Patent Publication Number: US-2021165291-A1

Title: Display panel and method for manufacturing same

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     This application relates to a manufacturing manner, and in particular, to a display panel and a method for manufacturing same. 
     Related Art 
     With the development of science and technologies, displays with various advantages, such as power saving, zero radiation, a small size, low power consumption, a flat surface and a right angle, a high resolution, stable image quality become more and more popular, especially current various information products, such as smartphones, notebook computers, digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDA), screens, thereby greatly increasing demand for display panels. Therefore, an operator has to face a problem of how to improve producing process efficiency and a product yield. 
     A display panel includes two substrates disposed opposite to each other, which may be an active switch array substrate and a color filter substrate, or may be a combination of an array substrate combined with a color filter and an opposite substrate. To ensure stable display quality, a spacer (Photo Spacer) has to be disposed between the two substrates to maintain a fixed gap between the two substrates. 
     To improve a pressing tolerance of the display panel to an external force, as known to all, a spacer has another design, that is, a spacer with double segment gaps. That is, the spacer is divided into a main spacer (main PS) and a sub spacer (sub PS). Generally the main spacer has a supporting function and the sub spacer is suspended. When the display panel is pressed, the sub spacer has the supporting function. There are mainly two implementations: (1) Film layer stacking: a segment gap between the main spacer and the sub spacer is implemented by raising an active switch array disposed opposite to the main spacer. Therefore, the segment gap between the main spacer and the sub spacer is a total thickness of a metal layer (M 2 ), a semiconductor doping layer (N+), and a semiconductor layer (a-Si). In this design, the spacer is easily interfered by a stacking part, resulting in that a substrate cannot restore from an offset. (2) The segment gap is formed when the main spacer and the sub spacer are produced. However, when this design is used in a liquid crystal display panel, the segment gap between the main spacer and the sub spacer is too small, resulting in that a liquid crystal margin (LC margin) of the liquid crystal display panel is relatively small and a benefit of mass production is relatively low. 
     SUMMARY 
     To resolve the foregoing technical problem, an objective of this application is to provide a display panel and a method for manufacturing same, thereby increasing a segment gap between a main spacer and a sub spacer of the display panel without largely changing an existing production process. 
     The objective of this application is achieved and the technical problem of this application is resolved by using the following technical solutions. This application provides a display panel, where the display panel comprises: a first substrate, where a plurality of active switches is formed on the first substrate; a second substrate, disposed opposite to the first substrate, where the second substrate comprises a plurality of pixel areas, and the plurality of pixel areas of the second substrate and a plurality of pixel areas of the first substrate correspond to each other; two electrode layers, respectively formed on opposite surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate; a color filter layer, formed on one of the first substrate and the second substrate; and a plurality of photo spacers, located between the first substrate and the second substrate, where the plurality of photo spacers comprises a first spacer and a second spacer; the color filter layer comprises a first part disposed opposite to the first spacer and a second part disposed opposite to the second spacer; a height of the first part is different from a height of the second part; and a total height of the first spacer and the first part is greater than a total height of the second spacer and the second part. 
     The technical problem of this application may be further resolved by taking the following technical measures. 
     In an embodiment of this application, the first substrate is an active switch array substrate. The color filter layer is formed on the second substrate. The first part and the second part are disposed opposite to the active switches of the first substrate. The first spacer is formed between the first part and the active switches of the first substrate, and the second spacer is formed on the second part and is disposed opposite to the active switches of the first substrate. 
     In an embodiment of this application, the color filter layer comprises a plurality of color resist layers, and the first spacer and the second spacer are disposed on the plurality of color resist layers that is the same, different, or partly the same. 
     In an embodiment of this application, the plurality of color resist layers comprises three different colors: a red color resist layer, a blue color resist layer, and a green color resist layer, or the plurality of color resist layers comprises four different colors: a red color resist layer, a blue color resist layer, a green color resist layer, and a white color resist layer. 
     In an embodiment of this application, the first substrate is the active switch array substrate. The color filter layer is formed on the first substrate. The second substrate comprises a light shield layer. The first part and the second part are disposed opposite to the light shield layer. The first spacer is formed between the first part and the light shield layer and the second spacer is formed on the light shield layer and is disposed opposite to the second part. 
     In an embodiment of this application, the first part is a protruding shape. 
     In an embodiment of this application, the second part is a concave shape. 
     A secondary objective of this application is to provide a display panel, comprising: a first substrate, where a plurality of active switches is formed on the first substrate; a second substrate, disposed opposite to the first substrate; a color filter layer, formed on one of the first substrate and the second substrate; two electrode layers, respectively formed on opposite surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate; and a plurality of photo spacers, located between the first substrate and the second substrate, where the plurality of photo spacers comprises a first spacer and a second spacer; the color filter layer comprises a first part disposed opposite to the first spacer and a second part disposed opposite to the second spacer; the first part and the second part of the color filter layer are uneven surfaces; a height of the first part is greater than a height of the second part; and a total height of the first spacer and the first part is greater than a total height of the second spacer and the second part. 
     Another objective of this application is to provide a method for manufacturing a display panel, comprising: providing a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other; forming active switches on the first substrate; forming a color filter layer on one of the first substrate and the second substrate, where the color filter layer comprises a first part and a second part, and a height of the first part is different from a height of the second part; forming two electrode layers on opposite surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate; and forming a plurality of photo spacers between the first substrate and the second substrate, where the plurality of photo spacers comprises a first spacer disposed opposite to the first part and a second spacer disposed opposite to the second part; and a total height of the first spacer and the first part is greater than a total height of the second spacer and the second part. 
     In an embodiment of this application, the first substrate is an active switch array substrate. The color filter layer is formed on the second substrate. The first part and the second part are disposed opposite to the active switches of the first substrate. The first spacer is formed between the first part and the active switches of the first substrate, and the second spacer is formed on the second part and is disposed opposite to the active switches of the first substrate. 
     In an embodiment of this application, the color filter layer comprises a plurality of color resist layers, and the first spacer and the second spacer are disposed on the plurality of color resist layers that is the same, different, or partly the same. 
     In an embodiment of this application, the plurality of color resist layers comprises three different colors: a red color resist layer, a blue color resist layer, and a green color resist layer, or the plurality of color resist layers comprises four different colors: a red color resist layer, a blue color resist layer, a green color resist layer, and a white color resist layer. 
     In an embodiment of this application, the first substrate is the active switch array substrate. The color filter layer is formed on the first substrate. The second substrate comprises a light shield layer. The first part and the second part are disposed opposite to the light shield layer. The first spacer is formed between the first part and the light shield layer and the second spacer is formed on the light shield layer and is disposed opposite to the second part. 
     In an embodiment of this application, the first part is a protruding shape. 
     In an embodiment of this application, the second part is a concave shape. 
     This application can increase a segment gap between a main spacer and a sub spacer of the display panel by using a surface height difference of a color resist and a height difference between spacers without largely changing an existing production process. The segment gap between spacers does not need to stack different film layers, thereby reducing situations in which a substrate cannot restore from an offset because the spacers are interfered by a stacking part. Moreover, during application to a liquid crystal display panel, an obvious height segment gap between the main spacer and the sub spacer can desirably enhance a liquid crystal margin of a liquid crystal display panel and improve a yield of mass production. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1 a    is an exemplary schematic cross-section view of a display panel; 
         FIG. 1 b    is an exemplary schematic cross-section view of manufacturing a display panel; 
         FIG. 1 c    is an exemplary simple configuration diagram of a first-type spacer segment gap of a display panel; 
         FIG. 1 d    is an exemplary simple configuration diagram of a second-type spacer segment gap of a display panel; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic cross-section view in which a protruding structure of a color resist layer is applied to a display panel shown according to a method of this application; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic cross-section view in which a concave structure of a color resist layer is applied to a display panel shown according to a method of this application; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic cross-section view in which a protruding structure of a color resist layer is applied to an array substrate shown according to a method of this application; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-section view in which a concave structure of a color resist layer is applied to an array substrate shown according to a method of this application; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic cross-section view in which a protruding structure of a color resist layer and a stacking film layer are combined to form a composite raising structure shown according to a method of this application; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic cross-section view in which a concave structure of a color resist layer and a stacking film layer are combined to form a composite raising structure shown according to a method of this application; and 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic architectural diagram of a display apparatus of an embodiment shown according to a method of this application. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, used to exemplify specific implementable embodiments of this application. Terms about directions mentioned in this application, such as “on”, “below”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “in”, “out”, and “side surface” merely refer to directions in the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the used terms about directions are used to describe and understand this application, and are not intended to limit this application. 
     The accompanying drawings and the description are considered to be essentially exemplary, rather than limitative. In the figures, units with similar structures are represented by using the same reference number. In addition, for understanding and ease of description, the size and the thickness of each component shown in the accompanying drawings are arbitrarily shown, but this application is not limited thereto. 
     In the accompanying drawings, for clarity, thicknesses of a layer, a film, a panel, an area, and the like are enlarged. In the accompanying drawings, for understanding and ease of description, thicknesses of some layers and areas are enlarged. It should be understood that when a component such as a layer, a film, an area, or a base is described to be “on” “another component”, the component may be directly on the another component, or there may be an intermediate component. 
     In addition, throughout this specification, unless otherwise explicitly described to have an opposite meaning, the word “include” is understood as including the component, but not excluding any other component. In addition, throughout this specification, “on” means that one is located above or below a target component and does not necessarily mean that one is located on the top based on a gravity direction. 
     To further describe the technical measures and functions used in the this application to achieve the predetermined invention objectives, specific implementations, structures, features, and functions of a display panel and a method for manufacturing same that are provided in this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. 
       FIG. 1 a    is an exemplary schematic cross-section view of a display panel.  FIG. 1 b    is an exemplary schematic cross-section view of manufacturing a display panel.  FIG. 1 c    is an exemplary simple configuration diagram of a first-type spacer segment gap of a display panel.  FIG. 1 d    is an exemplary simple configuration diagram of a second-type spacer segment gap of a display panel. Referring to  FIG. 1 a    and  FIG. 1   b,  take a dual-gap and transflective multi-domain vertical alignment (MVA) liquid crystal display as an example. Generally, a dual-gap and transflective liquid crystal display may dispose an adjustment layer  208  in a reflective region R. As shown in  FIG. 1   a,  the adjustment layer may be disposed at a side of a color filter substrate or a side of a thin film transistor substrate. As shown in  FIG. 1   a,  a basic structure of the dual-gap and transflective MVA liquid crystal display includes a first substrate  10 , a second substrate  20 , and a liquid crystal layer  30 . The first substrate  10  includes a plurality of pixel areas  110 , and every pixel area  110  includes a reflective region R and a penetration region T. The second substrate  20  includes a color filter layer  210  including color resist layers  202 . A plurality of pixel areas  120  is also included on the second substrate  20 . The pixel areas  120  and the plurality of pixel areas  110  of the first substrate correspond to each other. Every pixel area  120  has an adjustment layer  208  disposed in a position corresponding to the reflective region R. The liquid crystal layer  30  is disposed between the first substrate  10  and the second substrate  20 . 
     Further referring to  FIG. 1   a,    FIG. 1   b,  and  FIG. 1   c,  every pixel area  110  of the first substrate  10  includes an active array switch (take a thin film transistor as an example, but this is not limited thereto) and a storage capacitor  308  disposed below the reflective region R. Next, form a planarization layer  104  on an upper surface of the first substrate  10 . Then produce an uneven surface on the planarization layer  104  in the reflective region R, and a metal (for example, aluminum, silver, and so on) of high reflectivity is plated as a reflective electrode. In addition, the penetration region T of every pixel area  110  includes a transparent electrode  114 . It is worth mentioning that the reflective region R of every pixel area  110  of the first substrate  10  further includes a contact hole  310 , used to electrically connect to the reflective electrode and the storage capacitor  308 . Moreover, an alignment protrusion (PR for short)  122  is disposed at a position that is on the color filter layer  210  and that is opposite to the reflective region R and the penetration region T of the first substrate  10 . The alignment protrusion  122  may change a distribution of an electric line, so that a liquid crystal molecule may tilt toward the alignment protrusion  122  to generate an effect of multi-domains liquid crystal alignment, thereby implementing a wide viewing angle technology and improving a gray scale inversion problem existing in single-domain liquid crystal alignment. As shown in  FIG. 1   b,  generally, when assembling the first substrate  10  and the second substrate  20 , the color filter layer  210  further includes a photo spacer (PS for short)  300  to fix a cell gap between panels and a plurality of platforms corresponding to the photo spacer  300  are designed at a side of the first substrate  10 , so that the photo spacer  300  can maintain panels to fix the cell gap between panels more steadily. 
     To improve a pressing tolerance of a display panel, an intermediate substance is designed to be a spacer with double segment gaps. A first type, as shown in  FIG. 1   c,  is that the photo spacer  300  is designed to be a main spacer  301  and a sub spacer  302 , and there is a segment gap when the main spacer  301  and the sub spacer  302  are formed. Generally, the main spacer  301  has a supporting function and the sub spacer  302  is suspended. When the display panel is pressed, the sub spacer  302  has the supporting function. 
     A second type, as shown in  FIG. 1   d,  is that the segment gap between the main spacer  301  and the sub spacer  302  is generally implemented by raising an active switch array disposed opposite to the main spacer  301 . Therefore, the segment gap between the main spacer  301  and the sub spacer  302  is an active switch, and has a total thickness of structures such as a metal layer (M 2 )  111 , a semiconductor doping layer (N+)  112 , and a semiconductor layer (a-Si)  113 . 
     As described above, although a reflective wide viewing angle display panel is described as an example, an application scope of this application is not limited thereto. This application may further be applied to a dual-gap and transflective display panel and a single-gap and transflective display panel. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic cross-section view in which a protruding structure of a color resist layer is applied to a display panel shown according to a method of this application. Referring to  FIG. 2 , in an embodiment of this application, a display panel  300  includes a first substrate  10 , where a plurality of active switches is formed on the first substrate  10 . The first substrate  10  includes: a first base  100 , a first insulation layer  102  formed on the first base  100 , and a first electrode  106  formed on the first insulation layer  102 . A second substrate  20  is disposed opposite to the first substrate  10 . The second substrate  20  includes a plurality of pixel areas, where the plurality of pixel areas of the second substrate  20  and a plurality of pixel areas of the first substrate  10  correspond to each other. A color filter layer  210  includes a plurality of color resist layers and is formed on one of the first substrate  10  and the second substrate  20 . A plurality of photo spacers is located between the first substrate  10  and the second substrate  20 . 
     The plurality of photo spacers includes a first spacer  301  and a second spacer  302 . The color filter layer  210  includes a first part  211  and a second part  212 , where the first part  211  is disposed opposite to the first spacer  301  and the second part  212  is disposed opposite to the second spacer  302 . A height of the first part  211  is different from a height of the second part  212 , and a total height of the first spacer  301  and the first part  211  is greater than a total height of the second spacer  302  and the second part  212 , thereby forming a relatively obvious segment gap. 
     In some embodiments, the first substrate  10  is an active switch array substrate. The second substrate  20  includes: a second base  200 , a color filter layer  210  disposed on the second base  200 , and a second electrode  204  disposed on the color filter layer  210 . The first part  211  and the second part  212  are disposed opposite to the active switches of the first substrate  10 . The first spacer  301  is formed between the first part  211  and the active switches of the first substrate  10 . The second spacer  302  is formed on the second part  212  and is disposed opposite to the active switches of the first substrate  10 . 
     In some embodiments, the color filter layer  210  includes a plurality of color resist layers, where the plurality of color resist layers includes three different colors: a red color resist layer, a blue color resist layer, and a green color resist layer, or the plurality of color resist layers includes four different colors: a red color resist layer, a blue color resist layer, a green color resist layer, and a white color resist layer. However, this is not limited thereto. The first spacer  301  and the second spacer  302  are disposed on the plurality of color resist layers that is the same, different, or partly the same. 
     In some embodiments, a height of the first part  211  is greater than a height of the second part  212 . 
     In some embodiments, the first part  211  is a protruding shape. 
     In some embodiments, the second substrate  20  further includes a light shield layer (for example, a black matrix, BM)  205  that is approximately disposed right above the photo spacer. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic cross-section view in which a concave structure of a color resist layer is applied to a display panel shown according to a method of this application. In some embodiments, different from what is shown in  FIG. 2 , the second part  212  is a concave shape. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic cross-section view in which a protruding structure of a color resist layer is applied to an array substrate shown according to a method of this application. In some embodiments, the first substrate  10  is an active switch array substrate. The color filter layer  210  is formed on the first substrate  10 . The second substrate  20  includes a light shield layer  205 . The first part  211  and the second part  212  are disposed opposite to the light shield layer  205 . The first spacer  301  is formed between the first part  211  and the light shield layer  205  and the second spacer  302  is formed on the light shield layer  205  and is disposed opposite to the second part  212 . In some embodiments, the first part  211  is a protruding shape. 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-section view in which a protruding structure of a color resist layer is applied to an array substrate shown according to a method of this application. In some embodiments, different from what is shown in  FIG. 4 , the second part  212  is a concave shape. 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic cross-section view in which a protruding structure of a color resist layer and a stacking film layer are combined to form a composite raising structure shown according to a method of this application. In some embodiments, the first substrate  10  is an active switch array substrate. The color filter layer  210  is formed on the second substrate  20 . The first part  211  and the second part  212  are disposed opposite to the active switches of the first substrate  10 . The first part  211  is a protruding shape. The first spacer  301  is formed between the first part  211  and the active switches of the first substrate  10  and the second spacer  302  is formed on the second part  212  and is disposed opposite to the active switches of the first substrate  10 . Therefore, a segment gap between a main spacer  301  a sub spacer  302  is a sum of heights of stacking film layers of the active switches that include structures such as a metal layer (M 2 )  111 , a semiconductor doping layer (N+)  112 , and a semiconductor layer (a-Si)  113 , and a height difference between the first part  211  and the second part  212 . 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic cross-section view in which a concave structure of a color resist layer and a stacking film layer are combined to form a composite raising structure shown according to a method of this application. In some embodiments, different from what is shown in  FIG. 6 , the second part  212  is a concave shape. 
     In an embodiment of this application, a method for manufacturing a display panel of this application includes: providing a first substrate  10  and a second substrate  20  disposed opposite to each other; forming a color filter layer  210  on one of the first substrate  10  and the second substrate  20 , where the color filter layer  210  includes a first part  211  and a second part  212 , and a height of the first part  211  is different from a height of the second part  212 ; forming two electrode layers ( 106 ,  204 ) on opposite surfaces of the first substrate  10  and the second substrate  20 ; forming a plurality of photo spacers between the first substrate  10  and the second substrate  20 , where the plurality of photo spacers includes a first spacer  301  disposed opposite to the first part  211  and a second spacer  302  disposed opposite to the second part  212 ; and a total height of the first spacer  301  and the first part  211  is greater than a total height of the second spacer  302  and the second part  212 . 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic architectural diagram of a display apparatus of an embodiment shown according to a method of this application. In an embodiment of this application, a display apparatus  400  of this application includes a control component  410  and further includes any one of display panels  300  in the forgoing embodiments. 
     The display panel of this application includes a liquid crystal display panel, including a first substrate  10 , a second substrate  20 , and a liquid crystal layer  30  formed between the two substrates, where the first substrate  10  and the second substrate  20  may be, for example, an active switch array (mainly a thin film transistor (TFT) in a current process, but this is not limited thereto) substrate or a color filter (CF) substrate. However, this is not limited thereto. In an embodiment, the active switch array and the color filter layer of this application may further be formed on a same substrate. 
     In some embodiments, the display panel of this application includes a liquid crystal display panel, but is not limited thereto. The display panel may further be an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel, a white organic light emitting diode (W-OLED) display panel, a quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED) display panel, a plasma display panel, a curved-face display panel or other types of display panels. 
     This application can increase a segment gap between a main spacer and a sub spacer of the display panel by using a surface height difference of a color resist and a height difference between spacers without largely changing an existing production process. The segment gap between spacers does not need to stack different film layers, thereby reducing situations in which a substrate cannot restore from an offset because the spacers are interfered by a stacking part. Moreover, during application to a liquid crystal display panel, an obvious height segment gap between the main spacer and the sub spacer can desirably enhance a liquid crystal margin of a liquid crystal display panel and improve a yield of mass production. 
     The wordings such as “in some embodiments” and “in various embodiments” are repeatedly used. They usually do not refer to a same embodiment; but they may refer to a same embodiment. The words, such as “comprise”, “have”, and “include”, are synonyms, unless other meanings are indicated in the context thereof. 
     The foregoing descriptions are merely specific embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit this application in any form. Although this application has been disclosed above through the specific embodiments, the embodiments are not intended to limit this application. Any person skilled in the art can make some variations or modifications, namely, equivalent changes, according to the foregoing disclosed technical content to obtain equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the technical solutions of this application. Any simple amendment, equivalent change, or modification made to the foregoing embodiments according to the technical essence of this application without departing from the content of the technical solutions of this application shall fall within the scope of the technical solutions of this application.