DISPLAY PANEL AND PRODUCTION METHOD THEREOF

• US 20120287026A1
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JDI Design and Development GK
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: MASUDA, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,884,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/76
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/126 Shielding, e.g. light-blocking means over the TFTs
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8722 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants

Abstract

A display panel includes: a first substrate; light-emitting elements on a region of the first substrate; a second substrate facing the first substrate with the light-emitting elements therebetween; a glass frit between the first substrate and the second substrate so as to surround the region of the first substrate in which the light-emitting elements are disposed, the glass frit providing a hermetic seal between the first substrate and the second substrate; and a light-shielding part formed on one of the first substrate and the second substrate so as to extend along the glass frit, the light-shielding part shielding light. The light-shielding part has a lower light-shielding property in a region corresponding to the outer region of the glass frit than in a region corresponding to the inner region of the glass frit. The glass frit has been irradiated with light through the light-shielding part.

Claims

1. A display panel comprising:

a first substrate;

a plurality of light-emitting elements disposed on a region of the first substrate;

a second substrate facing the first substrate with the light-emitting elements therebetween;

a glass frit present between the first substrate and the second substrate so as to surround the region of the first substrate in which the light-emitting elements are disposed, the glass frit providing a hermetic seal between the first substrate and the second substrate; and

a light-shielding part formed on one of the first substrate and the second substrate so as to extend along the glass frit, the light-shielding part shielding light, wherein

the light-shielding part has a lower light-shielding property in a region corresponding to the outer region of the glass frit than in a region corresponding to the inner region of the glass frit.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein

the glass frit has been heated by irradiating with light, and

the outer region of the glass frit has received light of a higher energy density than that received by the inner region of the glass frit.

3. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein

the light-shielding part has a plurality of isolated portions, and

the portions of the light-shielding part are distributed so that an amount of shielded light is smaller in the region corresponding to the outer region of the glass frit than in the region corresponding to the inner region of the glass frit.

4. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein

the light-shielding part comprises a sheet having a plurality of through holes, and

the through holes of the light-shielding part are distributed so that an amount of shielded light is smaller in the region corresponding to the outer region of the glass frit than in the region corresponding to the inner region of the glass frit.

5. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein

the light-shielding part has a plurality of portions defining a grid pattern, and

the portions of the light-shielding part are arranged so that an amount of shielded light is smaller in the region corresponding to the outer region of the glass frit than in the region corresponding to the inner region of the glass frit.

6. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein

the light-shielding part has a plurality of portions each extending in strip form in parallel to a lengthwise direction of the glass frit, and

the portions of the light-shielding part are spaced at intervals varied so that an amount of shielded light is smaller in the region corresponding to the outer region of the glass frit than in the region corresponding to the inner region of the glass frit.

7. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein

the light-shielding part has a plurality of tooth portions defining a comb-like pattern, each tooth portion extending outwardly from an inner edge of the light-shielding part to have one of lengths that are incrementally shorter,

whereby an amount of light shielded by the light-shielding part is smaller in the region corresponding to the outer region of the glass frit than in the region corresponding to the inner region of the glass frit.

8. The display panel according to claim 7, wherein

the glass frit present between the first substrate and the second substrate extends to define a rectangle surrounding the region of the first substrate in which the light-emitting elements are disposed, and

each tooth portion of the light-shielding part extends perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the glass frit.

15. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein

a volume of bubbles remaining in the inner region of the glass frit is smaller than a volume of bubbles remaining in the outer region of the glass frit.

9. A display panel comprising:

a first substrate;

a plurality of light-emitting elements disposed on a region of the first substrate;

a second substrate facing the first substrate with the light-emitting elements therebetween;

a glass frit present between the first substrate and the second substrate so as to surround the region of the first substrate in which the light-emitting elements are disposed, the glass frit providing a hermetic seal between the first substrate and the second substrate; and

a heat-dissipating part disposed between the glass frit and one of the first substrate and the second substrate, the heat-dissipating part having a higher heat dissipating property in a region corresponding to the inner region of the glass frit than in a region corresponding to the outer region of the glass frit, wherein

the glass frit has been baked by heating.

10. The display panel according to claim 9, wherein

the heat-dissipating part comprises a sheet having a plurality of through holes, and

the through holes are distributed so that an area of the heat-dissipating part in contact with the glass frit is smaller in the outer region of the glass frit than in the inner region of the glass frit.

11. The display panel according to claim 9, wherein

the heat-dissipating part comprises a heat-dissipating sheet having a plurality of portions defining a grid pattern, and

the portions of the heat-dissipating part are arranged so that an area of the heat-dissipating part in contact with the glass frit is smaller in the outer region of the glass frit than in the inner region of the glass frit.

12. The display panel according to claim 10, wherein

the heat-dissipating part has a plurality of tooth portions defining a comb-like pattern, each tooth portion extending outwardly from an inner edge of the heat-dissipating part to have one of lengths that are incrementally shorter, whereby

an amount of heat dissipated by the heat-dissipating part is larger in a region corresponding to the inner region of the glass frit than in a region corresponding to the outer region of the glass frit.

13. The display panel according to claim 12, wherein

the glass frit present between the first substrate and the second substrate extends to define a rectangle surrounding the region of the first substrate in which the light-emitting elements are disposed, and

each tooth portion of the heat-dissipating part extends perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the glass frit.

14. The display panel according to claim 10, wherein

the heat-dissipating part has a plurality of tapered portions defining a serrated-outer edge, each tooth portion extending outwardly from an inner edge of the heat-dissipating part and having a diminishing width toward the outer edge, whereby

an amount of heat dissipated by the heat-dissipating part is larger in a region corresponding to the inner region of the glass frit than in a region corresponding to the outer region of the glass frit.

16. The display panel according to claim 10, wherein

a volume of bubbles remaining in the inner region of the glass frit is smaller than a volume of bubbles remaining in the outer region of the glass frit.

17. A display panel comprising:

a first substrate;

a plurality of light-emitting elements disposed on a region of the first substrate;

a second substrate facing the first substrate with the light-emitting elements therebetween;

a glass frit present between the first substrate and the second substrate so as to surround the region of the first substrate in which the light-emitting elements are disposed, the glass frit providing a hermetic seal between the first substrate and the second substrate; and

a color filter disposed on the second substrate so as to be located between the first substrate and the second substrate, the color filter selectively transmitting a specific color of light emitted from the light-emitting elements and having a glass transition temperature lower than a melting point of the glass frit, wherein

the glass frit has been baked by heating.

18. A manufacturing method for a display panel, comprising:

a first process of preparing a first substrate;

a second process of forming a plurality of light-emitting elements on a region of the first substrate;

a third process of preparing a second substrate;

a fourth process of applying a glass frit paste containing a predetermined solvent on one of the first substrate and the second substrate, the glass frit paste being applied to surround, when the first substrate and the second substrate are joined together, the region in which the light-emitting elements are formed;

a fifth process of placing the first substrate and the second substrate face to face across the light-emitting elements; and

a sixth process of heating the glass frit applied in the fourth process, wherein

in the sixth process, the glass frit paste is heated by irradiation of heat to cause a temperature gradient such that a temperature of the glass frit paste is higher in an outer region of the glass frit paste than in an inner region of the glass frit paste.

19. The manufacturing method according to claim 18, wherein

in the sixth process, the glass frit paste is heated by irradiating the glass frit paste with light so that the glass frit paste receives light of a higher energy density in the outer region of the glass frit paste than in the inner region of the glass frit paste.

20. The manufacturing method according to claim 19, further comprising:

disposing, before the fourth process, a light-shielding part on one of the first substrate and the second substrate to surround, when the first substrate and the second substrate are joined together, the region in which the light-emitting elements are formed;

applying, in the fourth process, the glass frit paste along the light-shielding part; and

irradiating with light, in the sixth process, the glass frit paste present between the first substrate and the second substrate to evaporate the solvent from the glass frit paste, wherein

the light-shielding part has a lower light-shielding property in a region corresponding to the outer region of the glass frit paste than in a region corresponding to the inner region of the glass frit.

21. The manufacturing method according to claim 20, wherein

in the sixth process, the light irradiation is carried out by irradiating with a laser beam, and

the irradiated laser beam reaches the glass frit paste through the light-shielding part.

22. The manufacturing method according to claim 20, wherein

a width of the glass frit paste applied in the fourth process is narrower than a width of light irradiated onto the glass frit in the sixth process.

23. The manufacturing method according to claim 18, further comprising:

disposing, before the fourth process, a heat-dissipating part on one of the first substrate and the second substrate so as to surround, when the first substrate and the second substrate are joined together, the region in which the light-emitting elements are formed, the heat-dissipating part having a higher heat-dissipating property in an inner region of the heat-dissipating part than in an outer region of the heat-dissipating part; and

applying, in the fourth process, the glass frit paste containing the predetermined solvent along the heat-dissipating part.

24. The manufacturing method according to claim 23, wherein

in the sixth process, the heat irradiation is carried out by irradiating with a laser beam, and

the laser irradiation is carried out by directing the laser beam to the glass frit paste from a direction opposite to the heat-dissipating part.

25. The manufacturing method according to claim 20, wherein

a width of the glass frit paste applied in the fourth process is narrower than a width of light irradiated onto the glass frit paste in the sixth process.

26. The manufacturing method according to claim 18, wherein

by the light irradiation in the sixth process, the solvent contained in the glass frit paste evaporates so that the outer region of the glass frit paste dries before the inner region of the glass frit,

at the time when the solvent contained in the glass frit paste evaporates from the outer region before the evaporation from the inner region, bubbles evolved in the glass frit paste escape to the outer region of the glass frit paste, and

the glass frit paste dries in a state where the outer region is pulled toward the inner region.

27. The manufacturing method according to claim 26, further comprising:

a seventh process of baking, after the sixth process, the glass frit paste by irradiating the glass frit paste with heat so that the outer region reaches a higher temperature than the inner region, the glass frit paste subjected to the seventh process being present between the first substrate and the second substrate and having been dried as a result of the evaporation of the solvent.

28. The manufacturing method according to claim 27, wherein

in the seventh process, a glass frit material remaining after the evaporation of the solvent from the glass frit paste bakes so that an inner region of the glass frit material bakes before an outer region of the glass frit material,

at the time when the inner region of the glass frit material bakes before the outer region of the glass frit, bubbles evolved in the glass frit material escape to the outer region of the glass frit material, and

the glass frit material dries in a state where the outer region is pulled toward the inner region.

29. The manufacturing method according to claim 27, wherein

a width of the glass frit paste applied in the fourth process is narrower than a width of heat irradiated onto the glass frit in the seventh process.