A display panel, a display device, and a manufacturing method of a display panel

Abstract

The application discloses a display panel, a display device and a manufacturing method of the display panel, and relates to the technical field of display panels, and in particular to a display panel, a display device and a manufacturing method of the display panel.The display panel comprises a substrate base plate, a pixel structure layer, an encapsulation layer and a patterned electrochromic layer; the pixel structure layer is arranged on one side of the substrate base plate; the encapsulation layer is arranged on a side of the pixel structure layer away from the substrate base plate; the electrochromic layer is arranged on a side of the encapsulation layer away from the pixel structure layer; the pixel structure layer comprises a plurality of sub-pixels; and the orthographic projection of the electrochromic layer on the pixel structure layer is located between the gaps of the plurality of sub-pixels.The application solves the technical problem that the OLED display panel in the prior art cannot be freely switched between wide-viewing-angle and narrow-viewing-angle application scenarios, and is compatible with the manufacturing process of the touch layer of the existing display panel.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of display, in particular to a display panel, a display device and a manufacturing method of the display panel. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the progress of OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) panel technology and cost reduction, its application range is becoming wider and wider. At present, OLED display panel has gradually expanded from mobile phone products to notebook computers, tablet computers and display and other electronic products. Compared with LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display panel, OLED display panel has the advantage of wide viewing angle, while wide viewing angle panel brings good visibility, but also brings the problem that the content browsed is easily seen by people next to it. This situation is extremely unfavorable for user privacy protection in public places. The existing display panel anti-peeping technology is generally focused on anti-peeping film products; although the anti-peeping film technology can achieve anti-peeping, when the user needs to display some content, i.e. in the application scene of wide viewing angle, the anti-peeping film cannot realize the switching of wide viewing angle.

[0003] Therefore, the current anti-peeping technology for OLED display panel has the defect that it cannot freely switch between wide viewing angle and narrow viewing angle application scenes. SUMMARY

[0004] The display panel, the display device and the manufacturing method of the display panel provided by the embodiments of the present application solve the technical problem that the OLED display panel in the prior art cannot freely switch between wide viewing angle and narrow viewing angle application scenes, and are compatible with the manufacturing process of the touch layer of the existing display panel.

[0005] In one aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide the following technical solutions:

[0006] A display panel, comprising: a substrate substrate, a pixel structure layer, an encapsulation layer and a patterned electrochromic layer; the pixel structure layer is arranged on one side of the substrate substrate, the encapsulation layer is arranged on a side of the pixel structure layer away from the substrate substrate, and the electrochromic layer is arranged on a side of the encapsulation layer away from the pixel structure layer; the pixel structure layer comprises a plurality of sub-pixels, and a projection of the electrochromic layer on the pixel structure layer is located between the gaps of the plurality of sub-pixels.

[0007] Optionally, the electrochromic layer comprises a plurality of frame structures, and a projection of each frame structure on the pixel structure layer surrounds one sub-pixel.

[0008] Optionally, the frame structure has a frame width of 1um-5um.

[0009] Optionally, the electrochromic layer comprises a first metal mesh, a second metal mesh and a color-changing structure layer, the first metal mesh is arranged on the encapsulation layer away from the pixel structure layer, the color-changing structure layer is arranged on the first metal mesh away from the pixel structure layer, and the second metal mesh is arranged on the color-changing structure layer away from the pixel structure layer.

[0010] Optionally, the electrochromic layer further comprises a first lead and a second lead; the first lead is connected with the first metal mesh, and the second lead is connected with the second metal mesh; the first lead and the second lead are led out from the edge of the display panel, and an insulating layer is arranged between the first lead and the second lead.

[0011] Optionally, the color-changing structure layer comprises an ion storage layer, an ion transmission layer and a color-changing material layer; the ion storage layer is arranged on the first metal mesh away from the pixel structure layer, the ion transmission layer is arranged on the ion storage layer away from the pixel structure layer, and the color-changing material layer is arranged on the ion transmission layer away from the pixel structure layer.

[0012] Optionally, the total thickness of the encapsulation layer and the electrochromic layer is 5um-115um.

[0013] Optionally, the electrochromic layer has an opening area, and the opening area is filled with an insulating medium.

[0014] In a second aspect, based on the same inventive concept, the present application provides the following technical solutions through an embodiment of the present application:

[0015] A display device comprises the display panel of any one of the first aspect.

[0016] In a third aspect, based on the same inventive concept, the present application provides the following technical solutions through an embodiment of the present application:

[0017] A manufacturing method of a display panel comprises:

[0018] A substrate is provided; a pixel structure layer is manufactured on the substrate; the pixel structure layer comprises a plurality of sub-pixels; an encapsulation layer is formed on the pixel structure layer; a patterned electrochromic layer is formed on the encapsulation layer, and the electrochromic layer is located in the gap between the plurality of sub-pixels of the pixel structure layer in the orthographic projection of the pixel structure layer.

[0019] The one or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0020] The embodiment of the present application discloses a display panel, a display device and a manufacturing method of the display panel, wherein the display panel comprises a substrate, a pixel structure layer, an encapsulation layer and a patterned electrochromic layer; the pixel structure layer is arranged on the substrate, the encapsulation layer is arranged on the pixel structure layer, the electrochromic layer is arranged on a side of the encapsulation layer away from the pixel structure layer, the pixel structure layer comprises a plurality of sub-pixels, and the orthographic projection of the electrochromic layer on the pixel structure layer is located between the gaps of the plurality of sub-pixels. When a user uses an electronic device provided with the display panel and needs to prevent the display from being viewed, the electrochromic layer is controlled to change to a dark color, the visible angle of the light of the pixel structure layer is reduced, and the privacy protection effect is realized; otherwise, the electrochromic layer is controlled to change to a light color or transparent, so that the visible angle of the light of the pixel structure layer is increased, and the wide viewing angle is realized. Moreover, the electrochromic layer is manufactured on the encapsulation layer, so that the display panel can be well compatible with the manufacturing process of the touch layer of the OLED display panel, and the cost is low. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiment description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art without any creative effort on the basis of these drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 A structure schematic diagram of a display panel in the embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0023] Figure 2 A projection position schematic diagram of the electrochromic layer of the display panel in the embodiment of the present application on the pixel structure layer is shown;

[0024] Figure 3 A privacy protection principle schematic diagram of the display panel in the embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0025] Figure 4 A structure schematic diagram of the electrochromic layer of the display panel in the embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0026] Figure 5 A structure schematic diagram of the first lead wire and the second lead wire of the non-display area of the display panel in the embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0027] Figure 6 A flow chart of a manufacturing method of a display panel in the embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the description is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Also, in the following description, the description of well-known structures and techniques is omitted to avoid obscuring the concept of the present disclosure.

[0029] Various structural diagrams according to embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings. These diagrams are not drawn to scale, in which certain details are exaggerated for the purpose of clarity and may omit certain details. The shapes of various regions, layers, and the relative size and positional relationship therebetween shown in the drawings are merely exemplary, and in actuality, they can be deviated due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations, and a person skilled in the art can additionally design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions according to actual needs.

[0030] In the context of the present disclosure, when a layer / element is referred to as being located "on" another layer / element, the layer / element can be directly located on the other layer / element, or there can be an intervening layer / element therebetween. In addition, if a layer / element is located "on" another layer / element in one orientation, it can be located "under" the other layer / element when the orientation is reversed.

[0031] At present, the privacy display of the OLED panel in the prior art generally realizes privacy by using a privacy film. After the privacy film is attached to the display panel, the wide viewing angle switching cannot be realized again, and in the LCD manufacturing electrochromic privacy structure, the light of the backlight module can be shielded and controlled. Due to the difference between the structures of the OLED panel and the LCD panel, the viewing angle range of the LCD panel is smaller than that of the OLED panel. Therefore, the privacy structure design of the LCD panel is difficult to be applied to the OLED display panel to realize the privacy function of the OLED, and the process complexity is increased, so that the manufacturing cost is difficult to control. In view of this, in the embodiments of the present application, a display panel is provided, which is provided with an electrochromic layer on the side of the encapsulation layer away from the pixel structure layer, and the viewing angle range of the sub-pixel can be adjusted by controlling the electrochromic layer to realize privacy display and wide viewing angle display. Moreover, the electrochromic layer is arranged on the encapsulation layer, which can ensure that the manufacturing process of the existing OLED touch layer can be compatible when manufacturing the display panel, and the cost can be effectively controlled. The technical concept of the present application is described and explained in detail through one or more specific examples below.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 1 In an embodiment of the present application, a display panel 100 is provided, which comprises a substrate 11, a pixel structure layer 130, an encapsulation layer 14, and a patterned electrochromic layer 15.

[0033] The substrate 11 can be made of a material commonly used in the prior art display panel, such as a glass substrate, a silicon substrate, or a flexible substrate, such as a polyimide (PI) or other flexible material with similar characteristics.

[0034] The pixel structure layer 130 is disposed on one side of the substrate 11. The pixel structure layer 130 includes a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) array layer 12 and a light-emitting structure layer 13. The TFT array layer 12 includes a plurality of thin film transistors arranged in an array and is located in the display area of the display panel 100 for driving the organic light-emitting structure layer 13. The pixel structure layer 130 includes a plurality of sub-pixels, each of which corresponds to a light-emitting unit 131 in the light-emitting structure layer 13 and a thin film transistor for driving the light-emitting unit 131. The specific implementation of the pixel structure can refer to the prior art, which will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0035] The encapsulation layer 14 is disposed on the side of the pixel structure layer 130 away from the substrate 11 and can be formed by using the encapsulation method and encapsulation material of the prior art.

[0036] The electrochromic layer 15 is disposed on the side of the encapsulation layer 14 away from the pixel structure layer 130. The orthographic projection 17 of the electrochromic layer 15 on the pixel structure layer 130 is located between the gaps of the plurality of sub-pixels, as shown in FIG. 1B. Of course, in some implementations, due to process precision, the orthographic projection 17 of the electrochromic layer 15 on the pixel structure layer 130 can also partially block the sub-pixel, i.e., block the light-emitting unit 131 of the sub-pixel. When the electrochromic layer 15 is controlled to change from transparent to non-transparent, since the user is looking at the display panel 100, the user's visual experience will not be affected; however, the light emitted to the side of the sub-pixel will be blocked by the non-transparent electrochromic layer 15, thereby realizing small-viewing-angle viewing of the display panel 100 and achieving the purpose of preventing peeping. Figure 2 Specifically, the patterned electrochromic layer includes a plurality of frame structures, each of which surrounds a sub-pixel in the orthographic projection 17 of the pixel structure layer 130. Alternatively, the electrochromic layer 15 formed by the plurality of frame structures forms a mesh structure or a grid structure. The middle position of the frame structure is an open area for transmitting light emitted by the sub-pixel when the electrochromic layer 15 changes to a non-transparent state. Through this design, peeping can be prevented in multiple different directions, such as above, below, left, and right of the display panel 100.

[0037]

[0038] ​Further, the cross-sectional edge shape of the frame structure can be rectangular, square, circular, oval, and other irregular shapes. The cross-sectional edge shape is a closed shape, which ensures that the display panel 100 does not produce side light leakage in the privacy state.

[0039] Referring to Figure 3 In some implementations, the size of the frame width M of the frame structure can be 1-5 um; further, the frame width M can be 2-4 um. Based on the current panel manufacturing process, this implementation can ensure that the frame width of the frame structure is located in the gap between the sub-pixels, avoiding the frame from blocking the sub-pixels. At the same time, it can also ensure that the light emitted from the sub-pixels to the side forms a good light shielding effect after the electrochromic layer 15 becomes dark, avoiding the narrow frame from weakening the privacy effect.

[0040] Referring to Figure 4 A specific implementation of the electrochromic layer 15 can be as follows: the electrochromic layer 15 includes a first metal mesh 151, a second metal mesh 152, and a color-changing structure layer 150. The first metal mesh 151 is disposed on the encapsulation layer 14 away from the pixel structure layer 130. The color-changing structure layer 150 is disposed on the first metal mesh 151 away from the pixel structure layer 130. The second metal mesh 152 is disposed on the color-changing structure layer 150 away from the pixel structure layer 130. Among them, the first metal mesh 151 and the second metal mesh 152 serve as two conductive electrodes of the electrochromic layer 15. By applying a corresponding voltage difference to the first metal mesh 151 and the second metal mesh 152, the color of the color-changing structure can be adjusted to achieve electrochromism, thereby achieving the privacy purpose.

[0041] Specifically, the materials of the first metal mesh 151 and the second metal mesh 152 can be ITO (indium tin oxide), SnO2, and the like. The electrochromic layer 15 includes an ion storage layer 153, an ion transport layer 154, and a color-changing material layer 155. The ion storage layer 153 is disposed on the first metal mesh 151 away from the pixel structure layer 130. The ion transport layer 154 is disposed on the ion storage layer 153 away from the pixel structure layer 130. The color-changing material layer 155 is disposed on the ion transport layer 154 away from the pixel structure layer 130. The ion storage layer 153 is used to store and provide ions required by the electrochromic material, and can play a charge balancing role. The ion storage layer 153 can be made of NiO xV2O5, Prussian blue and other materials. The ion transport layer 154, used as an electrolyte, is used to transport conductive ions; LiCoO2, LiClO4, LiAlF4, LiTaO3, LiNbO3 and other materials can be used. The color-changing material layer 155 is used to realize electrochromism and can use oxides of W, Mo, Nb and Ti, such as WO3. The electrochromic layer 15 in the embodiment is realized by using the above structure and materials, which is compatible with the existing PVD (Sputter) / electron beam evaporation / CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) process, that is, it can effectively compatible with the process in the manufacturing process of the touch layer of the OLED panel, effectively controlling the cost. The electrochromic layer uses solid materials, which has simple preparation process and high reliability, and the device reliability is good.

[0042] Please refer to Figure 5 The electrochromic layer 15 further includes a first lead wire 181 and a second lead wire 182; the first lead wire 181 is connected with the first metal mesh 151, and the second lead wire 182 is connected with the second metal mesh 152; the first lead wire 181 and the second lead wire 182 are led out from the edge of the display panel 100. In some implementations, the first lead wire 181 and the second lead wire 182 can be led out from the non-display area of the same edge of the display panel 100, so that the wiring of the flexible circuit board can be facilitated. An insulating layer 183 is arranged between the first lead wire 181 and the second lead wire 182. The insulating layer 183 can be an inorganic insulating material, such as SiN x The isolation of the insulating layer 183 can avoid the contact between the first lead wire 181 and the second lead wire 182, while being compatible with the touch layer process, and ensuring that a voltage difference can be provided between the first metal mesh 151 and the second metal mesh 152 to realize the control of the electrochromic layer 15.

[0043] Further, the opening area of the electrochromic layer is also filled with an insulating medium 16. The material of the insulating medium 16 can be the same as that of the insulating layer 183.

[0044] In some implementations, since the width of the sub-pixel and the spacing between the sub-pixels are certain, the electrochromic layer 15 can be thickened to achieve better privacy effect. For example, the total thickness of the encapsulation layer 14 and the electrochromic layer 15 can be controlled to be 5um-115um, which can ensure that the angle of privacy is above 45°. That is, as Figure 3As shown, when the user watches the display panel 100, the angle a between the line of sight and the display panel 100 is greater than 45°, and the user can clearly check the content on the display panel 100. When the viewing angle is between 0-45° (a is 45°-90°), the user cannot watch the content of the display panel, and thus the privacy protection is achieved when the viewing angle is between 0-45°. In some embodiments, the thickness of the encapsulation layer 14 is constant. For example, when the thickness of the encapsulation layer 14 is 10-15 um, and the center distance between adjacent sub-pixels is 10-20 um, the thickness of the electrochromic layer 15 can be controlled to be 1-100 um, so as to ensure good privacy protection effect and control the thickness of the display panel 100.

[0045] Therefore, the display panel 100 provided by the embodiments of the present application can achieve switching between privacy protection and wide viewing angle by setting the electrochromic layer 15 on the encapsulation layer 14. When the display panel 100 needs to display in a wide viewing angle, the electrochromic layer 15 is controlled to be transparent. When the display panel 100 needs to display in a privacy protection mode, the electrochromic layer 15 is controlled to be dark, so as to block the light in a wide viewing angle, and thus the privacy protection is achieved. Therefore, the display panel 100 provided by the embodiments of the present application can switch between privacy protection and wide viewing angle, and is compatible with the existing manufacturing process of the OLED touch layer.

[0046] Based on the same inventive concept, the display device in another embodiment of the present application also provides a display panel 100. It should be noted that the display device can be a mobile phone display module, a notebook display screen, a display, or the like, which is not limited. Since the display device in this embodiment adopts the display panel 100 in the foregoing embodiments, the beneficial effects and specific structural components can be referred to the display panel 100 in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be described herein.

[0047] Please refer to Figure 6 Based on the same inventive concept, the display panel 100 in the embodiments of the present application also provides a manufacturing method of a display panel, which can be used to manufacture the display panel 100 in the foregoing embodiments. The steps of the manufacturing method are as follows:

[0048] Step S10: providing a substrate;

[0049] Step S20: manufacturing a pixel structure layer on the substrate; the pixel structure layer includes a plurality of sub-pixels;

[0050] Step S30: forming an encapsulation layer on the pixel structure layer;

[0051] Step S40: forming a patterned electrochromic layer on the encapsulation layer, and making the electrochromic layer in the orthographic projection of the pixel structure layer be located in the gap between the plurality of sub-pixels of the pixel structure layer.

[0052] In steps S10 to S30, the existing OLED manufacturing process can be used. In step S40, the first metal mesh, the ion storage layer, the ion transport layer, the color-changing material layer and the second metal mesh are formed in the display area on the encapsulation layer in sequence, the first lead, the insulating layer and the second lead are formed in the non-display area, the first lead is connected with the first metal mesh, and the second lead is connected with the second metal mesh, thereby completing the manufacturing of the electrochromic layer; and then, the opening area of the electrochromic layer is filled with the insulating medium. The above manufacturing process is compatible with the existing PVD (Sputter) / electron beam evaporation / CVD process for manufacturing the touch layer, and can effectively control the manufacturing cost.

[0053] In the above description, the patterning, etching and other technical details of each layer are not described in detail. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the layers, regions and the like with the required shape can be formed by various technical means. In addition, those skilled in the art can also design methods that are not exactly the same as the above-described methods in order to form the same structure. In addition, although each embodiment is described above, this does not mean that the measures in each embodiment cannot be used advantageously in combination.

[0054] Although preferred embodiments of the present application have been described, those skilled in the art can make further changes and modifications to these embodiments once they know the basic inventive concept. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including all the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the present application.

[0055] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalent technologies, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized by, The display panel comprises: a substrate substrate, a pixel structure layer, an encapsulation layer and a patterned electrochromic layer; The pixel structure layer is arranged on one side of the substrate substrate, the encapsulation layer is arranged on the side of the pixel structure layer away from the substrate substrate, and the electrochromic layer is arranged on the side of the encapsulation layer away from the pixel structure layer. The pixel structure layer comprises a plurality of sub-pixels, and the electrochromic layer is located in the gap between the plurality of sub-pixels in the orthographic projection of the pixel structure layer. The electrochromic layer is used for: by controlling the electrochromic layer, the electrochromic layer changes to dark color, the visual angle of the light of the pixel structure layer decreases, and the anti-peep effect is realized; otherwise, the electrochromic layer changes to light color or transparent, so that the visual angle of the light of the pixel structure layer increases, and wide viewing angle is realized. The electrochromic layer comprises a plurality of frame structures, and each frame structure surrounds a sub-pixel in the orthographic projection of the pixel structure layer. The cross-sectional edge shape of the frame structure is a closed shape. The electrochromic layer comprises a first metal mesh, a second metal mesh and a color-changing structure layer, the first metal mesh is arranged on the side of the encapsulation layer away from the pixel structure layer, the color-changing structure layer is arranged on the side of the first metal mesh away from the pixel structure layer, and the second metal mesh is arranged on the side of the color-changing structure layer away from the pixel structure layer.

2. The display panel of claim 1, wherein, The frame structure has a frame width of 1um-5um.

3. The display panel of claim 1, wherein, The electrochromic layer further comprises a first lead and a second lead; the first lead is connected with the first metal mesh, the second lead is connected with the second metal mesh; the first lead and the second lead are led out from the edge of the display panel, and an insulating layer is arranged between the first lead and the second lead.

4. The display panel of claim 1, wherein, The color-changing structure layer comprises an ion storage layer, an ion transmission layer and a color-changing material layer; the ion storage layer is arranged on the side of the first metal mesh away from the pixel structure layer, the ion transmission layer is arranged on the side of the ion storage layer away from the pixel structure layer, and the color-changing material layer is arranged on the side of the ion transmission layer away from the pixel structure layer.

5. The display panel of claim 1, wherein, The total thickness of the encapsulation layer and the electrochromic layer is 5um-115um.

6. The display panel of claim 1, wherein, The electrochromic layer has an opening area filled with an insulating medium.

7. A display device, characterized by comprising: The display panel comprises: The display panel of any one of claims 1-6.

8. A manufacturing method of a display panel, characterized by, The display panel comprises: A substrate substrate is provided; A pixel structure layer is manufactured on the substrate substrate; The pixel structure layer comprises a plurality of sub-pixels; An encapsulation layer is formed on the pixel structure layer; A patterned electrochromic layer is formed on the encapsulation layer, and the electrochromic layer is located in the gap between the plurality of sub-pixels of the pixel structure layer in the orthographic projection of the pixel structure layer. The electrochromic layer is used for: by controlling the electrochromic layer, the electrochromic layer changes to dark color, the visual angle of the light of the pixel structure layer decreases, and the anti-peep effect is realized; otherwise, the electrochromic layer changes to light color or transparent, so that the visual angle of the light of the pixel structure layer increases, and wide viewing angle is realized. The electrochromic layer comprises a plurality of frame structures, each frame structure being around the sub-pixel in the orthographic projection of the pixel structure layer; The cross-sectional edge shape of the frame structure is a closed shape; The electrochromic layer comprises a first metal mesh, a second metal mesh and a color-changing structure layer, the first metal mesh is arranged on the side of the encapsulation layer away from the pixel structure layer, the color-changing structure layer is arranged on the side of the first metal mesh away from the pixel structure layer, and the second metal mesh is arranged on the side of the color-changing structure layer away from the pixel structure layer.

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