Display device, display panel and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a display device, a display panel and a manufacturing method thereof, and relates to the field of display technologies. The display panel includes a flexible substrate, a display layer and a packaging layer. The display layer is disposed on one side of the flexible substrate and includes a stretching region, and the stretching region includes a plurality of pixel islands distributed at intervals and through holes disposed between the pixel islands; the display layer includes a pixel definition layer and an annular barrier rib disposed on a surface of the pixel definition layer facing away from the flexible substrate, the pixel definition layer defines a plurality of light-emitting units, the barrier rib is located in a region of the pixel definition layer corresponding to the pixel islands and surrounds the plurality of light-emitting units; the packaging layer covers a surface of the display layer facing away from the flexible substrate and includes an organic layer, and a region of the organic layer located in the stretching region is defined within an annular region surrounded by the barrier rib.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of display technologies, and in particular, to a display device, a display panel, and a manufacturing method of the display panel. Background Art

[0002] Currently, flexible display panels have been widely used in terminal devices such as mobile phones. Among them, for flexible display panels that have stretchable performance in local or all areas, not only can they be bent, but also stretched. However, during the manufacturing process, due to process reasons, the stretching performance may be affected and it is difficult to stretch normally.

[0003] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background art section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and thus may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present disclosure is to overcome the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art, and to provide a display device, a display panel, and a manufacturing method of the display panel, which can improve the stretching performance.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a display panel is provided, including:

[0006] A flexible substrate;

[0007] A display layer, disposed on one side of the flexible substrate, and including a stretching area, the stretching area including a plurality of pixel islands distributed at intervals and through holes disposed between the pixel islands; the display layer includes a pixel definition layer and an annular barrier rib disposed on a surface of the pixel definition layer facing away from the flexible substrate, the pixel definition layer defines a plurality of light-emitting units, the barrier rib is located in an area of the pixel definition layer corresponding to the pixel islands, and surrounds the plurality of light-emitting units;

[0008] An encapsulation layer, covering a surface of the display layer facing away from the flexible substrate, and including an organic layer, an area of the organic layer located in the stretching area is defined within an annular area surrounded by the barrier rib.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the display layer further includes:

[0010] A driving layer, disposed between the flexible substrate and the pixel definition layer;

[0011] A first electrode layer, disposed on a surface of the driving layer facing away from the flexible substrate, and including at least a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of the first electrodes are provided in the stretching area; the pixel definition layer has a plurality of openings exposing the first electrodes;

[0012] A light-emitting material layer, filled in each of the openings and in contact with the first electrode;

[0013] A second electrode layer, covering the pixel definition layer, the light-emitting material layer and the barrier rib, and bulging in a direction away from the driving layer in a region corresponding to the barrier rib to form an annular convex rib, and the region of the organic layer located in the stretching region is defined within the annular region surrounded by the convex rib.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the radial distance between the inner ring surface and the outer ring surface of the convex rib is 3 μm - 7 μm; the minimum distance between the positive projection of the inner ring surface of the convex rib on the pixel definition layer and the edge of the light-emitting unit located within the convex rib is 1 μm - 5 μm.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the display layer further includes a non-stretching region adjacent to the stretching region, and the non-stretching region includes a transition region and a main display region, and the transition region is separated between the main display region and the stretching region;

[0016] At least one blocking groove is provided in the transition region, and at least a part of the region of the organic layer located in the transition region is located within the blocking groove.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a groove is provided in the region of the pixel definition layer located in the transition region, and the second electrode layer forms the blocking groove matching the groove in the region corresponding to the groove.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the light-emitting unit is divided into a plurality of pixels, the pixel includes a plurality of light-emitting units, and the stretching region, the transition region and the main display region all have a plurality of the pixels distributed in an array;

[0019] The light-emitting unit includes the first electrode layer, the light-emitting material layer and the second electrode layer corresponding to the opening.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the pixel densities in the transition region and the stretching region are the same and less than the pixel density in the main display region.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the light-emitting unit includes a blue light-emitting unit, a green light-emitting unit and a red light-emitting unit; the pixels in the stretching region and the transition region are first pixels, and the pixels in the main display region are second pixels;

[0022] The first pixel includes one red light-emitting unit, one green light-emitting unit and one blue light-emitting unit; the second pixel includes one red light-emitting unit, two green light-emitting units and one blue light-emitting unit.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in the first pixel, the red light-emitting unit and the blue light-emitting unit are located in the same row, the green light-emitting unit is located in a different row from the red light-emitting unit, and is located between the red light-emitting unit and the blue light-emitting unit;

[0024] In the first pixel located in the same row, the red light-emitting unit and the blue light-emitting unit are located in the same row, and the green light-emitting unit is located in the same row;

[0025] One row of the light-emitting units in one row of the first pixels and one row of the light-emitting units in one row of the second pixels are located in the same row;

[0026] In the first pixel and the second pixel located in the same column, the light-emitting units with the same color are located in the same column.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of the blocking grooves is multiple and is divided into at least one blocking unit, and the blocking unit includes a plurality of the blocking grooves arranged at intervals in the column direction; the blocking unit is arranged in the space between the pixels in each column.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of the blocking units is multiple and is arranged in the row direction, and the density of the blocking units decreases from the stretching area to the main display area.

[0029] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the distance between two adjacent blocking grooves in the same blocking unit is the same as the width of the blocking groove in the extending direction of the blocking unit where it is located.

[0030] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the orthographic projection of the blocking groove on the flexible substrate is a square with a side length of 8 μm - 12 μm, and the distance between two adjacent blocking grooves in the same blocking unit is 8 μm - 12 μm.

[0031] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the shape of the display layer is a polygon, the stretching area is located at at least one vertex angle of the polygon, and the stretching area extends inward from the vertex angle of the display layer, and the transition area surrounds the stretching area.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the shape of the display layer is a rectangle, and the number of the stretching areas is four.

[0033] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the display layer is further divided into a flat part and a bent part surrounding the flat part, and the bent part bends toward the side of the flexible substrate away from the display layer;

[0034] The flat portion is a partial area of the main display area; at least partial areas of the stretching area, the transition area, and the main display area are located outside the flat portion, and together constitute the bending portion.

[0035] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the encapsulation layer further includes:

[0036] A first inorganic layer, covering the surface of the display layer facing away from the flexible substrate, protruding in an area corresponding to the dam, and recessed in an area corresponding to the barrier groove; the organic layer is disposed on the surface of the first inorganic layer facing away from the flexible substrate;

[0037] A second inorganic layer, covering the organic layer, and contacting the first inorganic layer in an area corresponding to the dam.

[0038] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the display layer further includes:

[0039] A plurality of support columns, provided on the surface of the pixel definition layer facing away from the flexible substrate on the same layer as the dam, and the support columns are provided in the stretching area, the transition area, and the main display area.

[0040] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in the stretching area, the support columns are located in the annular area surrounded by the dam, and multiple rows of the support columns are distributed along the column direction between any two adjacent columns of the first pixels;

[0041] In the transition area, multiple support columns are distributed along the column direction between at least two adjacent columns of the first pixels.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in the stretching area, one row of the red light-emitting units and the blue light-emitting units are arranged in the same row as one row of the support columns; one row of the support columns is provided between two adjacent rows of the first pixels.

[0043] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing a display panel is provided, including:

[0044] Providing a flexible substrate;

[0045] Forming a display layer on one side of the flexible substrate, the display layer includes a stretching area, the stretching area includes a plurality of pixel islands distributed at intervals and through holes provided between the pixel islands; the display layer includes a pixel definition layer and an annular dam provided on the surface of the pixel definition layer facing away from the flexible substrate, the pixel definition layer defines a plurality of light-emitting units, the dam is located in the area of the pixel definition layer corresponding to the pixel islands, and surrounds the plurality of light-emitting units;

[0046] A through hole is formed between the pixel islands;

[0047] A packaging layer is covered on the surface of the display layer facing away from the flexible substrate. The packaging layer includes an organic layer, and the region of the organic layer located in the stretching area is defined within the annular area surrounded by the dam.

[0048] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a display device is provided, including the display panel described in any one of the above.

[0049] In the display device, display panel and its manufacturing method of the present disclosure, in the stretching area, the through hole between the pixel islands is used to make the stretching area have stretchable performance. Through the annular dam around the light-emitting unit located in the pixel island, the organic layer of the packaging layer in the stretching area can be restricted. While ensuring the packaging effect, it can prevent the organic material of the organic layer from flowing into the through hole between the pixel islands during the preparation of the packaging layer, avoiding the blockage of the through hole and resulting in a decrease in the stretching performance or even inability to stretch.

[0050] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] The drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, showing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and are used together with the specification to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0052] Figure 1 It is a top view of the display layer in an embodiment of the display panel of the present disclosure.

[0053] Figure 2 It is a partial enlarged view of the display layer of an embodiment of the display panel of the present disclosure.

[0054] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of pixel distribution of a pixel island in an embodiment of the display panel of the present disclosure.

[0055] Figure 4 It is Figure 2 a C-C cross-sectional view of

[0056] Figure 5 It is Figure 2 a D-D cross-sectional view of

[0057] Figure 6 It is Figure 2 an E-E cross-sectional view of

[0058] Figure 7 is Figure 4 a cross-sectional view of a display panel before forming a light-emitting material layer shown in

[0059] Figure 8 is Figure 5 a cross-sectional view of a display panel before forming a light-emitting material layer shown in

[0060] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of bending of a display layer in an embodiment of the present disclosure's display panel.

[0061] Figure 10 is a flowchart of an embodiment of the manufacturing method of the present disclosure.

[0062] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0063] 1. Flexible substrate; 2. Display layer; 21. Driving layer; 22. First electrode layer; 221. First electrode; 23. Pixel definition layer; 231. Opening; 232. Groove; 24. Light-emitting material layer; 25. Dam; 26. Second electrode layer; 27. Support pillar; 201. Blocking groove; 210. Blocking unit; 3. Encapsulation layer; 31. Organic layer; 32. First inorganic layer; 33. Second inorganic layer; 100. Pixel island; 110. Light-emitting area; 120. Edge area; 101. Ridge; 200. Through hole; 300. Flat part; 400. Bending part; 001. Light-emitting unit; 001R. Red light-emitting unit; 001B. Blue light-emitting unit; 001G. Green light-emitting unit; 010. Pixel; 010a. First pixel; 010b. Second pixel. Detailed implementation manners

[0064] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals in the figures denote like or similar structures, and thus their detailed descriptions will be omitted. In addition, the drawings are only schematic illustrations of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0065] Although relative terms such as "upper" and "lower" are used in this specification to describe the relative relationship of one component of an icon to another component, these terms are used in this specification only for convenience, for example, according to the directions of the examples described in the drawings. It can be understood that if the device of the icon is flipped so that it is upside down, the component described as "upper" will become the component described as "lower". When a structure is "on" another structure, it may mean that a structure is integrally formed on another structure, or that a structure is "directly" disposed on another structure, or that a structure is "indirectly" disposed on another structure through another structure. The drawings are only schematic illustrations of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0066] The terms "a", "an", "the", "said" and "at least one" are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms "comprising" and "having" are used to mean an open inclusion and mean that there may be additional elements / components / etc. in addition to the listed elements / components / etc. The terms "first", "second", etc. are only used as labels and are not a limitation on the quantity of their objects.

[0067] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a display panel, as Figures 1-4 shown, the display panel may include a flexible substrate 1, a display layer 2 and a packaging layer 3, wherein:

[0068] The display layer 2 is disposed on one side of the flexible substrate 1, and the display layer 2 may include a stretching area A, the stretching area A includes a plurality of pixel islands 100 distributed at intervals, and through holes 200 are provided in the space between the pixel islands 100;

[0069] The display layer 2 includes a pixel definition layer 23 and an annular dam 25, the pixel definition layer 23 defines a plurality of light-emitting units 001, the dam 25 is disposed on the surface of the pixel definition layer 23 facing away from the flexible substrate 1, the dam 25 is located in the area corresponding to the pixel island 100, and surrounds the plurality of light-emitting units 001.

[0070] The packaging layer 3 covers the surface of the display layer 2 facing away from the flexible substrate 1, and includes an organic layer 31, and the area of the organic layer 31 located in the stretching area A is defined within the annular area surrounded by the dam 25.

[0071] In the stretching area A of the display panel according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the through holes 200 between the pixel islands 100 are used to enable the stretching area A to have stretchable performance. Through the annular dam 25 surrounding the light-emitting units 001 located in the pixel islands 100, the organic layer 31 of the packaging layer 3 located in the stretching area A can be restricted, so that the organic layer 31 used for packaging the pixel islands 100 is blocked by the dam 25 and will not flow into the through holes 200 between the pixel islands 100, avoiding the through holes 200 being blocked by the organic layer 31 and resulting in a decrease in stretching performance or even inability to stretch.

[0072] The following is a detailed description of each part of the display panel of the present disclosure:

[0073] As Figure 4 shown, the flexible substrate 1 is made of a flexible material. For example, its material can be polyimide (PI). Of course, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or other flexible materials can also be used, and no special limitation is made here. At the same time, the flexible substrate 1 can be a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure as long as it has flexibility.

[0074] As Figures 1-4 shown, the display layer 2 is disposed on the surface of one side of the flexible substrate 1 and is used to emit light to one side away from or close to the flexible substrate 1 to display an image. However, if light is emitted to the side close to the flexible substrate 1, the flexible substrate 1 needs to be made of a flexible transparent material.

[0075] As Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, in the extending direction of the display layer 2, the display layer 2 may have a stretching area A. The stretching area A may include a plurality of pixel islands 100 distributed at intervals, and through holes 200 may be provided in the space between the pixel islands 100. Since the through holes 200 can be deformed, the stretching area A can be stretched or contracted along the extending direction of the display layer 2. Of course, the stretching area A can also be bent. The through holes 200 penetrate through the display layer 2 and expose the flexible substrate 1. Of course, the through holes 200 can also extend into the flexible substrate 1 or even penetrate through the flexible substrate 1. The shape of the through holes 200 is not specially limited here. It can extend along a broken line trajectory, specifically depending on the space between the pixel islands 100, as long as the stretching area A can be stretched.

[0076] As Figure 2 shown, the display layer 2 may include a pixel definition layer 23. The pixel definition layer 23 has openings 231 for defining a plurality of light-emitting units 001 in the display layer 2. The light-emitting units 001 can be OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) light-emitting units 001 or other light-emitting devices. The light-emitting units 001 can be divided into a plurality of pixels 010, and each pixel 010 includes a plurality of light-emitting units 001. As Figure 3 shown, the barrier ribs 25 are located in the area corresponding to the pixel islands 100 and surround the light-emitting units 001 of the pixel islands 100 where they are located. That is to say, there are a plurality of light-emitting units 001 in the annular area surrounded by the barrier ribs 25.

[0077] Furthermore, as Figures 2-4As shown, each pixel island 100 has a light-emitting region 110 and a peripheral region 120 surrounding the light-emitting region 110. The light-emitting region 110 is the region where the pixel island 100 actually emits light, while the peripheral region 120 does not emit light. The barrier dam 25 can be located in the peripheral region 120 and surround the light-emitting region 110, and the barrier dam 25 can protrude from the light-emitting region 110 in a direction away from the flexible substrate 1. That is to say, each pixel island 100 has a barrier dam 25 surrounding its light-emitting region 110. The barrier dam 25 can be used to define the organic layer 31 of the encapsulation layer 3 so that it is located within the barrier dam 25. While realizing the encapsulation of the light-emitting region 110, it can avoid entering the through hole 200, thereby ensuring the normal stretching of the stretching region A. At the same time, since the barrier dam 25 is located in the peripheral region 120 of the pixel island 100 and surrounds the light-emitting region 110, it will not block the light emission and will not have an adverse effect on the encapsulation effect of the light-emitting region 110.

[0078] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, taking the light-emitting unit 001 of the display layer 2 as an OLED light-emitting unit as an example, as Figures 4-6 shown, in a direction perpendicular to the flexible substrate 1, the display layer 2 may include a driving layer 21, a first electrode layer 22, a pixel definition layer 23, a light-emitting material layer 24, a barrier dam 25, and a second electrode layer 26, where:

[0079] The driving layer 21 can be disposed on one side of the flexible substrate 1. For example, the driving layer 21 can be disposed on the surface of the flexible substrate 1 for disposing the display layer 2. In addition, the driving layer 21 may have a plurality of pixel driving circuits (not shown in the figure) that respectively drive each light-emitting unit 001 to emit light. The specific structure of each pixel driving circuit is not specifically limited here as long as it can be used to drive the light-emitting unit 001 to emit light.

[0080] The first electrode layer 22 can be disposed on the surface of the driving layer 21 facing away from the flexible substrate 1, and the first electrode layer 22 at least includes a plurality of first electrodes 221. A plurality of first electrodes 221 are provided in the stretching region A. Further, in the stretching region A, a plurality of first electrodes 221 are provided in the light-emitting region 110 of each pixel island 100. Each first electrode 221 can serve as the anode of an OLED light-emitting unit. For example, each pixel driving circuit can be connected to the first electrode 221 of the corresponding OLED light-emitting unit to input a driving signal to the OLED light-emitting unit.

[0081] As Figures 4-8 shown, the pixel definition layer 23 is disposed on the surface of the driving layer 21 facing away from the flexible substrate 1, such that the driving layer 21 is located between the flexible substrate 1 and the pixel definition layer 23, and the pixel definition layer 23 has a plurality of openings 231 that respectively expose the first electrodes 221, and each light-emitting unit 001 can be defined by the pixel definition layer 23. Each opening 231 corresponds to a light-emitting unit 001, and the range of the opening 231 defines the range of the light-emitting unit 001.

[0082] The light-emitting material layer 24 is filled in each opening 231 and is in contact with the first electrode 221, that is, the light-emitting material layer 24 is disposed on the surface of the first electrode 221 facing away from the flexible substrate 1. Specifically, the light-emitting material layer 24 may include a plurality of discretely distributed light-emitting portions, and each light-emitting portion is disposed in the opening 231 in a one-to-one correspondence and is in contact with the first electrode 221. The light-emitting material layer 24 may be a multi-layer structure. For example, the light-emitting material layer 24 may include a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light-emitting functional layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer that are sequentially stacked on the first electrode 221.

[0083] As Figure 4 and Figure 7 shown, the barrier rib 25 is disposed on the surface of the pixel definition layer 23 facing away from the driving layer 21 and is located in the stretching area A, for example, in the edge area 120. The barrier rib 25 is a ring structure and surrounds the light-emitting area 110 of the pixel island 100 where it is located, so as to surround the outside of each light-emitting unit 001 of the light-emitting area 110. For example, the barrier rib 25 may be made of the same material as the pixel definition layer 23 and may be formed by a single patterning process. For example, it may be formed at one time by a grayscale mask process. Of course, the barrier rib 25 and the pixel definition layer 23 may also be formed independently.

[0084] As Figures 4-8 shown, the second electrode layer 26 covers the pixel definition layer 23, the light-emitting material layer 24, and the barrier rib 25. Due to the presence of the barrier rib 25, the second electrode layer 26 may bulge in the direction away from the driving layer 21 in the area corresponding to the barrier rib 25 to form a ring-shaped convex rib 101 for blocking the organic layer 31. The ring-shaped area surrounded by the convex rib 101 is located within the ring-shaped area surrounded by the barrier rib 25, and the area where the organic layer 31 is located in the stretching area A is limited to the ring-shaped area surrounded by the convex rib 101.

[0085] Each OLED light-emitting unit may include an opening 231 and its corresponding first electrode 221, light-emitting material layer 24, and second electrode layer 26, and each OLED light-emitting unit shares the second electrode layer 26.

[0086] Of course, in some other embodiments of the present disclosure, an opening may be formed in the area of the second electrode layer 26 corresponding to the barrier rib 25, so that the barrier rib 25 protrudes from the second electrode layer 26 through the opening, which can also play a role in defining the organic layer 31.

[0087] As Figure 3As shown, in each pixel island 100, the dimensions of the convex rib 101 and its distance from each light-emitting unit 001 are not specifically limited herein. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the radial spacing S between the inner and outer ring surfaces of the convex rib 101 is 3 μm - 7 μm, that is, the width of the convex rib 101 is 3 μm - 7 μm. In addition, the orthographic projection of the inner ring surface of the convex rib 101 on the pixel definition layer 23 has a certain distance from the edge of the light-emitting unit 001 located within the convex rib 101, and the minimum distance is 1 μm - 5 μm. That is to say, the distance W between the edge of the light-emitting unit 001 closest to the convex rib 101 and the convex rib 101 is not less than 1 μm and not greater than 5 μm. Among them, since the light-emitting unit 001 is defined by the opening 231, the light-emitting unit 001 can be the edge of the opening 231.

[0088] As Figure 1 shown, the stretching area A can be the entire area of the display layer 2 or only a part of the display layer 2. For example:

[0089] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the stretching area A is a partial area of the display layer 2. That is to say, along the extension direction of the display layer 2, the display layer 2 can be divided into multiple areas, including the stretching area A. At the same time, the display layer 2 may also include a non-stretching area B adjacent to the stretching area A. The non-stretching area B is also a flexible structure but cannot be stretched. That is to say, the above pixel island 100 structure may not be adopted in the non-stretching area B of the display layer 2. The non-stretching area B may include a transition area B1 and a main display area B2, and the transition area B1 is separated between the main display area B2 and the stretching area A.

[0090] Furthermore, as Figures 2-6 shown, the transition area B1 and the main display area B2 also have multiple pixels 010. That is to say, multiple light-emitting units 001 are also distributed in the transition area B1 and the main display area B2, and the specific structure of the light-emitting unit 001 is the same as that of the light-emitting unit 001 in the stretching area A. At the same time, the density of the pixels 010 in the transition area B1 is less than the density of the pixels 010 in the main display area B2, that is, the density of the light-emitting units 001 in the transition area B1 is less than the density of the light-emitting units 001 in the main display area B2, so as to buffer the stress between the main display area B2 and the stretching area A.

[0091] Next, an exemplary description of the distribution method of the pixels 010 of the display panel of the present disclosure is given:

[0092] As Figure 2 shown, the light-emitting units 001 are divided into multiple pixels 010, each pixel 010 includes multiple light-emitting units 001, and the stretching area A, the transition area B1, and the main display area B2 all have multiple pixels 010 distributed in an array.

[0093] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the light-emitting unit 001 includes a blue light-emitting unit 001B, a green light-emitting unit 001G, and a red light-emitting unit 001R; the pixel 010 in the stretching area A and the transition area B1 is the first pixel 010a, and the pixel 010 in the main display area B2 is the second pixel 010b;

[0094] The first pixel 010a includes one red light-emitting unit 001R, one green light-emitting unit 001G, and one blue light-emitting unit 001B. The second pixel 010b includes one red light-emitting unit 001R, two green light-emitting units 001G, and one blue light-emitting unit 001B, that is, in the GGRB distribution mode, and display can be realized through pixel rendering technology.

[0095] Furthermore, in each first pixel 010a, the red light-emitting unit 001R and the blue light-emitting unit 001B are located in the same row, the green light-emitting unit 001G is located in a different row from the red light-emitting unit 001R, and is located between the red light-emitting unit 001R and the blue light-emitting unit 001B.

[0096] In the first pixels 010a located in the same row, the red light-emitting unit 001R and the blue light-emitting unit 001B are located in the same row, and the green light-emitting unit 001G is located in the same row.

[0097] One row of light-emitting units 001 in one row of the first pixels 010a and one row of light-emitting units 001 in one row of the second pixels 010b are located in the same row.

[0098] In the first pixels 010a and the second pixels 010b located in the same column, the light-emitting units 001 with the same color are located in the same column.

[0099] Since one row of light-emitting units 001 in one row of the first pixels 010a and one row of light-emitting units 001 in one row of the second pixels 010b are located in the same row, when forming the opening 231, the second pixel 010b and at least a part of the first pixels 010a can be formed by using the same mask. Furthermore, each row of light-emitting units 001 in each row of the first pixels 010a and one row of light-emitting units 001 in one row of the second pixels 010b can be located in the same row. During manufacturing, the pattern of the mask can be matched with the main display area B2, and the area is larger than the main display area B2 to cover the stretching area A and the transition area B1. For the stretching area A and the transition area B1, the local part of the mask can be covered, and thus the pixels 010 in the stretching area A and the transition area B1 can be formed. Similarly, when forming the light-emitting material layer 24, this method can also be used to reduce the usage amount of the mask and simplify the process.

[0100] It should be noted that the pixel 010 in the embodiments of the present disclosure is only a division of the light-emitting unit 001 in the display layer 2. The image pixels in the image displayed by the display layer 2 and the pixel 010 may not have a one-to-one correspondence, and the light-emitting unit 001 may also be divided in other ways.

[0101] In addition, the row direction and the column direction only refer to two intersecting directions, and the present disclosure does not limit their specific directions. For example, in a rectangular display panel, the row direction can be the width direction, and the column direction can be the length direction. After the display panel is rotated, the actual directions of the row direction and the column direction can change adaptively.

[0102] As Figure 1 shown, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the shape of the display layer 2 can be a polygon, that is, the orthographic projection of the display layer 2 on the flexible substrate 1 is a polygon, and the polygon can be a rectangle or the like. The stretching area A can be located at at least one vertex angle of the polygon. For example, the shape of the display layer 2 is a rectangle, the number of stretching areas A is four, and they are respectively located at each vertex angle of the rectangle. At the same time, the stretching area A extends inward from the boundary of the display layer 2, the transition area B1 surrounds the stretching area A, and the main display area B2 surrounds the transition area B1.

[0103] Furthermore, as Figure 9 shown, the display layer 2 can be divided into a flat part 300 and a bent part 400 surrounding the flat part 300, and the flat part 300 is a partial area of the main display area B2. At least part of the stretching area A, at least part of the transition area B1, and at least part of the main display area B2 are located outside the flat part 300 and together constitute the bent part 400. The bent part 400 bends toward the side of the flexible substrate 1 away from the display layer 2, so that all sides of the display panel can be a curved surface structure to increase the screen-to-body ratio. For example, the display layer 2 is rectangular, and the display panel of the present disclosure can be a four-curved display panel, that is, the four sides of the display panel bend toward the same side of the display panel.

[0104] It should be noted that when the bent part 400 is bent, the area of the flexible substrate 1 corresponding to the bent part 400 bends together.

[0105] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the entire display layer 2 is a stretchable structure, that is, the stretching area A is the entire area of the display layer 2, so that the display panel of the present disclosure is an integrally stretchable flexible display panel.

[0106] Furthermore, in order to further prevent the organic layer 31 from entering the through hole 200 of the stretching area A, as Figure 2 and Figure 4As shown, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one blocking groove 201 may be provided in the transition region B1. The blocking groove 201 is recessed towards the flexible substrate 1, and at least a part of the region of the organic layer 31 located in the transition region B1 is located within the blocking groove 201. When forming the organic layer 31, the organic material can be blocked by the blocking groove 201 to prevent the organic material from entering the through hole 200.

[0107] The formation method of the blocking groove 201 will be exemplarily described below in conjunction with the specific structure of the display layer 2 of the above embodiments:

[0108] As Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 8 shown, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, a groove 232 may be opened in the region of the pixel defining layer 23 located in the transition region B1. The groove 232 can expose the driving layer 21; the second electrode layer 26 is recessed in the region corresponding to the groove 232 to form a blocking groove 201 that matches the groove 232. However, in order to ensure the continuity of the second electrode layer 26, the second electrode layer 26 does not break at the position of the blocking groove 201, that is, the second electrode layer 26 completely covers the bottom surface and side walls of the groove 232.

[0109] Of course, in other embodiments of the present disclosure, the groove 232 may not be provided on the pixel defining layer 23, and the blocking groove 201 may be directly opened on the second electrode layer 26, but the blocking groove 201 does not penetrate the second electrode layer 26, which can also play a role in blocking the organic layer 31. In addition, the second electrode layer 26 is opened with holes in the region corresponding to the groove 232 to expose the groove 232, thereby forming the blocking groove 201.

[0110] As Figure 2 shown, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the number of the blocking grooves 201 is multiple and is divided into at least one blocking unit 210. Each blocking unit 210 may include a plurality of blocking grooves 201 arranged at intervals in the column direction. If the number of the blocking units 210 is multiple, the blocking units 210 are arranged at intervals between the stretching region A and the main display region B1.

[0111] Furthermore, as Figure 2 shown, the distance between two adjacent blocking grooves 201 in the same blocking unit 210 is the same as the width of the blocking groove 201 in the extending direction of the blocking unit 210 where it is located.

[0112] The number of the blocking units 210 is multiple and is arranged in the row direction. The density of the blocking units 210 decreases in the row direction. That is to say, along the direction from the stretching region A to the main display region B2, within the same size range, the number of the blocking units 210 decreases.

[0113] In addition, as Figure 2As shown, the blocking groove 201 is a square groove, that is, the orthographic projection of the blocking groove 201 on the flexible substrate 1 is a square, and the side length of the square can be 8 μm - 12 μm. At the same time, the distance between two adjacent blocking grooves 201 of the same blocking unit 210 is 8 μm - 12 μm, and the distance between the side walls of two adjacent blocking grooves 201 that are closest to each other is 8 μm - 12 μm.

[0114] In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the blocking groove 201 is a continuous strip structure. To improve the blocking effect of the blocking groove 201, both ends of the blocking groove 201 can extend to the edge of the transition region B1, so that the organic layer 31 must pass through the blocking groove 201 if it wants to enter the stretching region A.

[0115] As Figures 4-6 shown, the encapsulation layer 3 can cover the surface of the display layer 2 facing away from the flexible substrate 1, and includes an organic layer 31. The area where the organic layer 31 is located in the stretching region A is defined within each convex rib 101. In addition, the area where the organic layer 31 is located in the transition region B1 is at least partially within the blocking groove 201.

[0116] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as Figures 4-6 shown, the encapsulation layer 3 may further include a first inorganic layer 32 and a second inorganic layer 33, where:

[0117] The first inorganic layer 32 covers the surface of the display layer 2 facing away from the flexible substrate 1, bulges in the area corresponding to the blocking dam 25, and depresses in the area corresponding to the blocking groove 201. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, if the through hole 200 is exposed and does not penetrate the flexible substrate 1, the first inorganic layer 32 depresses into the through hole 200 in the area corresponding to the through hole 200, so as to conformally cover the side wall and the bottom surface of the through hole 200. In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, if the through hole 200 penetrates the flexible substrate 1, the first inorganic layer 32 depresses into the through hole 200 in the area corresponding to the through hole 200 and covers the side wall of the through hole 200.

[0118] The organic layer 31 can be disposed on the surface of the first inorganic layer 32 facing away from the flexible substrate 1, and the orthographic projection of the organic layer 31 on the first inorganic layer 32 is within the boundary of the first inorganic layer 32. The area where the organic layer 31 is located in the stretching region A is within each convex rib 101, and the space between the convex rib 101 and the pixel island 100 is exposed. The area where the organic layer 31 is located in the non-stretching region B is a continuous integral layer structure, and at least partially located within the blocking groove 201 in the transition region B1 and is blocked by the blocking groove 201.

[0119] The second inorganic layer 33 can cover the organic layer 31 and be attached to the area of the first inorganic layer 32 that is not covered by the organic layer 31. For example, since there is no organic layer 31 on the surface of the rib 101 facing away from the flexible substrate 1 and in the through hole 200, the first inorganic layer 32 and the second inorganic layer 33 are directly stacked in the area corresponding to the rib 101 and in the through hole 200, that is, they are in direct contact with each other.

[0120] In addition, as Figures 2-8 shown, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the display layer 2 may further include support pillars 27. The support pillars 27 and the barrier dams 25 are provided on the surface of the pixel definition layer 23 facing away from the flexible substrate 1 in the same layer. The support pillars 27 are provided in the stretching area A, the transition area B1 between the stretching area A and the non-stretching area B, and the main display area B2. The second electrode layer 26 covers the support pillars 27 and conforms to the support pillars 27, that is, the second electrode layer 26 bulges in the area corresponding to the support pillars 27.

[0121] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, in each light-emitting area 110 of the stretching area A1, multiple rows of support pillars 27 distributed in the column direction are provided between any two adjacent columns of the first pixels 010a. Further, in each light-emitting area 110, one row of red light-emitting units 001R and blue light-emitting units 001B are arranged in the same row as one row of support pillars 27. One row of support pillars 27 is provided between two adjacent rows of the first pixels 010a.

[0122] In the transition area B1, multiple support pillars 27 distributed in the column direction are provided between at least two adjacent columns of the first pixels 010a. Further, each row of red light-emitting units 001R and blue light-emitting units 001B are arranged in the same row as one row of support pillars 27. One row of support pillars 27 is provided between two adjacent rows of the first pixels 010a.

[0123] In addition, in the main display area B2, support pillars 27 are provided on both sides of each red light-emitting unit 001R and blue light-emitting unit 001B in the row direction.

[0124] In addition, the thickness of the support pillars 27 can be the same as the thickness of the barrier dams 25 and the same material can be used, so that they can be formed by a single patterning process to simplify the process. Further, the pixel definition layer 23, the barrier dams 25, and the support pillars 27 can be made of the same material and can be formed simultaneously by a grayscale mask process or other processes at one time.

[0125] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the thickness direction is perpendicular to the flexible substrate 1, and the thickness of the support pillars 27, the barrier dams 25, or other structures refers to the thickness in the direction perpendicular to the flexible substrate 1.

[0126] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as Figure 3As shown, the orthographic projection of the support column 27 on the pixel definition layer 23 may be a rectangle, and the length of the short side X of the rectangle may be 10 μm, and the length of the long side Y may be 20 μm.

[0127] It should be noted that Figures 4-6 it is only used to simultaneously show the cross-sectional structures of the stretching area A, the transition area B1, and the main display area B2, and is not limited to the cross-sectional view obtained by directly cutting. Figure 2 and Figure 3 the cross-sectional view obtained by directly cutting.

[0128] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a manufacturing method of a display panel. The display panel may be the display panel of any of the above embodiments, and its structure will not be elaborated here. As Figure 10 shown, the manufacturing method may include step S110-step S140, wherein:

[0129] Step S110: Provide a flexible substrate.

[0130] Step S120: Form a display layer on one side of the flexible substrate. The display layer includes a stretching area, and the stretching area includes a plurality of pixel islands distributed at intervals and through holes provided between the pixel islands; the display layer includes a pixel definition layer and an annular barrier rib provided on the surface of the pixel definition layer facing away from the flexible substrate. The pixel definition layer defines a plurality of light-emitting units, and the barrier rib is located in the area of the pixel definition layer corresponding to the pixel islands and surrounds the plurality of light-emitting units.

[0131] Step S130: Open through holes between the pixel islands.

[0132] Step S140: Cover an encapsulation layer on the surface of the display layer facing away from the flexible substrate. The encapsulation layer includes an organic layer, and the area of the organic layer located in the stretching area is defined within the annular area surrounded by the barrier rib.

[0133] The beneficial effects of the manufacturing method of the embodiments of the present disclosure are the same as those of the above display panel. For details, reference may be made to the embodiments of the display panel, which will not be elaborated here.

[0134] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, forming a display layer on one side of the flexible substrate, that is, step S120, may include step S1210-step S1260, wherein:

[0135] Step S1210: Form a driving layer on one side of the flexible substrate.

[0136] Step S1220: Form a first electrode layer including a plurality of first electrodes on the surface of the driving layer facing away from the flexible substrate. The light-emitting area has a plurality of the first electrodes.

[0137] Step S1230: Form a pixel definition layer on the surface of the driving layer facing away from the flexible substrate. The pixel definition layer has a plurality of openings exposing each of the first electrodes, and the openings are used to define light-emitting units.

[0138] Step S1240: Form a light-emitting material layer. The light-emitting material layer is filled in each of the openings and is in contact with the first electrode.

[0139] Step S1250: Form an annular barrier rib on the surface of the pixel definition layer facing away from the driving layer, and the barrier rib is located in the edge region.

[0140] Step S1260: Form a second electrode covering the pixel definition layer, the light-emitting material layer, and the barrier rib. The second electrode bulges in a direction away from the driving layer 21 in a region corresponding to the barrier rib to form an annular rib.

[0141] The structures and specific details of each part of the display panel involved in the manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present disclosure have been described in detail in the above embodiments of the display panel. For details, reference can be made to the embodiments of the display panel, and details will not be described herein again.

[0142] It should be noted that although the steps of the manufacturing method in the present disclosure are described in a specific order in the drawings, this does not require or imply that these steps must be performed in this specific order, or that all the steps shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. Additionally or alternatively, some steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step for execution, and / or one step may be decomposed into multiple steps for execution, etc.

[0143] The embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a display device, which may include the display panel of any of the above embodiments. The display device may be an electronic device such as a mobile phone, a television, a tablet computer, etc. The beneficial effects can be referred to the embodiments of the display panel, and details will not be described herein again.

[0144] Those skilled in the art will readily think of other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure, which follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include known common knowledge or conventional technical means in the technical field not disclosed in the present disclosure. The specification and examples are only regarded as exemplary, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are pointed out by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A display panel, wherein, comprising: a flexible substrate; a display layer disposed on one side of the flexible substrate, and including a stretching region and a non-stretching region adjacent to the stretching region, and the non-stretching region includes a transition region and a main display region, and the transition region is separated between the main display region and the stretching region; the stretching region includes a plurality of pixel islands distributed at intervals and through holes disposed between the pixel islands; the display layer includes a pixel definition layer and an annular barrier rib disposed on a surface of the pixel definition layer facing away from the flexible substrate, the pixel definition layer defines a plurality of light-emitting units, the barrier rib is located in a region of the pixel definition layer corresponding to the pixel islands, and surrounds the plurality of light-emitting units; at least one blocking groove is provided in the transition region; an encapsulation layer covering a surface of the display layer facing away from the flexible substrate, and including an organic layer, the region of the organic layer located in the stretching region is defined within an annular region surrounded by the barrier rib, and at least a part of the region of the organic layer located in the transition region is located within the blocking groove; the light-emitting units are divided into a plurality of pixels, each pixel includes a plurality of light-emitting units, and the stretching region, the transition region and the main display region all have a plurality of the pixels distributed in an array; the density of the pixels in the transition region and the stretching region is less than the density of the pixels in the main display region.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein, the display layer further includes: a driving layer disposed between the flexible substrate and the pixel definition layer; a first electrode layer disposed on a surface of the driving layer facing away from the flexible substrate, and including at least a plurality of first electrodes, and a plurality of the first electrodes are provided in the stretching region; the pixel definition layer has a plurality of openings exposing the first electrodes; a light-emitting material layer filled in each of the openings and in contact with the first electrodes; a second electrode layer covering the pixel definition layer, the light-emitting material layer and the barrier rib, and protruding in a direction away from the driving layer in a region corresponding to the barrier rib to form an annular convex rib, and the region of the organic layer located in the stretching region is defined within an annular region surrounded by the convex rib.

3. The display panel according to claim 2, wherein, the distance between the inner ring surface and the outer ring surface of the convex rib in the radial direction is 3 μm - 7 μm; the minimum distance between the positive projection of the inner ring surface of the convex rib on the pixel definition layer and the edge of the light-emitting unit located within the convex rib is 1 μm - 5 μm.

4. The display panel according to claim 2, wherein, a groove is provided in a region of the pixel definition layer located in the transition region, and the second electrode layer forms the blocking groove matching the groove in a region corresponding to the groove.

5. The display panel according to claim 2, wherein, the light-emitting unit includes the first electrode layer, the light-emitting material layer and the second electrode layer corresponding to the opening.

6. The display panel according to claim 5, wherein, the density of the pixels in the transition region and the stretching region is the same.

7. The display panel according to claim 5, wherein, The light-emitting units include a blue light-emitting unit, a green light-emitting unit and a red light-emitting unit; the pixels in the stretching area and the transition area are first pixels, and the pixels in the main display area are second pixels; The first pixel includes a red light emitting unit, a green light emitting unit and a blue light emitting unit; the second pixel includes a red light emitting unit, two green light emitting units and a blue light emitting unit.

8. The display panel according to claim 7, in, In the first pixel, the red light emitting unit and the blue light emitting unit are located in the same row, and the green light emitting unit and the red light emitting unit are located in different rows and between the red light emitting unit and the blue light emitting unit; In the first pixels located in the same row, the red light emitting unit and the blue light emitting unit are located in the same row, and the green light emitting unit is located in the same row; The light-emitting units in a row of the first pixels and the light-emitting units in a row of the second pixels are located in the same row; In the first pixels and the second pixels located in the same column, the light emitting units with the same color are located in the same column.

9. The display panel according to claim 1, in, The blocking grooves are multiple in number and divided into at least one blocking unit, wherein the blocking unit includes a plurality of the blocking grooves arranged at intervals along a column direction; The blocking unit is arranged in the space between the pixels in each column.

10. The display panel according to claim 9, in, The blocking units are multiple in number and arranged along a row direction, and the density of the blocking units decreases from the stretching area to the main display area.

11. The display panel according to claim 9, in, The distance between two adjacent blocking grooves in the same blocking unit is the same as the width of the blocking groove in the extending direction of the blocking unit in which the blocking groove is located.

12. The display panel according to claim 9, in, The orthographic projection of the blocking groove on the flexible substrate is a square with a side length of 8 μm-12 μm, and the distance between two adjacent blocking grooves of the same blocking unit is 8 μm-12 μm.

13. The display panel according to claim 1, in, The display layer is in the shape of a polygon, the stretching zone is located at at least one vertex of the polygon, and the stretching zone extends inward from the vertex of the display layer, and the transition zone surrounds the stretching zone.

14. The display panel according to claim 13, in, The display layer is in a rectangular shape, and the number of the stretching areas is four.

15. The display panel according to claim 1, in, The display layer is further divided into a flat portion and a bent portion surrounding the flat portion, and the bent portion is bent toward a side of the flexible substrate away from the display layer; The flat portion is a partial area of ​​the main display area; the stretching area, at least a partial area of ​​the transition area, and at least a partial area of ​​the main display area are located outside the flat portion and together constitute the bending portion.

16. The display panel according to claim 1, in, The encapsulation layer further comprises: The first inorganic layer covers the surface of the display layer facing away from the flexible substrate, protrudes in the area corresponding to the dam, and is recessed in the area corresponding to the blocking groove; the organic layer is disposed on the surface of the first inorganic layer facing away from the flexible substrate; The second inorganic layer covers the organic layer and contacts the first inorganic layer in the area corresponding to the dam.

17. The display panel according to claim 8, wherein, the display layer further includes: a plurality of support pillars, which are disposed on the surface of the pixel definition layer facing away from the flexible substrate and are on the same layer as the dam, and the support pillars are provided in the stretching area, the transition area and the main display area.

18. The display panel according to claim 17, wherein, in the stretching area, the support pillars are located in the annular area surrounded by the dam, and multiple rows of the support pillars are distributed in the column direction between any two adjacent columns of the first pixels; in the transition area, multiple support pillars are distributed in the column direction between at least two adjacent columns of the first pixels.

19. The display panel according to claim 17, wherein, in the stretching area, one row of the red light-emitting units and the blue light-emitting units are arranged in the same row as one row of the support pillars; one row of the support pillars is provided between two adjacent rows of the first pixels.

20. A manufacturing method of a display panel, wherein, includes: providing a flexible substrate; forming a display layer on one side of the flexible substrate, the display layer includes a stretching area and a non-stretching area adjacent to the stretching area, and the non-stretching area includes a transition area and a main display area, and the transition area is separated between the main display area and the stretching area; the stretching area includes a plurality of pixel islands distributed at intervals and through holes provided between the pixel islands; the display layer includes a pixel definition layer and an annular dam disposed on the surface of the pixel definition layer facing away from the flexible substrate, the pixel definition layer defines a plurality of light-emitting units, the dam is located in the area of the pixel definition layer corresponding to the pixel islands and surrounds the plurality of light-emitting units; at least one blocking groove is provided in the transition area; the light-emitting units are divided into a plurality of pixels, each pixel includes a plurality of light-emitting units, and the stretching area, the transition area and the main display area all have a plurality of the pixels distributed in an array; the density of the pixels in the transition area and the stretching area is less than the density of the pixels in the main display area; opening through holes between the pixel islands; covering a packaging layer on the surface of the display layer facing away from the flexible substrate, the packaging layer includes an organic layer, the area of the organic layer located in the stretching area is defined within the annular area surrounded by the dam, and the area of the organic layer located in the transition area is at least partially located in the blocking groove.

21. A display device, wherein, includes the display panel according to any one of claims 1-19.

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