TW202104990A - Display panel and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A display panel includes a first substrate, a pixel array, a flexible substrate, and a circuit layer. The first substrate has a groove. The pixel array is disposed above the first substrate. The flexible substrate has a first portion in the groove and a second portion not in the groove. The circuit layer is disposed on the flexible substrate and electrically connected to the pixel array.

Description

Display panel and manufacturing method thereof

This disclosure relates to a display panel and a manufacturing method thereof.

Among various electronic products of household appliances, display panels have been widely used to output images or operate menus. The display panel contains multiple electronic components and circuits connecting these electronic components. For example, in a display panel using a pixel array, a signal can be transmitted to the thin film transistor of the pixel array through a line to apply a voltage to the pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor. In response to the current trend of the consumer market, display panel-related products have gradually tended to have a high screen-to-body ratio. In this regard, display panels with a narrow frame design have also been developed, and have also received enthusiastic responses from the consumer market. In the narrow frame design, for the peripheral area of the display panel outside the display area, how to effectively use the space of the peripheral area to complete the wiring or component configuration has become one of the important issues in related fields.

One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a display panel including a first substrate, a pixel array, a flexible substrate, and a circuit layer. The first substrate has a groove. The pixel array is arranged on the first substrate. The first part of the flexible substrate The position is in the groove, and the second part of the flexible substrate is not in the groove. The circuit layer is arranged on the flexible substrate and electrically connected to the pixel array.

In some embodiments, the display panel further includes sealant. The sealant is arranged on the flexible substrate, and the first part of the flexible substrate is located between the first substrate and the sealant.

In some embodiments, the first substrate has an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to each other, and the groove is located on the upper surface. The vertical distance between the first part and the second part of the flexible substrate is greater than that of the flexible substrate. The vertical distance between the first part and the lower surface of the first substrate.

In some embodiments, the display panel further includes a second substrate. The second substrate is connected to the flexible substrate, and the first substrate is located between the second substrate and the first part of the flexible substrate.

In some embodiments, the first part of the flexible substrate has a side wall, and the side wall contacts the first substrate.

In some embodiments, the display panel has a display area and a peripheral area located outside the display area, the pixel array is located in the display area, and the flexible substrate is located outside the display area and located in the peripheral area.

One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a manufacturing method of a display panel, which includes the following steps. A groove is formed on the carrier substrate. A flexible substrate is formed in the groove, and the first part of the flexible substrate is located on the first area of the carrier substrate, and the second part of the flexible substrate is located on the second area of the carrier substrate. The flexible substrate is bent so that the first area is located between the first part and the second part of the flexible substrate.

In some embodiments, the manufacturing method further includes bending and flexible Before the flexible substrate, the carrier substrate is cut, and the second area of the carrier substrate is separated from the second part of the flexible substrate.

In some embodiments, the manufacturing method further includes performing surface treatment on the first region, so that the bonding strength of the first part of the flexible substrate to the first region is greater than the bonding strength of the second part of the flexible substrate to the second region strength.

One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a display panel including a first substrate, a pixel array, a flexible substrate, and a circuit layer. The pixel array is disposed on the first substrate and includes pixel units, wherein each of the pixel units includes a thin film transistor and a pixel electrode electrically connected to each other. The flexible substrate is arranged on the first substrate and does not overlap the pixel unit at all. The circuit layer is arranged on the flexible substrate.

With the above configuration, the flexible substrate can be bent under the first substrate and fixed to reduce the width of the peripheral area of the display panel. Furthermore, because the uppermost surface of the flexible substrate is located in the groove It can be coplanar with the upper surface of the first substrate, so the increase in the thickness of the display panel due to the provision of the flexible substrate can be avoided.

100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E, 100F, 100G, 100H, 100I, 100J‧‧‧Display panel

102‧‧‧Display area

104‧‧‧Surrounding area

110‧‧‧First substrate

112, 112A, 112B, 112C‧‧‧ groove

114‧‧‧Second substrate

120‧‧‧Backlight Module

130‧‧‧Pixel array

140, 140A, 140B, 140C‧‧‧Flexible substrate

142‧‧‧Part One

144‧‧‧Part Two

146‧‧‧Part Three

150, 150A, 150B, 150C‧‧‧Line layer

160‧‧‧First circuit board

170‧‧‧Second circuit board

180‧‧‧Frame glue

190‧‧‧Display medium layer

192‧‧‧Color filter substrate

200‧‧‧Carrier substrate

202A, 202B, 202C‧‧‧Groove

210‧‧‧Gate electrode

212‧‧‧The first metal pattern

214‧‧‧Gate insulation layer

216‧‧‧Source electrode

218‧‧‧Drain electrode

219‧‧‧Thin Film Transistor

220‧‧‧Second metal pattern

222‧‧‧First dielectric layer

224‧‧‧Second dielectric layer

226‧‧‧Common electrode layer

228‧‧‧The third dielectric layer

230‧‧‧Pixel electrode

240‧‧‧Color filter master

1B-1B’, 1C-1C’, 2B-2B’, 3B-3B’, 4B-4B’, 7B-7B’, 7C-7C’‧‧‧Line segment

A1‧‧‧The first area

A2‧‧‧Second area

A3‧‧‧The third area

D1, D2‧‧‧Vertical distance

S1‧‧‧Upper surface

S2‧‧‧Lower surface

S3‧‧‧Loading surface

TH1‧‧‧First contact hole

TH2‧‧‧Second contact hole

TH3‧‧‧The third contact hole

FIG. 1A is a schematic top view of the display panel according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 1B is a schematic side cross-sectional view along the line 1B-1B' of Figure 1A.

Figure 1C is a schematic side cross-sectional view taken along the line 1C-1C' of Figure 1A.

FIG. 2A is a schematic top view of the display panel of FIG. 1A in the manufacturing process.

Fig. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line 2B-2B' of Fig. 2A.

FIG. 3A is a schematic top view of the display panel of FIG. 1A in the manufacturing process.

FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line 3B-3B' of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is a schematic top view of the display panel of FIG. 1A in the manufacturing process.

Fig. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line 4B-4B' of Fig. 4A.

5A to 5H respectively show schematic side views of the manufacturing process of the pixel array at different stages.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the display panel of FIG. 1A in the manufacturing process.

FIG. 7A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the display panel of FIG. 1A during the manufacturing process.

FIG. 7B is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line 7B-7B' of FIG. 7A.

Fig. 7C is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line 7C-7C' of Fig. 7A.

8A to 8C are cross-sectional schematic diagrams respectively showing the display panel at different stages in the manufacturing process according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 9 to 16 are schematic top views of the display panel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, multiple implementation manners of the disclosure will be disclosed in schematic form. For the sake of clarity, many practical details will be described in the following description. However, it should be understood that these practical details should not be used to limit the content of this disclosure. That is to say, these practical details are not necessary in the implementation of this disclosure. In addition, in order to simplify the drawings, some conventionally used structures and elements will be shown in a simple schematic manner in the drawings.

When an element is called "on", it can be referred to as the element directly Connected to other components, there may also be other components in the two to achieve indirect connection. In this article, it is understandable to use terms such as first and second to describe various elements and/or layers, and these terms are used to identify a single element and/or layer. Therefore, the first element and/or layer hereinafter may also be referred to as the second element and/or layer without departing from the original intent of the present disclosure.

Please refer to FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, and FIG. 1C. FIG. 1A is a schematic top view of the display panel 100A according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 1B is along the line 1B-1B of FIG. 1A. 'Is a schematic cross-sectional view, and Figure 1C is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line 1C-1C' of Figure 1A.

The display panel 100A has a display area 102 and a peripheral area 104 connected to each other, and the peripheral area 104 is located outside the display area 102. The display panel 100A can provide images through the display area 102, and the peripheral area 104 can be regarded as a frame of the display panel 100A, which can be, for example, an area where driving elements or wiring are placed.

The display panel 100A includes a first substrate 110, a backlight module 120, a pixel array 130, a flexible substrate 140A, 140B, 140C, circuit layers 150A, 150B, 150C, a first circuit board 160, a second circuit board 170, a frame The glue 180, the display medium layer 190 and the color filter substrate 192. In the present disclosure, in order to facilitate understanding, the size drawing ratio of some components is enlarged, for example, the size drawing ratio of the flexible substrate 140 is enlarged.

The first substrate 110 is disposed on the backlight module 120, wherein the first substrate 110 may be a light-transmitting substrate, such as a glass substrate. The backlight module 120 may include a light source, a light guide plate, and a first polarizing film (not shown). The light source can provide light to the light guide plate, and the light guide plate can guide the light to travel toward the first substrate 110 and pass through After the first polarizing film, it enters the first substrate 110.

The first substrate 110 has grooves 112A, 112B, 112C, an upper surface S1 and a lower surface S2, wherein the upper surface S1 and the lower surface S2 are opposite to each other. Specifically, the upper surface S1 faces away from the backlight module 120, and the lower surface S2 faces the backlight module 120. The groove 112 may be located on the upper surface S1 and also located in the peripheral area 104. In the present disclosure, the "groove" is formed by forming a bearing surface S3 at a position lower than the upper surface S1. For example, the bearing surface S3 of the groove 112A is facing away from the backlight module 120 and its position is lower than Upper surface S1. In other words, in this disclosure, the "groove" can also be regarded as a "carrying platform", and the bearing surface S3 of the bearing platform is higher than the lower surface S2 and lower than the upper surface S1.

The pixel array 130 is disposed on the upper surface S1 of the first substrate 110 and is located in the display area 102. The pixel array 130 includes a plurality of pixel units (not shown in FIG. 1A to FIG. 1C), and each of the pixel units may include thin film transistors and pixel electrodes (not shown in FIG. 1A) electrically connected to each other. Figures to 1C, which may be, for example, the thin film transistor 219 and the pixel electrode 230 of Figure 5H). In addition, the first substrate 110 and the pixel array 130 disposed on the upper surface thereof can be collectively referred to as an array substrate.

The flexible substrates 140A-140C are disposed on the first substrate 110 and can be used as substrates for carrying circuits. Specifically, the flexible substrates 140A-140C are located outside the display area 102 and in the peripheral area 104, that is, the flexible substrates 140A-140C do not overlap the pixel units of the pixel array 130 at all. This configuration can be During the manufacturing process of the pixel array 130, the pixel units of the pixel array 130 are all formed on the first substrate 110 to simplify the manufacturing conditions (in contrast, the pixel units are formed on substrates with different material properties, or It is relatively to make the pixel unit be formed on the substrate whose structural strength is less than the first substrate 110), thereby improving the production quality rate.

The flexible substrates 140A-140C can be bent and straddle the first substrate 110 and the backlight module 120. In some embodiments, the material of the flexible substrate 140A-140C may include organic polymers, such as polyimide (PI). Each of the flexible substrates 140A-140C has a part located in the corresponding groove 112A-112C, and another part is not in the groove 112A-112C.

For example, taking the flexible substrate 140A as an example, the flexible substrate 140A includes a first part 142 and a second part 144 that are connected, wherein the first part 142 of the flexible substrate 140A is located in the groove 112A, and the flexible substrate 140A The second portion 144 of the flexible substrate 140A is not in the groove 112A, and the second portion 144 can be bent downward from the junction with the first portion 142 to be lower than the lower surface S2 of the first substrate 110 and the backlight module 120, and connected to the backlight module 120. Since the second portion 144 of the flexible substrate 140A can be lower than the lower surface S2 of the first substrate 110 and the backlight module 120, the vertical distance D1 between the first portion 142 and the second portion 144 of the flexible substrate 140A will be Greater than the vertical distance D2 between the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A and the lower surface S2 of the first substrate 110, this configuration enables the second portion 144 of the flexible substrate 140A to be attached after being bent To the backlight module 120, it is advantageous to reduce the width of the peripheral area 104 of the display panel 100A.

The relative positional relationship between the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A and the first substrate 110 is fixed. In some embodiments, the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A is directly connected to the first substrate 110. In this regard, the first substrate 110 may have a first area A1, wherein the first area A1 is located in the groove 112A The bonding strength of the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A to the first area A1 of the first substrate 110 is sufficient to fix the flexible substrate 140A in the groove 112A of the first substrate 110, for example, The first area A1 of a substrate 110 is subjected to surface treatment, so that the first area A1 can generate adhesion to the material properties of the flexible substrate 140A. However, the content of the present disclosure is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A may also be indirectly connected to the first substrate 110. For example, the display panel 100A may further include a gel layer (not shown). Shown), and the glue layer is disposed between the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A and the bottom of the groove 112A, so that the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A can be fixed in the groove 112A of the first substrate 110 through the glue layer .

In addition, in some embodiments, the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A has side walls, wherein the side walls face the display area 102 of the display panel 100A and contact the first substrate 110. That is, the flexible substrate 140 can be set to fill the groove 112A, so that there is no gap between the flexible substrate 140 and the first substrate 110, so as to prevent the flexible substrate 140 from being caused by the gap. Possibility of falling off.

The above-mentioned content related to the flexible substrate 140A, for example, the content of the opposite first substrate 110, the opposite groove 112A, or the opposite first area A1 can be applied to the flexible substrates 140B and 140C, and will not be repeated here.

The circuit layers 150A-150C can be respectively disposed on the flexible substrates 140A-140C, and are electrically connected to the pixel array 130. The circuit layers 150A-150C may each include fan-out wiring, bonding pads, gate on array (GOA), or a combination thereof, and the corresponding configuration may be selected according to different panel designs. For example, provided on the flexible substrate 140A The circuit layer 150A may include fan-out wiring and bonding pads, and the bonding pads may be electrically connected to the source of the thin film transistor in the pixel array 130 through the fan-out wiring, and are disposed on the flexible substrate 140B and The circuit layers 150B and 150C on the 140C may include gate driving circuits, and the gate driving circuits may be electrically connected to the gates of the thin film transistors in the pixel array 130.

The first circuit board 160 can be attached to the backlight module 120, and the second circuit board 170 can be attached to the circuit layer 150A and the first circuit board 160, so that the circuit layer 150A can be electrically connected to the first circuit board through the second circuit board 170. Circuit board 160. In some embodiments, each of the first circuit board 160 and the second circuit board 170 can be a printed circuit board or a flexible circuit board, and electrical components can be disposed on them, such as driving components (such as source driver). The component) is arranged on the second circuit board 170 to input electrical signals to the source of the thin film transistor in the pixel array 130. Through such a configuration, the circuit layer 150A can be electrically connected to the power supply terminals or other digital/analog components through the first circuit board 160 and the second circuit board 170, and because these electrical components used to drive the pixel array 130 or The circuit is disposed under the backlight module 120, so the width of the peripheral area 104 of the display panel 100A can be reduced.

The sealant 180 is disposed on the first substrate 110, the flexible substrates 140A-140C, and the circuit layers 150A-150C, and is located in the peripheral area 104. The sealant 180 can be used to fix the color filter substrate 192 on the array substrate (at least formed by the first substrate 110 and the pixel array 130), so as to pair the array substrate and the color filter substrate 192. The configuration area of the sealant 180 can overlap with the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A-140C, so that the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A-140C can be positioned between the first substrate 110 and the sealant 180 between. In this way, the sealant 180 can not only pair the array substrate and the color filter substrate 192, but also fix the flexible substrates 140A-140C in the grooves 112A-112C of the first substrate 110.

The color filter substrate 192 may include a light-shielding layer and a plurality of color resist layers (not shown) of different colors, such as a red color resist layer, a green color resist layer, and a blue color resist layer. The light-shielding layer may be formed as a black matrix. Thus, the formation position of each color resist layer is defined. The display medium layer 190 may be disposed between the array substrate and the color filter substrate 192, and contains a display medium, such as liquid crystal molecules. In some embodiments, the display panel 100A may further include a second polarizing film, and the second polarizing film may be attached to the color filter substrate 192.

Through the above configuration, in addition to the width of the peripheral area 104 of the display panel 100A can be reduced by bending the flexible substrate 140A-140C and attaching it to the backlight module 120, the uppermost layer of the flexible substrate 140A-140C The surface may be coplanar with the upper surface of the first substrate 110, so the increase in the thickness of the display panel 100A due to the provision of the flexible substrates 140A-140C can be avoided.

The manufacturing process of the display panel 100A will be described below. In the following description, part of the schematic cross-sectional diagrams are illustrated with the formation of the flexible substrate 140A as an example, and the process of forming the flexible substrate 140A can be similar or The process of forming the flexible substrates 140B and 140C is similar. Therefore, the process of forming the flexible substrate 140A can be applied to the process of forming the flexible substrates 140B and 140C, which will not be repeated in the following text. Explain first.

Please refer to FIGS. 2A and 2B first. FIG. 2A shows a schematic top view of the display panel 100A in FIG. 1A during the manufacturing process, and FIG. 2B shows a cross-section along the line 2B-2B' of FIG. 2A. Schematic. As shown in Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the trenches 202A, 202B, and 202C may be formed on the carrier substrate 200 first, where the carrier substrate 200 may be a light-transmitting substrate, such as a glass substrate. The number of grooves 202A-202C can be determined according to the number of subsequent flexible substrates (such as the flexible substrates 140A-140C in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C). For example, since the number of flexible substrates 140A-140C of the display panel 100A in FIG. 1A is three, three trenches 202A-202C can be formed at this stage.

Please refer to FIGS. 3A and 3B again. FIG. 3A shows a schematic top view of the display panel 100A in FIG. 1A during the manufacturing process, and FIG. 3B shows a cross-section along the line 3B-3B' of FIG. 3A. A schematic diagram, in which the process stages in Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B are subsequent to the process stages in Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a part of the carrier substrate 200 can be surface treated, so that the part of the carrier substrate 200 can have a strong bonding strength to the layer formed by the subsequent process. For example, the first area A1 in the trenches 202A-202C of the carrier substrate 200 may be subjected to surface treatment, such as an ultraviolet light surface treatment, so that the first area A1 and the second area A2 in the trenches 202A-202C are The surface characteristics are different (for example, different functional groups are present). Here, for the convenience of description, the second area A2 in the trenches 202A-202C is shown as having a mesh bottom. However, the surface characteristics of the second area A2 may be the same as other areas of the carrier substrate 200 (the first area A1 Outside the region). In other embodiments, it is also possible to form layers with different adhesion strengths in the first area A1 and the second area A2, and the adhesion strength provided by the layer in the first area A1 may be greater than that in the second area A2 The adhesive strength provided by the layer body, for example, can form a colloidal layer in the first area A1. In other embodiments, other mechanisms can also be used to achieve "making the first area A1 provide greater adhesion strength than the second area A2). The "adhesive strength", such as physical adsorption generated by van der Waals forces or hydrogen bonds, or mechanical interlocking.

Please refer to FIGS. 4A and 4B again. FIG. 4A shows a schematic top view of the display panel 100A in FIG. 1A during the manufacturing process, and FIG. 4B shows a cross-section along the line 4B-4B' of FIG. 4A. Schematic diagram, in which the process stages in Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B are subsequent to the process stages in Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, flexible substrates 140A-140C can be formed in trenches 202A-202C, respectively, and the formed flexible substrates 140A-140C will be different from those in trenches 202A-202C. Regional contact.

Taking the flexible substrate 140A as an example, as shown in FIG. 4B, the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A is located on the first area A1 in the groove 202A of the carrier substrate 200 and contacts the first area A1, and The second portion 144 of the flexible substrate 140A is located on the second area A2 in the groove 202A of the carrier substrate 200 and contacts the second area A2. As mentioned above, since the surface characteristics of the first area A1 and the second area A2 in the trench 202A are different, the bonding strength of the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A to the first area A1 is greater than that of the flexible substrate 140A. The bonding strength of the second portion 144 of the flexible substrate 140A to the second area A2.

In some embodiments, the flexible substrate 140A-140C can be formed by filling the trenches 202A-202C with organic material, and aligning the uppermost surface of the organic material with the upper surface of the carrier substrate 200, where it is cut. The uniform method can be achieved through the doctor blade manufacturing process. As mentioned above, since the flexible substrates 140A-140C and the carrier substrate 200 can be aligned, the uppermost surface of the flexible substrate 140A-140C and the upper surface of the carrier substrate 200 will be flush. The thickness of the overall structure is increased due to the formation of flexible substrates 140A-140C.

After the flexible substrates 140A-140C are formed, layers can be successively formed on the carrier substrate 200 and the flexible substrates 140A-140C, for example, the pixel array 130 and the circuit layer 150A depicted in Figure 1B and Figure 1C are formed -150C. Taking the formation of the pixel array 130 as an example, please see FIG. 5A to FIG. 5H, which respectively show schematic side views of the manufacturing process of the pixel array 130 at different stages. In Figures 5A to 5H, the insulating layer or dielectric layer formed can include organic materials or inorganic materials, such as epoxy resin, silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride (SiNx), and silicon nitride (SiNx). A composite layer composed of silicon and silicon nitride or other suitable dielectric materials.

As shown in FIG. 5A, a gate electrode 210 and a first metal pattern 212 can be formed on the carrier substrate 200, wherein the gate electrode 210 and the first metal pattern 212 can be formed by patterning the same metal layer.

As shown in FIG. 5B, a gate insulating layer 214 covering the gate electrode 210 and the first metal pattern 212 can be formed on the carrier substrate 200, and a semiconductor layer 215 can be formed on the gate insulating layer 214, wherein the semiconductor layer 215 is It is located directly above the gate electrode 210, and its material may include silicon, such as single crystal silicon material, polycrystalline silicon material or other suitable materials.

As shown in FIG. 5C, a part of the gate insulating layer 214 can be removed to form a first contact hole TH1, wherein the first contact hole TH1 is located above the first metal pattern 212 and exposes part of the first metal pattern 212.

As shown in FIG. 5D, the source electrode 216, the drain electrode 218, and the second metal pattern 220 can be formed, which can be formed by patterning the same metal layer. to make. The source electrode 216 and the drain electrode 218 may be located on the semiconductor layer 215 and contact the semiconductor layer 215, and the source electrode 216, the drain electrode 218, the semiconductor layer 215 and the gate electrode 210 may collectively serve as a thin film transistor 219. The second metal pattern 220 can be located on the first metal pattern 212 and contact the first metal pattern 212 through the first contact hole TH1, and the first metal pattern 212 and the second metal pattern 220 can jointly serve as a storage capacitor.

As shown in FIG. 5E, a first dielectric layer 222 and a second dielectric layer 224 may be sequentially formed on the thin film transistor 219 and the storage capacitor. The first dielectric layer 222 can be used as a protective layer for the thin film transistor 219 and the storage capacitor, and the second dielectric layer 224 can be used as a flat layer to facilitate subsequent processes to form a layer. In addition, after the second dielectric layer 224 is formed, a part of the second dielectric layer 224 can be removed to form a second contact hole TH2, wherein the second contact hole TH2 is located above the drain electrode 218 and is exposed The first dielectric layer 222.

As shown in FIG. 5F, a common electrode layer 226 may be formed on the second dielectric layer 224, which may be formed through a patterned conductive layer. In some embodiments, the material of the common electrode layer 226 includes transparent conductive materials, such as indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, zinc oxide, carbon nanotubes, indium gallium zinc oxide, or other suitable materials.

As shown in FIG. 5G, a third dielectric layer 228 may be formed on the first dielectric layer 222, and the third dielectric layer 228 covers the second dielectric layer 224 and the common electrode layer 226, and extends to the second contact Inside the hole TH2. In addition, after the third dielectric layer 228 is formed, a part of the first dielectric layer 222 and the third dielectric layer 228 can be removed to form a third contact hole TH3, wherein the third contact hole TH3 is located in the drain electrode A part of the drain electrode 218 is exposed above the 218.

As shown in FIG. 5H, a pixel electrode 230 may be formed on the third dielectric layer 228, and the formed pixel electrode 230 extends into the third contact hole TH3 and is connected to the drain electrode 218. As described above, the thin film transistor 219 and the corresponding pixel electrode 230 can be formed as a pixel unit, and the pixel array 130 in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C is an array formed by a plurality of pixel units.

Please refer to FIG. 6 again. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the display panel 100A of FIG. 1A during the manufacturing process. The cross-sectional position of FIG. 6 is the same as that of FIG. 4B, and the process stage of FIG. Process stages from Figure 5A to Figure 5H. As shown in FIG. 6, the pixel array 130 can be formed on the carrier substrate 200 through the manufacturing process shown in FIG. 5A to FIG. 5H. In addition, during the process of forming the pixel array 130, a circuit layer 150A can be formed on the flexible substrate 140A in accordance with the masking process, and the circuit layer 150A is electrically connected to the pixel array 130. In this regard, part of the layer body in the circuit layer 150A may be formed by patterning the same layer body as the part of the layer body in the pixel array 130, for example, patterning the same metal layer or the same metal oxide layer. After the pixel array 130 and the circuit layer 150A are formed, the color filter mother film 240 can be placed thereon and pass through the sealant 180 pairs. In the assembly process, the display medium can be filled between the carrier substrate 200 and the color filter mother film 240 to form the display medium layer 190.

Please refer to FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C again. FIG. 7A shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the display panel 100A of FIG. 1A during the manufacturing process, and FIG. 7B shows the line 7B-7B' along the line of FIG. 7A. 7C is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line 7C-7C' of FIG. 7A. As shown in Figures 7A, 7B, and 7C, the carrier substrate (ie, the carrier substrate 200 in Figure 6) can be cut, and the cutting position overlaps the first area A1 and the second area (ie, the second area in Figure 6). First The boundary line between the two areas A2), so that the first area A1 and the second area will be separated from each other after cutting. In some embodiments, the cutting method used may be performed by a cutter. In other embodiments, the cutting method used can also be performed through a laser beam.

After cutting, the portion of the carrier substrate (ie, the carrier substrate 200 in FIG. 6) that includes the first area A1 is the aforementioned first substrate 110, and the portion of the carrier substrate that includes the second area is moved. In addition, the grooves of the carrier substrate (for example, groove 202A in FIG. 6) will be formed as grooves 112A-112C due to cutting. In addition, after cutting, the portion of the carrier substrate (ie, the carrier substrate 200 in FIG. 6) that includes the second region will first be connected to the flexible substrates 140A-140C through the second region.

Taking the flexible substrate 140A as an example, the second area can be connected to the second portion 144 of the flexible substrate 140A first, and since the bonding strength of the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A to the first area A1 is greater than that of the flexible substrate 140A The bonding strength of the second part 144 of the flexible substrate 140A to the second area, so that the second area of the carrier substrate can be self-flexible while the first part 142 of the flexible substrate 140A is still connected to the first area A1. The second portion 144 of the sexual substrate 140A is detached. For the circuit layer 150A including fan-out wiring and bonding pads, the second circuit board 170 can be further bonded to the circuit layer 150A, and then the first circuit board 160 can be bonded through the second circuit board 170 to make The first circuit board 160 can be electrically connected to the pixel array 130 through the second circuit board 170 and the circuit layer 150A.

In addition, during the cutting process, the color filter mother film (for example, the color filter mother film 240 in FIG. 6) can be cut together, so that it becomes the color filter substrate 192 after cutting. Then, the first substrate 110 and the backlight module 120 can be assembled in a And bend the flexible substrates 140A-140C to straddle the first substrate 110 and the backlight module 120.

Taking the flexible substrate 140A as an example, the bendable flexible substrate 140A is located outside the second part 144 of the groove 112A, so that the flexible substrate 140A can straddle the first substrate 110 and the backlight module 120 to Below the backlight module 120 and attached to the backlight module 120, the first area A1 of the first substrate 110 will be located between the first portion 142 and the second portion 144 of the flexible substrate 140A. After bending the flexible substrates 140A-140C, the structure of the display panel 100A as depicted in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C can be obtained.

Please see FIG. 8A to FIG. 8C again, which are schematic cross-sectional views of the display panel 100B at different stages in the manufacturing process according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following description, the cross-sectional schematic diagram is described by describing the flexible substrate 140A as an example, and the related content can also be applied to other flexible substrates (such as the flexible substrate in Figure 1C). 140B and 140C), which will not be repeated in the following text, but will be explained first.

At least one difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that in the manufacturing process of this embodiment, the surface treatment is performed except that the first area A1 and the second area A2 are formed in the trench 202A of the carrier substrate 200. , A third area A3 can be further formed, wherein the second area A2 is located between the first area A1 and the third area A3, as shown in FIG. 8A. In addition, the flexible substrate 140A of this embodiment can be divided into a first part 142, a second part 144, and a third part 146. The second part 144 is located between the first part 142 and the third part 146, and the first part 142, The second portion 144 and the third portion 146 are respectively located on the first area A1, the second area A2, and the third area A3, and are in contact with each other. The first area A1, the second area A2, and the third area A3.

As described above, after the surface treatment is performed, the surface characteristics of each area in the trench 202A will be different. In this regard, through surface treatment, the bonding strength of the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A to the first area A1 is greater than the bonding strength of the second portion 144 of the flexible substrate 140A to the second area A2, and is flexible The bonding strength of the third portion 146 of the flexible substrate 140A to the third area A3 is also greater than the bonding strength of the second portion 144 of the flexible substrate 140A to the second area A2.

After the flexible substrate 140A is formed, the process stage as described in the first embodiment may be performed to form the structure of FIG. 8A, and then the process stage depicted in FIG. 8B may be entered. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the carrier substrate 200 can be cut, and the cutting position overlaps the boundary line between the first area A1 and the second area A2, and also overlaps the second area A2 and the third area A3 The boundary line between the two, so that the first area A1, the second area A2, and the third area A3 will be separated from each other after cutting.

After cutting, the portion of the carrier substrate 200 that includes the first area A1 becomes the first substrate 110, the portion of the carrier substrate 200 that includes the second area A2 can be removed, and the portion of the carrier substrate 200 that includes the third The area A3 becomes the second substrate 114, and the groove 202A of the carrier substrate will be formed as a groove 112A due to cutting.

In this regard, after cutting, the portion of the carrier substrate 200 that includes the second area A2 is first connected to the flexible substrate 140A through the second area A2, and then detached from the flexible substrate 140A. Specifically, in the case where the second area A2 is connected to the second portion 144 of the flexible substrate 140A, due to the flexible substrate The bonding strength of the first portion 142 of 140A to the first area A1 and the bonding strength of the third portion 146 to the third area A3 are greater than the bonding strength of the second portion 144 of the flexible substrate 140A to the second area A2. Therefore, while the first portion 142 and the third portion 146 of the flexible substrate 140A are still connected to the first area A1 and the third area A3, the second area A2 of the carrier substrate 200 can be separated from the second area A2 of the flexible substrate 140A. The second part 144 is separated.

After the second area A2 of the carrier substrate 200 is separated from the second portion 144 of the flexible substrate 140A, there will be at least a part of the area from the flexible substrate 140A outside the groove 112A The blocks are also connected to the carrier. For example, the third portion 146 of the flexible substrate 140A is connected to the second substrate 114 through the third area A3, so as to prevent the flexible substrate 140A from being deformed due to the shrinkage of the film body. Improve process yield and reliability.

On the other hand, the second circuit board 170 can be joined to the circuit layer 150A, and then the first circuit board 160 can be joined through the second circuit board 170, so that the first circuit board 160 can pass through the second circuit board 170 and the circuit The layer 150A is electrically connected to the pixel array 130. In addition, during the cutting process, the color filter mother substrate 240 can be cut together to form the color filter substrate 192.

Then, as shown in FIG. 8C, the first substrate 110 and the backlight module 120 can be assembled together, and the second portion 144 of the flexible substrate 140A can be bent to make the third portion 146 of the flexible substrate 140A It can straddle the first substrate 110 and the backlight module 120. In this regard, an opening for accommodating the second substrate 114 can be provided in the backlight module 120 first. For example, an opening can be formed in the housing of the backlight module 120, and the size of the opening can correspond to the size of the second substrate 114, thereby After the flexible substrate 140 is bent, the second substrate 114 and its third area A3 are accommodated. Yu Wan After folding, the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A is located in the groove 112, and the second portion 144 and the third portion 146 are located outside the groove 112, and at least a part of the first substrate 110 is located in Between the second substrate 114 and the first portion 142 of the flexible substrate 140A.

Although the above-mentioned embodiments are illustrated by arranging fan-out traces on one side of the first substrate of the display panel and arranging gate drive circuits on the left and right sides as an example, the content of the disclosure is not limited to this, and is in other embodiments. Among them, the number and position of fan-out wiring and gate drive circuits can be adjusted according to different needs. For example, please refer to FIGS. 9 to 12, which are schematic top views of the display panels 100C, 100D, 100E, and 100F, respectively, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 9, the first substrate 110 of the display panel 100C has a groove 112, and the groove 112 is located at the opposite boundary of the first substrate 110 (for example, the upper boundary and the lower boundary), and the display panel 100C The flexible substrate 140 and the circuit layer 150 disposed thereon are disposed on the upper and lower sides of the first substrate 110. At least a part of the flexible substrate 140 is located in the corresponding groove 112, and the circuit layer 150 may include fan-out wiring and bonding pads, and is electrically connected to the corresponding circuit board.

As shown in FIG. 10, the first substrate 110 of the display panel 100D has a groove 112, and the groove 112 is located at the opposite boundary (for example, the upper boundary and the lower boundary) and the single side boundary of the first substrate 110 (For example, at the left border), and the flexible substrate 140 of the display panel 100D and the circuit layer 150 disposed thereon are disposed on the upper and lower sides and the left side of the first substrate 110. At least a part of the flexible substrate 140 is located in the corresponding groove 112. Upper and left The circuit layer 150 may include a gate driving circuit, and the lower circuit layer 150 may include fan-out wiring and bonding pads, and are electrically connected to a corresponding circuit board.

As shown in FIG. 11, the first substrate 110 of the display panel 100D has a groove 112, and the groove 112 is located at a non-opposite boundary of the first substrate 110 (for example, the lower boundary and the right boundary), and the display panel The flexible substrate 140 of the 100E and the circuit layer 150 disposed thereon are disposed on the lower side and the right side of the first substrate 110. At least a part of the flexible substrate 140 is located in the corresponding groove 112, and the circuit layer 150 may include fan-out wiring and bonding pads, and is electrically connected to the corresponding circuit board.

As shown in FIG. 12, the first substrate 110 of the display panel 100F has grooves 112, and the grooves 112 are located at two pairs of opposite borders of the first substrate 110 (for example, the upper and lower borders and the left and right borders). The flexible substrate 140 of the display panel 100F and the circuit layer 150 disposed thereon are disposed on the upper and lower sides and the left and right sides of the first substrate 110. At least a part of the flexible substrate 140 is located in the corresponding groove 112. The circuit layer 150 on the upper side and the left and right sides may include gate drive circuits, while the circuit layer 150 on the lower side may include fan-out wiring and bonding pads, and are electrically connected to corresponding circuit boards.

In addition, in the present disclosure, when the first substrate of the display panel is connected to more than one flexible substrate, the groove may be formed independently for each flexible substrate and circuit layer. In some embodiments, it is also possible to form a groove that can span different sides of the first substrate, and place different flexible substrates in the groove. For example, please refer to FIG. 13 to FIG. 16, which are schematic top views of the display panels 100G, 100H, 100I, and 100J, respectively, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 13, the first substrate 110 of the display panel 100G has a groove 112, and the groove 112 sequentially extends from the upper boundary of the first substrate 110 to the right boundary, the lower boundary, and the left boundary. Go back to the upper boundary and form a closed loop pattern. The flexible substrate 140 of the display panel 100G and the circuit layer 150 disposed thereon are disposed on the upper and lower sides of the first substrate 110. At least a part of each of the different flexible substrates 140 is located in the same groove 112. Here, the “same groove” refers to, for example, that the grooves 112 where the flexible substrates 140 are located on the upper and lower sides are connected to each other. The circuit layer 150 may include fan-out wiring and bonding pads, and is electrically connected to a corresponding circuit board.

As shown in FIG. 14, the first substrate 110 of the display panel 100H has a groove 112, and the groove 112 sequentially extends from the upper boundary of the first substrate 110 to the left boundary and the lower boundary, forming a C-shape pattern. The flexible substrate 140 of the display panel 100H and the circuit layer 150 disposed thereon are disposed on the upper, left, and lower sides of the first substrate 110. Similarly, at least a part of each of the different flexible substrates 140 is located in the same groove 112. The circuit layer 150 on the upper and left sides may include gate driving circuits, and the circuit layer 150 on the lower side may include fan-out traces and bonding pads, and are electrically connected to corresponding circuit boards.

As shown in FIG. 15, the first substrate 110 of the display panel 100I has a groove 112, and the groove 112 extends from the right boundary to the lower boundary of the first substrate 110 to form an L-shaped mirror pattern. The flexible substrate 140 of the display panel 100I and the circuit layer 150 disposed thereon are disposed on the right and lower sides of the first substrate 110. Similarly, at least a part of each of the different flexible substrates 140 is located in the same groove 112, and the circuit layer 150 may include fan-out traces and bonding pads, and are electrically connected to corresponding circuit boards.

As shown in FIG. 16, the first substrate 110 of the display panel 100J has a groove 112, and the groove 112 sequentially extends from the upper boundary of the first substrate 110 to the right boundary, the lower boundary, and the left boundary. Go back to the upper boundary and form a closed loop pattern. The flexible substrate 140 of the display panel 100J and the circuit layer 150 disposed thereon are disposed on the upper and lower sides and the left and right sides of the first substrate 110. At least a part of each of the different flexible substrates 140 is located in the same groove 112. The circuit layer 150 on the upper side and the left and right sides may include gate drive circuits, while the circuit layer 150 on the lower side may include fan-out wiring and bonding pads, and are electrically connected to corresponding circuit boards.

The present disclosure does not limit the configuration of the flexible substrate to the above. Flexible substrates located in different positions can also be connected together. For example, the flexible substrate 140 in FIG. 15 can pass through the groove 112. Or the flexible substrate 140 in Figure 16 can also be connected together through the four corners of the groove 112. This can add or change the coating when forming the flexible substrate 140. Realized by cloth flexible substrate material. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the circuit layer illustrated as a fan-out wiring can be changed to a circuit layer used as a gate drive circuit, or the illustrated application can also be used as a gate drive circuit. The circuit layer is changed to a circuit layer applied as fan-out wiring.

In summary, the display panel of the present disclosure includes a first substrate, a pixel array, a flexible substrate, and a circuit layer. The first substrate has a groove, and the pixel array and the flexible substrate are disposed on the first substrate, wherein the first part of the flexible substrate is located in the groove, and the second part of the flexible substrate is not in the groove Inside. The circuit layer is arranged on the flexible substrate and electrically connected to the pixel array. Through this configuration, the flexible substrate can be bent under the first substrate and fixed to reduce Reduce the width of the peripheral area of the display panel. Furthermore, since the uppermost surface of the flexible substrate located in the groove can be coplanar with the upper surface of the first substrate, it is possible to avoid the installation of the flexible substrate. The thickness of the display panel increases.

Although the content of this disclosure has been disclosed in a variety of ways as above, it is not intended to limit the content of this disclosure. Anyone who is familiar with this technique can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the content of this disclosure. Therefore, The scope of protection of the contents of this disclosure shall be subject to those defined in the attached patent application scope.

100A‧‧‧Display Panel

160‧‧‧First circuit board

102‧‧‧Display area

104‧‧‧Surrounding area

110‧‧‧First substrate

112A‧‧‧Groove

120‧‧‧Backlight Module

130‧‧‧Pixel array

140A‧‧‧Flexible substrate

142‧‧‧Part One

144‧‧‧Part Two

150A‧‧‧Line layer

170‧‧‧Second circuit board

180‧‧‧Frame glue

190‧‧‧Display medium layer

192‧‧‧Color filter substrate

A1‧‧‧The first area

D1, D2‧‧‧Vertical distance

S1‧‧‧Upper surface

S2‧‧‧Lower surface

S3‧‧‧Loading surface

Claims (10)

A display panel includes: a first substrate with a groove; a pixel array arranged on the first substrate; a flexible substrate, wherein a first part of the flexible substrate is located in the concave In the groove, and a second part of the flexible substrate is not in the groove; and a circuit layer is disposed on the flexible substrate and electrically connected to the pixel array. The display panel described in item 1 of the scope of patent application further includes: at least one sealant disposed on the flexible substrate, and the first part of the flexible substrate is located between the first substrate and the sealant between. According to the display panel of claim 1, wherein the first substrate has an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to each other, and the groove is located on the upper surface, wherein the first part of the flexible substrate and The vertical distance between the second parts is greater than the vertical distance between the first part of the flexible substrate and the lower surface of the first substrate. The display panel described in claim 1 further includes a second substrate connected to the flexible substrate, and the first substrate is located between the second substrate and the first part of the flexible substrate . The display panel described in claim 1, wherein the first part of the flexible substrate has a side wall, and the side wall contacts the first substrate. The display panel described in item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the display panel has a display area and a peripheral area located outside the display area, the pixel array is located in the display area, and the flexible substrate is located Outside the display area and located in the peripheral area. A method for manufacturing a display panel includes: forming a groove on a carrier substrate; forming a flexible substrate in the groove, and a first part of the flexible substrate is located on a first part of the carrier substrate Area, and a second portion of the flexible substrate is located on a second area of the carrier substrate; and bending the flexible substrate so that the first area is located on the second area of the flexible substrate Between one part and the second part. As described in item 7 of the scope of patent application, the manufacturing method of the display panel further includes: before bending the flexible substrate, cutting the carrier substrate, and removing the second region of the carrier substrate from the flexible substrate. The second part of the substrate is detached. The manufacturing method of the display panel described in item 7 of the scope of patent application further includes: Surface treatment is performed on the first area so that the bonding strength of the first portion of the flexible substrate to the first area is greater than the bonding strength of the second portion of the flexible substrate to the second area. A display panel includes: a first substrate; a pixel array disposed on the first substrate and including a plurality of pixel units, wherein each of the pixel units includes a thin film transistor electrically connected to each other and A pixel electrode; a flexible substrate arranged on the first substrate without overlapping the pixel units; and a circuit layer arranged on the flexible substrate.

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