Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the technical field of display, and in particular, a display panel, a preparation method of a display panel, and a display device.
The lithographic technology forms an exposed region and an unexposed region by exposing a surface coated with a photosensitive material in a certain pattern, and an exposed region pattern or an unexposed region pattern is retained. The lithographic technology is mainly used for manufacturing semiconductor elements, printed circuit boards, display panels, and the like.
An existing film layer of a display panel generally includes a display function layer and an anti-reflective function layer, the anti-reflective function layer is manufactured by adopting the lithographic technology, and the anti-reflective effect of the display panel is affected, since phenomena of holes, undercuts and the like are easily generated at the bottom of the anti-reflective function layer during exposure and development of the lithographic process.
The present disclosure provides a display panel, a preparation method of a display panel, and a display device, to avoid the phenomena of undercuts and the like generated at the bottom of a low refractive layer after lithographic exposure and development and further improve the anti-reflective effect of the display panel.
The present disclosure provides a display panel. The display panel includes a display function layer, an anti-reflective function layer and a base material layer. The display function layer includes multiple sub-pixels and a pixel definition structure surrounding the multiple sub-pixels. The anti-reflective function layer is disposed on the light emitting side of the display function layer and includes a first refractive index pattern, and the first refractive index pattern overlaps with the pixel definition structure. The base material layer is disposed between the anti-reflective function layer and the display function layer and includes a light uniformizing structure, the light uniformizing structure includes a first inclined sidewall, and in a light emitting direction of the multiple sub-pixels, the first inclined sidewall is inclined towards a direction away from a sub-pixel adjacent to the first inclined sidewall, and the first refractive index pattern covers the first inclined sidewall.
The present disclosure further provides a display device. The display device includes the display panel described above.
The present disclosure further provides a preparation method of a display panel. The preparation method includes the steps described below. A display function layer is formed, the display function layer includes multiple sub-pixels and a pixel definition structure surrounding the multiple sub-pixels; a base material layer is formed on a light emitting side of the display function layer, the base material layer includes a light uniformizing structure, the light uniformizing structure includes a first inclined sidewall, and in a light emitting direction of the multiple sub-pixels, the first inclined sidewall is inclined towards a direction away from a sub-pixel adjacent to the first inclined sidewall; and an anti-reflective function layer is formed on a light emitting side of the base material layer, the anti-reflective function layer includes a first refractive index pattern, the first refractive index pattern overlaps with the pixel definition structure, and the first refractive index pattern covers the first inclined sidewall.
The present disclosure will be further described in detail in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments below. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely used for explaining the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only some, but not all, of the structures related to the present disclosure are shown in the drawings.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a display panel, a preparation method of a display panel, and a display device. The display panel includes a display function layer, an anti-reflective function layer and a base material layer. The display function layer includes multiple sub-pixels and a pixel definition structure surrounding the multiple sub-pixels. The anti-reflective function layer is disposed on a light emitting side of the display function layer and includes a first refractive index pattern, and the first refractive index pattern overlaps with the pixel definition structure. The base material layer is disposed between the anti-reflective function layer and the display function layer and includes a light uniformizing structure, the light uniformizing structure includes a first inclined sidewall, and in a light emitting direction of the multiple sub-pixels, the first inclined sidewall is inclined towards a direction away from a sub-pixel adjacent to the first inclined sidewall, and the first refractive index pattern covers the light uniformizing structure.
According to the display panel provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the base material layer including the light uniformizing structure is arranged between the display function layer and the anti-reflective function layer, so that the first refractive index pattern in the anti-reflective function layer coats the light uniformizing structure, and the light uniformizing structure forms the first inclined sidewall with a light emitting surface of the multiple sub-pixels. Then, exposure light incident on the first inclined sidewall is scattered, sensitivity of light incident by the photoresist on the bottom layer of the first refractive index pattern is enhanced, and the degree of curing the bottom layer of the first refractive index pattern in the anti-reflective function layer is improved. When the sensitivity of the bottom layer of the first refractive index pattern is enhanced, the phenomena of holes, undercuts and the like caused by relatively weak light sensitivity at the bottom of the first refractive index pattern can be effectively avoided.
The above is the core idea of the present disclosure, and the technical schemes of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely in connection with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure below. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present disclosure without requiring creative efforts shall all fall in the scope of protection of the present disclosure.
Based on the above problems existing in the related art, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a display panel, which can effectively solve the phenomena of undercuts, holes, pattern edge warpings and the like caused by the relatively low photosensitivity of the bottom of the anti-reflective function layer, and further improve the anti-reflective effect of the display panel.
The pixel definition structure 122 is used for defining a light emitting region, being conducive to improving the color mixing problem. In this embodiment, the anti-reflective function layer 13 is used for improving the light transmittance and display efficiency. The first refractive index pattern 131 in the anti-reflective function layer 13 is manufactured by exposure and development through the lithographic process. Because an exposure light source is incident on the display panel from top to bottom, light on the surface of the first refractive index pattern 131 in the anti-reflective function layer has relatively strong light sensitivity while light on the bottom of the first refractive index pattern 131 has relatively weak light sensitivity, therefore, the degree of curing of the bottom of the first refractive index pattern 131 obtained after lithographic is relatively low, and a relatively low degree of curing may further cause the phenomena of undercuts, holes or the like at the bottom of the first refractive index pattern 131 which is in the anti-reflective function layer 13 and close to the base material layer 14. To avoid such situations, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, multiple light uniformizing structures 141 are designed on the base material layer 14 between the anti-reflective function layer 13 and the display function layer 12, each light uniformizing structure 141 is arranged at the bottom of each first refractive index pattern 131 close to the display function layer 12, and each light uniformizing structure 141 is covered by each first refractive index pattern 131. The principle that the light uniformizing structure 141 improves the degree of curing of the bottom of the first refractive index pattern 131 is explained in detail below.
Firstly, the first refractive index pattern 131 is manufactured after exposure and development through the lithographic technology, the first refractive index pattern 131 is a convex structure in the anti-reflective function layer 13, and when each first refractive index pattern 131 covers each light uniformizing structure 141, this kind of light uniformizing structure 141 is also a convex structure on the base material layer. In this embodiment, as shown in the cross-sectional view in
Referring to the cross-sectional view shown in
After the structure of the display panel provided in this embodiment is described, a flow of a process preparation of the display panel in this embodiment is set forth immediately.
In S110, a display function layer is formed, and the display function layer includes multiple sub-pixels and a pixel definition structure surrounding the multiple sub-pixels.
In S120, a base material layer is formed on a light emitting side of the display function layer, the base material layer includes a light uniformizing structure, the light uniformizing structure includes a first inclined sidewall, and in a light emitting direction of the multiple sub-pixels, the first inclined sidewall is inclined towards a direction away from a sub-pixel adjacent to the first inclined sidewall.
In S130, an anti-reflective function layer is formed on a light emitting side of the base material layer, the anti-reflective function layer includes a first refractive index pattern, the first refractive index pattern overlaps with the pixel definition structure, and the first refractive index pattern covers the light uniformizing structure.
The preparation method of the display panel provided in this embodiment is described in detail below from the perspective of process preparation.
Referring to
Referring to
The preparation method for forming the display function layer 12 on the array substrate 11 may adopt technical means commonly used by those skilled in the art, which is not limited here.
Referring to
Exemplarily, in this embodiment, the base material layer may be formed by depositing a layer of material on a light emitting layer of the display function layer through a deposition method. The light uniformizing structure on the base material layer may be integrally designed, or after the base material layer is deposited, the light uniformizing structure is formed on the base material layer by designing a structure made of the same material as the base material layer in a patterning manner through the lithographic technology.
It should be noted that the photoresist may also be patterned by those skilled in the art using other patterning processes, such as nanoimprinting, which is not limited in this embodiment.
In addition, it should be noted that if a second insulating layer and a second electrode layer in a touch function layer provided in the above embodiments are directly also used as the base material layer, the process of independently preparing the base material layer may be omitted.
Referring to
Similarly, with reference to the process steps in forming the base material layer described above, the low-refractive layer 130 is formed on the base material layer 12 to improve the light transmittance.
Next, referring to
In this embodiment, a film layer where the low-refractive layer 130 is located is also used as negative tone photoresist, and the thickness of the photoresist may be adjusted through a spin coating process or a spray coating process. Next, the low-refractive layer 130 is exposed using the lithographic technology, where the exposure light source is incident at an open region of a photomask 15.
Referring to
It should be noted that the photoresist in this embodiment is the negative tone photoresist, and the negative tone photoresist is a mixed liquid which is generally composed of three main components of a photosensitive resin, a sensitizer and a solvent and has the light sensitization. After the photosensitive resin is illuminated, a photocuring reaction quickly occurs in the exposure region, so that the physical property of the photoresist is obviously changed, and then the soluble part is dissolved away through a proper solvent treatment to obtain the required pattern, namely the first refractive index pattern finally obtained in the embodiment. The negative tone photoresist material has a poor curing effect, and when the lithographic technology is adopted for the exposure and development, the negative tone photoresist material in a development and non-exposure region of the bottom with the poor curing effect is easy to be washed away.
With continued reference to
As described above, the first inclined sidewall Aa may be understood to form an included angle less than 90° with the surface of a side of the base material layer 14 away from the display function layer 12, and this included angle, i.e., the included angle between the first inclined sidewall Aa and the light emitting surface, is denoted by γ. To cure the bottom layer of the first refractive index pattern 131, incident light is reflected after hitting the first inclined sidewall Aa, and a direction of the reflected light needs to be kept in a direction of irradiating the bottom of the first refractive index pattern 131 as much as possible.
With continued reference to
Referring to
The display panel provided in this embodiment includes the display function layer, the anti-reflective function layer and the base material layer. The display function layer includes the multiple sub-pixels and the pixel definition structure surrounding the multiple sub-pixels. The anti-reflective function layer is disposed on the light emitting side of the display function layer and includes the first refractive index pattern, and the first refractive index pattern overlaps with the pixel definition structure. The base material layer is disposed between the anti-reflective function layer and the display function layer and includes a light uniformizing structure, the light uniformizing structure includes the first inclined sidewall, and in the light emitting direction of the multiple sub-pixels, the first inclined sidewall is inclined towards the direction away from the sub-pixel adjacent to the first inclined sidewall, and the first refractive index pattern covers the light uniformizing structure. According to the technical scheme of this embodiment, the base material layer including the light uniformizing structure is arranged between the display function layer and the anti-reflective function layer, so that the first refractive index pattern in the anti-reflective function layer coats the light uniformizing structure, and the light uniformizing structure forms the first inclined sidewall with the light emitting surface. Then, exposure light incident on the first inclined sidewall is scattered, the sensitivity of light incident by the photoresist on the bottom layer of the first refractive index pattern is enhanced, and the degree of curing of the first refractive index pattern in the anti-reflective function layer is improved. When the sensitivity of the bottom layer of the first refractive index pattern close to the base material layer is enhanced, the phenomena of holes, undercuts and the like caused by the relatively weak light sensitivity at the bottom of the first refractive index pattern can be effectively avoided.
In an embodiment, the light uniformizing structures may be arranged to surround the sub-pixels or may be arranged to be discretely around the sub-pixels.
In an embodiment, the first refractive index pattern may be made of a negative tone photoresist material.
The negative tone photoresist material is an organic solution containing a cyclized rubber-based resin and a compound having photosensitive properties, and the negative tone photoresist material generates a crosslinking reaction by light irradiation and has the insolubility through superposition and hardening by a developer, that is, since a difference in solubility exists between an exposed portion and a non-exposed portion formed after exposure, an image may be formed by using this characteristic. When the lithographic technology is adopted for the exposure and development, the negative tone photoresist material has the characteristics of high chemical stability, sensitivity and wet etching resistance.
In this embodiment, when the lithographic technology is used for exposure and development, an exposure region and a non-exposure region exist, the first refractive index pattern is prepared easily after patterning design and the exposure and development by utilizing the high-quality characteristic of the negative tone photoresist material described above, and the formation and size of the first refractive index pattern can be easily controlled.
With continued reference to
As described above, the first refractive index pattern 131 has the convex regular-trapezoid structure and covers the light uniformizing structure 141, therefore, the second inclined sidewall Ab of the first refractive index pattern 131 and the first inclined sidewall Aa of the light uniformizing structure 141 face the same direction and are both inclined in the direction away from the sub-pixel 120 adjacent to the first inclined sidewall Aa and the second inclined sidewall Ab, thereby facilitating scattering of exposure light incident on the sidewall.
It should be noted that an included angle between the second inclined sidewall Ab and the light emitting surface in this embodiment is different from the included angle between the first inclined sidewall Aa and the light emitting surface in the above embodiments.
In this embodiment, referring to
The first refractive index pattern 131 overlaps with the pixel definition structure 122, and one sub-pixel 120 is disposed within an opening of the pixel definition structure 122, so that the color mixing phenomenon can be effectively avoided.
As shown in
Referring to
With continued reference to
The anti-reflective function layer 13 in this embodiment is used for increasing the light transmittance, the arrangement of the second refractive index layer 132 on the basis that the first refractive index pattern 131 is formed through the lithographic technology further facilitates the guide for light emitting, so that the light is prevented from being reflected and sealed in the film layer when the light directly reaches a refractive layer with a relatively high refractive index, thus achieving the anti-reflective effect.
Referring to
In this embodiment, the manner for forming the convex structure 142 may be referred to the manner for forming the light uniformizing structure of an upwardly protruding regular trapezoid in the above embodiments. When exposure light is incident, the light hits the convex structure 142 formed on the substrate layer 14, and the incident exposure light is subjected to multi-angle scattering along the surface of the convex structure 142 according to protruding features of the convex structure, so that the scattered light at the bottom is dispersed, the light sensitivity of the bottom is improved, and thus the degree of curing of the anti-reflective function layer is further improved.
In addition, when the light uniformizing structure is the convex structure 142, the arrow in
Referring to
Due to the scattering effect of the exposure light, the light sensitivity of the incident light on the bottom layer of the anti-reflective function layer 13 is relatively high, therefore, when the light uniformizing structure is concave on the base material layer 14, the degree of curing of the anti-reflective function layer 13 on the base material layer 14 can still be ensured, and the occurrence of the phenomena of holes, undercuts and the like at the whole bottom of the anti-reflective function layer cannot be affected by a volume shrinkage.
In an embodiment, the base material layer may include a second concave structure, the second concave structure includes a part overlapping with the sub-pixel, and the second concave structure includes the first inclined sidewall.
Arrows in
The first insulating layer 172 insulates the first electrode layer 171 and the second electrode layer 173 to avoid an electric leakage phenomenon. When the second insulating layer 174 is directly also used as the base material layer, a preparation process of the original base material layer is reduced, and thus the overall thickness of the display panel is reduced.
In addition, since the base material layer is located between the display function layer 12 and the anti-reflective function layer 13, using the metal electrode layer as the light uniformizing structure, the light reflection can be greatly improved.
Similarly, an additional base material layer is not required in this embodiment, and the second electrode layer 173 is also used as the base material layer on the basis of the original touch function layer 17, so that the process of manufacturing the base material layer is also reduced, and the manufacturing cost is further reduced.
Exemplarily, in this embodiment, the first sub-pixels 121 and the second sub-pixels 122 as red sub-pixels emitting the red light are taken as an example, and the first sub-pixels 121 and the second sub-pixels 122 are labeled here as the first red sub-pixels 121 and the second red sub-pixels 122.
Referring to
Exemplarily, in this embodiment, the first color sub-pixels 1201 are red sub-pixels emitting the red light, and the second color sub-pixels 1202 are green sub-pixels emitting the green light.
In this embodiment, the first included angle α1 of 70° and the second included angle α2 of 75° are taken as an example. In the manufacturing process of the display panel, the sub-pixels 120 may have a process error, so that an included angle between the light emitting surface and the first inclined sidewall Aa of the first red sub-pixel 121 deviates from the included angle between the light emitting surface and the first inclined sidewall Aa of the second red sub-pixel 122, and the deviation may directly influence the light emission of the sub-pixels, even a color cast phenomenon may be generated. In this embodiment, the sub-pixels with the same light emitting color are arranged to be alternated and have different included angles with the light emitting surface, the influence of color cast caused by the process error of different sub-pixels can be balanced, and the fluctuation of the color cast is further improved.
Since the display device 100 provided in this embodiment includes the display panel 10 provided in any of the above-described embodiments, it has the same or corresponding beneficial effects as the display panel 10, which are not repeated here.
After the display function layer is formed and before the anti-reflective function layer is formed, the touch function layer is formed on the light emitting side of the display function layer, the touch function layer includes a first electrode layer, a first insulating layer, a second electrode layer and a second insulating layer which are sequentially stacked in the light emitting direction, and the second insulating layer is also used as the base material layer.
Another situation that the touch function layer is formed on the light emitting side of the display function layer is that: the touch function layer includes a first electrode layer, a first insulating layer and a second electrode layer which are sequentially stacked in the light emitting direction, the second electrode layer includes a second electrode, the second electrode layer is also used as the base material layer, and the second electrode is also used as the light uniformizing structure.
The preparation method of the touch function layer is a technique well known to those skilled in the art, which is not repeated here.
It should be noted that the above are merely alternative embodiments of the present disclosure and the technical principles applied herein. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein. For those skilled in the art, various apparent modifications, adaptations, combinations and substitutions may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, although the present disclosure has been described in detail through the above embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and may include more other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is determined by the scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202110739070.9 | Jun 2021 | CN | national |
The present application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/723,577, filed on Apr. 19, 2022, which claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202110739070.9 filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) on Jun. 30, 2021, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17723577 | Apr 2022 | US |
| Child | 19080310 | US |