Patent Description:
In recent years, active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) displays have received extensive attention and applications due to their advantages of high contrast ratio, wide viewing angles, and flexibility. In particular, their bending characteristics have attracted attention of consumers, and as the technology becomes more mature, bendable displays are gradually appearing in various settings.

For a bendable display screen, it is extremely important to ensure that there is no breakage or peeling after bending. However, for the bendable display screen in the conventional art, an inorganic encapsulation layer of an encapsulation layer positioned in a non-display region is mainly in direct contact with an anode and an inorganic layer. Since the inorganic encapsulation layer has a greater Young's modulus compared with the organic layer, it is brittle and hard, so when the bendable display screen is being bent, it is easier to cause breakage which leads to product malfunction. <CIT> discloses a flexible display panel as known in the prior art.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new flexible display panel to solve the above technical problems.

A flexible display panel provided by the present invention solves technical problems of a current flexible display panel that an inorganic encapsulation layer is mainly in direct contact with an anode and an inorganic layer, which causes the flexible display panel to be easily broken when it is being bent.

The subject matter of the present invention is defined in claim <NUM>. To solve the above problems, a technical solution provided by the present invention is as follows.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a flexible display panel including a display region and a non-display region arranged around the display region;
wherein the flexible display panel includes a base substrate, a thin film transistor (TFT) array layer disposed on the base substrate, and an encapsulation layer disposed on the TFT array layer; and wherein the TFT array layer includes an inorganic layer, an organic layer disposed on the TFT array layer and positioned in the non-display region, the organic layer is provided with a hollow structure at least penetrating the organic layer, the encapsulation layer covers the hollow structure, and the encapsulation layer is a multilayered structure consisting of a first inorganic encapsulation layer, an organic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer stacked in sequence.

The flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, the organic layer includes one or more of a planarization layer, a pixel definition layer, and a support layer sequentially disposed on the TFT array layer, the planarization layer and the pixel definition layer extend from the display region to the non-display region, and the hollow structure further penetrates the support layer.

The flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, the non-display region includes two opposite sides, and the hollow structure is arranged parallel to the two sides.

The flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, the hollow structure includes at least one first groove and at least one second groove;
the first groove is defined at an edge of the non-display region close to the display region, the first groove penetrates the support layer, the pixel definition layer, and the planarization layer; the second groove is defined at the edge of the non-display region away from the display region, and the second groove penetrates the support layer, the pixel definition layer, the planarization layer, and the inorganic layer.

The flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, shapes of the first groove and the second groove are elongated, and lengths of orthographic projections of the first groove and the second groove on the base substrate are equal to lengths of the two sides.

The flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, the hollow structure further includes a plurality of third grooves and fourth grooves arranged at intervals, and the third grooves and the fourth grooves penetrate at least the support layer.

The flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, the third grooves and the fourth grooves are distributed in a plurality of rows at intervals, and each of the rows includes at least one of the third grooves or the fourth grooves, and the third grooves and the fourth grooves positioned in any adjacent two of the rows are staggered.

The flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, shapes of the third grooves and the fourth grooves include rectangular or elliptical.

The flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, a length of an orthographic projection of the planarization layer on the base substrate is less than a length of an orthographic projection of the pixel definition layer on the base substrate.

The flexible display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, the inorganic layer includes any one or more of a buffer layer, a first gate insulating layer, a second gate insulating layer, and an interlayer dielectric layer.

The present invention further provides a flexible display panel, including a display region and a non-display region arranged around the display region;
wherein the flexible display panel includes a base substrate, a thin film transistor (TFT) array layer disposed on the base substrate, and an encapsulation layer disposed on the TFT array layer; and wherein the TFT array layer includes an inorganic layer, an organic layer disposed on the TFT array layer and positioned in the non-display region, the organic layer is provided with a hollow structure at least penetrating the organic layer, and the encapsulation layer covers the hollow structure.

The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows. The flexible display panel provided by the present invention, wherein the planarization layer, the pixel definition layer, and the support layer extend from the display region to the non-display region, the inorganic layer, the planarization layer, the pixel definition layer, and the support layer positioned in the non-display region are defined with the hollow structure at least penetrating the support layer, and the hollow structure includes grooves with different groove levels, can improve a bending resistance of the flexible display panel and reduce risk of cracks. In addition, it can effectively prevent cracks from extending to the display region and affecting display effect.

In order to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application or the related art in a clearer manner, the drawings desired for the present application or the related art will be described hereinafter briefly. Obviously, the following drawings merely relate to some embodiments of the present application, and based on these drawings, a person skilled in the art may obtain the other drawings without any creative effort.

The following description of each embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings, is used to exemplify specific embodiments which may be carried out in the present invention. Directional terms mentioned in the present invention, such as "top", "bottom", "front", "back", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", "side", etc., are only used with reference to the orientation of the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the used directional terms are intended to illustrate, but not to limit, the present invention. In the drawings, components having similar structures are denoted by the same numerals.

The present invention is directed to a flexible display panel in a conventional art. Since an inorganic encapsulation layer is mainly in direct contact with an anode and an inorganic layer, the flexible display panel is more likely to break when it is being bent. The present embodiment can solve this defect.

As shown in <FIG>, a flexible display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes a display region <NUM> and a non-display region <NUM> arranged around the display region <NUM>. The display region <NUM> is configured to display images, and the non-display region <NUM> is a frame of the flexible display panel.

The flexible display panel includes a base substrate <NUM> and an inorganic layer <NUM> disposed on the base substrate <NUM>. A thin film transistor (TFT) array layer is disposed on the inorganic layer <NUM> in the display region <NUM>, and the TFT array layer can be a dual-gate structure. Specifically, the TFT array layer includes a buffer layer <NUM>, an active layer <NUM>, a first gate insulation layer <NUM>, a first gate <NUM>, a second gate insulation layer <NUM>, a second gate <NUM>, an interlayer dielectric layer <NUM>, a source-drain metal layer <NUM>, an anode <NUM>, a planarization layer <NUM>, and a pixel definition layer <NUM> which are sequentially disposed on the base substrate <NUM>. Wherein, the inorganic layer <NUM> can include any one or more of the buffer layer <NUM>, the first gate insulation layer <NUM>, the second gate insulation layer <NUM>, and the interlayer dielectric layer <NUM>.

The flexible display panel further includes a light-emitting layer (not shown in the figure) and an encapsulation layer <NUM>. The light-emitting layer is disposed on the TFT array layer in the display region <NUM>, and the encapsulation layer <NUM> covers the light-emitting layer and an organic layer <NUM>. Specifically, the encapsulation layer <NUM> can be a multilayered structure in which a first inorganic encapsulation layer, an organic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer are stacked in sequence, wherein a boundary between the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer is positioned at an edge of the non-display region <NUM> away from the display region <NUM>, and a boundary of the organic encapsulation layer is close to the anode <NUM> and the source-drain metal layer <NUM>.

The organic layer <NUM> is positioned on the TFT array layer of the non-display region <NUM>, the organic layer <NUM> is defined with a hollow structure <NUM> at least penetrating the organic layer <NUM>, and the encapsulation layer <NUM> covers the hollow structure <NUM>. Since the organic layer <NUM> can be in direct contact with the anode <NUM>, the organic layer <NUM> has a lower hardness compared to that of an inorganic material in the encapsulation layer <NUM>, therefore, a bending resistance of the flexible display panel can be improved, and cracks can be prevented. Moreover, due to an arrangement of the hollow structure <NUM>, crack extension can be effectively prevented.

It should be noted that the organic layer <NUM> can be separately disposed in the non-display region <NUM> or can be extended from the display region <NUM> to the non-display region <NUM> by other organic film layers on the flexible display panel, to save process steps.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the organic layer <NUM> includes the planarization layer <NUM>, the pixel definition layer <NUM>, and the support layer <NUM> positioned on the pixel definition layer <NUM> that are sequentially disposed on the TFT array layer. Wherein, the planarization layer <NUM> and the pixel definition layer <NUM> can extend from the display region <NUM> to the non-display region <NUM>. Specifically, the planarization layer <NUM>, the pixel definition layer <NUM>, and the support layer <NUM> are disposed on the inorganic layer <NUM>. Because the planarization layer <NUM>, the pixel definition layer <NUM>, and the support layer <NUM> are generally made of organic materials, they have a lower Young's modulus and therefore have good bending resistance, which can effectively improve the bending resistance of the flexible display panel.

Furthermore, a length of an orthographic projection of the planarization layer <NUM> on the base substrate <NUM> is less than a length of an orthographic projection of the pixel definition layer <NUM> on the base substrate <NUM>. A purpose of this arrangement is so that the pixel definition layer <NUM> being directly in contact with the inorganic layer <NUM> has a better ability to block water vapor compared with the planarization layer <NUM> being directly in contact with the inorganic layer <NUM>. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the pixel definition layer <NUM> is protruded a part of the length compared to the planarization layer <NUM> for contacting the interlayer dielectric layer <NUM> in the inorganic layer <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, the embodiment of the present invention takes the display region <NUM> and the non-display region <NUM> of the flexible display panel as rectangular as an example for explanation. Specifically, the non-display region of the flexible display panel <NUM> includes two opposite sides, the two sides include a first side <NUM> and a second side <NUM>, the first side <NUM> and the second side <NUM> are arranged in parallel, and the hollow structure <NUM> is defined parallel to both the first side <NUM> and the second side <NUM>.

Specifically, the hollow structure <NUM> includes at least one first groove <NUM> and at least one second groove <NUM>, wherein the first groove <NUM> is defined on an edge of the non-display region <NUM> close to the display region <NUM>. Wherein, the encapsulation organic layer is filled in the first groove <NUM>. In the embodiment of the present invention, the first groove <NUM> penetrates the support layer <NUM>, the pixel definition layer <NUM>, and the planarization layer <NUM>, to ensure that the organic encapsulation layer in the encapsulation layer <NUM> will not overflow outside the second inorganic encapsulation layer, acting like a dam. The second groove <NUM> is defined in the edge of the non-display region <NUM> away from the display region <NUM>, that is, the second groove <NUM> is positioned in the non-display region <NUM> close to a cutting line. In the embodiment of the present invention, the second groove <NUM> penetrates the support layer <NUM>, the pixel definition layer <NUM>, the planarization layer <NUM>, and the inorganic layer <NUM>. As the cracks generated when the flexible display panel is cut or bent during a production process are usually easier to expand and extend along the inorganic layer <NUM>, when the cracks extend to the second groove <NUM>, since the inorganic layer <NUM> is interrupted here, it can effectively prevent the cracks from extending to the display region <NUM> and influencing display effect.

In the embodiment of the present invention, a shape of the first groove <NUM> and the second groove <NUM> can be elongated, and lengths of orthographic projections of the first groove <NUM> and the second groove <NUM> on the base substrate <NUM> are equal to lengths of the two sides, which can effectively prevent the cracks from extending.

It should be noted that, since there is no filling of the encapsulation organic layer in an interval between the first groove <NUM> and the second groove <NUM>, a depth of the first groove <NUM> and the second groove <NUM> should not be too deep to ensure that a first encapsulation inorganic layer and a second encapsulation inorganic layer will not be broken in a slope. In the meanwhile, since the first groove <NUM> and the second groove <NUM> have higher requirements on a gradeability of the first encapsulation inorganic layer and the second encapsulation inorganic layer, numbers of the first groove <NUM> and the second groove <NUM> should not be excessive and are typically set at two to three.

Specifically, the hollow structure <NUM> further includes a plurality of third grooves <NUM> and fourth grooves <NUM> arranged at intervals, and the third grooves <NUM> and the fourth grooves <NUM> at least penetrate the support layer <NUM> to improve a bending performance of the flexible display panel. In the embodiment of the present invention, the third grooves <NUM> penetrate the support layer <NUM> and the pixel definition layer <NUM>, and the fourth grooves <NUM> penetrate the support layer <NUM>.

The third grooves <NUM> and the fourth grooves <NUM> are distributed in multiple rows at intervals, and each of the rows has at least one of the third grooves <NUM> or the fourth grooves <NUM>, and the third grooves and the fourth grooves positioned in any adjacent two of the rows are staggered. In addition, a shape of the third grooves <NUM> and the fourth grooves <NUM> include rectangular or elliptical or any other shapes. The embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto.

Secondly, the embodiment of the present invention does not specifically limit a density of the third grooves <NUM> and the fourth grooves <NUM>, and they can be set according to a size of the non-display region <NUM> and actual conditions.

The flexible display panel further includes a water and oxygen barrier layer <NUM>, the water and oxygen barrier layer <NUM> is disposed between the base substrate <NUM> and the inorganic layer <NUM> to prevent the TFT array layer from water and oxygen corrosion.

The embodiment of the present invention also provides a manufacturing method of the flexible display panel, including following steps.

S10, providing the base substrate <NUM>, and depositing the water and oxygen barrier layer <NUM>, the buffer layer <NUM>, and an amorphous silicon layer on the base substrate <NUM> in sequence.

Material of the buffer layer <NUM> can be SiOx, SiNx, etc..

S20, processing the amorphous silicon layer by a photolithography process to form the active layer <NUM>.

S30, depositing the first gate insulation layer <NUM> and a first metal layer on the active layer <NUM> in sequence, and processing the first metal layer by a photolithography process to form the first gate <NUM>.

S40, depositing the second gate insulation layer <NUM> and a second metal layer on the first gate <NUM> and the first gate insulation layer <NUM> in sequence, and processing the second metal layer by a photolithography process to form the second gate <NUM>.

S50, depositing the interlayer dielectric layer <NUM> and the source-drain metal layer <NUM> on the second gate <NUM> and the second gate insulation layer <NUM>, and processing the source-drain metal layer <NUM> by a photolithography process to form sources and drains.

Material of the source-drain metal layer <NUM> can be a Ti/Al/Ti metal film layer.

S60, coating the planarization layer <NUM>, an anode metal layer, the pixel definition layer <NUM>, and the support layer <NUM> on an entire surface of the sources and the drains in sequence, and processing the planarization layer <NUM>, the anode metal layer, the pixel definition layer <NUM>, and the support layer <NUM> by a photolithography process, respectively, to form the anode <NUM> and the hollow structure <NUM>.

Specifically, patterning the pixel definition layer <NUM> in the display region <NUM> to form an opening, and the opening is filled with the light-emitting layer. The hollow structure <NUM> includes the first groove <NUM>, the second groove <NUM>, the third grooves <NUM>, and the fourth grooves <NUM>, it should be noted that for the positions and specific structures of several types of grooves, reference can be made to the above description, which will not be repeated here.

S70, depositing the encapsulation layer <NUM> on the formed TFT array layer, and the encapsulation layer <NUM> is filled in the hollow structure <NUM>.

Specifically, the first inorganic encapsulation layer, the organic encapsulation layer, and the second inorganic encapsulation layer are sequentially formed on the TFT array layer, wherein the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer can be deposited by physical vapor deposition. The organic encapsulation layer can be made by inkjet printing and ultraviolet (UV) curing. Materials of the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer can be SiOx, SiNx, SiONx, etc. Material of the organic encapsulation layer can be acrylic or epoxy-based material.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the planarization <NUM>, the pixel definition layer <NUM>, and the support layer <NUM> positioned in the non-display region <NUM> and the display region <NUM> can be performed in a same manufacturing process, which can save cost and improve efficiency.

The beneficial effect is as follows. The flexible display panel provided by the present invention, wherein the planarization layer, the pixel definition layer, and the support layer extend from the display region to the non-display region, the inorganic layer, the planarization layer, the pixel definition layer, and the support layer positioned in the non-display region are defined with the hollow structure at least penetrating the support layer, and the hollow structure includes grooves with different groove levels, can improve a bending resistance of the flexible display panel and reduce risk of cracks. In addition, it can effectively prevent cracks from extending to the display region and affecting display effect.

Claim 1:
A flexible display panel, characterized in that the array substrate (<NUM>) comprises a display region (<NUM>) and a non-display region (<NUM>) arranged around the display region (<NUM>),
wherein the flexible display panel comprises a base substrate (<NUM>), a thin film transistor (TFT) array layer disposed on the base substrate (<NUM>), and an encapsulation layer (<NUM>) disposed on the TFT array layer; and
wherein the TFT array layer comprises an inorganic layer (<NUM>), an organic layer (<NUM>) disposed on the TFT array layer and positioned in the non-display region (<NUM>), the organic layer (<NUM>) is provided with a hollow structure (<NUM>) at least penetrating the organic layer (<NUM>), the encapsulation layer covers the hollow structure (<NUM>), and the encapsulation layer is a multilayered structure consisting of a first inorganic encapsulation layer, an organic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer stacked in sequence.