Disclosure of Invention
The invention provides a preparation method and a preparation system of a display device, which are used for relieving the technical problem of high packaging cost in the conventional OLED display panel.
In order to solve the above problems, the technical scheme provided by the invention is as follows:
the invention provides a preparation method of a display device, which comprises the following steps:
providing a substrate comprising a plurality of panel regions and a cutting region located between the panel regions;
preparing a luminous functional layer on the substrate, wherein the luminous functional layer is positioned in the panel area;
preparing an encapsulation layer on the light-emitting functional layer, wherein the encapsulation layer extends to cover the substrate;
etching the packaging layer in the cutting area;
and cutting along the cutting area to form a plurality of independent display devices.
In the method for manufacturing a display device of the present invention, the step of manufacturing a light-emitting functional layer on the substrate, the light-emitting functional layer being located in the panel region, further includes: and forming a blocking member on the substrate, wherein the panel region comprises a display region corresponding to the light-emitting functional layer and a non-display region, and the blocking member is positioned in the non-display region and arranged around the light-emitting functional layer.
In the method for manufacturing a display device of the present invention, the step of preparing an encapsulation layer on the light-emitting functional layer, the encapsulation layer extending to cover the substrate, includes:
preparing a first inorganic encapsulation layer on the light-emitting functional layer, wherein the first inorganic encapsulation layer extends to cover the panel area and the cutting area;
preparing an organic encapsulation layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer, the organic encapsulation layer being disposed corresponding to the display region and a region between the display region and the blocking member;
preparing a second inorganic encapsulation layer on the organic encapsulation layer, the second inorganic encapsulation layer extending to cover the panel region and the cutting region.
In the method for manufacturing a display device of the present invention, the step of manufacturing a first inorganic encapsulating layer on the light-emitting functional layer, the first inorganic encapsulating layer extending to cover the panel region and the cutting region, includes: and preparing the first inorganic packaging layer by adopting a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method, an atomic layer deposition method or a physical vapor deposition method.
In the method for manufacturing a display device of the present invention, the step of preparing an organic encapsulation layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer, the organic encapsulation layer being disposed in correspondence with the display area and an area between the display area and the barrier member, includes: the organic packaging layer is prepared by adopting an ink-jet printing method or an automatic dispensing method.
In the method for manufacturing a display device of the present invention, the step of preparing a second inorganic encapsulation layer on the organic encapsulation layer, the second inorganic encapsulation layer extending to cover the panel region and the cutting region includes: and preparing the second inorganic packaging layer by adopting a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method, an atomic layer deposition method or a physical vapor deposition method.
In the method for manufacturing a display device of the present invention, the step of manufacturing a light-emitting functional layer on the substrate, the light-emitting functional layer being located in the panel region, further includes: forming a crack protection member on the substrate, the crack protection member being located between a cut line within the cut region and the panel region.
In the method for manufacturing a display device according to the present invention, the step of manufacturing an encapsulation layer on the light-emitting functional layer, the step of extending the encapsulation layer to cover the substrate further includes: and preparing a touch layer on the packaging layer, wherein the touch layer covers the panel area and the cutting area.
In the manufacturing method of the display device of the present invention, the step of etching the encapsulation layer in the cutting region further includes: and etching the touch layer and the packaging layer in the cutting area.
The present invention also provides a system for manufacturing a display device, comprising:
a substrate preparation apparatus: for preparing a substrate comprising a plurality of panel regions and a cutting region located between the panel regions;
the luminous functional layer preparation device is used for preparing a luminous functional layer on the substrate, and the luminous functional layer is positioned in the panel area;
the packaging layer preparation device is used for preparing a packaging layer on the light-emitting functional layer, and the packaging layer extends to cover the substrate;
the packaging layer etching device is used for etching the packaging layer in the cutting area;
and the cutting device is used for cutting along the cutting area to form a plurality of independent display devices.
The invention has the beneficial effects that: the invention provides a preparation method and a preparation system of a display device, wherein the preparation method comprises the following steps: providing a substrate comprising a plurality of panel regions and a cutting region located between the panel regions; preparing a luminous functional layer on the substrate, wherein the luminous functional layer is positioned in the panel area; preparing an encapsulation layer on the light-emitting functional layer, wherein the encapsulation layer extends to cover the substrate; etching the packaging layer in the cutting area; and cutting along the cutting area to form a plurality of independent display devices. According to the invention, the whole packaging layer is prepared firstly, and then the packaging layer in the cutting area is cut, so that a large-opening mask plate is not needed, and the production cost is reduced.
Detailed Description
The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. It is to be understood that the embodiments described are only a few embodiments of the present application and not all embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.
In the description of the present application, it is to be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," and the like are used in the orientations and positional relationships indicated in the drawings for convenience in describing the present application and for simplicity in description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the referenced devices or elements must have a particular orientation, be constructed in a particular orientation, and be operated in a particular manner, and are not to be construed as limiting the present application. Furthermore, the terms "first", "second" and "first" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined as "first", "second", may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the described features. In the description of the present application, "a plurality" means two or more unless specifically limited otherwise.
In the description of the present application, it is to be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, e.g., as meaning either a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection; may be mechanically connected, may be electrically connected or may be in communication with each other; either directly or indirectly through intervening media, either internally or in any other relationship. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art as appropriate.
In this application, unless expressly stated or limited otherwise, the first feature "on" or "under" the second feature may comprise direct contact of the first and second features, or may comprise contact of the first and second features not directly but through another feature in between. Also, the first feature being "on," "above" and "over" the second feature includes the first feature being directly on and obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicating that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. A first feature being "under," "below," and "beneath" a second feature includes the first feature being directly under and obliquely below the second feature, or simply meaning that the first feature is at a lesser elevation than the second feature.
The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different features of the application. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present application, specific example components and arrangements are described below. Of course, they are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present application. Moreover, the present application may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples, such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed. In addition, examples of various specific processes and materials are provided herein, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize applications of other processes and/or use of other materials.
The invention provides a preparation method of a display device, which is used for relieving the technical problem of high packaging cost in the existing OLED display panel.
The OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) panel has the advantages of fast response speed, simple structure, active Light emission, low power consumption and the like, and is widely applied to the fields of smart phones, tablet computers, televisions and the like. Flexible, foldable panels have become a necessary trend as products are upgraded.
In order to ensure the reliability of the flexible OLED panel, it needs to be film-packaged. At present, a large-opening Mask plate (Open Mask) is needed in the preparation process of the inorganic film layer in the packaging layer, the cost of the Mask plate is quite expensive and the management is quite complicated, so that the cost is increased.
Therefore, the existing OLED display panel has the technical problem of higher packaging cost, and needs to be improved.
As shown in fig. 1, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a display device, which comprises the following steps:
s1: providing a substrate comprising a plurality of panel regions and a cutting region located between the panel regions;
s2: preparing a luminous functional layer on a substrate, wherein the luminous functional layer is positioned in a panel area;
s3: preparing a packaging layer on the luminous functional layer, wherein the packaging layer extends to cover the substrate;
s4: etching the packaging layer in the cutting area;
s5: and cutting along the cutting area to form a plurality of independent display devices.
The method will be described in detail with reference to fig. 2 to 9.
In S1, as shown in fig. 2, a substrate 100 is first provided, the substrate 100 including a plurality of panel regions 10 and a cutting region 20 located between the panel regions 10.
The base 100 includes a substrate and a driving circuit layer. When the OLED display panel in the manufactured display device is a rigid panel, the substrate is a glass substrate. When the OLED display panel in the manufactured display device is a flexible panel, the substrate is a combination of a glass substrate and a flexible substrate, the flexible substrate is usually polyimide, polycarbonate, polyether sulfone, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polyarylate or glass fiber reinforced plastic and the like, and is formed on the glass substrate in a coating mode, and after the preparation of the display device is completed subsequently, the glass substrate is peeled off, and the peeling method can adopt laser peeling.
The driving circuit layer is formed on the substrate and comprises a plurality of thin film transistors, for example, bottom gate thin film transistors, the driving circuit layer sequentially comprises a buffer layer, an active layer, a gate insulating layer, a gate electrode, an interlayer insulating layer, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a passivation layer and a planarization layer from bottom to top.
The buffer layer is formed on one side of the substrate, and the material of the buffer layer can be inorganic material such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride and the like.
The active layer is formed on the buffer layer, and the material of the active layer is a metal oxide, such as Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO), but not limited thereto, and may be one or more of Aluminum Zinc Oxide (AZO), Indium Zinc Oxide (IZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), indium oxide (In2O3), boron-doped zinc oxide (BZO), and magnesium-doped zinc oxide (MZO). In addition, the active layer may also be a polysilicon material or other materials.
The gate insulating layer is formed on the active layer, and the material of the gate insulating layer may be inorganic material such as silicon oxide and silicon nitride.
The gate layer is formed on the gate insulating layer, and the material of the gate layer may be, but not limited to, molybdenum, aluminum, copper, chromium, tungsten, titanium, tantalum, and alloys containing the same, and the material thereof is not particularly limited herein. The grid electrode layer is patterned through an etching process to form a grid electrode.
The interlayer dielectric layer is formed on the gate layer, and the interlayer dielectric layer can be made of inorganic material such as silicon oxide or silicon nitride.
The source and drain layers are formed on the interlayer dielectric layer, the source and drain layers can be made of molybdenum, aluminum, copper, chromium, tungsten, titanium, tantalum, alloys containing the chromium, the tungsten, the titanium, the tantalum and the alloys containing the chromium, the tungsten, the titanium, the tantalum and the alloys containing the chromium, the tungsten, the titanium, the.
The passivation layer is formed on the source drain layer, and the material of the passivation layer may be an inorganic material such as silicon oxide or silicon nitride.
And a planarization layer is also formed on the passivation layer, and the material of the planarization layer is photoresist and is formed on the passivation layer in a coating mode.
The structure of each layer in the driving circuit layer is described by taking a bottom gate thin film transistor as an example, but of course, the structure of the driving circuit layer is not limited thereto, and a top gate thin film transistor may be included.
In the manufacturing process of the display device, a plurality of display devices are manufactured on the same substrate 100, and then are cut to form a plurality of independent display devices, so that a plurality of display devices with the same specification can be obtained through one manufacturing process, the manufacturing time is greatly shortened, and the manufacturing cost is reduced. The substrate 100 is divided into a plurality of panel regions 10 and a cutting region 20, and the display devices are manufactured in the panel regions 10 in a subsequent process, wherein an area between adjacent display devices is the cutting region 20, and the cutting region 20 has a cutting line along which each display device is divided.
In S2, as shown in fig. 3, a luminescent functional layer 200 is prepared on a substrate 100, the luminescent functional layer 200 being located within the panel region 10.
A first electrode is prepared on the driving circuit layer and is connected with a drain electrode of the thin film transistor through a through hole penetrating through the planarization layer and the passivation layer. And forming a pixel defining layer on the first electrode, wherein the pixel defining layer defines a plurality of pixel regions, and a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a luminescent material layer, an electron transport layer and an electron injection layer are sequentially prepared in the pixel regions from bottom to top. Finally, the whole layer of the second electrode is formed.
In one embodiment, the first electrode is a transparent anode, the second electrode is a metal cathode, and the OLED display panel has a bottom emission structure.
In one embodiment, the first electrode is a metal anode, the second electrode is a transparent cathode, and the OLED display panel is a top emission structure.
Through the above process, the light emitting function layer 200 is manufactured in each panel region 10 of the substrate 100, the panel region 10 includes the display region 11 and the non-display region 12, wherein the light emitting function layer 200 is disposed corresponding to the display region 11. The specific preparation method of each film layer of the above-mentioned light-emitting functional layer 200 may be performed by selecting any one of the process technologies known in the art.
In one embodiment, a barrier member 500 is further formed in the panel region 10, and the barrier member 500 is positioned in the non-display region 12 and disposed around the light emitting functional layer 200. The barrier member 500 is usually made of a sealant, and the sealant and the subsequent packaging layer form a closed space together to prevent external water vapor and oxygen from entering the device, so as to protect the device and prolong the service life of the device.
In one embodiment, the crack prevention member 600 may also be formed on the substrate 100, the crack prevention member 600 being located between a cutting line (not shown) within the cutting zone 20 and the panel zone 10, wherein the cutting line is located in the middle of the cutting zone 20. When the cutting region 20 is subsequently cut, the crack prevention member 600 may prevent cracks generated by cutting the substrate 100 from spreading into the display device in the panel region 10 to some extent, thereby protecting the display device.
In S3, as shown in fig. 4 to 6, an encapsulating layer 300 is prepared on the light emitting functional layer 200, the encapsulating layer 300 extending to cover the substrate 100.
The encapsulation layer 300 is generally a stacked-layer structure of an inorganic film layer and an organic film layer, and thus S3 specifically includes:
s31: preparing a first inorganic encapsulating layer 310 on the light emitting functional layer 200, the first inorganic encapsulating layer 310 extending to cover the panel region 10 and the cutting region 20;
s32: preparing an organic encapsulation layer 320 on the first inorganic encapsulation layer 310, the organic encapsulation layer 320 being disposed corresponding to the display region 11 and a region between the display region 11 and the barrier member 500;
s33: a second inorganic encapsulation layer 330 is prepared on the organic encapsulation layer 320, the second inorganic encapsulation layer 330 extending to cover the panel region 10 and the cutting region 20.
In S31, as shown in fig. 4, the entire first inorganic encapsulating layer 310 is prepared on the light emitting functional layer 200. The first inorganic encapsulation layer 310 can be prepared by using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method, an atomic layer deposition method, a physical vapor deposition method, or the like, and the materials are not limited to SiNx, SiOxNy, SiOx, SiCxNy, ZnO, AlOx, or the like.
In S32, as shown in fig. 5, an organic encapsulation layer 320 is prepared on the first inorganic encapsulation layer 310. The organic encapsulation layer 320 can be prepared by ink-jet printing or automatic dispensing, and the materials are not limited to acrylates, epoxies, polyimides, silicones, etc.
The organic encapsulation layer 320 is not entirely coated, but is disposed corresponding to the display area 11 and the area between the display area 11 and the barrier member 500, i.e., the coated area is only within the panel area 10 and does not exceed the barrier member 500. Since the organic encapsulation layer 320 is sensitive to moisture and is liable to react to cause damage to the display device, the organic encapsulation layer 320 is disposed in the barrier member 500, so that the probability of contact with moisture can be reduced, and the reliability of encapsulation can be improved.
In S33, as shown in fig. 6, a second inorganic encapsulating layer 330 is prepared on the organic encapsulating layer 320, and the second inorganic encapsulating layer 330 is also entirely provided. The second inorganic encapsulation layer 330 can be formed by pecvd, ald, pvd, or pvd, and the materials are not limited to SiNx, SiOxNy, SiOx, SiCxNy, ZnO, AlOx, etc.
Through the above three steps, the encapsulation layer 300 is formed.
In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 7, after the encapsulation layer 300 is prepared, a touch layer 400 may be further prepared on the encapsulation layer 300, and the touch layer 400 covers the panel area 10 and the dicing area 20.
At present, the touch layer 400 of the flexible OLED display panel is directly fabricated on the encapsulation layer 300, and an external touch structure is not adopted.
The touch layer 400 includes a buffer layer 410, a first metal layer 420, and an insulating layer 430.
The buffer layer 410 is formed on the encapsulation layer 300 and is disposed as a whole layer. The buffer layer 410 can be prepared by using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method, an atomic layer deposition method, a physical vapor deposition method, or the like, and the materials are not limited to SiNx, SiOxNy, SiOx, SiCxNy, ZnO, AlOx, or the like.
The first metal layer 420 is formed on the buffer layer 420 and patterned to be disposed only corresponding to the panel region 10. The first layer metal 420 can be prepared by evaporation, sputtering, etc., and the material is not limited to titanium-aluminum-titanium stack, molybdenum-aluminum-molybdenum stack, metallic aluminum, etc.
The insulating layer 430 is formed on the first metal layer 420 and is provided as a whole layer. The insulating layer 430 can be formed by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method, an atomic layer deposition method, a physical vapor deposition method, or the like, and the material is not limited to SiNx, SiOxNy, SiOx, SiCxNy, or the like.
Through the above steps, the touch layer 400 is manufactured.
In S4, as shown in fig. 8 to 9, the encapsulation layer 300 within the cutting region 20 is etched.
When the touch layer 400 is prepared, the touch layer 400 needs to be etched first, and as shown in fig. 8, the insulating layer 430 is etched through a mask, so as to form a pattern in the panel region 10. The adopted method for etching is dry etching.
Then, as shown in fig. 9, the touch layer 400 and the encapsulation layer 300 in the cutting area 20 are etched through a second photomask, after the etching is completed, only the crack protection member 600 is left in the cutting area 20, and the remaining touch layer 400 and the remaining encapsulation layer 300 are both located in the panel area 10. The adopted method for etching is dry etching.
In S5, a plurality of individual display devices are formed by cutting along the cutting region 20. Taking fig. 9 as an example, a crack may also be generated in the substrate 100 during cutting, a crack protection member 600 for preventing the crack from propagating to the left display device and a crack protection member 600 for preventing the crack from propagating to the right display device are respectively disposed in the cutting area 20, a cutting line (not shown) is disposed between the two crack protection members 600, and the cutting device cuts the substrate 100 along the cutting line to form a plurality of independent display devices.
In the invention, the inorganic layer in the encapsulation layer 300 is a whole layer of coating film, i.e. a large-opening mask plate is not needed in the formation process, and the encapsulation layer 300 in the cutting area 20 is etched in the subsequent process, thereby reducing the production cost.
In addition, in the manufacturing process of the display device in the prior art, a plurality of display devices are prepared on a mother board, and then each display device is cut along a cutting area.
In the packaging process of the display panel, the inorganic thin film in the packaging layer needs to be deposited on the display area and the non-display area of the display panel through the opening area of the mask plate. In an ideal state, the deposited inorganic thin film is deposited only on the display area and the non-display area of the display panel. However, as the size of the display panel increases, the size of the corresponding mask plate also increases, the mask plate sags seriously under the influence of gravity, that is, the edge area of the mask plate is in an inclined state, when packaging is performed, the area of the actual deposition of the inorganic material is larger than an ideal value, that is, the inorganic thin film can extend and deposit in the area needing to be cut, when the area is subsequently cut, the inorganic thin film in the packaging layer is also cut, so that the inorganic thin film is broken, cracks can extend to the display area of the display panel, and finally the packaging effect of the display panel can be influenced, and the reliability test of the OLED panel fails.
According to the invention, the packaging layer 300 in the cutting area 10 is etched before cutting, so that cutting cracks caused by inorganic films deposited in the cutting area in the cutting process are avoided, and the reliability of the OLED panel is effectively ensured.
The present invention also provides a system for manufacturing a display device, comprising:
a substrate preparation apparatus: for preparing a substrate comprising a plurality of panel regions and a cutting region located between the panel regions;
the luminous functional layer preparation device is used for preparing a luminous functional layer on the substrate, and the luminous functional layer is positioned in the panel area;
the packaging layer preparation device is used for preparing a packaging layer on the light-emitting functional layer, and the packaging layer extends to cover the substrate;
the packaging layer etching device is used for etching the packaging layer in the cutting area;
and the cutting device is used for cutting along the cutting area to form a plurality of independent display devices.
In one embodiment, the apparatus for preparing a light-emitting functional layer is further configured to form a barrier member on the substrate, the panel region includes a display region corresponding to the light-emitting functional layer and a non-display region, and the barrier member is located in the non-display region and disposed around the light-emitting functional layer.
In one embodiment, the encapsulation layer preparation apparatus further includes:
a first inorganic encapsulation layer preparation component for preparing a first inorganic encapsulation layer on the luminescent functional layer, the first inorganic encapsulation layer extending to cover the panel region and the cutting region;
an organic encapsulation layer preparing assembly for preparing an organic encapsulation layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer, the organic encapsulation layer being disposed corresponding to the display region and a region between the display region and the barrier member;
a second inorganic encapsulation layer preparation component for preparing a second inorganic encapsulation layer on the organic encapsulation layer, the second inorganic encapsulation layer extending over the panel region and the cutting region.
In one embodiment, the first inorganic encapsulation layer preparation component is used to prepare the first inorganic encapsulation layer using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, or physical vapor deposition.
In one embodiment, the organic encapsulation layer preparation assembly is used for preparing an organic encapsulation layer by adopting an ink-jet printing method or an automatic dispensing method.
In one embodiment, the second inorganic encapsulation layer preparation assembly is used for preparing the second inorganic encapsulation layer by using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method, an atomic layer deposition method or a physical vapor deposition method.
In one embodiment, the luminescent-functional-layer preparing apparatus is further configured to form a crack prevention member on the substrate within the cutting zone, the crack prevention member being located between the cutting line and the panel zone within the cutting zone.
In one embodiment, the encapsulation layer etching device is further configured to dry etch the encapsulation layer in the cutting region.
In one embodiment, the manufacturing system of the display device further includes a touch layer manufacturing device, which is configured to manufacture a touch layer on the encapsulation layer, where the touch layer covers the panel area and the cutting area.
In one embodiment, the package layer etching device is configured to etch the touch layer and the package layer in the cutting area.
In the preparation system, the encapsulation layer preparation device is used for coating the whole inorganic layer in the encapsulation layer, namely a large-opening mask plate is not needed in the formation process, and the encapsulation layer in the cutting area is etched in the subsequent processing, so that the production cost is reduced, meanwhile, the cutting crack caused by the deposition of the inorganic film in the cutting area in the cutting processing is avoided, and the reliability of the OLED panel is effectively ensured.
The invention provides a preparation method and a preparation system of a display device, wherein the preparation method comprises the following steps: providing a substrate comprising a plurality of panel regions and a cutting region located between the panel regions; preparing a luminous functional layer on the substrate, wherein the luminous functional layer is positioned in the panel area; preparing an encapsulation layer on the light-emitting functional layer, wherein the encapsulation layer extends to cover the substrate; etching the packaging layer in the cutting area; and cutting along the cutting area to form a plurality of independent display devices. According to the invention, the whole packaging layer is prepared firstly, and then the packaging layer in the cutting area is cut, so that a large-opening mask plate is not needed, and the production cost is reduced.
In the foregoing embodiments, the descriptions of the respective embodiments have respective emphasis, and for parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference may be made to related descriptions of other embodiments.
The above detailed description is provided for the manufacturing method and the manufacturing system of the display device provided in the embodiments of the present application, and the principles and embodiments of the present application are explained in the present application by applying specific examples, and the description of the above embodiments is only used to help understanding the technical solutions and the core ideas of the present application; those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that: the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some technical features may be equivalently replaced; such modifications or substitutions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.