Patent Description:
Electronics industry is developing rapidly at present, and as production capacity of conventional flat panel products increases, market is flooded with conventional two-dimensional, 2D, flat panel products. Meanwhile, demand for three-dimensional, 3D, products and flexible bending products is increasing. In order to meet needs of customers and achieve diversification and convenience of products, currently introduced foldable displays need to have advantages of ultra-thinness and convenience, as well as foldability at various angles. Such foldable displays are used in various fields including multimedia, automotive, and medical equipment.

At present, flexible panel industry has multiple cutting processes for obtaining final display panels. However, in display panels of the conventional art, a laminated film layer at a cutting track position consists of an upper inorganic layer and a lower organic layer. Due to poor ductility of the inorganic layer, fine cracks are easily generated after cutting in a cutting process, and the cracks extend to an interior of the display panels, effective display region, during a bending process, which may damage functional film layers and affect display performance of flexible display panels.

In summary, due to poor ductility of the inorganic layer, cracks are generated after cutting in a cutting process in current flexible display panels and manufacturing method thereof, and the cracks extend to an interior of the display panels during a bending process, which may damage functional film layers and further affect display performance of the flexible display panels.

<CIT> discloses a display device comprising a display region and a non-display region, wherein a part of the flexible display panel disposed in the non-display region comprises a flexible substrate, a multi-barrier layer, and a planarization layer; and characterized in that a cutting track is defined at a peripheral edge of the non-display region.

<CIT> discloses a display apparatus comprising silicon oxide as an insulating buffer layer employed as inorganic multi-barrier layer material. <CIT> discloses a display apparatus with a flexible substrate where the groove penetrates a part of the flexible substrate.

In current flexible display panels and the manufacturing method thereof, due to poor ductility of the inorganic layer, cracks are generated after cutting in a cutting process, and the cracks extend to an interior of the display panels during a bending process, which may damage functional film layers and further affect display performance of the flexible display panels.

The embodiments of the present application provide a flexible display panel and a manufacturing method thereof, under the premise of not increasing mask plate, process flow, and materials, which can solve a technical problem of current flexible display panels that due to poor ductility of the inorganic layer, cracks are generated after cutting in a cutting process, and the cracks extend to an interior of the display panels during a bending process, which may damage functional film layers and further affect display performance of flexible display panels.

In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a flexible display panel including a display region and a non-display region, wherein a part of the flexible display panel disposed in the non-display region comprises a flexible substrate, a multi-barrier layer, and a planarization layer; and
wherein a cutting track is defined at a peripheral edge of the non-display region, and a groove is defined in the cutting track, and an end of the planarization layer extends to at least an interface formed between the multi-barrier layer and the flexible substrate through a sidewall of the groove.

In the flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present application, the groove is defined in the multi-barrier layer, and the groove penetrates the multi-barrier layer and a part of the flexible substrate.

In the flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present application, the groove is rectangular, and a width of the groove ranges from <NUM> to <NUM>.

In the flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present application, material of the flexible substrate includes polyimide, and material of the planarization layer includes an organic photoresist.

In the flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present application, the multi-barrier layer is a multilayered of laminated inorganic film layers, and material of each of the inorganic film layers includes one or a combination of alumina, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, silicon dioxide, and zirconia.

In the flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present application, a thickness of the multi-barrier layer ranges from <NUM> to <NUM>, and a thickness of the planarization layer ranges from <NUM> to <NUM>.

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a method of manufacturing a flexible display panel, the flexible display panel including a display region, a non-display region, and a cutting track defined at a peripheral edge of the non-display region, the method including following steps:.

In the method of manufacturing the flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present application, in the step S10, the multi-barrier layer is a multilayered of laminated inorganic film layers, and material of each of the inorganic film layers includes one or a combination of alumina, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, silicon dioxide, and zirconia.

In the method of manufacturing the flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present application, in the step S30, the groove is rectangular, and a width of the groove ranges from <NUM> to <NUM>.

In the method of manufacturing the flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present application, material of the flexible substrate is polyimide, material of the multi-barrier layer is silicon dioxide, and material of the planarization layer is an organic photoresist.

Compared with the conventional art, a flexible display panel and a manufacturing method thereof provided in the embodiments of the present application, under the premise of not increasing mask plate and process flow, prevent cracks of the flexible display panel from being generated during a bending process due to poor ductility of an inorganic layer after a cutting process, and further ensure display performance of the flexible display panel.

The embodiments of the present application are directed to current flexible display panels and a manufacturing method. They have a technical problem that cracks are generated after cutting due to poor ductility of an inorganic layer, and the cracks extend to an interior of display panels during a bending process, which may damage functional film layers and further affect display performance of the flexible display panels. The present embodiment can solve that defect.

Shown in <FIG> is a cross-sectional structure diagram of a flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present application. The flexible display panel includes a display region <NUM> and a non-display region <NUM>, and a part of the flexible display panel disposed in the display region <NUM> includes a flexible substrate <NUM>, a multi-barrier layer <NUM>, a thin film transistor, TFT, array layer <NUM>, and a planarization layer <NUM>. A part of the flexible display panel disposed in the non-display region <NUM> includes the flexible substrate <NUM>, the multi-barrier layer <NUM>, and the planarization layer <NUM>.

Specifically, a cutting track <NUM> is defined at a peripheral edge of the non-display region <NUM>, a groove <NUM> is defined in the cutting track <NUM>, and an end of the planarization layer <NUM> extends to at least an interface formed between the multi-barrier layer and the flexible substrate through a sidewall of the groove <NUM>. Preferably, the end of the planarization layer <NUM> extends to a bottom of the groove <NUM> through the sidewall of the groove <NUM>.

Specifically, the display region <NUM> is configured to display images, and the non-display region <NUM> is configured to dispose peripheral circuits of the display region <NUM>.

Specifically, material of the flexible substrate <NUM> includes polyimide.

Specifically, the multi-barrier layer <NUM> is multiple layers of laminated inorganic film layers, and material of each of the inorganic film layers includes one or a combination of alumina, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, silicon dioxide, and zirconia. In the embodiment of the present invention, material of the inorganic film layer is preferably silicon dioxide.

Specifically, material of the planarization layer <NUM> includes an organic photoresist, and the material of the planarization layer <NUM> can be well combined with the multi-barrier layer.

Specifically, a thickness of the multi-barrier layer ranges from <NUM>, micron, to <NUM>, and a thickness of the planarization layer ranges from <NUM> to <NUM>.

In the embodiment of the present application, the groove <NUM> is rectangular, and a width of the groove ranges from <NUM> to <NUM>. The groove <NUM> penetrates the multi-barrier layer <NUM> and a part of the flexible substrate <NUM>. That is, a depth of the groove <NUM> is greater than the thickness of the multi-barrier layer, and the depth of the groove <NUM> ranges from <NUM> to <NUM>. Preferably, a distance from a side of the sidewall of the groove <NUM> away from the planarization layer <NUM> to an edge of the flexible substrate is less than <NUM>.

Shown in <FIG> is a schematic flowchart of a manufacturing method of a flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present application. The flexible display panel includes a display region <NUM> and a non-display region <NUM>. A peripheral edge of the non-display region <NUM> is defined with a cutting track <NUM>. In a cutting process of the flexible display panel, a cutting blade cuts the flexible display panel along the cutting track <NUM>, and the method includes following steps.

S10, forming a multi-barrier layer <NUM> on a flexible substrate <NUM>, wherein the cutting track <NUM> is defined in the multi-barrier layer <NUM>.

Specifically, the step S10 further includes following.

First, a flexible substrate <NUM> is provided, and material of the flexible substrate <NUM> is preferably polyimide. Then, the multi-barrier layer <NUM> is deposited on the flexible substrate <NUM> by a chemical vapor deposition, PECVD, process, a plating process, or a sputtering process. The multi-barrier layer <NUM> is multiple layers of laminated inorganic film layers, and material of each of the inorganic film layers includes one or a combination of alumina, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, silicon dioxide, and zirconia. In the embodiment of the present invention, material of the inorganic film layer is preferably silicon dioxide. Specifically, the cutting track <NUM> is defined in the multi-barrier layer <NUM>, and a thickness of the multi-barrier layer ranges from <NUM> to <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>.

S20, forming a thin film transistor, TFT, array layer <NUM> on the multi-barrier layer <NUM>, wherein the TFT array layer <NUM> is disposed on the display region <NUM>.

Specifically, the step S20 further includes following.

First, the TFT array layer <NUM> is formed on the multi-barrier layer <NUM>, and the TFT array layer <NUM> is defined in the display region <NUM>. The TFT array layer <NUM> includes a gate buffer layer, an active layer, a gate insulation layer, a gate, an interlayer insulation layer, and sources and drains, and the TFT array layer <NUM> further includes a hole and a channel region. The TFT array layer <NUM> is configured to drive pixels of the flexible display panel, as shown in <FIG>.

S30, forming a groove <NUM> on a part of the multi-barrier layer <NUM> corresponding to a position of the cutting track <NUM>, wherein the groove penetrates the multi-barrier layer <NUM> and a part of the flexible substrate <NUM>. Specifically, the step S30 further includes following.

First, a first groove is defined by a CNT process on a part of the multi-barrier layer <NUM> positioned on the cutting track <NUM>. After the first groove penetrates a part of the multi-barrier layer <NUM>, the groove <NUM> is defined on a basis of the first groove by an ISO process or a DH process, and the groove <NUM> penetrates the multi-barrier layer <NUM> and a part of the flexible substrate <NUM>. In the embodiment of the present invention, the groove <NUM> is rectangular, a width of the groove ranges from <NUM> to <NUM>, a depth of the groove <NUM> is greater than a thickness of the multi-barrier layer, and the depth of groove <NUM> ranges from <NUM> to <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>.

S40, forming a planarization layer <NUM> on the multi-barrier layer <NUM>, wherein the planarization layer <NUM> completely covers the TFT array layer <NUM>, and an end of the planarization layer <NUM> extends to at least an interface formed between the multi-barrier layer <NUM> and the flexible substrate <NUM> through a sidewall of the groove <NUM>.

Specifically, the step S40 further includes: first, the planarization layer <NUM> is deposited on the multi-barrier layer <NUM> by a chemical vapor deposition process, an evaporation process, or a sputtering process on the flexible substrate, and the planarization layer <NUM> completely covers the TFT array layer <NUM>. The end of the planarization layer <NUM> extends from the display region <NUM> to the non-display region <NUM>, and extends to at least the interface formed between the multi-barrier layer <NUM> and the flexible substrate <NUM> through the sidewall of the groove <NUM>, which enables the interface to be covered by the planarization layer <NUM>, thereby preventing cracks on the interface. Preferably, the end of the planarization layer <NUM> extends to a bottom of the groove <NUM> through the sidewall of the groove <NUM>. Material of the planarization layer <NUM> is preferably an organic photoresist. The material of the planarization layer <NUM> can be well combined with the multi-barrier layer. A thickness of the planarization layer ranges from <NUM> to <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>.

The flexible display panel and the manufacturing method provided in the embodiments of the present application can completely solve the problem of crack occurrence. At the same time, the present technology is not only suitable for crack prevention at a position of the cutting track, but can also be applied to an irregular-shaped hole-defining process or an irregular-shaped product cutting crack prevention process. In addition, thinning of the cutting track is conducive to laser cutting process, which reduces both time and cost.

For specific implementation of the foregoing operations, refer to the foregoing embodiments, and details are not described herein again.

In summary, a flexible display panel and a manufacturing method thereof provided in the embodiments of the present application, under the premise of not increasing mask plate and process flow, prevent cracks of the flexible display panel from being generated during a bending process due to poor ductility of an inorganic layer after a cutting process, and further ensure display performance of the flexible display panel.

Claim 1:
A flexible display panel, characterized in that the flexible display panel comprises a display region (<NUM>) and a non-display region (<NUM>), wherein a part of the flexible display panel disposed in the non-display region (<NUM>) comprises a flexible substrate (<NUM>), a multi-barrier layer (<NUM>), and a planarization layer (<NUM>); and
characterized in that a cutting track (<NUM>) is defined at a peripheral edge of the non-display region (<NUM>), a groove (<NUM>) is defined in the cutting track (<NUM>), and an end of the planarization layer (<NUM>) extends to at least an interface formed between the multi-barrier layer (<NUM>) and the flexible substrate (<NUM>) through a sidewall of the groove (<NUM>);
the groove (<NUM>) is defined in the multi-barrier layer (<NUM>), the groove (<NUM>) penetrates the multi-barrier layer (<NUM>) and a part of the flexible substrate (<NUM>), the groove (<NUM>) exposes a portion of a side surface of the flexible substrate (<NUM>), and the planarization layer (<NUM>) covers the portion of the side surface of the flexible substrate (<NUM>).