portion located in the bending region 101c is etched twice, the thickness of the portion located in the bending region 101c of the inorganic material layer 102 is formed to be smaller than the thickness of the portion located in the cut region b 1.

As an example, assuming that the thickness of the inorganic material thin film is 14000 a, the first thickness is 7000 a, and the second thickness is 7000 a, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located in the bending region 101c is 14000 a to 7000 a=0 a, and the thickness of the portion located in the dicing region b1 is 14000 a to 7000 a=7000 a.

Referring to fig. 15 and 16, it can be seen that the width d1 of the region of the first mask 401 corresponding to the bending region 101c is greater than the width d1 of the region of the third mask 403a corresponding to the bending region 101c in the second mask 402. The area of the orthographic projection of the opening of the inorganic material layer 102 formed by the second etching process on the flexible substrate 101 may be thus made smaller than the area of the orthographic projection of the opening of the inorganic material layer 102 formed by the first etching process on the flexible substrate 101 (e.g., fig. 6 and 7). And, the front projection of the opening of the inorganic material layer 102 formed by the second etching process on the flexible substrate 101 is located in the front projection of the opening of the inorganic material layer 102 formed by the first etching process on the flexible substrate 101.

Alternatively, as another alternative implementation, referring to fig. 17, the obtaining the inorganic material layer 102 using the two etching processes includes the following steps:

and step 3031b, exposing the inorganic material film by adopting a third mask plate.

In the embodiment of the present application, before the third mask is used to expose the inorganic material film, a photoresist may be coated on a side of the inorganic material film away from the flexible substrate 101. Then, the photoresist on the side of the inorganic material film far away from the flexible substrate 101 is exposed by using the first mask plate.

Referring to fig. 18, the third mask plate 403 has a fifth mask region 403a and a sixth mask region 403b having different light transmittance. The front projection of the fifth mask region 403a on the flexible substrate 101 overlaps the cut region b1 and overlaps the folded region 101 c. The orthographic projection of the sixth mask region 403b on the flexible substrate 101 overlaps the non-cutting region b 2. The third mask plate 403 in fig. 18 shows only mask regions corresponding to the binding region 101b and the bending region 101c, and does not show mask regions corresponding to the display region 101 a.

In this embodiment, if the photoresist coated on the side of the inorganic material film far from the flexible substrate 101 is a positive photoresist, the fifth mask region 403a of the third mask plate 403 may be an opening, and the sixth mask region 403b may be a region with a solid material. If the photoresist coated on the side of the inorganic material film away from the flexible substrate 101 is a negative photoresist, the fifth mask region 403a of the third mask plate 403 may be a region having a solid material, and the sixth mask region 403b may be an opening.

And step 3032b, etching the region corresponding to the fifth mask region in the exposed inorganic material film by adopting a first etching process to obtain an initial inorganic material layer.

In the embodiment of the present application, after exposing the photoresist on the side of the inorganic material film far from the flexible substrate 101 with the third mask, the photoresist may be developed with a developing solution. And then etching the region corresponding to the third mask region 402a in the exposed inorganic material film by adopting a second etching process to obtain an initial inorganic material layer.

After the photoresist is developed, a portion of the photoresist corresponding to the third mask region 402a is dissolved in the developing solution, and a portion of the photoresist corresponding to the fourth mask region 402b is not dissolved in the developing solution. Thereby, a portion of the inorganic material thin film corresponding to the third mask region 402a may be etched, and a portion of the region corresponding to the fourth mask region 402b may remain. The etching thickness of the first etching process is the first thickness.

Since the orthographic projection of the first mask region 401a on the flexible substrate 101 overlaps the cut region b1 and overlaps the bent region 101c, a portion of the inorganic material thin film located at the cut region b1 and a portion located at the bent region 101c may be etched after the etching of the first etching process is completed. That is, after step 3032b is performed, the thickness of the portion of the initial inorganic material layer located at the non-cutting region b2 of the bonding region 101b is still the thickness of the inorganic material film, and the thickness of the portion of the initial inorganic material layer located at the cutting region b1 of the bonding region 101b and the thickness of the portion located at the bending region 101c are both the difference of the thickness of the inorganic material film minus the first thickness.

And step 3033b, exposing the initial inorganic material layer by adopting a fourth mask plate.

In embodiments of the present application, a photoresist may be coated on a side of the initial inorganic material layer remote from the flexible substrate 101 prior to exposing the initial inorganic material layer using the fourth mask 404. Then, the photoresist on the side of the initial inorganic material layer far from the flexible substrate 101 is exposed by using the fourth mask 404.

Referring to fig. 19, the fourth mask plate 404 has a seventh mask region 404a and an eighth mask region 404b having different light transmittance. The front projection of the seventh mask region 404a on the flexible substrate 101 overlaps the cut region b1 and overlaps the bent region 101 c. The orthographic projection of the eighth mask region 404b on the flexible substrate 101 overlaps the non-cutting region b 2. The fourth mask plate 404 in fig. 19 only shows mask regions corresponding to the binding region 101b and the bending region 101c, and does not show mask regions corresponding to the display region 101 a.

In this embodiment, if the photoresist coated on the side of the initial inorganic material layer away from the flexible substrate 101 is a positive photoresist, the seventh mask region 404a of the fourth mask 404 may be an opening, and the eighth mask region 404b may be a region with a solid material. If the photoresist coated on the side of the initial inorganic material layer away from the flexible substrate 101 is a negative photoresist, the seventh mask region 404a of the fourth mask 404 may be a region having a solid material, and the eighth mask region 404b may be an opening.

And step 3034b, etching the region corresponding to the seventh mask region in the exposed initial inorganic material layer by adopting a second etching process to obtain the inorganic material layer.

In the embodiment of the present application, after exposing the photoresist on the side of the initial inorganic material layer away from the flexible substrate 101 using the fourth mask 404, the photoresist may be developed using a developing solution. Then, the region corresponding to the seventh mask region 404a in the exposed initial inorganic material layer is etched using a second etching process. Finally, the photoresist is removed to obtain the inorganic material layer 102.

After the photoresist is developed, a portion of the photoresist corresponding to the seventh mask region 404a is dissolved in the developer, and a portion of the photoresist corresponding to the eighth mask region 404b is not dissolved in the developer. Thereby, a portion of the region of the initial inorganic material layer corresponding to the seventh mask region 404a may be etched, and a portion of the region corresponding to the eighth mask region 404b may remain. The etching thickness of the second etching process is the second thickness.

Since the orthographic projection of the seventh mask region 404a on the flexible substrate 101 overlaps the cut region b1 and overlaps the bent region 101c, both the portion of the initial inorganic material layer located at the cut region b1 and the portion located at the bent region 101c may be etched after the second etching process is completed. That is, after step 3034b is performed, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located at the cut region b1 and the thickness of the portion located at the bent region 101c are both the difference of the inorganic material thin film minus the first thickness and minus the second thickness.

In this embodiment, since the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located in the cutting region b1 and the portion located in the bending region 101c are etched twice, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located in the bending region 101c is formed to be equal to the thickness of the portion located in the cutting region b 1. Also, in order to cause the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 formed at the cutting region b1 to retain an inorganic material of a certain thickness, the sum of the first thickness and the second thickness needs to be made smaller than the thickness of the inorganic material thin film.

By way of example, assuming that the thickness of the inorganic material thin film is 14000 a, the first thickness is 7000 a, and the second thickness is 5000 a, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located at the bending region 101c and the thickness of the portion located at the cutting region b1 are 14000 a-7000 a-5000 a=2000 a.

Referring to fig. 18 and 19, it can be seen that the width d3 of the region of the third mask plate 403 corresponding to the bending region 101c of the fifth mask region 403 is greater than the width d4 of the region of the fourth mask plate 404 corresponding to the bending region 101c of the seventh mask region 404 a. The area of the orthographic projection of the opening of the inorganic material layer 102 formed by the second etching process on the flexible substrate 101 may be thus made smaller than the area of the orthographic projection of the opening of the inorganic material layer 102 formed by the first etching process on the flexible substrate 101 (e.g., fig. 6 and 7). And, the front projection of the opening of the inorganic material layer 102 formed by the second etching process on the flexible substrate 101 is located in the front projection of the opening of the inorganic material layer 102 formed by the first etching process on the flexible substrate 101.

In the embodiment of the present application, the third etching process may be used to etch the inorganic material film, so as to obtain the inorganic material layer 102. That is, the inorganic material thin film may be etched using one etching process to obtain the inorganic material layer 102.

For example, referring to fig. 20, the inorganic material layer 102 obtained by one etching process includes the following steps:

and step 3031c, exposing the inorganic material film by adopting a fifth mask plate.

In the embodiment of the present application, before the inorganic material thin film is exposed by using the fifth mask plate 505, a photoresist may be coated on a side of the inorganic material thin film away from the flexible substrate 101. Then, the photoresist on the side of the inorganic material film far away from the flexible substrate 101 is exposed by using a fifth mask plate.

Referring to fig. 21, the fifth mask plate 505 has a ninth mask region 405a and a tenth mask region 405b having different light transmittance. The front projection of the ninth mask region 405a on the flexible substrate 101 overlaps the cut region b1 and overlaps the folded region 101 c. The orthographic projection of the tenth mask region 405b on the flexible substrate 101 overlaps with the non-cutting region b 2. The fifth mask plate 505 in fig. 21 shows only mask regions corresponding to the binding region 101b and the bending region 101c, and does not show mask regions corresponding to the display region 101 a.

In this embodiment, if the photoresist coated on the side of the inorganic material film away from the flexible substrate 101 is a positive photoresist, the ninth mask region 405a of the fifth mask 505 may be an opening, and the tenth mask region 405b is an area with a solid material. If the photoresist coated on the side of the inorganic material film away from the flexible substrate 101 is a negative photoresist, the ninth mask region 405a of the fifth mask 505 may be a region having a solid material, and the tenth mask region 405b may be an opening.

And step 3032c, etching the region corresponding to the ninth mask region in the exposed inorganic material film by adopting a third etching process to obtain the inorganic material layer.

In the embodiment of the present application, after exposing the photoresist on the side of the inorganic material thin film far from the flexible substrate 101 with the fifth mask plate 505, the photoresist may be developed with a developing solution. And then etching the region corresponding to the ninth mask region 405a in the exposed inorganic material film by adopting a second etching process. Finally, the photoresist is removed to obtain the inorganic material layer 102.

After the photoresist is developed, a portion of the photoresist corresponding to the region of the ninth mask 405a is dissolved in the developer, and a portion of the photoresist corresponding to the region of the tenth mask 405b is not dissolved in the developer. Thereby, a portion of the inorganic material thin film corresponding to the ninth mask region 405a can be etched, and a portion of the inorganic material thin film corresponding to the tenth mask region 405b can be left. The etching thickness of the third etching process is the third thickness.

Since the orthographic projection of the ninth mask region 405a on the flexible substrate 101 overlaps the cut region b1 and overlaps the bent region 101c, both the portion of the inorganic material thin film located at the cut region b1 and the portion located at the bent region 101c may be etched after the third etching process is completed. That is, after step 3032c is performed, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located at the cut region b1 and the thickness of the portion located at the bent region 101c are both the difference of the inorganic material thin film minus the third thickness.

In this embodiment, since the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located in the cutting region b1 and the portion located in the bending region 101c are etched once, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located in the bending region 101c is formed to be equal to the thickness of the portion located in the cutting region b 1. Also, in order to cause the portion of the formed inorganic material layer 102 located in the cutting region b1 to retain an inorganic material of a certain thickness, the third thickness needs to be made smaller than the thickness of the inorganic material thin film.

By way of example, assuming that the thickness of the inorganic material thin film is 14000 a and the third thickness is 9000 a, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located in the bending region 101c and the thickness of the portion located in the cutting region b1 are 14000 a to 9000 a=5000 a.

Alternatively, the shapes and sizes of the second mask 402, the fourth mask 404, and the fifth mask 405 may be the same. For example, the second mask 402, the fourth mask 404, and the fifth mask 405 may be the same mask. Alternatively, the second mask 402, the fourth mask 404 and the fifth mask 405 may be different masks. Of course, the shapes and sizes of the second mask 402, the fourth mask 404, and the fifth mask 405 may also be different. The embodiments of the present application are not limited in this regard.

In the embodiment of the present application, in addition to etching the inorganic material film by using two etching processes or one etching process to obtain the inorganic material layer 102, the inorganic material film may be etched by using three etching processes or more. The embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto, and the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located in the cutting region b1 is only required to be smaller than the thickness of the portion of the non-cutting region b2, and the thickness of the portion of the bending region 101c is smaller than or equal to the thickness of the portion of the cutting region b 1.

And 304, sequentially forming an organic material layer and a first protective film on one side of the inorganic material layer away from the flexible substrate.

In the embodiment of the present application, after the inorganic material layer 102 is obtained, the organic material layer 103 and the first protective film 104 may be sequentially formed on the side of the inorganic material layer 102 remote from the flexible substrate 101. The first protective film 104 may be used to protect the inorganic material layer 102 and the organic material layer 103 formed on the flexible substrate 101.

Step 305, peeling the flexible base from the substrate by using a laser peeling process.

In this embodiment of the present application, since the inorganic material layer 102 formed on the flexible substrate 101 has a good effect of blocking gas with respect to the organic material layer 103, the inorganic material layer 102 covers the binding area 101b (the cutting area b1 and the non-cutting area b 2), so that when the flexible substrate 101 is peeled off from the substrate, the inorganic material layer 102 can block the gas generated by the flexible substrate 101, avoid the gas from diffusing between the first protective film 104 and the organic material layer 103, and further avoid the first protective film 104 from generating bubbles, thereby improving the yield of the display panel.

Step 306, forming a second protective film 106 on the side of the flexible substrate 101 away from the inorganic material layer 102.

In the embodiment of the present application, after the flexible base 101 is peeled off from the substrate base, the second protective film 106 may be formed on the side of the flexible base 101 away from the inorganic material layer 102. The second protective film 106 corresponds to the first protective film 104, and is used for protecting a film layer between the first protective film 104 and the second protective film 106, avoiding damage to the film layer, and ensuring the quality of the flexible display panel.

Step 307, cutting the second protective film 106, the flexible substrate 101, the inorganic material layer 102, the organic material layer 103, and the first protective film 104 along the cutting line in the cutting region b 1.

In the embodiment of the present application, the flexible substrate 101, the inorganic material layer 102, the organic material layer 103, the first protective film 104, and the second protective film 106 formed on the flexible substrate 101 may be an integral body. Thereby, the flexible substrate 101, the inorganic material layer 102, the organic material layer 103, the first protective film 104, and the second protective film 106 can be cut along the cutting line b11 in the cutting region b 1.

Alternatively, the cutting line b11 extends along the first direction X, and the boundary of the display area 101a near the binding area 101b extends along the second direction Y, and the first direction X intersects the second direction Y. The first direction X is, for example, perpendicular to the second direction Y.

In the embodiment of the present application, after cutting along the cutting line b11 is completed, the side of the cutting line b11 in the cutting region b1 away from the non-cutting region b2 may be cut off. Since the cutting line b11 is located in the cutting region b1, a portion of the cutting region b1 may be cut off and another portion may be left.

By way of example, in fig. 11, the flexible substrate 101 has two cut regions b1, and the non-cut region b2 is located between the two cut regions b 1. After cutting along the cutting line of each of the two cutting regions b1 is completed, the upper left corner and the upper right corner of the flexible substrate 101 may be cut off.

In this embodiment of the present application, in order to avoid that the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located in the cutting area b1 has a larger influence on the cutting process, the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 formed in the step 303 located in the cutting area b1 is smaller than that of the portion of the inorganic material layer 102 located in the non-cutting area b2, so that the probability of generating cracks in the display panel can be reduced, and the display effect of the display panel is ensured.

Fig. 22 is a schematic structural diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to fig. 22, the display device may include: the power supply assembly 50 and the display panel 10 as provided in the above embodiments. The power supply assembly 50 may be used to power the display panel 10.

Optionally, the display device may be any product or component with a display function and a fingerprint recognition function, such as an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel, electronic paper, mobile phone, tablet computer, television, display, notebook computer, digital photo frame, or navigator.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, since it is intended that all modifications, equivalents, improvements, etc. that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A display panel, the display panel comprising:

and a first protective film on a side of the organic material layer away from the flexible substrate;

The flexible substrate includes: a first substrate and a second substrate;

the display panel further includes: a first barrier layer between the first substrate and the second substrate;

the inorganic material layer includes: the second barrier layer, the first buffer layer, the second buffer layer, the first gate insulating layer, the second gate insulating layer, the first interlayer dielectric layer and the second interlayer dielectric layer are sequentially laminated in the direction that the second substrate is far away from the first substrate;

the flexible substrate further includes a bending region between the display region and the binding region, a portion of the inorganic material layer located at the bending region having a thickness of 0, the portion of the inorganic material layer located at the bending region being configured to be etched during the manufacturing process.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of a portion of the inorganic material layer near the target boundary is 1500 to 8000 angstroms.

3. The display panel of claim 2, wherein a portion of the inorganic material layer proximate the target boundary has a thickness of 2000 angstroms.

4. A method for manufacturing a display panel, the method comprising:

Forming a flexible base on one side of a substrate base plate, the flexible base comprising: a first substrate and a second substrate, the flexible substrate having a display area and a binding area located on one side of the display area, the binding area including a cut area and a non-cut area, the cut area being proximate to an edge of the flexible substrate relative to the non-cut area;

forming an inorganic material layer covering the binding region on a side of the flexible base away from the substrate base plate, comprising:

the flexible substrate further has a bending region located between the display region and the binding region, etching a portion of the inorganic material film located in the bending region and a portion of the inorganic material film located in the cutting region to obtain an inorganic material layer, wherein the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer located in the bending region is 0, and the thickness of the portion of the inorganic material layer located in the cutting region is smaller than that of the portion located in the non-cutting region, and the display panel includes: a first barrier layer between the first substrate and the second substrate, the inorganic material layer comprising: the second barrier layer, the first buffer layer, the second buffer layer, the first gate insulating layer, the second gate insulating layer, the first interlayer dielectric layer and the second interlayer dielectric layer are sequentially laminated in the direction that the second substrate is far away from the first substrate;

peeling the flexible base from the substrate base;

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein etching the portion of the inorganic material film located in the bending region and the portion of the cutting region to obtain the inorganic material layer comprises:

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the etching the inorganic material film sequentially by a first etching process and a second etching process to obtain the inorganic material layer comprises:

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the etching the inorganic material film sequentially by a first etching process and a second etching process to obtain the inorganic material layer comprises:

exposing the initial inorganic material layer by adopting a fourth mask plate, wherein the second mask plate is provided with a seventh mask region and an eighth mask region with different light transmittance;

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein etching the portion of the inorganic material film located in the bending region and the portion of the cutting region to obtain the inorganic material layer comprises:

9. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein a thickness of a portion of the inorganic material layer located at the bending region is smaller than or equal to a thickness of a portion located at the cutting region.

10. The method of any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the portion of the inorganic material layer located at the dicing area has a thickness of 1500 to 8000 a.

11. The method of any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein after the flexible base is peeled from the substrate base, the method further comprises:

12. The method of any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the peeling the flexible base from the substrate base comprises:

13. A display device, characterized in that the display device comprises: a power supply assembly and the display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3;

the power supply assembly is used for supplying power to the display panel.