TW202326245A - Display panel and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A display panel and manufacturing method thereof are provided. The display panel includes a substrate, an active element, a drive circuit element, a first connection circuit, a second connection circuit and a conductive connector. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The active element is disposed on the first surface. The drive circuit element is disposed on the second surface and is overlapped with the active element. The first connection circuit is disposed on the first surface and is connected with the active element. The second connection circuit is disposed on the second surface and is connected with the drive circuit element. The conductive connector penetrates through the substrate and the two ends of the conductive connector electrically connect to the first connection circuit and the second connection circuit, respectively.

Description

Display panel and manufacturing method thereof

The present invention relates to a panel and its manufacturing method, and in particular to a display panel and its manufacturing method.

With the popularization of electronic products, various display technologies are constantly improving to meet the needs of more applications. For example, the frame of the display panel is continuously narrowed to meet the needs of consumers. However, the frame of the display panel is limited by the arrangement of peripheral circuits and driving electronic components, so it is difficult to achieve a state of extremely narrow frame or no frame. Generally speaking, in order to achieve a narrow frame design, the line width or line spacing of the peripheral lines of the display area will be reduced. However, when the size of the display panel is enlarged, the thin lines may cause an increase in resistance and capacitance loads, which will degrade the transmission quality of the circuit.

The present invention provides a display panel with extremely narrow frame or nearly no frame.

The invention provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, which can reduce the frame of the display panel.

The display panel of the present invention includes a substrate, an active element, a driving circuit element, a first connection circuit, a second connection circuit and a conductive connector. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The active element is disposed on the first surface. The drive circuit element is disposed on the second surface and overlaps the active element. The first connection line is arranged on the first surface and connected with the active element. The second connection line is arranged on the second surface and connected with the driving circuit element. The conductive connector runs through the substrate, and the two ends of the conductive connector are respectively electrically connected to the first connection circuit and the second connection circuit.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the width of the above-mentioned conductive connecting member is substantially consistent between the two ends, decreases from one of the two ends to the other, or increases toward the two ends.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned active elements are arranged in an array to define an active area, and the conductive connecting member is located in a peripheral area between the active area and at least one side edge of the substrate.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned first connection lines extend from the active area to the peripheral area.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned active elements are arranged in an array to define an active area, and the conductive connection is located in the active area.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned first connecting circuit includes a connecting pad disposed on the first surface and covering the conductive connecting element. The projected area of the connection pad on the first surface is larger than the end surface area of the conductive connector on the first surface.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the area of the end surface of the above-mentioned conductive connecting member on the first surface is smaller than the area of the end surface on the second surface.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned display panel further includes a display layer disposed on the first surface, and the active device is adapted to drive the display layer.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the number of the above-mentioned conductive connectors is multiple and arranged in multiple rows between the active device array formed by the active devices and the side edge of the substrate.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the above-mentioned two adjacent conductive connectors is from 100 microns to 400 microns. The distance between two adjacent conductive connectors is greater than the distance between two adjacent active elements.

In an embodiment of the present invention, each of the above-mentioned conductive connecting elements has a width ranging from 50 microns to 200 microns.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the number of the above-mentioned conductive connectors is multiple, the number of the first connection lines is multiple, and the conductive connectors connected to two adjacent first connection lines are located at different columns.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the width of the position of the above-mentioned conductive connecting member in the X direction is smaller than or equal to the width of the active device array formed by the active devices.

In an embodiment of the present invention, there are multiple conductive connectors, and at least two of the conductive connectors are staggered in a direction parallel to the first connection line.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned second connecting circuit is connected between the driving circuit element and the conductive connecting member in a multi-segment manner.

The manufacturing method of the display panel of the present invention includes providing a substrate. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. A via hole is formed through the substrate. A conductive material is filled into the via to form a conductive connection. Active components are formed on the first surface. A first connection line is formed on the first surface to connect with the active element and the conductive connector. A second connection line is formed on the second surface to connect with the conductive connector. The driving circuit element is arranged on the second surface and connected with the second connecting line.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned forming the first connection circuit on the first surface includes forming a connection pad on the first surface and covering the conductive connector. The projected area of the connection pad on the first surface is larger than the projected area of the conductive connecting member on the first surface.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned method for forming a through hole penetrating through the substrate includes performing laser drilling from the first surface or/and the second surface.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned method for filling the conductive material into the through hole includes an electroplating method or a vacuum screen printing method.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the method for forming the second connecting lines on the second surface includes gravure printing or reverse lithography. Based on the above, the display panel and its manufacturing method of the present invention form the conductive connectors that penetrate the substrate, so that the driving circuit components and the active components can be respectively disposed on the opposite surfaces of the substrate, and electrically connected to the corresponding lines through the conductive connectors. , thereby reducing the space occupied by the driving circuit components in the frame of the display panel, thereby achieving a display panel with an extremely narrow frame or almost no frame.

The directional terms mentioned in this document, such as "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", etc., are only referring to the directions of the drawings. Accordingly, the directional terms used are illustrative, not limiting, of the invention.

In the drawings, each figure illustrates the general characteristics of methods, structures and/or materials used in particular embodiments. However, these drawings should not be interpreted as defining or limiting the scope or nature encompassed by these embodiments. For example, the relative sizes, thicknesses and positions of layers, regions and/or structures may be reduced or exaggerated for clarity.

In the following embodiments, the same or similar components will use the same or similar symbols, and their redundant description will be omitted. In addition, features in different embodiments can be combined without conflict, and simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the specification or scope of the patent application are still within the scope of the patent.

FIG. 1A is a schematic side view of a display panel according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1B is a schematic top view of the display panel shown in FIG. 1A . FIG. 1C is a schematic bottom view of the display panel shown in FIG. 1A . FIG. 1D is a partially enlarged schematic view of the region R1 in FIG. 1B and the region R2 in FIG. 1C . For clarity, some components are omitted in FIGS. 1B , 1C and 1D , and the omitted parts can be understood with reference to the schematic side view of FIG. 1A .

Referring to FIG. 1A to FIG. 1D , the display panel 10A includes a substrate 100 , an active element 110 , a conductive connector 120 , a first connection circuit 130 , a driving circuit element 140 and a second connection circuit 150 . The substrate 100 has a first surface 101 and a second surface 102 opposite to the first surface 101 . The substrate 100 can be a flexible substrate or a non-flexible substrate, such as a glass substrate, but the invention is not limited thereto. The active devices 110 are disposed on the first surface 101 and arranged in an array to define the active region 101a. The active element 110 includes, for example, a thin film transistor, etc., and the present invention is not limited thereto. It should be understood that FIG. 1A only schematically shows the area where the active device 110 is located, and its specific details can be implemented with reference to existing technologies, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The driving circuit element 140 is disposed on the second surface 102 opposite to the active region 101 a and overlaps the active element 110 . The driving circuit element 140 may be a circuit board, an integrated circuit (IC) or a chip on film (COF), for driving the active element 110 . The first connection line 130 is disposed on the first surface 101 and connected to the active device 110 . The second connection line 150 is disposed on the second surface 102 and connected to the driving circuit element 140 . The conductive connector 120 runs through the substrate 100, and the two ends of the conductive connector 120 are respectively electrically connected to the first connecting circuit 130 and the second connecting circuit 150, so that the driving circuit element 140 can pass through the second connecting circuit 150, the conductive connecting member 120 and the second connecting circuit 150. The first connecting line 130 is electrically connected to the corresponding line of the active device 110 .

In one embodiment, the conductive connection member 120 is located in the peripheral region 101 b between the active region 101 a and at least one side edge of the substrate 100 . For example, as shown in FIG. 1B , the conductive connection member 120 is located in the peripheral region 101 b between the active region 101 a and the lower side edge E1 of the substrate 100 . It should be understood that only one column of conductive connectors 120 is schematically shown in FIG. 1B , but it is not intended to limit the present invention. The quantity or configuration can be adjusted according to actual needs.

In one embodiment, the distance between the conductive connecting elements 120 and the distance between the first connecting lines 130 are about 1:1.

In one embodiment, two end surfaces of the conductive connecting member 120 are substantially aligned with the first surface 101 and the second surface 102 respectively.

In this embodiment, the width of the conductive connecting member 120 is substantially consistent between two ends (refer to FIG. 1A ). For example, the shape of the conductive connector 120 is columnar, and the width W1 of the end of the conductive connector 120 close to the first surface 101 is approximately equal to the width W2 of the end of the conductive connector 120 close to the second surface 102 .

In one embodiment, the width W1 of the end of the conductive connector 120 close to the first surface 101 and the width W2 of the end of the conductive connector 120 close to the second surface 102 are about 50-100 μm.

In one embodiment, the first connection line 130 extends from the active area 101a to the peripheral area 101b. For example, the first connection lines 130 include source lines SL and gate lines GL located in the active area 101a and trace lines TL located in the peripheral area 101b. The source line SL and the gate line GL intersect each other and are electrically connected to the active device 110 . The trace TL extends from the source line SL or the gate line GL to the peripheral region 101 b and is electrically connected to the conductive connection member 120 .

In an embodiment, the first connection line 130 further includes a connection pad 132 . For example, as shown in FIG. 1D , the connection pad 132 is disposed on the first surface 101 , located at the end of the trace TL of the first connection circuit 130 , and covers one end of the conductive connection element 120 . The other end of the conductive connector 120 is exposed on the second surface 102 . The projected area of the connection pad 132 on the first surface 101 is larger than the area of the end surface of the conductive connector 120 on the first surface 101 , thus facilitating the electrical connection between the first connection circuit 130 and the conductive connector 120 . In other embodiments, the end of the second connection circuit 150 may also include a connection pad (not shown) disposed on the second surface 102 and covering the conductive connection element 120 , the present invention is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the line width LW2 of the second connection line 150 may be larger than the line width LW1 of the first connection line 130 . For example, the line width LW2 of the second connection line 150 is about 20 μm, and the line width LW1 of the first connection line 130 is about 10 μm.

In an embodiment, the shape of the connection pad 132 may be circular, oval, rectangular or other suitable shapes, and the invention is not limited thereto.

In one embodiment, the display panel 10A further includes a display layer 160 disposed on the first surface 101 , and the active device 110 is adapted to drive the display layer 160 . The display layer 160 may be a self-luminous display layer, a reflective display layer or other suitable display layers, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The display layer 160 includes, for example, a substrate 162 and a display material layer 164 , and the display material layer 164 is located between the substrate 162 and the substrate 100 . The substrate 162 is, for example, a glass substrate or other suitable substrates, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The material of the display material layer 164 can be suitable materials such as liquid crystal material, organic luminescent material, inorganic luminescent material, etc., and the present invention is not limited thereto.

Since the display panel 10A includes the conductive connectors 120, the driving circuit element 140 can be arranged on the second surface 102 to reduce the space occupied by the peripheral area 101b of the first surface 101, and the space of the first connecting line 130 in the peripheral area 101b can be reduced. The layout of the circuit is dispersed on the second surface 102, so that the frame of the display panel 10A is extremely narrowed.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. The schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 is roughly similar to the schematic side view of FIG. 1A , so the same components recorded in the two embodiments can refer to the foregoing content, and the same configurations in the two embodiments will not be repeated here. In order to clearly illustrate the structure of the substrate 100 , FIG. 2 only shows a partial side view of the substrate 100 , and omits the display layer 160 . The top view and bottom view of this embodiment can be understood with reference to the top view (eg FIG. 1B ) and bottom view (eg FIG. 1C ) of other embodiments. Referring to FIG. 2 , the display panel 10B includes a substrate 100 , active components 110 , conductive connectors 120 a , first connection lines 130 , driving circuit elements 140 and second connection lines 150 . The substrate 100 has a first surface 101 and a second surface 102 opposite to the first surface 101 . The active device 110 is disposed on the first surface 101 . The driving circuit element 140 is disposed on the second surface 102 opposite to the active region 101 a and overlaps the active element 110 . The first connection line 130 is disposed on the first surface 101 and connected to the active device 110 . The second connection line 150 is disposed on the second surface 102 and connected to the driving circuit element 140 . The conductive connector 120a runs through the substrate 100, and the two ends of the conductive connector 120a are respectively electrically connected to the first connection circuit 130 and the second connection circuit 150, so that the driving circuit element 140 can pass through the first connection circuit 130, the conductive connector 120a and The second connecting line 150 is electrically connected to the corresponding line of the active device 110 .

The display panel 10B of this embodiment is different from the embodiment of FIG. 1A in that the width of the conductive connecting member 120 a of the display panel 10B decreases gradually from one of the two ends to the other. For example, the shape of the conductive connecting member 120 a is tapered, and its width gradually decreases from an end close to the second surface 102 to an end close to the first surface 101 . That is to say, the area of the end surface of the conductive connector 120 a on the first surface 101 is smaller than the area of the end surface of the conductive connector 120 a on the second surface 102 . In this way, since the area of the end surface of the conductive connecting member 120 a on the first surface 101 is small, it can facilitate the layout and connection of the first connecting circuit 130 , thereby making the frame of the display panel 10B extremely narrow.

In one embodiment, the width W1' of the end of the conductive connector 120a close to the first surface 101 is about 50% of the width W2' of the end of the conductive connector 120a close to the second surface 102.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. The schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 is roughly similar to the schematic side view of FIG. 1A , so the same components recorded in the two embodiments can refer to the foregoing content, and the same configurations in the two embodiments will not be repeated here. In order to clearly illustrate the structure of the substrate 100 , FIG. 3 only shows a partial side view of the substrate 100 , and omits the display layer 160 . The top view and bottom view of this embodiment can be understood with reference to the top view (eg FIG. 1B ) and bottom view (eg FIG. 1C ) of other embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the display panel 10C includes a substrate 100 , an active element 110 , a conductive connector 120 b , a first connection circuit 130 , a driving circuit element 140 and a second connection circuit 150 . The substrate 100 has a first surface 101 and a second surface 102 opposite to the first surface 101 . The active device 110 is disposed on the first surface 101 . The driving circuit element 140 is disposed on the second surface 102 opposite to the active region 101 a and overlaps the active element 110 . The first connection line 130 is disposed on the first surface 101 and connected to the active device 110 . The second connection line 150 is disposed on the second surface 102 and connected to the driving circuit element 140 . The conductive connector 120b runs through the substrate 100, and the two ends of the conductive connector 120b are electrically connected to the first connection circuit 130 and the second connection circuit 150, so that the driving circuit element 140 can pass through the first connection circuit 130, the conductive connector 120b and The second connecting line 150 is electrically connected to the corresponding line of the active device 110 .

The display panel 10C of this embodiment is different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A in that the width of the conductive connecting member 120b of the display panel 10C increases toward both ends. For example, the shape of the conductive connecting member 120b is an hourglass shape, the width of which is the smallest at the middle and gradually increases toward both ends.

In one embodiment, the minimum width W3" of the conductive connecting member 120b is about 60% to 70% of the width W1" at the end close to the first surface 101, or 60% of the width W2" at the end close to the second surface 102. % to 70%.

FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. The schematic top view of FIG. 4 is substantially similar to the schematic top view of FIG. 1B , so the same components recorded in the two embodiments can refer to the foregoing content, and the same configurations in the two embodiments will not be repeated here. For the enlarged top view and bottom view of the connection pad 132 in FIG. 4 , please refer to FIG. 1D , which is similar to the partial enlarged schematic view of FIG. 1D . The schematic side view of this embodiment can be understood with reference to the schematic side views of other embodiments (such as FIG. 1A , FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 ).

Referring to FIG. 4 , the display panel 10D includes a substrate 100 , an active element 110 , a conductive connector 120 (refer to FIG. 1D ), a first connection circuit 130 , a driving circuit element 140 and a second connection circuit 150 . The substrate 100 has a first surface 101 and a second surface 102 opposite to the first surface 101 . The active device 110 is disposed on the first surface 101 . The driving circuit element 140 is disposed on the second surface 102 opposite to the active region 101 a and overlaps the active element 110 . The first connection line 130 is disposed on the first surface 101 and connected to the active device 110 . An end of the first connection line 130 includes a connection pad 132 covering one end of the conductive connection member 120 . The second connection line 150 is disposed on the second surface 102 and connected to the driving circuit element 140 . The conductive connector 120 runs through the substrate 100, and the two ends of the conductive connector 120 are electrically connected to the first connecting circuit 130 and the second connecting circuit 150, so that the driving circuit element 140 can pass through the first connecting circuit 130, the conductive connecting member 120 and The second connecting line 150 is electrically connected to the corresponding line of the active device 110 .

The display panel 10D of this embodiment is different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B in that the conductive connector 120 of the display panel 10D is located in the peripheral region 101b between the active region 101a and the right edge E2 and the lower edge E1 of the substrate 100, In order to achieve extremely narrow borders of the display panel 10D, a more flexible circuit layout method between the active device 110 and the driving circuit device 140 is provided.

FIG. 5 is a schematic top view of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. The schematic top view of FIG. 5 is substantially similar to the schematic top view of FIG. 1B , so the same components recorded in the two embodiments can refer to the foregoing content, and the same configurations in the two embodiments will not be repeated here. Refer to FIG. 1D for the enlarged top view and bottom view of the connection pad 132 in FIG. 5 , which is similar to the partial enlarged schematic view of FIG. 1D . The schematic side view of this embodiment can be understood with reference to the schematic side views of other embodiments (such as FIG. 1A , FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 ).

Referring to FIG. 5 , the display panel 10E includes a substrate 100 , an active element 110 , a conductive connector 120 (refer to FIG. 1D ), a first connection circuit 130 , a driving circuit element 140 and a second connection circuit 150 . The substrate 100 has a first surface 101 and a second surface 102 opposite to the first surface 101 . The active device 110 is disposed on the first surface 101 . The driving circuit element 140 is disposed on the second surface 102 opposite to the active region 101 a and overlaps the active element 110 . The first connection line 130 is disposed on the first surface 101 and connected to the active device 110 . An end of the first connection line 130 includes a connection pad 132 covering one end of the conductive connection member 120 . The second connection line 150 is disposed on the second surface 102 and connected to the driving circuit element 140 . The conductive connector 120 runs through the substrate 100, and the two ends of the conductive connector 120 are electrically connected to the first connecting circuit 130 and the second connecting circuit 150, so that the driving circuit element 140 can pass through the first connecting circuit 130, the conductive connecting member 120 and The second connecting line 150 is electrically connected to the corresponding line of the active device 110 .

The display panel 10E of this embodiment is different from the embodiment of FIG. 1B in that the conductive connectors 120 of the display panel 10E are located in the peripheral region 101b between the active region 101a and the four side edges of the substrate 100, that is, The conductive connecting element 120 is disposed around the active area 101a. In this way, while realizing extremely narrow borders of the display panel 10E, a more flexible circuit layout method between the active device 110 and the driving circuit device 140 can be provided.

FIG. 6A is a partially enlarged schematic top view of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A only shows a partially enlarged top view of the active area of the display panel, and the top view of FIG. 6A is roughly similar to the top view of FIG. 1B. Therefore, the same components recorded in the two embodiments can refer to the foregoing content, and the two embodiments The same configuration in , will not be repeated here. The schematic side view of this embodiment can be understood with reference to the schematic side views of other embodiments (such as FIG. 1A , FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 ).

Referring to FIG. 6A , the display panel 10F includes a substrate 100 , an active element 110 , a conductive connector 120 a, a first connection circuit 130 ′, a driving circuit element 140 and a second connection circuit 150 . The substrate 100 has a first surface 101 and a second surface 102 opposite to the first surface 101 . The active device 110 is disposed on the first surface 101 . The driving circuit element 140 is disposed on the second surface 102 opposite to the active region 101 a and overlaps the active element 110 . The first connection line 130' is disposed on the first surface 101 and connected to the active device 110. The second connection line 150 is disposed on the second surface 102 and connected to the driving circuit element 140 . The conductive connector 120a runs through the substrate 100, and the two ends of the conductive connector 120a are respectively electrically connected to the first connecting circuit 130' and the second connecting circuit 150, so that the driving circuit element 140 can pass through the first connecting circuit 130' and the conductive connector. 120 a and the second connection line 150 are electrically connected to the corresponding line of the active device 110 .

The display panel 10F of this embodiment is different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B in that the conductive connector 120 of the display panel 10F is located in the active area 101a, and the first connection circuit 130' includes the source line SL, gate polar line GL and connection pad 132 . Since the conductive connector 120 is located in the active area 101a, the wiring located in the peripheral area 101b can be omitted, so that the corresponding circuit of the active element 110 does not need to fan out from the peripheral area 101b, but can be connected to the second surface 102 through the conductive connector 120. The corresponding lines of the driving circuit elements 140 are connected. In this way, the display panel 10F can achieve a display panel with an extremely narrow border or a near borderless display panel.

Fig. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the display panel shown in Fig. 6A taken along line A-A'. Fig. 6C is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the display panel in Fig. 6A taken along line A-A'. FIG. 6D is a schematic cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment of the display panel shown in FIG. 6A along line A-A'. FIG. 6B to FIG. 6D schematically illustrate the connection modes of some conductive connectors 120 and the first connection circuit 130', which take the connection between the conductive connectors 120 and the source line SL as an example, but it should be understood that similar structures It can also be applied to the connection between the conductive connecting member 120 and the gate line GL.

Referring to FIG. 6B to FIG. 6D, the first connection line 130' may be composed of the first metal layer M1, the second metal layer M2 and/or the third metal layer M3. For example, in FIG. 6B , the first metal layer M1 is disposed on the first surface 101 of the substrate 100 , which can constitute the source line SL and the connection pad 132 , and is electrically connected to the conductive connection member 120 . The first metal layer M1 can form the source line SL and the connection pad 132 of the first connection circuit 130 , that is, the source line SL and the connection pad 132 can be formed in the same process.

In FIG. 6C , the first dielectric layer D1 may be disposed on the first surface 101 of the substrate 100 , wherein the first dielectric layer D1 has an opening OP1 exposing the top of the conductive connector 120 . The second metal layer M2 is disposed on the first dielectric layer D1 and filled into the opening OP1 so that the second metal layer M2 is electrically connected to the conductive connection member 120 . The second metal layer M2 can form the source line SL and the connection pad 132 of the first connection circuit 130 , that is, the source line SL and the connection pad 132 can be formed in the same process.

In FIG. 6D , the first dielectric layer D1 may be disposed on the first surface 101 of the substrate 100 , wherein the first dielectric layer D1 has an opening OP1 exposing the top of the conductive connector 120 . The second metal layer M2 is disposed on the first dielectric layer D1 and filled into the opening OP1 so that the second metal layer M2 is electrically connected to the conductive connection member 120 . The second dielectric layer D2 is disposed on the first dielectric layer D1 and the second metal layer M2, wherein the second dielectric layer D2 has an opening OP2 exposing part of the top surface of the second metal layer M2. The third metal layer M3 is disposed on the second dielectric layer D2 and filled into the opening OP2, so that the third metal layer M3 is electrically connected to the conductive connection member 120 through the second metal layer M2. In this embodiment, the source line SL may be formed by the third metal layer M3, and the connection pad 132 may be formed by the second metal layer M2 and the third metal layer M3. In one embodiment, the second metal layer M2 may be the same film layer as the gate line GL, but the invention is not limited thereto.

7A to 7F are schematic diagrams of a manufacturing process of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7A , a substrate 100 is provided. The substrate 100 has a first surface 101 and a second surface 102 opposite to the first surface 101 . The substrate 100 can be a flexible substrate or a non-flexible substrate, such as a glass substrate, but the invention is not limited thereto.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 7A , forming a via hole V1 penetrating through the substrate 100 . For example, laser drilling can be performed from the first surface 101 or the second surface 102 to form columnar or tapered via holes V1. In other embodiments, laser drilling can be performed from the first surface 101 and the second surface 101 to form the hourglass-shaped via hole V1.

In one embodiment, the diameter of the through hole V1 on the first surface 101 or the second surface 102 is about 50-100 μm.

Referring to FIG. 7B , the conductive material is filled into the via hole V1 to form the conductive connection 120 . For example, electroplating may be used to plate conductive material (such as copper) on the surface of the substrate 100 and in the through hole V1 , and then remove the copper on the surface of the substrate 100 to form the conductive connection 120 . In other embodiments, a vacuum screen printing method may be used to dispose a conductive material (such as silver paste) on the via hole V1, and to fill the conductive material into the via hole V1 by vacuum to form the conductive connector 120, thus First, the conductive material can be effectively used, unnecessary waste can be avoided, and the manufacturing process can be simplified.

Referring to FIG. 7C , an active device 110 is formed on the first surface 101 , and a first connection circuit 130 is formed on the first surface 101 to connect with the active device 110 and the conductive connector 120 . The method of forming the active device 110 and the first connection circuit 130 is, for example, a photolithography process, and the active device 110 and the first connection circuit 130 can be formed under the same process procedure. It should be understood that FIG. 7C only schematically shows the area where the active device 110 is located, and its specific details can be implemented with reference to existing technologies, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

In one embodiment, forming the first connection line 130 on the first surface 101 includes forming a connection pad 132 on the first surface 101 and covering the conductive connector 120 . The projected area of the connection pad 132 on the first surface 101 is greater than the area of the end surface of the conductive connecting member 120 on the first surface 101 .

Referring to FIG. 7D , a second connection line 150 is formed on the second surface 102 to connect with the conductive connector 120 . For example, the method for forming the second connection line 150 may include gravure printing or reverse lithography, which can simplify the manufacturing process and reduce the impact on the circuit structure on the first surface 101 during the process of forming the second connection line 150 . damage.

Referring to FIG. 7E , the driving circuit element 140 is disposed on the second surface 102 and connected to the second connecting line 150 . The driving circuit element 140 may be a circuit board, an integrated circuit (IC) or a chip on film (COF), for driving the active element 110 . It should be understood that FIG. 7E only schematically shows the area where the driving circuit element 140 is located, and its specific details can be implemented with reference to existing technologies, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 7F , the display layer 160 is disposed on the first surface 101 , and the active device 110 is suitable for driving the display layer 160 . The display layer 160 may be a self-luminous display layer, a reflective display layer or other suitable display layers, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The display layer 160 includes, for example, a substrate 162 and a display material layer 164 , and the display material layer 164 is located between the substrate 162 and the substrate 100 . The substrate 162 is, for example, a glass substrate or other suitable substrates, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The material of the display material layer 164 can be suitable materials such as liquid crystal material, organic luminescent material, inorganic luminescent material, etc., and the present invention is not limited thereto. It should be understood that the area where the display layer 160 is located is only schematically shown in FIG. 7F , and its specific details can be implemented with reference to existing technologies, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 8 , FIG. 9A and FIG. 10 are schematic top views of display panels in different embodiments. It can be seen from FIGS. 1A to 1D that the layout of the connection pads 132 herein corresponds to the layout of the conductive connectors 120. Therefore, FIGS. 8, 9A and 10 omit the illustrated connection pads 132 and directly present the conductive connectors 120 and Various layouts of the conductive connectors 120 are illustrated by way of example. Specifically, the reference numerals used in FIG. 8 , FIG. 9A and FIG. 10 are substantially the same as those in the embodiment in FIG. 1A to FIG. 1D , so the same reference numerals in these embodiments indicate the same or equivalent replacement components. In addition, FIG. 8 , FIG. 9A and FIG. 10 only show schematic top views of the display panel and omit the display layer and components seen in the bottom view, such as the driving circuit element 140 and the second connection circuit 150 . In other words, the display panels of FIG. 8 , FIG. 9A and FIG. 10 may include components that have been described in the foregoing embodiments but not shown in FIG. 8 , FIG. 9A and FIG. 10 . In addition, FIG. 8 , FIG. 9A and FIG. 10 can also be fabricated by using the fabrication method of FIG. 7A to FIG. 7F .

In FIG. 8 , the display panel 10H includes a substrate 100 , an active device array R110 , a plurality of conductive connectors 120 and a plurality of first connection lines 130 . Although not shown in the figure, the display panel 10H may further include components such as the connection pad 132 , the driving circuit element 140 , and the second connection circuit 150 described in the foregoing embodiments. Specifically, the substrate 100 has a first surface 101 and an opposite second surface (such as the second surface 102 described in the previous embodiment), and FIG. 8 shows the first surface 101 . In this embodiment, the active device array R110 is disposed on the first surface 101 of the substrate 100 . The active device array R110 includes a plurality of active devices 110 arranged in an array, and the disposition area of the active device array R110 can be understood as the active region 101a. Each of the conductive connectors 120 extends from the first surface 101 to the second surface of the substrate 100 (eg, the second surface 102 marked in the foregoing FIGS. 1A , 1C, 2 , 3 , etc.). The first connection lines 130 are disposed on the first surface 101 and are respectively connected between the active device 110 and the conductive connectors 120 . In this embodiment, the substrate 100 may have a lower edge E1, a right edge E2, an upper edge E3, and a left edge E4, and the lower edge E1 and the upper edge E3 are opposite to each other, and the right edge E2 and the left edge E4 are opposite to each other. The conductive connecting member 120 is located in the peripheral region 101b between the active device array R110 and a side edge (eg, the lower side edge E1 ) of the substrate 100 .

Each first connection line 130 extends from the active area 101a to the peripheral area 101b. For example, the first connection lines 130 include source lines SL and gate lines GL located in the active area 101a and trace lines TL located in the peripheral area 101b. The source line SL and the gate line GL intersect each other and are electrically connected to the active device 110 . The gate lines GL each extend along the X direction, for example, and the source lines SL each extend along the Y direction, for example. The trace TL extends from the gate line GL to the peripheral area 101 b and is electrically connected to the conductive connection member 120 . Here, since the trace TL is a part of the corresponding first connection line 130 , the following description for the trace TL can be understood as the description of the first connection line 130 .

As shown in FIG. 8 , the conductive connectors 120 are arranged in multiple rows, such as two rows, between the active device array R101 and the lower side edge E1 of the substrate 100 . For example, for the convenience of illustration, the traces TL of two adjacent first connection circuits 130 are labeled with different serial numbers, such as traces TLi and traces TLj. Meanwhile, the conductive connectors 120 corresponding to the traces TLi and TLj are also labeled with the conductive connectors 120i and 120j. The conductive connectors 120 connected to two adjacent first connection lines 130 , such as the trace TLi and the trace TLj , such as the conductive connector 120i and the conductive connector 120j , may be located in different columns. The conductive connection part 120i is relatively close to the active device array R110, and the conductive connection part 120j is relatively far away from the active device array R120. In other words, at least two of the conductive connecting elements 120 (for example, the conductive connecting elements 120 i and the conductive connecting elements 120 j ) are staggered in a direction parallel to the first connecting line 130 . The conductive connector 120i and the conductive connector 120j can be arranged on the extension line of a corresponding one of the first connection lines 130 (for example, the trace TLi), so that the trace TLj can be bent from the extending direction of the corresponding gate line. Towards the conductive connector 120j. In other embodiments, at least two of the conductive connectors 120 (for example, the conductive connector 120i and the conductive connector 120j) may be respectively located on the corresponding two first connection lines 130, for example, the traces TLi and the traces TLj are connected to. On the extension line of the gate line GL', but the conductive connecting parts 120i and the conductive connecting parts 120j are arranged staggered in the Y direction.

The conductive connectors 120 are, for example, used to transmit electrical signals of the gate lines GL, so the number of the conductive connectors 120 can be equal to or greater than the number of the gate lines GL. When the number of the conductive connecting parts 120 is more than that of the gate lines GL, the conductive connecting parts 120 can be used to provide signal transmission of other lines. When the conductive connecting elements 120 are arranged in multiple columns (for example, two columns), the size and spacing of the conductive connecting elements 120 can be more flexible. For example, in the extending direction of the gate line GL, that is, the Y direction, the distance P120 between two adjacent conductive connectors 120 may be greater than the distance P110 between two adjacent active elements 110, and the distance between the source line SL In the extension direction, that is, the X direction, the distance V120 between two adjacent conductive connectors 120 may also be greater than the distance V110 between two adjacent active elements 110 . In some embodiments, the pitch P120 may range from 100 microns to 400 microns. The pitch V120 may be twice the pitch P120, but not limited thereto. In addition, the width W120 of each conductive connecting element 120 is, for example, from 50 microns to 200 microns.

The display panel 10H utilizes the conductive connector 120 to provide an electrical transmission path through the substrate 100, without disposing the driving circuit element (such as the driving circuit element 140 described in the previous embodiment on the first surface 101 of the substrate 100), which helps to reduce The area of the peripheral region 101b. In addition, in some embodiments, the setting position of the conductive connector 120 roughly corresponds to the width WA of the active element array R110. The setting position of the conductive connecting member 120 will not obviously exceed the active element array in the X direction The width WA of R110.That is, the width of the setting position of the conductive connector 120 in the X direction is less than or equal to the width WA of the active element array R110. Like this, the peripheral area 101b between the active element array R110 and the right edge E2 is in the X direction The width WB of the active device array R110 and the width WC of the peripheral region 101b in the X direction between the active device array R110 and the left edge E4 can be kept to a minimum. Therefore, the display panel 10H can have a slim boarder.

The display panel 10I of FIG. 9A is substantially similar to the display panel 10H of FIG. 8 , so the same reference numerals in the two embodiments may indicate the same or equivalently replaceable components. Specifically, the display panel 10I includes a substrate 100 , an active device array R110 disposed on the first surface 101 of the substrate 100 , a plurality of conductive connectors 120 and a plurality of first connection lines 130 . Similar to the embodiment in FIG. 8 , the display panel 10I in FIG. 9A omits the components described in FIGS. method to make. In addition, the display panel 10I can adopt the manner described in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 to implement the conductive connecting member 120 and the first connecting circuit 130 . Specifically, the display panel 10I describes another layout of the conductive connectors 120 , so other components of the display panel 10I can refer to the foregoing embodiments.

In the display panel 10I, the conductive connecting elements 120 are arranged in three rows between the active device array R110 and the lower side edge E1 of the substrate 100 . The active device array R110 includes a plurality of active devices 110 arrayed in the active region 101a. The first connection line 130 may include a gate line GL, a source line SL, and a trace TL. The gate line GL and the source line SL are alternately arranged and electrically connected to the corresponding active device 110, and the traces TL are respectively connected by the corresponding active element 110. The gate line GL extends beyond the active region 101 a to the peripheral region 101 b to be connected to the conductive connection 120 . In FIG. 9A , for convenience of description, three consecutive conductive connectors 120 are marked as a conductive connector 120 l , a conductive connector 120 m and a conductive connector 120 n . The conductive connection elements 120l, the conductive connection elements 120m and the conductive connection elements 120n are staggered in a direction parallel to the first connection line 130 (eg, the gate line GL). In other words, the conductive connectors 120l , the conductive connectors 120m and the conductive connectors 120n are located in different columns, for example. For example, the conductive connection 120l is closer to the active device array R110 than the conductive connection 120m, and the conductive connection 120m is closer to the active device array R110 than the conductive connection 120n. In addition, the extension lengths of the three consecutive traces TL corresponding to the conductive connector 120l , the conductive connector 120m and the conductive connector 120n in the peripheral region 101a are different. In this way, the distance P120 between two adjacent conductive connectors 120 can be moderately increased, for example, from 100 micrometers to 400 micrometers, so as to avoid the problem of short circuit caused by two adjacent conductive connectors 120 being too close together or difficult fabrication. In addition, the respective width W120 of the conductive connectors 120 can also be moderately increased, for example, from 50 micrometers to 200 micrometers, so as to maintain the stability and electrical transmission characteristics of the conductive connectors 120 .

In FIG. 9A, the conductive connectors 120 are arranged in three columns. The column closest to the active element array R110 , that is, the column of the conductive connectors 120 l , is arranged in such a manner that one conductive connector 120 is arranged at intervals of two first connection lines 130 . The row in the middle, that is, the row of conductive connecting elements 120m, is arranged in such a way that one conductive connecting element 120 is arranged at intervals of two first connecting lines 130 . The column farthest from the active element array R110 , that is, the column of the conductive connecting elements 120 n , is arranged in such a manner that one conductive connecting element 120 is arranged at intervals of two first connecting lines 130 . Therefore, the conductive connectors 120 in the three columns are arranged at approximately the same pitch to form an arrangement of the slanted "/" path PT1, but not limited thereto.

In addition, FIG. 9B is a schematic bottom view of the display panel 10I. In FIG. 9B , the display panel 10I includes a substrate 100 , a driving circuit element 140 and a second connection circuit 150 . Specifically, FIG. 9B presents the second surface 102 of the substrate 100 and the driving circuit elements 140 and the second connection lines 150 disposed on the second surface 102 . In addition, the conductive connectors 120 also extend to the second surface 102 as shown in FIG. 9B . The second connecting line 150 is connected between the driving circuit element 140 and the conductive connecting member 120 . It can be seen from FIG. 9B that a part of the conductive connecting element 120 is relatively close to the driving circuit element 140 , so that the corresponding second connecting line 150 is relatively short. Such a design helps to reduce the length of the second connection line 150 . The difference between the design of the second connecting circuit 150 and FIG. 1C is that the second connecting circuit 150 is connected between the driving circuit element 140 and the conductive connecting member 120 in a multi-line manner. For example: the second connecting line 150 is formed by connecting a line segment 150a and a line segment 150b.

The display panel 10J of FIG. 10 is substantially similar to the display panel 10I of FIG. 9A , and FIG. 10 is used to illustrate another layout design of the conductive connector 120 . Therefore, components marked with the same reference numerals in the two embodiments can refer to each other. In FIG. 10 , the conductive connectors 120 are arranged in three columns, and for the convenience of illustration, three consecutive conductive connectors 120 are marked here as a conductive connector 120o, a conductive connector 120p, and a conductive connector 120q. The column closest to the active device array R110 , that is, the column of the conductive connectors 120 o is arranged in such a manner that one conductive connector 120 is arranged at intervals of two first connecting lines 130 . The middle row, that is, the row of the conductive connectors 120p is arranged in such a way that one conductive connector 120 is arranged at intervals of one first connecting line 130 . The column farthest from the active element array R110 , that is, the column of the conductive connectors 120 q is arranged in such a manner that one conductive connector 120 is arranged at intervals of two first connecting lines 130 . Therefore, the three rows of conductive connecting elements 120 are arranged at different pitches to form the arrangement of the V-shaped path PT2, but not limited thereto.

To sum up, the display panel and its manufacturing method of the present invention form the conductive connectors that penetrate the substrate, so that the driving circuit components and the active components can be respectively arranged on the opposite surfaces of the substrate, and the conductive connectors and corresponding circuits can be connected to each other. The electrical connection can reduce the space occupied by the drive circuit components in the frame of the display panel, so as to achieve a display panel with a very narrow frame or almost no frame. The conductive connectors can be arranged in multiple rows to reduce the width of the area required for disposing the conductive connectors, so that the display panel can maintain a narrow frame design.

10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G, 10H, 10I, 10J: display panel 100: Substrate 101: First Surface 101a: Active area 101b: Surrounding area 102: second surface 110: Active components 120, 120a, 120b, 120i~120r: conductive connectors 130, 130': the first connecting line 132: connection pad 140: drive circuit components 150: Second connection line 150a, 150b: line segment 160: display layer 162: Substrate 164:Display material layer D1: The first dielectric layer D2: Second dielectric layer E1: lower side edge E2: right edge E3: upper side edge E4: left edge GL: gate line LW1, LW2: line width M1: first metal layer M2: second metal layer M3: The third metal layer OP1, OP2: opening P110, P120, V110, V120: Spacing PT1, PT2: path R1, R2: area R110: Active element array SL: source line TL, Tli, TLj: wiring V1: Through hole W1, W2, W1’, W2’, W1”, W2”, W3”, W120, WA, WB, WC: Width

FIG. 1A is a schematic side view of a display panel according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1B is a schematic top view of the display panel shown in FIG. 1A . FIG. 1C is a schematic bottom view of the display panel shown in FIG. 1A . FIG. 1D is a partially enlarged schematic view of the region R1 in FIG. 1B and the region R2 in FIG. 1C . FIG. 2 is a schematic partial side view of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic partial side view of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic top view of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A is a partially enlarged schematic top view of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the display panel shown in Fig. 6A taken along line A-A'. Fig. 6C is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the display panel in Fig. 6A taken along line A-A'. FIG. 6D is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the display panel shown in FIG. 6A along line A-A'. 7A to 7F are schematic diagrams of a manufacturing process of a display panel according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a schematic top view of a display panel according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 9A is a schematic top view of a display panel according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 9B is a schematic bottom view of a display panel according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic top view of a display panel according to an embodiment of the invention.

10A: Display panel

100: Substrate

101: First Surface

102: second surface

110: Active components

120: Conductive connector

130: the first connection line

132: connection pad

140: drive circuit components

150: Second connection line

160: display layer

162: Substrate

164:Display material layer

W1, W2: Width

Claims (20)

A display panel, comprising: a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; an active element disposed on the first surface; a drive circuit element disposed on the second surface; a first connection line, disposed on the first surface, and connected to the active element; a second connection line disposed on the second surface and connected to the driving circuit element; and The conductive connecting piece runs through the substrate, and the two ends of the conductive connecting piece are respectively electrically connected to the first connecting circuit and the second connecting circuit. The display panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the width of the conductive connecting member is substantially consistent between the two ends, decreases from one of the two ends to the other, or increases toward the two ends. The display panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the active elements are arranged in an array to define an active area, and the conductive connecting member is located in a peripheral area between the active area and at least one side edge of the substrate. The display panel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first connection lines extend from the active area to the peripheral area. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the active elements are arranged in an array to define an active area, and the conductive connection is located in the active area. The display panel as claimed in item 1, wherein the first connection line includes: The connection pad is arranged on the first surface and covers the conductive connector, wherein the projected area of the connection pad on the first surface is larger than the end surface area of the conductive connector on the first surface. The display panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end surface area of the conductive connector on the first surface is smaller than the end surface area on the second surface. The display panel according to claim 1 further includes a display layer disposed on the first surface, and the active device is adapted to drive the display layer. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the number of the conductive connectors is multiple and arranged in multiple columns between the active element array formed by the active elements and the side edge of the substrate. The display panel as claimed in claim 9, wherein the distance between two adjacent conductive connectors is from 100 microns to 400 microns. The display panel according to claim 9, wherein the distance between two adjacent conductive connectors is greater than the distance between two adjacent active elements. The display panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the width of the conductive connecting member is from 50 microns to 200 microns. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the number of the conductive connectors is multiple, the number of the first connection lines is multiple, and the two adjacent first connection lines are connected to the The conductive connections are located in different columns. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the width of the position of the conductive connecting member in the X direction is smaller than or equal to the width of the active element array formed by the active elements. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein there are multiple conductive connectors, and at least two of the conductive connectors are staggered in a direction parallel to the first connection line. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein the second connecting line is connected between the driving circuit element and the conductive connecting member in a multi-line manner. A method of manufacturing a display panel, comprising: providing a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; forming a through hole through the substrate; filling the through hole with a conductive material to form a conductive connection; forming an active element on the first surface; forming a first connection line on the first surface to connect with the active element and the conductive connector; forming a second connection line on the second surface to connect with the conductive connector; and The driving circuit element is arranged on the second surface and connected with the second connecting line. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 17, wherein forming the first connecting line on the first surface includes: A connection pad is formed on the first surface and covers the conductive connector, wherein a projected area of the connection pad on the first surface is larger than a projected area of the conductive connector on the first surface. The method for manufacturing a display panel as claimed in claim 17, wherein the method for forming the through hole penetrating through the substrate includes performing laser drilling from the first surface or/and the second surface. The method for manufacturing a display panel as claimed in claim 17, wherein the method of filling the through hole with the conductive material includes electroplating or vacuum screen printing.

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