Display panel and manufacturing method thereof, and display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11835751-B2
Application number	US-202017264027-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2020
Priority date	May 30, 2019
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

A display panel and a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device. The display panel includes a light guide plate, an array substrate, a liquid crystal layer between the light guide plate and the array substrate, a plurality of light-extracting gratings located on one side of a light exit surface of the light guide plate, and a transparent protection layer between a film layer where the light-extracting gratings are located and the light guide plate. The light guide plate includes a plurality of light-extracting port areas, and transparent areas besides the light-extracting port areas; each light-extracting port area is provided with one light-extracting grating; the protection layer is at least provided on the transparent areas, and the protection layer is configured to prevent the light guide plate in the transparent areas from being excessively etched to form a plurality of depressions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display panel, comprising:
a light guide plate;
an array substrate opposite to the light guide plate;
a liquid crystal layer located between the light guide plate and the array substrate;
a plurality of light extraction gratings located on a side of a light-emitting surface of the light guide plate;
a transparent protective layer located between a film layer where the light extraction gratings are located and the light guide plate;
wherein the light guide plate comprises a plurality of light extraction port regions, and transparent regions beside the light extraction port regions;
each of the light extraction port regions is provided with one of the light extraction gratings, the light extraction gratings are configured to take out light in the light guide plate; the transparent regions are configured to transmit light in the light guide plate by total reflection;
the protective layer is at least arranged in the transparent region; and
the protective layer is an etching barrier layer, and the etching barrier layer has an etching selection ratio greater than an etching selection ratio of the light extraction gratings, and the display panel further comprises a planarization layer covering each of the light extraction gratings and regions outside the light extraction gratings, the planarization layer is a resin layer, the protective layer has a refractive index greater than a refractive index of the light guide plate, and the planarization layer has a refractive index less than the refractive index of the light guide plate; or
the protective layer is a resin layer, and the display panel further comprises a planarization layer covering each of the light extraction gratings and regions outside the light extraction gratings, the planarization layer has a refractive index less than a refractive index of the light guide plate, and the protective layer has a refractive index same as the refractive index of the planarization layer.

2. The display panel according to claim 1 , wherein the protective layer has a thickness t of 0 nm<t≤400 nm.

3. The display panel according to claim 1 , wherein the protective layer has a thickness t of 0 nm<t≤60 nm.

4. The display panel according to claim 1 , wherein the protective layer made of a material same as a material of the planarization layer.

5. The display panel according to claim 1 , wherein the refractive index of the protective layer is in a range of 1.2 to 1.3.

6. The display panel according to claim 1 , wherein the protective layer has a thickness t of 0 nm<t≤10 nm.

7. The display panel according to claim 1 , further comprising a light shielding layer,
wherein the light shielding layer is located on a side of the array substrate near the liquid crystal layer,
the light shielding layer comprises a plurality of light shielding units, and
the light shielding units correspond to the light extraction gratings one by one, and the light shielding units are configured to shield light emitted from light-emitting surfaces of the light extraction gratings when no voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer.

8. A method of manufacturing the display panel according to claim 1 , comprising:
providing a light guide plate, wherein the light guide plate comprises: a plurality of light extraction port regions, and transparent regions beside the light extraction port regions;
forming a protective layer at least covering the transparent regions on a side of the light-emitting surface of the light guide plate;
forming a grating film layer in the light extraction port regions and the transparent regions on a side of the protective layer facing away from the light guide plate; and
patterning the grating film layer, removing a portion of the grating film layer located in the transparent regions, and retaining a portion of the grating film layer located only in the light extraction port regions as a light extraction grating.

9. The manufacturing method according to claim 8 , wherein the protective layer is an etching barrier layer, and the forming the protective layer at least covering the transparent regions on the side of the light-emitting surface of the light guide plate comprises:
using a material with an etching selection ratio greater than an etching selection ratio of the light extraction grating, and forming the etching barrier layer covering at least the transparent regions on a side of the light-emitting surface of the light guide plate;
the forming the grating film layer in the light extraction port regions and the transparent regions on the side of the protective layer facing away from the light guide plate comprises:
forming the grating film layer in the light extraction port regions and the transparent regions on the side of the etching barrier layer away from the light guide plate;
the patterning the grating film layer, removing the portion of the grating film layer located in the transparent regions, and retaining the portion of the grating film layer located only in the light extraction port regions as the light extraction grating comprises:
using a mask to shield the portion of the grating film layer located in the light extraction port regions, and removing the portion of the grating film layer located in the transparent regions by using an etching process.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 9 , further comprising: after patterning the grating film layer, using a resin material to form the etching barrier layer covering the transparent regions and the planarization layer covering each of the light extraction gratings.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 8 , wherein the protective layer is a resin layer;
the forming the protective layer at least covering the transparent regions on the side of the light-emitting surface of the light guide plate comprises:
using a resin material to form a resin layer covering at least the transparent regions on the side of the light-emitting surface of the light guide plate;
the forming the grating film layer in the light extraction port regions and the transparent regions on the side of the protective layer facing away from the light guide plate comprises:
forming a grating film layer in the light extraction port regions and the transparent regions on a side of the resin layer facing away from the light guide plate;
the patterning the grating film layer, removing the portion of the grating film layer located in the transparent regions, and retaining the portion of the grating film layer located only in the light extraction port regions as the light extraction grating comprises:
using a mask to shield the portion of the grating film layer located at the light extraction port regions, using an etching process to remove the portion of the grating film layer located in the transparent regions, and forming a plurality of grooves on a surface of the resin layer during the etching process.

12. The manufacturing method according to claim 11 , further comprising: after patterning the grating film layer, using a material with a same refractive index as the resin layer to form a planarization layer on the side of the light extraction grating facing away from the light guide plate to fill each of the grooves.

13. A display device, comprising a display panel, wherein the display panel comprises:
a light guide plate;
an array substrate opposite to the light guide plate;
a liquid crystal layer located between the light guide plate and the array substrate;
a plurality of light extraction gratings located on a side of a light-emitting surface of the light guide plate;
a transparent protective layer located between a film la

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Meng Xiandong
• Tan Jifeng
• Dong Shuilang
• Wang Wei
• Liu Wenqu
• Zhao Wenqing
• Ling Qiuyu
• Meng Xianqin
• Tian Yishan
• Kang Zhao

Classifications

• G02B6/0093 Primary

  Means for protecting the light guide · CPC title

• G02B6/0065

  Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects · CPC title

• G02F1/133357

  Planarisation layers · CPC title

• G02F1/133368

  Cells having two substrates with different characteristics, e.g. different thickness or material · CPC title

• G02F1/133512

  Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix (G02F1/136209 takes precedence) · CPC title