Liquid crystal display panel and method for fabricating same

A liquid crystal display panel and a method for fabricating the same are disclosed. The liquid crystal display panel comprises a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate opposite to each other, a sealant, and a liquid crystal layer. A metal layer and a blue color-resist are disposed over a peripheral region of the first transparent substrate, and the sealant is disposed between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate, contacting the second transparent substrate and the blue color-resist. The liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate and adjacent to the sealant and the blue color-resist.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a display technology, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display panel and a method for fabricating the same.

BACKGROUND

In the prior art, liquid crystal displays have become the most widely used display devices by virtue of their clear picture quality, wide viewing angles, beautiful color and relatively low prices. A liquid crystal display panel used in the liquid crystal display mainly comprises a color filter substrate (CF substrate), an array substrate (thin-film transistor array substrate, TFT array substrate), liquid crystals (LC) filled therebetween, and a sealant for sealing.

Curing sealant of the liquid crystal display panel is generally performed on a side of an array substrate of the liquid crystal display panel, and light is irradiated through gaps between traces at the edge of the array substrate and arrives the sealant to cure thereof. However, with the development of narrow bezel technology of the liquid crystal display panel, a non-display area of the liquid crystal display panel is gradually reduced, so that the density of traces at the edge of the array substrate become higher, that is, gaps between the traces at the edge of the array substrate is getting smaller and smaller, so that the amount of light that irradiates the sealant through the gaps between the traces is less and less. Thus, the sealant cannot be completely cured, and the curing effect of the sealant is affected, thereby causing quality problems such as liquid crystal contamination and insufficient tension of the sealant, which in turn affects the quality of the liquid crystal display panel.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a liquid crystal display panel to solve the problems encountered in the abovementioned liquid crystal display panel.

SUMMARY

With the development of the narrow bezel technology of the liquid crystal display panel, a non-display area of the liquid crystal display panel is gradually reduced, so that traces at the edge of the array substrate become more and more dense, that is, gaps between the traces at the edge of the array substrate is getting smaller and smaller, so that the amount of light that irradiates and arrives the sealant through the gaps between the traces is less and less. Thus, the sealant cannot be completely cured, and the curing effect of the sealant is affected, thereby causing quality problems such as liquid crystal contamination and insufficient tension of the sealant, which in turn affects the quality of the liquid crystal display panel.

In view of this, the present invention provides a liquid crystal display panel to solve the quality problems such as liquid crystal contamination and insufficient tension of the sealant in the prior art.

In order to achieve the foregoing object of the present invention, an embodiment of the present invention provides a liquid crystal display panel, comprising a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate opposite to each other, a sealant, and a liquid crystal layer. A metal layer and a blue color-resist are disposed over a peripheral region of the first transparent substrate, and the sealant is disposed between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate, contacting the second transparent substrate and the blue color-resist. The liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate and adjacent to the sealant and the blue color-resist.

In one embodiment, the second transparent substrate further comprises a light shielding layer disposed over the second transparent substrate, surrounding the sealant.

In one embodiment, the metal layer is disposed between the blue color-resist and the first transparent substrate.

In one embodiment, there is a gap of more than 5 micrometers between the light shielding layer and the sealant.

In one embodiment, the peripheral region comprises a cutout region exposing the second transparent substrate to accommodate the sealant, and each side of the metal layer is at least 5 micrometers greater than each side of the cutout region.

In addition, another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for fabricating a liquid crystal display panel, comprising: providing a first transparent substrate, wherein a metal layer and a blue color-resist are sequentially formed in a peripheral region of the first transparent substrate; providing a second transparent substrate, wherein a light shielding layer is formed in a peripheral region of the second transparent substrate, and the light shielding layer has a cutout region exposing a portion of the second transparent substrate; coating a sealing material in the cutout region of the second transparent substrate; contacting the second transparent substrate with the first transparent substrate, wherein the sealing material is aligned with the blue color-resist in the peripheral region of the first transparent substrate and contacts thereof; performing a photo-curing process, irradiating a light from a surface of the second light-transmitting substrate on which the light-shielding layer is not provided, making the light pass through the cutout region of the light-shielding layer of the second transparent substrate to cure the sealing material into an sealant; and injecting a liquid crystal material between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate to form a liquid crystal layer adjacent to the light-shielding layer, the sealant, the blue color-resist, and the metal layer.

In one embodiment, the first transparent substrate is an array substrate, and the second transparent substrate is a color filter substrate.

In one embodiment, the light-shielding layer surrounds the sealant.

In one embodiment, there is a gap of more than 5 micrometers between the light shielding layer and the sealant.

In one embodiment, each side of the metal layer is at least 5 micrometers greater than each side of the cutout region.

Compared with the prior art, the liquid crystal display panel and the method for fabricating the same of the present invention forms a cutout in the light-shielding layer over the color filter substrate side corresponding to the sealant coating region, thereby realizing curing of the sealant by irradiating from the color filter substrate side. Curing of the sealant can be improved without increasing the difficulty of the process, and quality problems such as contamination of the liquid crystal caused by poor curing of the sealant and the effect of the tension of the sealant can be prevented. Since the light-shading layer is formed with a cutout therein, the aperture ratio can reach 100%, which can accelerate the curing of the sealant and improve the curing of the sealant. Since the sealant is cured by illuminating the light from the color filter substrate side, the gap between traces in the sealant region can be reduced, which is helpful for the narrow bezel design. At the same time, in order to prevent light leakage in the cutout of the light-shielding layer in the sealant region, a blue color-resist and a metal layer design are used at the corresponding region over the array substrate side to prevent reflection and light leakage. The light-shielding design of the frame region of the present invention in the peripheral region of the light-transmitting substrate is beneficial to the realization of a frameless display product, so as to improve product quality and product competitiveness.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Please refer to the drawings in the drawings, in which the same reference numerals represent the same components. The following description is based on the specific embodiments of the present invention as illustrated and should not be construed as limiting the specific embodiments that are not described herein. The directional terms mentioned in the present invention, such as “upper”, “lower”, “before”, “after”, “left”, “right”, “inside”, “outside”, “side”, etc., are only used to show direction in the figures. The directional terms used in the drawings are used to explain and explain the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1is a schematic top view of a liquid crystal display panel20according to a first embodiment of the present invention, andFIG. 2is a schematic cross-sectional view at2-2inFIG. 1.

Please refer toFIG. 1andFIG. 2at the same time, in this embodiment, the liquid crystal display panel20comprises a first transparent substrate100and a second transparent substrate200which are opposite to each other, a sealant300, and a liquid crystal layer400. The liquid crystal display panel20comprises a display region D located at the center and a peripheral region P surrounding the display region D outside the display region D. A metal layer110and a blue color-resist120are disposed in the peripheral region P of the first transparent substrate100. The sealant300is disposed between the first transparent substrate100and the second transparent substrate200to contact the second transparent substrate200and the blue color-resist120. The liquid crystal layer400is disposed between the first transparent substrate100and the second transparent substrate200and adjacent to the sealant300and the blue color-resist120. The first transparent substrate100is an array substrate, and the second transparent substrate200is a color filter substrate. It can be understood that other elements used in the liquid crystal display panel20such as a thin film transistor (TFT), a pixel electrode, and a common electrode may be further disposed over the first transparent substrate100and the second transparent substrate200, respectively. The illustration here is simplified and only the aforementioned elements are shown to describe the present invention.

As shown inFIG. 1, the second transparent substrate200covers the first transparent substrate100, the sealant300, and the liquid crystal layer400. Therefore, only the second transparent substrate200and a black matrix layer210disposed over the surface of the second transparent substrate200facing the first transparent substrate100are shown in the schematic top view diagram. The light-shielding layer210is provided with a patterned cutout region220. The cutout region220is disposed around the display region D and is surrounded by the light-shielding layer210.

As shown inFIG. 2, a cross-sectional view of the display region D and the peripheral region P outside the display region D of the liquid crystal display panel20at2-2inFIG. 1are partially shown. The metal layer110and the blue color-resist120are sequentially disposed over a surface of the first transparent substrate100in the peripheral region P facing the second transparent substrate200. The metal layer110can be used as a trace electrically connected to a thin film transistor (TFT) on the first transparent substrate100. A light-shielding layer210is disposed over a surface of the second transparent substrate200facing the first light-transmitting substrate100in the peripheral region P, and a cutout region220is provided in the light-shielding layer210. The cutout region220exposes a portion of the second transparent substrate200facing the surface of the first transparent substrate100in the peripheral area P.

The sealant300is disposed between the first transparent substrate100and the second transparent substrate200, and contacts the surface of the second transparent substrate200exposed by the cutout region220and in contact with the blue color-resist120over the surface of the first transparent substrate100in the periphery region P facing the second light-transmitting substrate200. The liquid crystal layer400is disposed between the first transparent substrate100and the second transparent substrate200, adjacent to the light-shielding layer210, the sealant300, the blue color-resist120, and the metal layer110.

The metal layer110over the first light-transmitting substrate100can be designed as a block to prevent light leakage, and the blue color-resist120over the metal layer110can prevent the light reflection of the metal layer110, which is helpful for the realization of a no bezel design. There is a gap a1of more than 5 micrometers between the light-shielding layer210and the sealant300, so that when a light source600is used to irradiate light610from a side of the second transparent substrate200to cure the sealant300, the problem of incomplete curing of the inner part of the sealant300caused by shielding of the light-shielding layer210is prevented, thereby improving curing effects of the sealant300. In addition, each side of the metal layer11is at least 5 micrometers a2wider than each side of the cutout region220to prevent light leakage due to shifting when assembling the first transparent substrate100and the second transparent substrate200.

FIG. 3is a flowchart of a method1000for fabricating the liquid crystal display panel20according to the first embodiment of the present invention, which mainly comprises the following steps S1001-S1011.

In step S1001, a first transparent substrate100is provided, and a metal layer110and a blue color-resist120are sequentially formed over a surface of the first transparent substrate100in a peripheral region P facing a second transparent substrate200.

Next, in step S1003, a second light-transmitting substrate200is provided. A light-shielding layer210is formed in the peripheral region P of the second light-transmitting substrate200. There is a cutout region220formed in the light-shielding layer210to expose a portion of the second transparent substrate200.

Next, in step S1005, a sealing material is coated to the cutout region220of the second transparent substrate200.

Next, in step S1007, the second transparent substrate is brought into contact with the first transparent substrate, and the sealing material is aligned with and in contact with the blue color-resist in the peripheral region of the first transparent substrate.

Next, in step S1009, a photo-curing process (not shown) is performed. The surface of the second transparent substrate200on which the light-shielding layer210is not provided is irradiated with light610and make the light610pass through the cutout region220of the light-shielding layer210of the second transparent substrate200to cure the sealing material. In the aforementioned photo-curing process, a mask (not shown) with a suitable pattern can be used, the light source600can be used to irradiate the light610from the side of the second transparent substrate200on which the light-shielding layer210is not provided, and the light610passes through the cutout region220in the light-shielding layer210of the second light-transmitting substrate200to cure the sealing material into sealant300.

Next, in step S1011, a liquid crystal material is injected between the first transparent substrate100and the second transparent substrate200to form a liquid crystal layer400adjacent to the light shielding layer210, the sealant300, the blue color-resist120, and the metal layer110. After the sealing, the fabrication of the liquid crystal display panel20according to the first embodiment of the present invention is completed.

In summary, the liquid crystal display panel20and the method for fabricating the same of the present embodiment forms a cutout in the light-shielding layer over the color filter substrate side corresponding to the sealant coating region, thereby realizing curing of the sealant by irradiating from the color filter substrate side. Curing of the sealant can be improved without increasing the difficulty of the process, and quality problems such as contamination of the liquid crystal caused by poor curing of the sealant and the effect of the tension of the sealant can be prevented. Since the light-shading layer210is formed with a cutout therein, the aperture ratio can reach 100%, which can accelerate the curing of the sealant and improve the curing of the sealant. Since the sealant is cured by illuminating the light from the color filter substrate side, the gap between traces in the sealant region can be reduced, which benefits the narrow bezel design. At the same time, in order to prevent light leakage in the cutout of the light-shielding layer in the sealant region, a blue color-resist120and a metal layer110design are used at the corresponding region over the array substrate side to prevent reflection and light leakage. The light-shielding design of the frame region of the present invention in the peripheral region of the light-transmitting substrate is beneficial to the realization of a frameless display product, so as to improve product quality and product competitiveness.

In addition, the liquid crystal display panel and the method for fabricating the same of the present invention can also be applied to other types of liquid crystal display panels and manufacturing thereof, for example, liquid crystal displays using color filter on array (COA) technology which is integrated with a color filter and their fabrication.

Please refer toFIG. 4, a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal display panel2000according to a second embodiment of the present invention is provided. In this embodiment, the liquid crystal display panel2000is a liquid crystal display panel using a color filter on array (COA) technology.

As shown inFIG. 4, a display region D of the liquid crystal display panel2000and a portion of the structure in the peripheral region P outside the display region D are simultaneously shown. The liquid crystal display panel2000located in the display region D mainly comprises a plurality of display pixels, and three display pixels are illustrated here for illustration. A gate insulating layer2220, an interlayer insulating layer2230, a first planarization layer2120, and a second planarization layer2160are sequentially disposed over the first transparent substrate100. A semiconductor layer2211is provided between the gate insulating layer2220and the first transparent substrate100, and it comprises a source region2212, a drain region2213, and a channel region2214therebetween. A gate2240is embedded between the interlayer insulating layer2230and the gate insulating layer2220, and is generally located above the channel region2214. The gate2240, the gate insulating layer2220, and the semiconductor layer2211form a transistor2110of a display pixel. Two conductive electrodes2140are disposed and penetrate the interlayer insulating layer2230and the gate insulating layer2220, and contact the source region2212and the drain region2213, respectively. An opening2130is formed over the first planarization layer2120to partially expose the top surface of the conductive electrode2140connected to the drain region2213, and a transparent pixel electrode2150is provided over the opening2130exposed by the opening2130and over a portion of the second flat layer2160adjacent to the opening2130. A plurality of light-shielding layers BM are disposed over the second flat layer2160separately, and each light-shielding layer BM overlaps the underlying transistor2110. A color filter2170with colors such as red (R), green (G), and blue (B) is disposed between the plurality of light shielding layers BM. Here, R, G, and B are used in each color filter2170to note the colors, and each color filter2170overlaps the transparent pixel electrode2150below. In addition, a common electrode2296is formed over the second transparent substrate200facing the first transparent substrate100. Since the liquid crystal display panel2000uses COA technology to integrate the color filter2170over the first transparent substrate100, it is transparent over the second transparent substrate100and no color filter is formed over the second transparent substrate200at this time. A liquid crystal layer400is further formed on the second transparent substrate200and the first transparent substrate100.

In addition, the structure in the peripheral region P outside the display region D of the liquid crystal display panel2000is the same as the structure shown inFIG. 2, and description is not repeated here. It is noted that the light-shielding layer210in the peripheral region P and the light-shielding layers BM in the display region D are separately formed, and the blue resist210in the peripheral region P and the color filter layer2170entitled B in the display region D can be formed simultaneously. The flowchart of the method1000for fabricating of the liquid crystal display panel20shown inFIG. 3is also applicable to the manufacturing of the liquid crystal display panel2000shown inFIG. 4, and details are not described herein again.

As mentioned above, the liquid crystal display panel2000and the method for fabricating the same of the present invention forms a cutout in the light-shielding layer over the color filter substrate side corresponding to the sealant coating region, thereby realizing curing of the sealant by irradiating from the color filter substrate side. Curing of the sealant can be improved without increasing the difficulty of the process, and quality problems such as contamination of the liquid crystal caused by poor curing of the sealant and the effect of the tension of the sealant can be prevented. Since the light-shading layer210is formed with a cutout therein, the aperture ratio can reach 100%, which can accelerate the curing of the sealant and improve the curing of the sealant. Since the sealant is cured by illuminating the light from the color filter substrate side, the gap between traces in the sealant region can be reduced, which benefits the narrow bezel design. At the same time, in order to prevent light leakage in the cutout of the light-shielding layer in the sealant region, a blue color-resist120and a metal layer110design are used at the corresponding region over the array substrate side to prevent reflection and light leakage. The light-shielding design of the frame region of the present invention in the peripheral region of the light-transmitting substrate is beneficial to the realization of a frameless display product, so as to improve product quality and product competitiveness.

While the present disclosure has been described with the aforementioned preferred embodiments, it is preferable that the above embodiments should not be construed as limiting of the present disclosure. Anyone having ordinary skill in the art can make a variety of modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the following claims.