A TFT array substrate, an electronic paper display panel and method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The electronic paper display panel includes: a first transparent substrate, and an array of storage capacitors located on an inner side of the first transparent substrate. Each of the storage capacitors includes a common electrode located on the first transparent substrate, a transparent capacitor medium layer located on the common electrode, and a pixel electrode (44) located on the transparent capacitor medium layer. The display panel also includes an electronic paper film located on the TFT array substrate, a transparent electrode located on the electronic paper film, and a second transparent substrate located on the transparent electrode. A double-sided display may be realized by the electronic paper display panel.
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1. A Thin-film Transistor (TFT) array substrate configured of double-sided display, the TFT array substrate comprising:
a first transparent substrate; an array of storage capacitors disposed on the first transparent substrate, wherein each of the storage capacitors comprises:
a common electrode disposed on the first transparent substrate,
a transparent capacitor medium layer disposed on the common electrode,
and a pixel electrode disposed on the transparent capacitor medium layer,
wherein both the common electrodes and the pixel electrodes are transparent and conductive; and an electronic paper film disposed on the pixel electrode, wherein the electronic paper film is configured to display images visible through the first transparent substrate; and wherein the electronic paper film is configured to display images visible from the electronic paper film side of the TFT substrate.
11. An electronic paper display panel configured of double-sided display, the electronic paper display panel comprising:
a Thin-film Transistor array substrate comprising:
a first transparent substrate, and
an array of storage capacitors disposed on the first transparent substrate,
wherein each of the storage capacitors comprises:
a common electrode disposed on the first transparent substrate,
a transparent capacitor medium layer disposed on the common electrode, and a pixel electrode disposed on the transparent capacitor medium layer, wherein both the common electrodes and the pixel electrodes are transparent and conductive;
an electronic paper film, disposed on the Thin-film Transistor array substrate;
a transparent electrode, disposed on the electronic paper film; and a second transparent substrate, disposed on the transparent electrode, wherein the electronic paper film is configured to display images visible through the first transparent substrate, and wherein the electronic paper film is configured to display images visible through the second transparent substrate.
18. A method for manufacturing an electronic paper display panel configured of double-sided display, the method comprising:
providing a Thin-film Transistor array substrate comprising:
a first transparent substrate,
an array of storage capacitors disposed on the first transparent substrate, wherein each of the storage capacitors comprises:
a common electrode disposed on the first transparent substrate,
a transparent capacitor medium layer disposed on the common electrode,
and a pixel electrode disposed on the transparent capacitor medium layer,
wherein the common electrodes and the pixel electrodes are transparent and conductive; and a color resist layer, disposed on the first transparent substrate; providing an electronic paper film and adhering the electronic paper film on the Thin-film Transistor array substrate;
providing a second transparent substrate, on which a transparent electrode is deposited; and adhering the second transparent substrate on the electronic paper film such that the transparent electrode faces towards the electronic paper film,
wherein the electronic paper film is configured to display images visible through the first transparent substrate, and wherein the electronic paper film is configured to display images visible through the second transparent substrate.
19. A method for manufacturing an electronic paper display panel configured of double-sided display, the method comprising:
providing a Thin-film Transistor array substrate comprising:
a first transparent substrate,
an array of storage capacitors disposed on the first transparent substrate,
wherein each of the storage capacitors comprises:
a common electrode disposed on the first transparent substrate,
a transparent capacitor medium layer disposed on the common deposited;
electrode, and a pixel electrode disposed on the transparent capacitor medium layer, wherein the common electrodes and the pixel electrodes are transparent and conductive; and a color resist layer, disposed on the first transparent substrate;
providing a second transparent substrate, on which a transparent electrode is providing an electronic paper film and adhering the electronic paper film on the transparent electrode; and adhering the second transparent substrate on the Thin-film Transistor array substrate such that the electronic paper film faces towards the Thin-film Transistor array substrate, wherein the electronic paper film is configured to display images visible through the first transparent substrate, and
wherein the electronic paper film is configured to display images visible through the second transparent substrate.
2. The Thin-film Transistor array substrate according to
3. The Thin-film Transistor array substrate according to
4. The Thin-film Transistor array substrate according to
5. The Thin-film Transistor array substrate according to
6. The Thin-film Transistor array substrate according to
7. The Thin-film Transistor array substrate according to
8. The Thin-film Transistor array substrate according to
9. The Thin-film Transistor array substrate according to
10. The Thin-film Transistor array substrate according to
12. The electronic paper display panel according to
13. The electronic paper display panel according to
14. The electronic paper display panel according to
15. The electronic paper display panel according to
16. The electronic paper display panel according to
17. The electronic paper display panel according to
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This application claims priority to and is a continuation of International Patent Application PCT/CN2012/078230, titled “TFT ARRAY SUBSTRATE, E-PAPER DISPLAY PANEL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME”, filed on Jul. 5, 2012, which claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 201110321307.8 titled “TFT ARRAY SUBSTRATE, E-PAPER DISPLAY PANEL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME” and filed on Oct. 20, 2011 with the State Intellectual Property Office of PRC, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The present invention relates generally to the field of display technique, and in particular to a TFT (Thin-Film Transistor) array substrate, electronic paper display panel and method for manufacturing the same.
E-paper (electronic paper) is now more and more popular because of its lower energy consumption, paper-like soft display behavior and thus of substituting for paper. Due to its excellent image keeping characteristic, E-paper is especially suitable for static display products for text reading and the like.
A fundamental principle of the E-paper is that charged particles in an electrophoretic fluid may reflect ambient light and then display an image which is received by human eyes. In an image converting phase, positions of the charged particles in the electrophoretic fluid may be controlled by a power-up voltage across the electrophoretic fluid and duration of the power-up voltage. Therefore the strength of the reflected light is controlled to achieve a gray-scale display. In an image keeping phase, the positions of the charged particles in the electrophoretic fluids are kept for the equal potential over both ends of the electrophoretic fluid, thus a static image display with lower energy consumption can be achieved.
When a user is reading, E-paper consumes electrical energy only if the user refreshes a page, otherwise, E-paper can display continuously even if its power is turned off. Therefore, E-paper displays with lower power consumption. Moreover, E-paper has a characteristic of high reflection in which the E-paper displays without backlight and achieves a black-and-white display or a color display by reflection of ambient light. Unlike a currently used transparent display LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), the E-paper, which displays by means of reflection, has good display properties even when used in a very bright environment.
E-paper displays include color displays and black-and-white displays.
To obtain an E-paper for color display, a color filter (CF) plate is added to the E-paper for black-and-white display. Currently, a color E-paper display panel mainly contains three parts: a TFT array substrate, a CF plate and a display substrate consisting of a PET substrate and an E-paper film.
However, for the color E-paper in the related art, the CF plate 30 is needed for the purpose of color display. The presence of the CF plate leads to an increase in thickness of the E-paper, and only the color display rather than both the color display and the black and white display can be achieved.
One implementation is a Thin-Film Transistor array substrate including a first transparent substrate, and an array of storage capacitors located on the first transparent substrate. Each of the storage capacitors includes a common electrode located on the first transparent substrate, a transparent capacitor medium layer located on the common electrode, and a pixel electrode located on the transparent capacitor medium layer, and the common electrodes and the pixel electrodes include a transparent conductive material.
Another implementation is an electronic paper display panel including the TFT array substrate, an electronic paper film, located on the Thin-Film Transistor array substrate, a transparent electrode, located on the electronic paper film, and a second transparent substrate, located on the transparent electrode.
Another implementation is a method for manufacturing an electronic paper display panel. The method includes providing a Thin-Film Transistor array substrate, providing an electronic paper film and adhering the electronic paper film on the Thin-Film Transistor array substrate. The method also includes providing a second transparent substrate, on which a transparent electrode is deposited, and adhering the second transparent substrate on the electronic paper film such that the transparent electrode faces towards the electronic paper film.
Another implementation is a method for manufacturing an electronic paper display panel. The method includes providing a Thin-Film Transistor array substrate, providing a second transparent substrate, on which a transparent electrode is deposited, providing an electronic paper film and adhering the electronic paper film on the transparent electrode, and adhering the second transparent substrate on the Thin-Film Transistor array substrate such that the electronic paper film faces towards the Thin-Film Transistor array substrate.
To describe certain objects, features and advantages of the present invention, specific embodiments are described with reference to the drawings.
Certain specific details are set forth in the following descriptions for sufficient understanding of the invention. However, the invention can also be implemented in other ways, which are different from the specific details described herein, and similar variations can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to specific embodiments disclosed hereinafter.
Before the electronic paper display panels according to the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail, it firstly should be noted that, a first transparent substrate has two sides with one side facing to electronic paper film and the other side opposite to the electronic paper film. In the discussed embodiments, the inner side of the first transparent substrate refers to the side facing to the electronic paper film and the outer side of the first transparent substrate refers to the side opposite to the electronic paper film. A second transparent substrate has two sides with one side facing to a TFT array substrate and the other side opposite to the TFT array substrate, the inner side of the second transparent substrate refers to the side facing to the TFT array substrate and the outer side of the second transparent substrate refers to the side opposite to the TFT array substrate.
Referring to
The principle for the displaying of the electronic paper display panel according to the embodiment is that: when a user watches from the side of the TFT array substrate 40, light passes through the first transparent substrate 41, the array of the storage capacitors and the color filtering layer 49, then passes through the color filtering layer 49 again after being reflected by the white particles 512 in the electronic paper film 51 and is transmitted through the TFT array substrate 40, thus a color display is realized on the side of the TFT array substrate 40. In addition, when the user watches from the side of the second transparent substrate 53 in the electronic paper display panel, the light passes through the second transparent substrate 53, encounters the white particles 512 in the electronic paper film and then pass through the second transparent substrate 53 again after being reflected by the white particles 512. Thus, a black-and-white display is realized on the side of the second transparent substrate 53.
An advantage of the electronic paper display panel in the embodiment is that a double-sided display is provided. A color display for using when the user needs to watch color images is provided on one side, and a black-and-white display which may be selected and used when the user only needs to read articles is provide on the other side. One function of the electronic paper display panel provides a paper-like soft display effect. This occurs in the black-and-white display at least because light does not travel through the color filtering layer 49. Thus, a loss of light is reduced, and brightness and good black-and-white contrast for display is ensured.
The electronic paper display panel may achieve the double-sided display of the electronic paper display panel due to the transparent conductive materials of the common electrodes and the pixel electrodes. Moreover, in the first embodiment, since there is the color filtering layer 49 formed between the pixel electrodes 44 and the electronic paper film 51, the color display may be realized on the side of the TFT array substrate in the electronic paper display panel, and the black-and-white display may be realized on the side of the second transparent substrate in the electronic paper display panel. In some embodiments, there is no color filtering layer 49, and the black-and-white display is realized on both sides of the electronic paper display panel.
In the present invention, the color filtering layer 49 may be a color resist layer or a CF plate. In the case that the color filtering layer 49 is a color resist layer, the color resist layer includes an R (Red) color resist, a G (Green) color resist and a B (Blue) color resist. Light becomes R light after transmitting through the R color resist, becomes G light after transmitting through the G color resist and becomes B light after transmitting through the B color resist. In this embodiment, the R color resist, G color resist and B color resist are all deposited directly on the TFT array substrate. In the case that the color display is realized by utilizing a CF plate, the CF plate may be aligned with the TFT array substrate and then adhered on the TFT array substrate. In the first embodiment illustrated in
In some embodiments, the color filtering layer 49 is a color resist layer. Since the color filtering layer 49 is directly deposited on the TFT array substrate, the CF plate may be omitted, and the thickness, weight and cost of the electronic paper display panel are reduced.
In addition, if the color filtering layer is a CF plate, when the CF plate is adhered to the TFT array substrate during the manufacture of the electronic paper display panel, a fine alignment in pixel level is used to align an R color filtering area with an R pixel area, a G color filtering area with a G pixel area and a B color filtering area with a B pixel area. A small deviation in the alignment may result in a misalignment of the CF plate and the TFT array substrate. If the color resist layer is employed as the color filtering layer 49, the color resist layer may be formed on the TFT array substrate by coating, and then the color resists may be formed by exposing and developing. Since the exposing and the developing are in pixel level, it is easier to realize the fine alignment of the color resist layer with the TFT array substrate and the misalignment is avoided. Therefore, forming the color filtering layer by depositing the color resist layer on the TFT array substrate directly may reduce the difficulty of the process.
In the first embodiment, the first transparent substrate 41 is a glass substrate. However, the first transparent substrate 41 in the present invention is not limited to the glass substrate and may also be a transparent substrate of other materials.
In the first embodiment, the materials of the common electrodes 42 and the pixel electrodes 44 are ITO. However, the materials of the common electrode 42 and the pixel electrode 44 are not limited to ITO and may also be other transparent conductive materials.
In the first embodiment, the multiple common electrodes 42 are arranged in array. Since each of the common electrodes 42 has a same electric potential, the common electrodes 42 may also be a single common electrode as a whole surface and each pixel shares the single common electrode rather than one pixel corresponding to one common electrode.
In the first embodiment, the second transparent substrate 53 is a PET substrate, a glass substrate or a plastic substrate. However, the second transparent substrate 53 is not limited to the PET substrate, glass substrate or plastic substrate and may also be a transparent substrate of other materials.
In the first embodiment, the electronic paper film 51 is a microcapsule film including multiple microcapsules. Each of the microcapsules includes black particles 511, white particles 512 and a transparent liquid. Alternatively, each of the microcapsules may also include white particles and a black opaque liquid. Alternatively, each of the microcapsules may include black particles and a white opaque liquid. However, in the present invention, the electronic paper film 51 is not limited to the microcapsule film and may also be other electronic paper film which may be applied in the present invention.
In the first embodiment, the material of the transparent electrode 52 is also ITO. However, the material of the transparent electrode 52 is not limited to ITO and may be other transparent conductive materials. And the transparent electrode 52 is a single electrode as a whole surface.
In the first embodiment, referring to
Based on the electronic paper display panel described above, the embodiments each include a TFT array substrate. All content for the TFT array substrate in the electronic paper display panel may be referred to when specific description of the electronic paper display panel is made and the TFT array substrate will not be described repeatedly herein.
Step S11, providing a first transparent substrate.
Step S12, forming common electrodes on the first transparent substrate, forming a transparent capacitor medium layer on the common electrodes and forming pixel electrodes on the transparent capacitor medium layer. The common electrodes and the pixel electrodes are made of transparent conductive materials, and the common electrodes, the transparent capacitor medium layer and the pixel electrodes form storage capacitors.
Step 13, forming a color filtering layer on the pixel electrodes.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The method for manufacturing the TFT array substrate according to the specific embodiment further includes: forming an array of TFT switches on the transparent substrate. Referring to
The TFT array substrate formed in the above method corresponds to the TFT array substrate illustrated in
In a method for manufacturing a TFT array substrate according to a third embodiment as illustrated in
In a method for manufacturing a TFT array substrate according to the fourth embodiment as illustrated in
In a method for manufacturing the TFT array substrate according to the fifth embodiment as illustrated in
In the method for manufacturing the TFT array substrate according to the sixth embodiment as illustrated in
It should be noted that, the content described for the structure of the TFT array substrate may be referred to when the description of the method for manufacturing the TFT array substrate is made. The TFT array substrate has advantages of thin thickness, low cost and relatively simple manufacturing method.
Referring to
Providing the TFT array substrate 40, where the TFT array substrate 40 illustrated in
Providing an electronic paper film 51 and adhering the electronic paper film 51 on the TFT array substrate 40.
Providing a second transparent substrate 53 on which a transparent electrode 52 is deposited.
Adhering the second transparent substrate 53 on the electronic paper film in a way that the transparent electrode 52 faces towards the electronic paper film.
In other words, in the embodiment, firstly the electronic paper film 51 is adhered to the TFT array substrate 40, then the combination of the second transparent substrate 53 and the transparent electrode 52 is adhered to the electronic paper film 51.
Referring to
Providing the TFT array substrate 40, where the TFT array substrate 40 illustrated in
Providing a second transparent substrate 53 on which a transparent electrode 52 is deposited.
Providing an electronic paper film 51 and adhering the electronic paper film 51 on the transparent electrode 52.
Adhering the second transparent substrate 53 to the TFT array substrate 40 in a way that the electronic paper film faces towards the TFT array substrate 40.
In other words, in the embodiment, the second transparent substrate 53, the transparent electrode 52 and the electronic paper film 51 are firstly combined together and then combined with the TFT array substrate.
According to the method for manufacturing an electronic paper display panel, the precision requirement during adhering is reduced. Typically, when a CF plate is adhered to a TFT array substrate in the manufacture of the electronic paper display panel, a fine alignment in pixel level is used to align an R color filtering area with an R pixel area, a G color filtering area with a G pixel area, and a B color filtering area with a B pixel area. A small deviation during the alignment process may result in a misalignment of the CF plate and the TFT array substrate. The stringent requirement for the alignment precision of the process, however, may be difficult to be met by the aligning and adhering machine.
For the TFT array substrate used in the method for manufacturing an electronic paper display panel, the color resist layer is formed in the TFT array substrate by coating materials. Fine alignment in pixel level is unnecessary when the TFT array substrate, the electronic paper film and the second transparent substrate are combined, thus the precision requirement during the adhering is greatly reduced. The process difficulty is reduced and the yield is improved.
Though the present invention is disclosed by way of preferred embodiments as described above, those embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention. Possible variations and changes to the technical solutions of the present invention may be made by those skilled in the art based on the methods and the technical contents disclosed above without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention. Therefore, changes, equivalent alternations and modifications made to the above embodiments according to the technical principles of the present invention, which do not depart from the technical solutions of the present invention, fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Ma, Jun, Chen, Hao, Wu, Tianyi, Wu, Yong, Chai, Huiping
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