Patent Publication Number: US-2023165048-A1

Title: Method of manufacturing display panel

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a technical field of displays, and particularly to, a method of manufacturing a display panel. 
     2. Related Art 
     Current organic light-emitting diode display panels are mainly encapsulated in a manner using first inorganic layers, organic layers, and second inorganic layers alternatively arranged, wherein the inorganic layers are generally formed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) coating and the organic layers are formed by inkjet printing. 
     However, since masks are required during CVD processes, and reaction gases diffuse to edges during the CVD processes, bottoms of side walls of the second inorganic layers will extend outward, thereby adversely affecting characteristics of the edges of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices and resulting in an increase in frames of display panels. 
     Therefore, it is imperative to provide a method of manufacturing a display panel to overcome the problem of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a display panel to reduce a frame of the display panel. 
     In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a display panel, comprising fabricating a display portion on a glass substrate; forming a barrier layer on the glass substrate outside the display portion, wherein the barrier layer is adhesively attached to the glass substrate outside the display portion; forming an encapsulation film on the barrier layer and the display portion; separating the barrier layer and the encapsulation film outside a predetermined limited area on the glass substrate from the barrier layer and the encapsulation film in the predetermined limited area; and obtaining a panel area by peeling away the barrier layer and the encapsulation film outside the predetermined limited area, wherein the predetermined limited area corresponds to the display portion. 
     The present invention further provides a method of manufacturing a display panel, comprising fabricating a display portion on a glass substrate; forming a barrier layer on the glass substrate outside the display portion; forming an encapsulation film on the barrier layer and the display portion; and obtaining a panel area by removing the barrier layer and the encapsulation film outside a predetermined limited area on the glass substrate, wherein the predetermined limited area corresponds to the display portion. 
     A method of manufacturing a display panel of the present invention is implemented by fabricating a display portion on a glass substrate; forming a barrier layer on the glass substrate outside the display portion; forming an encapsulation film on the barrier layer and the display portion; and removing the barrier layer and the encapsulation film outside a predetermined limited area on the glass substrate to obtain a panel area, wherein the predetermined limited area corresponds to the display portion. Because a film formation area of inorganic layers is defined by forming a barrier layer outside the display portion, outer edges of the inorganic layers can be prevented from expanding, thereby reducing a frame of the display panel. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic structural view of a conventional display panel. 
         FIG.  2    is a schematic structural view according to a first step of a method of manufacturing the display panel of the present invention. 
         FIG.  3    is a schematic structural view according to a second step of the method of manufacturing the display panel of the present invention. 
         FIG.  4    is a top plan view according to the second step of the method of manufacturing the display panel of the present invention. 
         FIG.  5    is a schematic structural view according to a third step of the method of manufacturing the display panel of the present invention. 
         FIG.  6    is a schematic structural view according to a first sub-step of a fourth step of the method of manufacturing the display panel of the present invention. 
         FIG.  7    is a top plan view according to the first sub-step of the fourth step of the method of manufacturing the display panel of the present invention. 
         FIG.  8    is a top plan view according to a second sub-step of the fourth step of the method of manufacturing the display panel of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following embodiments are referring to the accompanying drawings for exemplifying specific implementable embodiments of the present invention. Directional terms described by the present invention, such as upper, lower, front, back, left, right, inner, outer, side, etc., are only directions by referring to the accompanying drawings, and thus the used directional terms are used to describe and understand the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , a conventional method of manufacturing a display panel includes sequentially forming a display portion  11 , a first inorganic layer  12 , an organic layer  13 , and a second inorganic layer  14 , wherein the first inorganic layer  12  and the second inorganic layer  14  are formed through a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Since masks are required during the CVD process and reaction gases diffuse to edges during the process, bottoms of side walls of the second inorganic layer will extend outward of the second inorganic layer (as shown by an enclosure  101  in dashed lines). The display portion  11  includes a switch array layer, an anode layer, an organic light-emitting layer, and a cathode, wherein a frame offset is designated as L. 
     Please refer to  FIGS.  2  to  8   .  FIG.  2    is a schematic structural view according to a first step of a method of manufacturing the display panel of the present invention. 
     A method of manufacturing a display panel in the embodiment of the present invention includes: 
     S 101 : fabricating a display portion on a glass substrate. 
     Specifically, as shown in  FIG.  2   , a display portion  20  is fabricated on a glass substrate  10 , wherein the display portion  20  includes a switch array layer  21  and an organic light-emitting display layer  22 . The switch array layer  21  includes a plurality of switch elements. The organic light-emitting display layer  22  includes an anode, an organic light-emitting layer, and a cathode layer. The display portion  20  may include a display area  201 . 
     S 102 : forming a barrier layer on the glass substrate outside the display portion. 
     Specifically, as shown in  FIGS.  3  and  4   , a barrier layer  23  is formed on the glass substrate outside the display portion  20 , that is, the barrier layer  23  does not cover the display portion  20 . Although a plurality of display panels are taken as an example in  FIG.  4   , the present invention is not limited thereto. It can be understood that a structure of a single display panel is similar to that of the present embodiment. In one embodiment, the barrier  23  adjoins the display portion  20 . In another embodiment, the barrier layer  23  may be spaced apart from the display portion  20 . A distance between the barrier layer  23  and the display portion  20  is defined according to a predetermined frame width of the display panel. That is, the distance between the barrier layer  23  and the display portion  20  is defined according to an actual frame width of the display panel. Further referring to  FIG.  1   , in order to reduce a frame width, a distance between the barrier layer  23  and the display portion  20  is defined according to a predetermined frame width of the display panel and the frame offset L. 
     In one embodiment, in order to facilitate subsequent processes and to simplify the processes, the barrier layer  23  is adhesively attached to the glass substrate  10  outside the display portion  20 . In order to remove the barrier layer, an adhesion force between the barrier layer  23  and the glass substrate  10  is less than a preset value. That is, the adhesion force between the barrier layer  23  and the glass substrate  10  is relatively small. 
     The barrier layer  23  is configured to block moisture and oxygen and to protect the glass substrate. Specifically, the barrier layer protects the glass substrate from being damaged during a subsequent laser cutting process. 
     S 103 : forming an encapsulation film on the barrier layer and the display portion. 
     Specifically, as shown in  FIG.  5   , an encapsulation film  30  is formed on the barrier layer  23  and the display portion  20 . In one embodiment, the encapsulation film  30  includes a first inorganic layer  31 , an organic layer  32 , and a second inorganic layer  33 . The step specifically includes: 
     S 1031 : forming a first inorganic layer on the barrier layer and the display portion. 
     For example, a first inorganic layer  31  is formed on the barrier layer  23  and the display portion  20 , wherein the first inorganic layer  31  is made of a material including at least one of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, and aluminum oxide. 
     S 1032 : forming an organic layer on the first inorganic layer corresponding to the display area. 
     For example, in one embodiment, an organic layer  32  is formed on the first inorganic layer  31  by inkjet printing, and a position of the organic layer  32  corresponds to positions of a plurality of the display areas  201 . That is, the organic layer  32  is disposed on the first inorganic layer corresponding to one of the display areas. 
     S 1033 : forming a second inorganic layer on the organic layer. 
     For example, a second inorganic layer  33  is formed on the organic layer  32 , wherein the second inorganic layer  33  covers the first inorganic layer  31 . That is, the second inorganic layer  33  is disposed on the organic layer  32  and on the first inorganic layer  31  not covered by the organic layer  32 . The second inorganic layer  33  may cover the first inorganic layer  31  and the organic layer  32 . The second inorganic layer  33  is made of a material including at least one of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, and aluminum oxide. It can be understood that a structure of the encapsulation film is not limited to the above. 
     S 104 : obtaining a panel area by removing the barrier layer and the encapsulation film outside the predetermined limited area. 
     Further referring to  FIGS.  6  to  8   , a predetermined limited area  301  is configured to define the panel area, that is, to limit a size of the panel area. Each of a plurality of display portions  20  is corresponding to one of a plurality of predetermined limited areas  301 . The predetermined limited area  301  has an orthographic projection on the glass substrate  10  with an area greater than that of an orthographic projection of the display portion  20  on the glass substrate  10 . The step specifically includes: 
     S 1041 : separating the barrier layer and the encapsulation film outside the predetermined limited area from the barrier layer and the encapsulation film in the predetermined limited area. 
     For example, as shown in  FIGS.  6  to  8   , the barrier layer and the encapsulation film outside each of the predetermined limited areas  301  are separated from the barrier layer and the encapsulation film in each of the predetermined limited areas  301 . 
     In one embodiment, the step may include: 
     S 201 : the barrier layer and the encapsulation film outside the predetermined limited area on the glass substrate are separated from the barrier layer and the encapsulation film in the predetermined limited area through a laser cutting method along a predetermined cutting line. 
     For example, as shown in  FIGS.  6  and  7   , use a laser cutting method to separate the barrier layer and the encapsulation film outside the predetermined limited area (defined by dashed lines) on the glass substrate from the barrier layer and the encapsulation film in the predetermined limited area along a predetermined cutting line  40 . Further referring to  FIG.  8   , a position of the predetermined cutting line  40  corresponds to a position of an edge of the predetermined limited area  301 . 
     The laser cutting method can be implemented using a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser cutting machine. 
     S 1042 : peeling away the barrier layer and the encapsulation film outside the predetermined limited area. 
     For example, as shown in  FIG.  8   , the barrier layer and the encapsulation film outside the predetermined limited area  301  are peeled away to obtain a plurality of panel areas, and number of the panel areas is certainly not limited thereto. A single panel can be obtained by cutting the panel areas in a subsequent process. Although a plurality of display panels are taken as an example in  FIGS.  7  and  8   , the present invention is not limited thereto. It can be understood that the structure of a single display panel is similar to that of the present embodiment. 
     A method of manufacturing a display panel of the present invention is implemented by fabricating a display portion on a glass substrate; forming a barrier layer on the glass substrate outside the display portion; forming an encapsulation film on the barrier layer and the display portion; and removing the barrier layer and the encapsulation film outside a predetermined limited area on the glass substrate to obtain a panel area, wherein the predetermined limited area corresponds to the display portion. Because a film formation area of inorganic layers is defined by forming a barrier layer outside the display portion, outer edges of the inorganic layers can be prevented from expanding, thereby reducing a frame of the display panel. 
     Accordingly, although the present invention has been disclosed as a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention may make various changes or modifications, and thus the scope of the present invention should be after the appended claims and their equivalents.